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PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT PROGRAMME (PDSP) (A Joint Programme under the UNDAF for Cooperation
and Collaboration amongst UN Agencies in Isabel Province, Solomon Islands) Office of the UN System Resident Coordinator Suva, Fiji December 2002 Participating Agencies: UNDP UNICEF UNFPA UNIFEM ILO 1.0
Introduction Guided by the Common Country Assessment (CCA), undertaken in Solomon
Islands from November 2001 to February 2002, the UN Agencies based in Suva,
Fiji formulated the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for
the country for the period 2003 to 2007. UNDAF is a strategic document that
promotes cooperation and closer coordination amongst UN agencies, and between
the latter and the Government. It provides a basis for developing projects
and programmes in support of the country’s development strategies. UNDAF 2003 – 2007 considers the following as overall goal of UN
assistance in Solomon Islands: “Support Solomon Islands’ national development strategies for
achieving peace and security, improved governance, and sustainable economic
and social development through enhanced resource management and equitable
access to quality basic services.” In support of this goal, UN Agencies seek to contribute to achieving
the following outcomes under each of the three objectives of UNDAF: Objective 1: Improve Governance, security and human rights §
Environment process for peace building and
reconciliation in place §
Community participation in national policy
development processes, including the clear role of women and young girls and
boys §
Improved transparency and accountability within
decision making, including a better informed population on political and
governance system §
Elected representatives and civil service able to
adhere to good governance principles §
Strengthened national capacity for design,
management and coordination of development assistance supported programmes
and projects §
Widespread awareness of the relevance of human
rights and international human rights conventions such as CEDAW and CRC and
implementation processes in place and actioned §
Sex disaggregated data and analysis, including
gender analysis, available to support policy and programme development Objective 2: More equitable access to sustainable development
opportunities §
Access to development opportunities to enhance food
security and promote integrated rural development §
Transparency and increased participation (of women
and youth and marginalised groups) in all stages (planning, implementation,
etc.) of national/regional development §
Environment policy implemented to promote
sustainable development opportunities §
Population dimension integrated into National and
Sectoral Development Planning Objective 3: Improve
access, quality and delivery of basic services to all sections of the
community §
Health sector reformed and staff trained to promote equitable distribution
of health services in the country §
Improvement in health settings §
Reduced morbidity and mortality from communicable
diseases (Malaria, TB, Pneumonia, dengue, ARI) in the country §
Reproductive/maternal health improved through
delivery of cost-effective reproductive health strategies §
National multisectoral HIV/AIDS strategy developed
and implemented §
All children complete basic education §
Girls education given increased political and
community support §
Increased participation of youth in decision-making
together with expanded employment and livelihood choices opportunities for
young people As in other countries, UN assistance in Solomon Islands seeks to
promote the UN system as innovator and catalyst, rather than as donor. UN
agencies cannot provide large-scale interventions due to resource and
capacity constraints. Hence, UNDAF
2003-2007 will build on the role of the UN System to catalyze the involvement
of the Government and member donor countries. As indicated in the UNDAF for Solomon Islands, the collaboration of UN
agencies in the country will take the form of a mix of complementary joint,
parallel and agency-specific projects and programmes. Since the UNDAF will be
an important vehicle for resource mobilization for the UN System, it is
important that Government and donors perceive the spirit of cooperation and
collaboration that permeates the development assistance process. The UN agencies in the South Pacific have agreed that as part of UNDAF
2003 – 2007, an integrated and mutually reinforcing set of interventions or a
package of projects be formulated and delivered in one target province in
Solomon Islands. The pilot programme area
chosen for this purpose was Isabel, a province of 20,421 population (1999
Census) with a land area of 4,156 sq. km.
This Programme Framework seeks to serve as guide for UN Agencies in
the South Pacific in their efforts to work together in pursuit of the UNDAF
Goal: Support Solomon Islands’ national development strategies for achieving
peace and security, improved governance and sustainable economic and social
development through enhanced resource management and equitable access to
quality basic service Whilst initially they will focus technical expertise and funding
resources in one province to field-test participatory approaches and
methodologies to strengthen governance and improve service delivery, their
long-term target will be to bring the benefits of programmed cooperation and
collaboration to other provinces in Solomon Islands. Despite their engagement in the pilot province, national programmes
supported by UN Agencies are assured
continuity within current agreements with the central government and its
instrumentalities, as well as with partner agencies amongst NGOs, civil
society institutions and donors. 2.0 Isabel Province as Pilot Programme
Area for UN Cooperation The Government has endorsed the selection of Isabel as pilot province
because although it has been spared from the violence emanating from the
recent social unrest, it has had unequal access to development support in the
past. More than 97% of its people have a livelihood largely based on the
subsistence economy. The province has a good track record of sustained commitment to
planning and implementation of projects designed to support local
communities. For instance, it holds
the distinction of reducing malaria by 90%.
One of its villages, Linho, has been adjudged the cleanest in the
country due largely to the leadership of the chief and the cooperation of the
villages. The province is also known for the unique collaborative work
amongst the Church of Melanesia, with an active organization base of around
99% of country’s 20,000 population; the Island Council of Chiefs, with its
network of village committees linked to 8 Houses of Chiefs; and the
Provincial Government with its provincial assembly, and more than 100
national and provincial public service employees in the main government
headquarters and five substations. 2.1 Provincial Development Profile The Isabel Province Development Profile, prepared by the UNDP-SIG
Solomon Islands Development Administration and Participatory Planning
Programme (SIDAPP), notes the following key features of the province: Environment, Land and Population ·
The island province is of volcanic origin and
consists of steep hills and mountains dissected by several rivers. ·
The province is vulnerable to coastal flooding and tsunami,
landslides and river flooding, drought and volcanic eruptions. ·
Most villages are located along the coast. ·
Although the province has a land area of 4,156 sq.
kms., only 2.3% are classified as Agriculture Opportunity Areas (AOA). ·
Population density is 5 persons per square
kilometre. ·
Traditionally, landownership is passed through the
matrilineal system. ·
About 76% of land is customary and 26% alienated
land. ·
Isabel has a population of 20,421, based on 1999
census, which represents 5% of the country’s population. ·
Population growth rate is around 2.6 and average
family size is 5.6. ·
Around 42% of the population are less than 15 years
of age. ·
Dependency ratio is 46.4, whilst sex ratio is 104.3
males to 100 females. Physical Infrastructure ·
Small provincial roads exist. There are also
secondary and logging roads. The mountainous and rugged nature of the island
hinders the construction of good roads. ·
The island is served twice weekly by Solomon
Airlines. It has two airfields, one
in Fera and the other in Suavanao. ·
The province has its own shipping company, the
Isabel Development Company, which runs M/V Isabella. The ship makes once a week service to all
the major ports of the province. ·
Inter-island travel is mainly by boat with outboard
motors. ·
Telekom has telephone and fax services at the
administrative center, Buala, but not many people use them. HF radio is the
principal means of communication in rural clinics, schools and government
substations. ·
The province has 9 postal agencies but are not
economical to use because of the high travelling costs involved. ·
The Solomon Islands Electricity Authority (SIEA)
supplies power only to Buala, the capital.
The Provincial Government provides power generators in Tatamba,
Kamaosi and Allardyce, which are substations. The Anglican church provides power to its Training Center at
Tasia. High schools and some well-off
families provide for their generators. Economic Activity ·
About 97.8% of the population practised subsistence
agriculture, a small part of which is traded for income. The main crops grown
are taro, potato, yam, pana, betelnut, ngali nut and pineapple. Most people also engage in fishing. ·
The working age population (14 years and over)
totals to 12,381, which represents 61.2% of Isabel’s total population. ·
Major income earning activities are from copra,
cocoa, logging and marine products. ·
During 1996 to 2000, the province earned on average
8.1% of the annual income of Solomon Islands from copra exports. Smallholders are the main copra producers
in the province. In 1998, smallholder production was 2,066 tonnes, whilst
that of plantations totalled only 294 metric tonnes. ·
The 1999 production census showed 24.9% of
households produce coconut. ·
Smallholders, cooperatives and traders produced
about 97.3% of total production during the last five years. ·
Other products, such as spice, livestock, rice and
fruits are not important revenue earners. ·
Seven logging companies and 13 small-scale sawmills
are currently operating in the province. ·
In the year 2000, the province accounted for 21.2%
of log earnings of Solomon Islands. ·
The province has three Fisheries Centers that
purchase fish and sell them locally or to buyers in Honiara. ·
There are no mining operations in the province, but
mineral prospecting is being carried out on San Jorge island. Minerals
identified to have existed in the province are: nickel, copper, chlorysotile,
manganese, zinc, chromites, silver, gold and limestone. ·
Small-scale processing of peanuts and coffee is
carried out in the province. Social Services ·
The province runs 27 primary schools and the SDA,
one school. The province also runs Kamaosi
and Allardyce Provincial Secondary Schools. Three Community High Schools are
at Muana, Visena and Guguha. There is
a Vocational Training Center at Garanga and Rural Training Center at Tasia. An Agriculture Training Center run by the
province is located at Susubona. ·
The 1999 census that 67.% of the 5-15 age group
were attending school. ·
More girls (67/4%) are attending schools than boys
(67.2%). ·
The province has 63.2% literacy rate. Female literacy was 58.1%, whilst that of
male was 68.1%. ·
The province has 1 hospital, 3 Area Health Centers,
10 Rural Health Clinics and 16 Nurse Aide Posts. A total of 103 workers
operate those centers. ·
There is only one doctor for a population of 20,421
spread out in coastal, island and mountain villages. ·
Major health services include: outpatient services;
immunisation, maternity, family planning and health promotion. The Hospital
offers dental, radiology, pharmacy, laboratory and surgical services. ·
The major health problems are: respiratory
infection, malaria, diarrhea, skin diseases, influenza, ear infection, high
blood pressure and diabetes. ·
It has been estimated that 73.9% of households have
access to piped water an a further 10% have rainwater tanks. ·
Out of 3,556 households, 2,991 or 84% have no proper
sanitation facilities. Provincial Government Operations ·
The province has 3 Constituencies and 16 Wards. ·
The province relies on the national government to
finance its services. In year 2000, the central government gave SBD2,332,075 to
pay for recurrent services, education and health grants. ·
The national government also pays for the salaries
of provincial staff, e.g. teachers, health personnel, fisheries staff and the
police. In 2000, the total salaries
amounted to SBD4,131,333. ·
The province collects internal revenue from rates,
business licenses, logging levy, and other levies. ·
Development projects are financed mainly by aid
donors through national government programmes. ·
The province has 5 substations: Tataba, Konide,
Kia, Allardyce and Buala. These substations are mandated to coordinate all
national and provincial government programmes. 2.2
Priority Development Problems as
Perceived by the Constituencies As identified during the participatory planning workshops organised by
SIDAPP, the priority development problems perceived by the people in each of
the three Constituencies are as follows: Hograno-Kia-Havulei Constituency
·
Inadequate infrastructure support ·
Limited and costly local transportation facilities ·
Lack of communication facilities ·
Inadequate support systems to encourage economic
activity ·
Inadequate education facilities ·
Lack of reliable clean water system ·
Poor sanitation ·
Limited local materials for construction purposes ·
Inadequate health facilities Maringe-Kokota Constituency ·
Inadequate supply of infrastructure ·
Inadequate transport facilities ·
Not enough communication facilities ·
Limited income earning opportunities ·
Increasing crime rate ·
High rate of school dropouts ·
Lack of technical skills in villages, e.g. business
and bookkeeping skills, etc. ·
Inadequate primary and secondary school facilities ·
Low literacy rates ·
No training on trades and industrial courses ·
Frequent occurrence of cyclones ·
Environmental threats ·
High rate of population growth ·
Inadequate water supply system ·
Improper sanitation practice ·
Insufficient supply of bush materials ·
Inadequate health facilities ·
High rate of air borne diseases, e.g. coughs,
influenza, red eye, etc. ·
High rate of water borne diseases, e.g. diarrhea,
scabies, etc. Gau/Bugotu Constituency ·
Lack of leadership skills ·
Government neglect and poor linkage with government
authorities ·
Isolation due to limited accessibility of the area
brought about by absence of roads, inadequacy of communication systems, and
lack of sea transport and support facilities ·
No storage facilities to preserve excess supplies
of fish, pork, crabs, turtle meat, etc. ·
Lack of appropriate government economic programmes and
facilities that would stimulate productivity ·
Rigid commitments to church and school activities
limiting time to engage in productive activities ·
Low cash income ·
High unemployment due to lack of economic
activities, and vocational and entrepreneurial skills ·
Lack of meaningful programmes for young men and
women and school leavers ·
Low literacy rates ·
Negative traditional practices affecting the
environment ·
Limited usable land for housing, village expansion,
and agricultural activities due to rugged topology ·
Land disputes ·
Lack of water supply ·
Poor sanitary conditions ·
Lack of, and/or insufficiently equipped basic
social insfrastructure and community amenities 2.3 Overview of the
current status of development service delivery in the Province: SWOT
framework 2.3.1 Strengths
·
A Caretaker Government, to hold office until the
provincial elections in December 2002, is in place and has prepared a
document on Policies, Strategies and Programme of Action for 2002; ·
The provincial government has formally recognized
the Isabel Council of Chiefs, established in 1975, with budgetary allocation
and provision of office space to enable the traditional and
community-appointed chiefs to assist in resolving land disputes; ·
Village Chiefs have been working closely with
police authorities in maintaining peace and order in all three
constituencies; ·
All three provincial government substations
(Tataba, Konide and Allardyce) continue to operate despite inadequate staff
and supplies in relation to the size of the catchment area; ·
Despite scarce budgetary resources, the Provincial
Government has appointed a Women’s Development Officer as focal point for the
planning and coordination of activities involving women; ·
People pay for health services either with cash
(SBD5 per consultation) or in kind (root crops and other garden produce,
chickens, fish, etc.) in response to the budgetary crisis; ·
The Isabel Herbal Clinic in Toelegu, Kia-Havulei
Constituency is fully operational with supply of herbs and services of
trained herbal doctors supervised by the health ministry; ·
Some businessmen pay for the transport fares and
other expenses of agricultural extension workers during visits to their
farms; ·
Kindergarten classes continue with parents paying
for the salaries of teachers; ·
Despite limited staff and resources, the Provincial
Training Center at Garanga continues to operate with 46 boys and 21 girls
taking up courses in carpentry and mechanics; ·
Shipping service by MV Isabella, owned and managed
by the Isabel Development Corporation, has been uninterrupted, calling on all
ports in the province three times a week; ·
Immunization is carried out every Thursday of the week
with vaccines replenished every two months, and local communities paying for
the kerosene used to maintain the cold chain; ·
The AusAid-funded Community Peace Restoration Fund
(CPRF) operates through a local coordinator based at the Women’s Development
Division and has provided assistance (SBD180,000) to eight (8) projects
(Talise Kindergarten, Furona Kindergarten, Hirolegu Kindergarten, Poro
Mothers Union Multi-Purpose Hall, Nodana Clinic, Teolegu Aid Post, Buala
Kindergarten, and Huhurangi Resettlement water tanks); ·
The EU-funded Micro-projects Programme has assisted
several projects in agriculture; ·
Two EU-funded Fisheries Centers, Tataba and Kia,
continue its operations of buying fish and selling them; ·
The Provincial Government, through its Agriculture
and Forestry Division, continues reforestation of a 60-hectare plantation in
cooperation with specific families and clans, rather than communities, with
the Premier providing 15 kilos of seeds; ·
The Embassy of Japan continues to fund water supply
projects identified by local communities through SIDAPP; ·
The Rural Development Division (RDD) of the
Ministry of Provincial Government and Rural Development remains intact and
can serve as focal point for programme coordination and monitoring at central
level; 2.3.2 Weaknesses ·
Inadequate project planning skills of government
technical officers; ·
Inability of the two-staff Provincial Planning
Division to cope with the demand of monitoring existing programmes and
projects; ·
Lack of coordination amongst national and
provincial agencies; ·
Prevalent tendency of national sectoral agencies
and donors to implement projects in the province without the participation of
the Ministry of Provincial Government and Rural Development, as well as the
Provincial Government of Isabel; ·
Lack of follow-up on the performance of each
sector; ·
Low morale and discipline amongst the public
servants; ·
Inability to raise more revenues to fund provincial
operations and projects (only 40% of target collected in 2001; non-payment of
logging fees, etc.); ·
Inability of division heads to meet deadlines
regarding submission of work plans; ·
Only 23% of total grants (SBD223.333) per month
received from the central government; ·
Classes at primary and secondary schools have been
suspended for six weeks due to non-payment of salaries to teachers; ·
Health workers paid through grants by the health
ministry have gone on unpaid leaves; ·
Health workers seconded to the Provincial
Government by the national health ministry report for work only on half-day
basis as protest against non-payment of their salaries; ·
Production of copra, cocoa, coffee and rice has
declined, resulting in less cash income to farmers. ·
Except for training funded under the rice
programme, no training for farmers was undertaken in 2001; ·
Inadequate funds and logistics to ensure regular
monitoring and extension visits to remote villages; ·
Lack of resources to complete the 5-km. road from
Buala to Gozoruru which can open up vast agricultural areas to further
development; ·
Lack of wharves, jetties, farm-to-market roads to
facilitate easier transport of agricultural produce. 2.3.3 Opportunities ·
The Church of Melanesia has committed resources (SBD200,000) to assist the Diocese of Ysabel expand its
women and youth programmes and fund the post of a Project Coordinator to
liaise with Government and Donors in the planning, implementation and
monitoring of projects; ·
The Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) has
assured funding support, from an unutilized SBD1 million window, to the
current plan of the Church to organize credit unions all over the province; ·
Save the Children Australia has established an
office in Buala; ·
Two volunteers will be fielded in Isabel by CUSO to
assist in the organization and training of credit unions; ·
Foreign investors are at the development phase of
mining nickel deposits, reportedly amounting to 45 million tons, in St.
George, Jejevo and Takata; ·
Tataba and Kia fishery centers will establish rural
email stations as part of the People First Network thus facilitating
information flow amongst the remote and isolated villages, as well as between
these areas and the rest of the world; ·
The Provincial Government, through the Isabel
Development Authority, is preparing a plan to develop 500 hectares of land
that it owns into an industrial estate; ·
The Provincial Government has announced a plan to
transfer its administration site to the 27,000 hectare property that it owns
in Allardyce to take advantage of the harbour and the potential of the area
on account of its proximity to tourist-rich Western Province. 2.3.4 Threats ·
The post-conflict situation may further deteriorate
resulting in the general collapse of public administration and its service
delivery system; ·
More donors may withdraw support as peace and order
condition worsens in Honiara and other areas; ·
Several provinces may decide to secede thus further
fragmenting the country into isolated provincial enclaves; ·
Existing civil disobedience, e.g. protest strikes,
etc. may result in total breakdown of law and order making national recovery
and rehabilitation an impossible task; ·
Corruption may further diminish the capability of
the government to lead and result in irreversible slide into chaos and
anarchy; ·
Greater reliance on subsistence economy may result
in depletion of natural resources due to over-exploitation of such resources;
·
High population growth may negate whatever economic
gains are achieved in the immediate future; ·
Absence of
sound monitoring system on logging operations may lead to widespread
deforestation, soil erosion, destruction watersheds and other
environment-related problems. 2.4 Possible
Intervention Areas for UN Agencies As identified by the UN Country Team in a mission
(08 – 22 August 2002), the development needs of local stakeholders and
possible intervention areas for UN assistance in the pilot province are as
follows: ·
Support to local governance ·
Delivery of quality basic social services for
children, youth, women, disadvantaged local communities and other vulnerable
groups ·
Socio-economic empowerment of women ·
Physical infrastructure ·
Income generation opportunities ·
STI/HIV/AIDS ·
Conformity with international standards Labour,
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW),
Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC), etc. 3.0 Towards a Common Programme for UN Agencies in Isabel Province 3.1
Immediate Objective The UN Agencies consider the following as a
priority immediate objective that can be addressed by a common programme of
cooperation and collaboration in Isabel Province: To support the initiative of the
Isabel Provincial Government to increase the outreach of basic services to
local communities and specific target group, such as children, youth and
women A more responsive service delivery mechanism within
the Provincial Government system will result if the development objective of
the Isabel Province Development Programme
is achieved, as indicated by the following:
Each participating UN Agency will provide resources
and services to enable the Isabel Provincial Government to improve service
delivery to target clientele in accordance with its own specific mandate. The UN Agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNIFEM, ILO)
will identify specific Strategic Results and Immediate Objectives, as well as
Intended Outcomes and Outputs, as part of overall programme design in efforts
to achieve the development objective. The UN Agencies will work with their respective
sectoral government partner agencies and cooperating NGOs and Civil Society
Institutions in formulating a project or set of interventions to match
locally-articulated development needs in Isabel Province. Joint programming and monitoring of inputs under
the Joint Programme will be undertaken through existing mechanisms (UNCT
Technical Group, etc.) and those to be established within existing Government
structure (Integrated Provincial Planning and Development Office (IPPDO),
etc). The participating UN
Agencies will assist Government and NGO counterparts implement key activities
to deliver specific services to target groups in accordance with their
respective mandates. Since the
planning and delivery of such services will be facilitated with Government
and NGO counterparts within a programme approach modality, it is important
that project-level strategies reinforce programme-wide strategies that
address ct the following broader concerns: ·
the need for a focal
point at Ministry and Isabel Provincial Government level for Programme
Coordination and Monitoring; ·
the need for political
leaders, government officers, project implementers and planners to share a
common frame of reference on the local development situation, as well as the
existing projects to address key development problems; ·
the need to adopt a
common skills training programme to even up the skills of project
functionaries from both government agencies and NGOs in undertaking social
preparation and community work; ·
the need to revisit the
list of disadvantaged villages, groups and families, monitor their situation
and review the current status of micro-projects and other interventions they
themselves proposed in previous community profiling and action planning
activities; ·
the need to establish and
support a Community-based Monitoring System (CBMS) to bring information to
the level where it can best be acted upon and to alert Government promptly on
specific problems encountered; and ·
the need to launch
advocacy activities for relevant policy and programme support to strengthen
local governance and thus increase community access to basic services,
sustainable livelihood and other development opportunities. 3.3
Beneficiaries The Programme beneficiaries include the following:
In preparing their respective projects for Isabel,
the UN Agencies will modify the target beneficiaries in accordance with their
respective mandates and other considerations, such as the availability of
funding resources, government priorities, . Each UN Agency will prepare project documentation
and proceed to government approval in
accordance with established procedures of the UN System and the Solomon
Islands Government. 3.4
Proposed UN Agency Involvement
in the Isabel Joint Programme The following have been proposed by the UN Agencies
as possible contributions to achieving the Development Objective in Isabel
Province: A. PARTICIPATING AGENCY: UNDP §
Assessment of training needs for civil servants in
Isabel §
Assessment of processes and procedures of
provincial service delivery, also in relation to national laws and
regulations §
Review and, if necessary, update processes and
procedures §
UNV assistance in basic management and accounting
for training of trainers related to Tasia Training Center, both for public
servants and civil society organizations §
Assessment of
training and capacity building needs in the area of commercial
resources development §
Basic paralegal training on resource development,
negotiations, contracting and their legal, social and environmental
implications targeting civil servants, leaders and resource owners §
UNV assistance in the training of trainers §
Civic education programme on ethical standards and
principles of good governance targeting the Provincial Assembly, Chiefs,
public servants and civil society §
Development of Code of Conduct for Leaders and
Public Officials §
Development of a monitoring mechanism involving all
stakeholders (government, chiefs, civil society organizations and resource
owners) to ensure effective and efficient enforcement of ethical standards
and principles of good governance A.2 Support to Programme Coordination and
Monitoring
§
Training and deployment of a Programme Coordinator
in Isabel (from the Ministry) §
Organization and training of the Provincial
Planning and Development Staff (PPDS) from out of existing staff §
Re-orientation of the role of the Provincial
Secretary (and the Deputy Provincial
Secretary) vis-ŕ-vis the PPDS §
Orientation of all Government officers and NGO
workers and volunteers on the role of the PPDS §
Skills training on project development; project
management, coordination and monitoring §
Upgrading the ICT facilities of provincial planning
division §
Organization of the Substation Monitoring Teams §
Establishment of the Community-based Monitoring
System §
Review/Updating of Provincial and Constituency
Development Profiles and Action Plans as basis for project identification §
Review/Updating of Projects Proposed by
Disadvantaged Villages and Groups in Isabel
Province §
Rapid assessment of the status of disadvantaged
villages and families identified by local
communities under SIDAPP §
Establishment of PF Net Rural Email stations in the
4 provincial substations as part
of the Community-based Monitoring System §
Documentation and dissemination of best practices A.3 Support to
Policy Review and Development, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization §
Updating of the current
Provincial Development Profile to include the following: ·
the impact of the recent social unrest
on the delivery of social services ·
existing resources available to
overcome the impact ·
the status of projects (community
self-help; provincial, national and donor-executed projects, their present
outreach to the communities ·
new projects identified by the
constituencies and community groups ·
rapid assessment of the
provincial service delivery, administrative and financial operations; §
Preparation of a
Provincial Framework Plan and Budget based on the updated Provincial
Development Profile and incorporating: ·
specific targets for a
given period per sector ·
priority areas for
service coverage and assistance ·
investment opportunities
for private sector development ·
commitments from the
national government and donors for priority programmes, etc. §
Assessment of policies that support strengthening
service delivery mechanism at provincial level §
Identification of policy gaps in improving delivery
of services to local communities §
Preparation of relevant policy papers based on the
Isabel experience for submission to Cabinet and Parliament §
Conduct of regular Rural Development Forum for
policymakers and donors §
Reactivation of the National Task Force on Rural
Development as policy think tank on the Isabel Programme §
Training of relevant Ministry staff on preparation
of project proposals for submission to donors §
Training on the use of website and other media as
advocacy tool §
Establishment of linkages to Civil Society
institutions with projects in Isabel §
Mobilization of the Rural Development Volunteers
Association for advocacy activities A.4 Support to the Promotion of Sustainable
Livelihood as Vehicle to Enhance Community-Government Partnership
in Development Planning, Implementation and Monitoring B.
PARTICIPATING AGENCY: UNICEF
B.1. Rights Advocacy and Protection §
Strengthen capacity for promotion, monitoring and reporting
on the Rights of the Child by supporting local institutions and NGOs in the
Province. §
Promote greater awareness of children’s and women’s
rights through implementation of CRC and CEDAW training programs with key government,
NGO and community partners. §
Further the interest of child protection through
training and coordination of partners in government, NGOs and community
groups active in the promotion and protection of child protection. §
Support greater coverage of community based
programs for children with disabilities. B.2 Integrated Child Health and Development
§
Support community level initiatives to improve
decision making and practices with regard to child care and child health. §
Support national and provincial efforts to plan and
implement Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) programme in
Isabel Province. §
Address morbidity and mortality from communicable
diseases by assisting with the equitable distribution of health services
through improved planning and provision of equipment, supplies, staffing, and
communication capacity of health centres.
