Independent external review of SPC

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SPC press release

Independent external review of SPC

Monday 30 January 2012, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Noumea –

Over the next three months, a seven-member team will conduct an independent external review of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).

The review, beginning the first week of February, will consider SPC in the context of its broader role in regional development. The team will examine SPC’s focus, governance, management, mode of delivery, financing and performance monitoring and make recommendations on the organisation’s core business; governance, decision-making and membership; organisational structure; strategic planning; priority setting; business practices; financial management; resources; and performance monitoring and assessment.

When it approved the terms of reference for the review at the 7th Conference of the Pacific Community held in November last year, SPC’s governing body noted the timeliness of the exercise in light of the recent integration of SOPAC (Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission) and SPBEA (Secretariat of the Pacific Board for Educational Assessment) into SPC.

SPC Director-General Dr Jimmie Rodgers said, ‘This will be an organisation-wide review that is independent of SPC. It will consider SPC’s core business and other important issues such as general governance and organisational efficiency. This review is a key milestone for SPC and is very well-timed as we recognise the need to consolidate and reassess SPC’s core business and the way we work in light of the recent mergers. In addition, the outcomes will feed into SPC’s new corporate plan for 2013–2017.’

The review team is led by James W. Adams, a former World Bank Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific. The other members of the team are: Dr Collin Tukuitonga (Niue), Noumea Simi (Samoa), Peter Winder (New Zealand), Alan Morris (Australia), Bruno Peaucellier (French Polynesia), and Dr Norman Barth (United States of America).

The last SPC corporate review was undertaken in 2005 and was led by Senator Caleb Otto of Palau. The review recommendations formed the basis of the current SPC corporate plan 2007–2012.

The review team is at SPC headquarters in Noumea from 30 January to 4 February and will be in Fiji from 4 to 10 February. In the coming weeks the team will be visiting other SPC member countries and territories to consult with members, partners and other stakeholders. The final review report is expected at the end of April, and will be tabled at the meeting of SPC’s governing body in Noumea in November this year.

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