UNDP
Project of the Governments
of the South Pacific
Project Document

Number and Title:
INT/92/204/A/01/31 Pacific Sustainable Development Network
Duration:
Phase I: 24 Months
Phase II: 36 Months
Project Site: South Pacific Countries
ACC/UNDP Sector and Subsector:
2000 Environment
2010 Policies, Planning & Legislation
2020 Assessment & Monitoring
2030 Enhancement & Management
2040 Awareness & Education
Government Sector and Subsector: Environment
Government Implementing Agency:
Executing Agency: OPS (31)
Estimated Starting Date: 1 July 1994
Governments' Inputs:
Brief Description:
The project will promote sustainable development by enhancing information access, communications, networking and awareness among key decision makers in civil society, especially those operating at the community level. The project will use appropriate technologies for computer mediated communications to network locally, nationally, regionally and globally. The project will network and collaborate with other activities in the region that promote sustainable development. The project will undertake action, such as communicating or awareness promotion or information sharing to promote sustainable development.
On behalf of:            Signature      Date      Name/Title

The Government (SPC):    .........................     .............. ........................................

The Executing Agent:     .........................     .............. ........................................

UNDP:                    ..........................    .............. ........................................


Country:                           Signature:               Date:


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TABLE OF CONTENTS
     
A.   CONTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1
     1.   Description of subsector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1
     2.   Host country strategy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2
     3.   Prior or ongoing assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
     4.   Institutional framework for subsector. . . . . . . . . . . .  6

B.   PROJECT JUSTIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
     1.   Problem to be Addressed at the present situation . . . . . .  8
     2.   Expected end of project situation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
     3.   Target beneficiaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
     4.   Project strategy and institutional arrangements. . . . . . . 11
     5.   Reasons for assistance from UNDP/executing agency. . . . . . 18
     6.   Special considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
     7.   Coordination arrangements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
     8.   Counterpart support capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

C.   DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

D.   IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE(S), OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES. . . . . . . . . . 20

E.   INPUTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

F.   RISKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

G.   PRIOR OBLIGATIONS AND PREREQUISITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

H.   PROJECT REVIEWS, REPORTING AND EVALUATION . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

I.   LEGAL CONTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

J.   BUDGETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

K.   ANNEXES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
     I.   Workplan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
     II.  Standard legal text for non-SBA countries. . . . . . . . . . 29
     III. Equipment requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
     IV.  Job descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
     V.   Financial and accounting arrangements (National execution
          only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
A. CONTEXT
1. Description of subsector
The immediate development prospects for the South Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are a mixture of limited but promising opportunities and daunting constraints. Its land and coastal marine resources are under pressure from growing populations and rising material expectations. Its limited natural resource base is dwindling rapidly, and its biological environment is very fragile and easily degraded. Its development progress, despite the influx of new ideas such as people participation, sustainability and the like, remains mired in a development paradigm still grossly biased against the future. The PICs social and cultural institutions, however, remain unique in its blend of new ways and old traditions. And despite the increasing loss of biodiversity in many islands, the natural beauty of its green, lush and picturesque environments remain one of its most valuable assets for the future.
The state of PICs natural environment and resource base is a matter of serious concern to PICs leaders. Following UNCED, there is heightened awareness of the need for sustainable use of resources and more effective environmental management. The recent Global Conference for the Sustainable Development of Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) in Barbados reinforced this need. It further elevated the profile of the environment in public and political fora within PICs and added considerable momentum to local efforts promoting sustainable development.
The forum of PICs Heads of Governments, the South Pacific Forum, committed the region as a whole to the pursuit of sustainable development as the only way to go in the future. This has since been backed up by substantive action in institutional arrangements within PICs such as the formation of new environmental units and the strengthening of existing ones, the modification of resource related and planning legislations to incorporate sustainability principles, the development of sustainable development plans and environmental management strategies and the ratification by many PICs of the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on the Conservation of Biological Diversity, among others.
But while considerable progress has been made in laying the institutional framework, the implementation of sustainable development remains weak. The following quote from `The Pacific Way', the regional report to UNCED, is revealing of the perception of PICs of their development situation:
We Pacific Islanders share a common aspiration for economic development and improved living standards for our people. For thousands of years we have lived a relatively sustainable way of life in our island environments at a fairly low level of material well-being - a level which we no longer consider adequate. We are strongly committed to maintaining the harmony which has characterized Pacific island peoples relationship with their environment; we do not want the pursuit of material benefits to undermine our cultural systems and values nor to cause any permanent harm to the land and marine resources which have allowed us to sustain island life for many centuries. Therein lies our dilemma.
The dual existence of both the subsistence and monetary economies throughout the Pacific will continue with the latter likely to maintain its dominance into the future. The rise in material aspirations associated with the monetary economy presents a major challenge for sustainable development in the Pacific - that is how to meet these aspirations through an increased monetized economy which builds upon, rather than undermines the subsistence economy.
Given this unique situation, the now-common call of `Pacific solutions for Pacific problems' cannot be more appropriate. The region itself is rich in traditional resource management practices that are sustainable and which can be more widely practised. New and innovative ways of integrating environmental and development objectives are emerging. Some of these incorporates traditional land tenure systems and community based management structures. Still, more new and innovative ideas, sustainable and appropriate technologies and alternative income generating practices must be found, developed and adopted, if PICs are to provide on a sustainable basis for the needs of its growing populations.
Factors which continue to frustrate PICs prospects for sustainable development include the narrow perspectives of development planning and financing, and the sector based agencies which administer the use of lands and sea areas, a weak science and technology base, a dearth of information on sustainable development and a poor capacity to access and share such information. Furthermore, customary resource owning groups feel alienated from the development process; sometimes, indeed, victims of it. [Taken from the Project Document of The Programme for Capacity Building in the South Pacific]. Overcoming these constraints must be given priority if significant progress is to be made.

2. Host country Strategy
2.1. Regional Strategy:
The challenge presented by sustainable development has been taken up by different actors at the regional, national and community levels. The lack of coordination in a lot of these efforts is a well-documented constraint that is hampering progress in many projects. The problem is partly the result of the sectoral compartmentation of activities in many government bureaucracies and the inadequate participation of many important stakeholders in efforts that affect them.
The holistic and integrated approach demanded by sustainable development dictates that it is in the best interest of all stakeholders to network effectively. This will allow the sharing of information and resources, facilitate the coordination of related activities and the joint implementation of compatible and complementary action.
At the regional level, the PICs are well placed to accomplish networking. The institutional framework already exists. Not only are there regular intergovernmental fora wherein participants from the highest political levels discuss development issues of regional importance, but PICs regional organizations are also well established, coordinated and active in dealing with regional development problems. Many of them are already addressing regional environmental and natural resource management problems and are working closely with national governments in implementing sustainable development. To enhance this relationship further would require that regional organizations and their country partners develop an efficient network of information sharing and exchange for fostering and facilitating closer coordination and integration of programmes.
Greater information exchange between regional organizations and the PICs will also ensure that their activities address the needs and priorities of the region. The benefits of networking can also extend to the better monitoring and coordination of their programmes within participating countries and the enhanced participation of targeted beneficiaries and in particular, NGOs and communities. Other stakeholders who stand to benefit from networking includes regional and international NGOs as well as multilateral and bilateral donors.
At the national level, networking and enhanced information access can be an effective tool for strengthening the capacity of government ministries to plan and implement sustainable development programmes. Increased information access will also improve private sector access to new technologies, the participation of NGOs in the decision making and development planning process and local communities awareness and appreciation of alternative sustainable practices.
The Pacific Sustainable Development Network (SDN) is a project dedicated to enhancing access of PICs to information within the region and internationally to support their sustainable development.
2.2. National Strategies
The UNCED set in motion a process of review and reexamination of development approaches in PICs that have since continued to gain momentum. Agenda 21 provided the basis for the Global Conference for the Sustainable Development of Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) in Barbados in May 1994 and the framework for the Programme of Action endorsed by SIDS in this conference. For PICs, Agenda 21 also provided the framework and the impetus for the formulation of national environmental management strategies (NEMS), a programme that preceded the preparatory phase of the conference of SIDS in Barbados and continued until the end of June 1994.
NEMS: With support from the Asian Development Bank (AsDB), AIDAB and UNDP and under the overall supervision of South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), 14 PICs were assisted in formulating their National Environmental Management Strategies (NEMS). The NEMS will serve as a framework for the adoption of sustainable development policies and practices. The NEMS process is led by a multi-sectoral National Task Force consisting of senior government officials from different government departments, representatives of the commercial sector as well as NGOs. The NEMS process reflects a participatory approach and the strategies are based on the broadly defined principles enunciated in the Rio Declaration.
The Task Force also oversees the production of a State of the Environment Report and makes policy, institutional and programme recommendations for achieving sustainable development. The success of the NEMS process depends upon the quality and depth of the national consensus on environmental principles and management that emerges.
Current Sustainable Development Support : National level decision makers receive support to facilitate exchange of information through meetings, training and workshops and through established information networks. SPREP and the South Pacific Commission (SPC) among others operate in this fashion. The Pacific Regional Institutions also receive capacity building support in all areas, including the area of information handling. For example, the Pacific Environmental and Assessment Information System (PEAMIS) is being developed to integrate information on soil and vegetation, land use and tenure, topography and inshore bathymetry, land and reef capacity and climate conditions. Such integration will produce better information for rational and environmentally sound decisions on development projects and practices. Environmental awareness raising activities in the region have been primarily directed at the national and regional levels. In preparation for UNCED, countries were supported in the production of their national and regional reports and to participate in the Preparatory Committee and the Summit meetings. The same support was also extended to PICs in their preparations for the recent Global Conference for the Sustainable Development of SIDS in Bridgetown Barbados. There is also continuing support for the participation of PICs in the intergovernmental negotiating committee meetings for the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) and the Biodiversity Convention.
Several other initiatives in sustainable development are underway. Some of these include the following:
(1) Equitable and Sustainable Development Human Development Programme (ESHDP):
This programme is aimed at enhancing equitable and sustainable human development by building wide national consensus and political support for people-centred development, strengthen national and local capacity and capability in formulating policies, and to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate programmes and projects aimed at improving the socio-economic well being of large majority of the population with special focus on rural/island communities, unemployed youth and women.
(2) South Pacific Biodiversity Conservation Programme (SPBCP):
This GEF funded and SPREP coordinated programme aims at protecting biological diversity within a number of PICs by facilitating the establishment of a series of large, diverse conservation area projects (CAPs) in which there is agreed criteria for development based on long term ecological sustainability. Emphasis is on assisting local partnerships to develop sustainable management structures for biological diversity conservation. Ancillary activities, linked to specific CAPs where possible, include information dissemination, training attachments, species protection and action-oriented conservation policy analysis.
(3) South Pacific Forestry Development Programme
This project aims to provide technical training and other support to member countries to improve their capacities to better use, manage and develop their forest and tree resources on sound and sustainable bases. It is also developing appropriate mechanisms for the effective coordination, collaboration and cooperation among all interested agencies and persons responsible for, or involved in, the use, management or development of the sector.
(4) Programme of Capacity Building for Sustainable Development in the South Pacific: Building of NEMS
This programme is expected to commence during the third quarter of 1994. It is designed to improve prospects for sustainable development in PICs by strengthening the capacity of governments and NGOs, and communities (in particular, the people's organizations which are based on customary landowners groups) to manage natural resources and environment within national frameworks developed with reference to Agenda 21.

3. Prior or ongoing assistance
In early 1992, IUCN, the World Conservation Union, funded through UNDP an exploration of sustainable development information needs of the Pacific. This consultancy culminated in a SDN Establishment Proposal which had the promotion and adoption of sustainable development practices at the community level, as the primary SDN focus.
Following this, UNDP New York - SDN Division funded a consultative phase of Pacific SDN following on the IUCN consultancy. The goal of this effort was to form a working group of potential SDN members in order to:

produce a SDN project document built upon a broad consensus on goals and objectives.

determine the formal relationships among the potential SDN member organizations, including forming a steering committee and establishing a SDN Secretariat.
The consultative phase is now completed and the interim steering committee was formed. This committee provided important input into the project's goals and objectives, as well as its focus in terms of geographical scope, target groups and programmes.
An important related development in terms of networking for PICs is the proposal for the establishment of an information network (SIDS/NET) contained in the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) endorsed by heads of SIDS governments at the recent Global Conference for SIDS in Barbados. The recommendation for a SIDS/NET is based on the same needs that gave rise to SDN: the sharing of information and experiences among SIDS (in the Pacific, Caribbean and the Indian Oceans), greater access to information from around the world, and the development of clearing house capability in SIDS. This recommendation now awaits the outcome of a feasibility study to be coordinated by UNDP and which is expected to be completed by September 1994.

4. Institutional framework for subsector
4.1. International:
The 1988 report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), 'Our Common Future', laid the foundation for the UNCED and the Rio Accords, (one of which is the Agenda 21) when it called the world's attention to the urgent need for integrating environment and development. Agenda 21 is the comprehensive global plan of action that seeks to achieve this goal.
UNDP, as its contribution to beginning Agenda 21 implementation and in recognition of the fact that the lack of indigenous capacity in developing countries is one of the major stumbling blocks to sustainable development, launched its Capacity 21 Programme. An essential component of this Capacity 21 Programme is the development of a Global Sustainable Development Network to facilitate information exchange, to involve a greater number of actors from all sectors in the resource management decision making process, to facilitate technology transfer and to provide a conduit for dissemination of further Agenda 21 information and activities to concerned parties. The formation of a Pacific SDN is occurring within this international context and has been supported primarily by UNDP and IUCN.
4.2. Regional:
A number of regional organizations are involved in sustainable development. Their respective areas of involvement are briefly outlined:

The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is the organization directly responsible for all environmental matters within the South Pacific region. Its mandate also includes the pursuit of sustainable development within those areas consistent with its terms of reference. SPREP was very active both in the preparatory meetings of UNCED and the Global Conference for the Sustainable Developent of SIDS, and in the post-UNCED and post-Barbados follow-up.

The South Pacific Commission (SPC) has an integrated work programme covering diverse activities in agriculture, marine resources, community health, statistics, demography/population, economics, rural development, rural technology, women's programmes, community education training, media training, youth and adult education, and cultural conservation and exchange.

The South Pacific Applied Geosciences Commission (SOPAC) is responsible for investigating mineral and non-living resource potential and for developing an inventory of geological data for resource assessment, coastal development and hazard evaluation.

Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) deals with fish and other living sea resources.

The University of the South Pacific undertakes a wide range of environment related studies, consultancies and teaching through its Institute of Applied Sciences (IAS), Institute of Marine Resources (IMR), Interregional Oceans Institute (IOI) and Oceans Resources Management programmes. USP's primary function is to educate the future leaders of the South Pacific and to train the human resource base on which continued development depends.

The Forum Secretariat (FS), is responsible for regional programmes mainly in energy, transportation and trade. It also maintains an environmental liaison position to monitor linkages to its programmes.
Each of these regional organizations is governed by an intergovernmental body of PICs government representatives. Their respective work programmes are reviewed yearly by their respective governing bodies to ensure relevance to the priorities and needs of member countries and the region as a whole. Their activities are also loosely coordinated by the South Pacific Organizations Coordinating Committee (SPOCC).
Finally the regional political organization, the South Pacific Forum, is active in securing high level political consensus on the need for sustainable development. Early expressions of the region's commitment is reflected in their 1992 Communiqu� which stated:
The Forum stressed that development undertaken in the region must be sustainable. Sound environmental practices constitute an integral part of the development process and all activities pursued in the region must be both economically and ecologically sound.
The South Pacific Forum reaffirmed in their communiqu� the importance of the outcomes of UNCED, including the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Declaration of Forest Principles. The Forum also endorsed and encouraged PICs participation at the highest political level in the Barbados GCSDSIDS to underline its collective support for the conference and the Programme of Action. Thus, a strong regional political commitment to sustainable development as well as regional centres of technical expertise exists.
4.3. National:
With NEMS now expected to be in place in 14 PICs with the completion of UNDP's PMI/90/002 Programme in June 1994, PICs have the framework for implementing sustainable development in a coordinated and systematic manner. In most countries a "cooperative" model of environmental management in which the various line ministries retain their environmental management responsibilities is being adopted, in addition to a separate environmental unit. Such a "cooperative" model places high demands on day to day coordination of programme activities through enhanced information sharing.
4.4. Information Services:
The regional institutions are responsible for collecting and organizing primary data on sustainable development. All national governments and most NGOs have some kind of information collection/library, offer services and disseminate information.

B. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
1. Problem to be Addressed at the present situation
The intimate linkages between PICs cultures and ways of life on one hand and the environment on the other make adopting new sustainable development practices difficult, particularly where required changes involve traditional customs. While PICs cultures have been slowly evolving over the decades, the changes required for sustainable development are more urgent. The expressed commitment to sustainable development at the highest political level within the region indicates a willingness to forge ahead. The factors underpinning the reported problems of weak implementation and the persistence of unsustainable practices must therefore be confronted and be addressed with resolve.
The Pacific SDN Project deals with information, and by brokering sustainable development information to stakeholders , SDN seeks to strengthen PICs capacities, in particular at the level of communities, to adopt new resource management practices that are sustainable. Therefore, the immediate problem to be addressed by SDN is the lack of relevant and sound technical and service information needed to facilitate the adoption of sustainable development practices at all levels, with special emphasis on communities and NGOs.
1.1. The Present Situation
1.1.1. General
The Pacific regional report prepared for UNCED ("The Pacific Way") and the report of the SPREP coordinated Regional Technical Meeting in Vanuatu in May/June 1993 which formed the basis of the PICs input into the Programme of Action recently endorsed in Bridgetown Barbados, defined the keys issues for the sustainable development of PICs. Those that are particularly relevant to Pacific SDN are:

the difficulties of distance, isolation, dispersion and national budget constraints in designing and implementing environmentally sound and sustainable development programmes in the region.

the need to inform and involve people at the grassroots level, particularly local NGOs and villagers, in decisions affecting the allocation and management of local resources.

the importance of recognizing and respecting the key role of traditional practices, cultures and the subsistence economy in many Pacific island countries and the stresses on them caused by population growth, social evolution and rising material aspirations.

the lack of planning and implementing capacity and information;

the lack of coordination amongst government ministries and the resulting duplication of effort and the inefficient use of resources.
1.1.2. Needs at the Community Level:
In the Pacific region, dissemination of sustainable development information through the print media is not sufficient to crystallize action at the community level. Problems of illiteracy and a tradition of direct oral or verbal transmission of information restrict their effectiveness. The most common method of communication and disseminating information remains the radio, with the print media and television confined, in the majority of cases, to urban centres. Therefore, for information to reach communities and to be received positively by them, they will need to be delivered through more personalised modes of communication such as face-to-face visitations, organized meetings and workshops using new and existing extension networks and outreach programmes of NGOs and of government agencies including agriculture, forestry, environment, health and education. Where information is printed in the form of how-to-do-manuals, leaflets etc., they must be used to support and reinforce more personalised delivery approaches. They must also be properly packaged to ensure that they are easy to understand, taking into account the level of literacy of target communities and the differences in languages and dialects among them.
The needs and circumstances of most PICs communities call for an information broker who has both extensive knowledge of the information resources available in the region and elsewhere, (for example on the Internet and related internetworks), as well as the information needs of communities, NGOs and line ministries and the cultural sensitivities related to information exchanges among the different cultures of the region. Extensive knowledge of PICs NEMS and their priorities for the various countries is vital. This broker will facilitate the sharing of information among the main stakeholders and actors for sustainable development with a focus on the needs and realities at the local and community levels.
A person dedicated to networking, communication and information brokering will be needed at lead in-country organizations. This person will also be responsible for using this information to communicate about sustainable development.
Additional support is required by NGOs, community development groups and extension workers because communication outside the Government and donor channels is hampered by isolation and lack of infrastructure, personnel, and appropriately packaged information. Furthermore, the environmental units in the various Pacific island countries do not have a formal extension network such as those found in the education, health and agriculture ministries. Pacific SDN hopes to strengthen the ability of the national environment units and others related to sustainable development for public outreach through support of the regional institutions, lead in-country NGOs and other stakeholder groups. SDN will also encourage and support collaborative information dissemination activities by NGOs and environmental units/agencies.
The Pacific SDN will help to energize the present low level of information exchange and networking below the national level.
1.1.3 Information Outreach Needs:
Because the problems that are being addressed are multi-sectoral, and the activities that are called for must be undertaken at both community and policy levels and across many political spheres and geographic areas, many organizations dealing with sustainable development are developing vigorous information outreach programmes in an attempt to reach all the relevant audiences. The problems being addressed are nearly all related to sustainable development and are beyond the programme scope of any single organization to tackle. A network would be of use in assisting not only information dissemination, but coordination of programme activities in the sustainable development arena. A network will also facilitate the exchange of experiences between communities, and between PICs on, for example, traditional resource management practices that are sustainable, or of new methods that have been proven successful.