§
Support the Province in implementation of national
initiatives that receive ongoing UNICEF support including: ·
Immunisation ·
Improved infant and child feeding practices ·
Investigation and interventions to improve maternal
health B.3 Basic
Education (Project under Integrated Child Health and Development) §
Support with technical, financial and supply assistance
the local planning and implementation of Child Friendly Schools concepts for
primary schools Isabel Province with the goal to improve access, quality and
management of education. §
Increase capacity of NGOs and parents to implement
skills related to early child development at the household level through
training at community level. B.4 Adolescent Development/ Prevention of HIV/AID
§
Coordinate with the Church of Melanesia (COM), the
Council of Chiefs, Government, and other partners the planning of Life Skills
training activities in order to facilitate the development of risk aversion
and protection skills for young people at the community level. §
Develop culturally and linguistically appropriate
communication approaches related to lifeskills issues. §
Support networking among youth within Isabel and
the country. B.5
Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation for
Child-based Services §
Assist to develop and implement a data and information
utilising the health, planning, education and People First Net resources to
pursue a sustainable monitoring network throughout the Province C.
PARTICIPATING AGENCY: UNFPA C.1 Counselling services
§
Establish counselling
services for family (reproductive) services in each of the 200 villages in
Isabel C.2 Awareness creation §
Mount a campaign to
promote the use of condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually
transmitted diseases C.3 Training
§
Conduct workshops
targeting women to increase awareness on reproductive health and primary
health care (together with UNIFEM) D. PARTICIPATING AGENCY: UNIFEM
D.1 Income generation for women §
Create income generating
opportunities for women (together with ILO) D.2 Promoting human rights for women §
Raise community awareness
on the human rights of women using the recently ratified CEDAW as a platform
(together with UNDP) E.
PARTICIPATING AGENCY: ILO E.1 Basic physical infrastructure development
§
ILO-ASIST: Boost
employment with labour-intensive, equipment supported (community)
infrastructure works E.2 Enterprise promotion
§
ILO-SIYB: Boost
employment with business start-up and management training (together with
UNIFEM) §
ILO SOCIAL FINANCE:
Micro-credit for Women E.3 Entrepreneurship development §
ILO-GYB/KAB: Foster an
entrepreneurial culture and nurse a new generation of entrepreneurs through
training at primary school level (together with UNICEF) 4.0
Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators to measure the progress of cooperation
and collaboration amongst the participating UN Agencies will be developed by
the UN Technical Working Group for endorsement to the UN Country Team for
Solomon Islands. The collection and analysis of data and reports, as
well as feedbacks to monitoring information, will be done through existing
mechanisms established by each Agency at country in partnership with
Government, sectoral agencies, NGOs and other development partners. At subregional level, the UN Technical Working
Group will meet quarterly to assess programme progress through existing
mechanisms and processes. They will provide quarterly progress reports and
recommendations to the UN Country Team for action and support. 5.0
Resource Mobilization As the Joint Programme gathers momentum to
strengthen further cooperation and collaborations amongst the UN Agencies in
undertaking well-coordinated programming and project implementation, they
will seek ways to develop a common Resource Mobilization Plan. The UN
Technical Working Group will present a draft Plan within the first year of
the UN Joint Programme in the pilot province.
Efforts will be
exerted by the UN Technical Working Group to document experiences, lessons
learnt and processes developed in the course of implementing the Joint
Programme for possible sharing with colleagues in the UN System who also
desire to implement a common programme of cooperation and collaboration.
6.0
Secretariat Services As Liaison Officer of the UN System
Resident Coordinator to the UN Technical Working Group, Ms. Ritsu Nacken will
serve as Programme Coordinator and ensure the timely distribution of
information to participating UN agencies. She will also initiate
consultations amongst the agencies whenever necessary and feasible. Note: Information about proposed interventions by each
Participating Agency will be submitted to the Programme Coordinator on or
before 20 December 2002 so as to finalised the Draft Programme Framework. NESTOR M. PESTELOS
06 Dec 02 Suva, Fiji |