The Division will have one strategic plan linked to SPC’s main corporate strategic direction (and utilising SPC’s mission) and flowing into chapters of individual objectives and outputs for the four programmes of the Division. At this stage the divisional strategic plan may have an overall goal linked to the SPC mission and sectoral analysis focusing in the first instance on transport, energy and Pacific ICT outreach.

The Director EDD was appointed in mid-March 2010 and the Deputy Director Energy commenced duties from August 2010. The Deputy Director Transport and the PICTO Programme Manager have yet to be appointed.

A Director’s Office for the Division with multidisciplinary expertise provides cross-cutting support to all EDD programmes. This includes positions pertaining to travel, finance and logistics, systems and database operation and maintenance, information, publications and standards as well as the inclusion of analysts, economists and lawyers at a later stage.

ENERGY

On 1 January 2010, SPC assumed the lead agency role in the Energy Sector as mandated to it by the Pacific Energy Ministers, the joint meeting of the Governing bodies of SOPAC, SPREP and SPC, the Forum Leaders and approved by the Sixth Conference of the Pacific Community, held in Tonga on 12-13 October 2009.

SPC’s lead agency role is to provide leadership, effective coordination and management through the premise of Many Partners, One Team. Its  effort is guided by the Forum-adopted Framework for Action on Energy Security in the Pacific, where Energy Security exists when all people at all times have access to sufficient sustainable sources of clean and affordable energy and services to enhance their social and economic well-being.

Addressing the energy security issues of the PICTs is being done through technical advice, training and capacity building and on-the-ground demonstrations in the following 7 areas:

1.            Leadership, governance, coordination and partnerships

2.            Energy planning, policy and regulatory frameworks

3.            Energy production and supply (petroleum and renewable energy)

4.            Energy conversion

5.            End-use energy consumption

6.            Energy data and information

7.            Financing, monitoring and evaluation

PACIFIC ICT OUTREACH (PICTO)

The Pacific ICT Outreach (PICTO) Programme was established under SPC’s Economic Development Division (EDD) on 1 January 2010. PICTO focuses on the implementation of the ‘Framework for Action on ICT for Development in the Pacific’ through human capacity building initiatives, policy and regulatory mechanisms and technical solutions.

The programme coordinates the implementation of Framework in collaboration with Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs), USP and Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) agencies and development partners. This framework was developed in response to the direction by Leaders in their Cairns’ Communiqué to review and update the Pacific Plan Digital Strategy. It highlights the challenges facing the use of ICT for development, identifies priorities, outlines objectives and strategies, and provides indicators and milestones for monitoring and evaluation.

Addressing ICT development challenges in PICTs is being done through policy and technical advice, training and capacity building and on-the-ground demonstrations in the following seven areas, in accordance with the themes in the ICT framework:

TRANSPORT

The Transport Programme comprises the work of SPC’s previous Regional Maritime Programme along with the development of specific capacity in aviation – mostly research and advisory services to members – and eventually land transport research.

The role of SPC’s Transport Programme has expanded considerably over the last few years with shipping and aviation issues in particular those of SIS now part of its core focus. In addition to this function, SPC has a major regional role to play in ensuring PICTs comply with international and regional instruments and that there are systems and structures in place to align national frameworks with these ratified requirements. SPC is the only regional agency dealing with maritime matters in the Pacific Islands region and it is the implementing body for IMO technical cooperation division activities.

To address Transport issues in the Pacific at a regional level, the Transport framework is currently being developed and it will include thematic areas centered on the following: