(Honiara, Solomon Islands) – The Government of Solomon Islands, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are partnering to improve corporate functions in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology, with the long term view of delivering effective and efficient services for a more resilient Solomon Islands.
On 13 May 2014, the Government and UNDP formalised the Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology Capacity Development Project (SIMCAP) that will assist the Ministry to deliver on its mandate of promoting and ensuring safe, sustainable and resilient Solomon Islands communities.
The goal of this project is to improve the corporate planning, coordination, human resource management, and monitoring and evaluation functions of the Ministry. The Ministry is relatively young, having been amalgamated in 2007 and expanded in 2010, and it has identified the need for a systematic approach to developing its corporate processes in order to undertake its work more consistently and effectively over time.
Key activities under this project will include the development of the Ministry’s Corporate Plan for 2015-2017, and its Human Resource Development Plan. The project will also help to establish a Programme Management and Coordination Unit, and support the implementation of key components of the Human Resource Development Plan.
It is expected that through this project, the Ministry will perform more efficiently and effectively to deliver on its obligations, as well as working to strengthen coordination amongst its divisions and with other government line ministries.
At the signing of the project document, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry, Dr Melchior Mataki noted that the project will influence the way the Ministry works, saying, “this project will assist the Ministry in developing a strategic corporate plan through a consultative process, that will guide its work for the coming years.” Dr Mataki also noted that it would support staff to hone not only their technical skills, but also skills in management, including planning, human resource management and monitoring and evaluation.
The partnership with UNDP builds on a number of existing projects in Solomon Islands, including the ‘Strengthening Environment Management & Reducing Impacts of Climate Change in Solomon Islands (SEMRICC) that also focused on building capacity of the Ministry on delivering on its environment and climate change functions.
Speaking on behalf of UNDP, Resident Representative/UN Resident Coordinator Osnat Lubrani, noted that working to develop the ability of the Ministry to deliver its mandate is one facet of a practical and long term approach to improving resilience in Solomon Islands. This project is mutually reinforcing of other ongoing UNDP projects in the Solomon Islands that support disaster management, early recovery and climate change.
Ms Lubrani said, “the launch of this project is particularly timely given the lessons emerging from the recent floods disaster in the country. UNDP is also pleased that the project will further strengthen the Ministry to bring leadership to important global processes leading up to the UN International Conference on Small Island Developing States, as well as the Climate Change Conference that will be convened in 2015 by the United Nations Secretary General.”
SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE