SIG, UNDP PARTNER TO IMPROVE CORPORATE FUNCTIONS

The Government and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, are partnering to improve corporate functions in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology.

The partnership aims to deliver effective and efficient services for a more resilient Solomon Islands.

Formalised yesterday, the Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology Capacity Development Project aims to improve the corporate planning, coordination, human resource management, and monitoring and evaluation functions of the Ministry.

Key activities under this project will include the development of the Ministry’s Corporate Plan for 2015-2017 and its Human Resource Development Plan.

A government statement says, this will assist the Environment Ministry deliver on its mandate of promoting and ensuring safe, sustainable and resilient Solomon Island communities.

It adds, 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.

Meanwhile, the project will also help 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.

Signing the project, Permanent Secretary Dr Melchior Mataki says the project will assist the Environment Ministry in developing a strategic corporate plan through a consultative process.

Dr Mataki says, it would also support staff to improve 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.