2. Expected end of project situation
2.1. Enabling Environment:
SDN is a mechanism for creating an enabling environment and framework for sustainable development by facilitating access to information and by encouraging consultative processes at all levels of society and across many sectors of the economy and various geographic locations with a broad range of actors.
To this end, SDN will focus on achieving the following:

enhanced communications among the technical, regional institutions that are critical to sustainable development (namely SPREP, SPC and USP) in order to improve the delivery of multi-sectoral services through enhanced programme coordination and information to the grassroots level and the relevant line ministries.(The network is to expand later to include the other regional institutions as well, such as the Forum Secretariat, the Pacific Islands Development Programme, the Forum Fisheries Agency, SOPAC).

enhanced communication channels and networks for information exchange outside the established Government and Regional Institutional linkages. There is a need to link NGOs and other actors for sustainable development, including the private sector, from different neighbouring countries to help facilitate exchange of information on sustainable development practices.

enhanced capability of the region to access internationally relevant sustainable development data and information services.

increased availability of user friendly sustainable development information for communities and villages. Most technical sustainable development information is derived from the industrialized nations, few deal with local issues or are available in local languages; this makes communication of local problems and of sound management practices at the village level more difficult. Use of various media will be required to reach the village level.

increasing access of villagers, women and youth, to sustainable development information. In many PICs women play a leading role in traditional resource management, both as managers themselves or as major users and harvesters.
2.2. Outputs:
The outputs of the Pacific SDN are expected to be:

SDN Secretariat established;

SDN in place to respond to requests for sustainable development information/services;

Regional Institutions linked for ease of day-to-day communication;

Enhanced linkages and information sharing among all development partners including national and international NGOs, private sector, bilateral and multilateral donors, investment institutions, media, and research institutions.

Greater programme coordination among SDN member organizations, including UNDP programmes;

Greater public awareness of sustainable development and sustainable development information and service availability achieved through regional promotions, national workshops and community meetings.

3. Target beneficiaries
The goal of the SDN is to increase the access to sustainable development information for all stakeholders in sustainable development. These stakeholders include regional organizations, government agencies, the business sector, NGOs and communities. The most important of these beneficiaries, however, are the local communities, because it will be at local communities wherein changes in favour of sustainable development will be encouraged. Future generations will benefit from the sustainable actions of present generations.
Other direct beneficiaries will be the local lead NGOs, whose capacities will be enhanced through SDN activities and whose advocacy activities will be strengthened through enhanced access to information.
SPC/Suva as the initial host of the SDN Secretariat will benefit directly from SDN assistance. Other beneficiaries include other Pacific regional organizations and all development partners whose sustainable development programmes will be supported by SDN. These programmes will include the Programme for Capacity Building for Sustainable Development in the South Pacific, South Pacific Biodiversity Conservation Programme, the Equitable and Sustainable Human Development Programme, the Regional Forestry Development Programme and the SPC's Agricultural Programme.

4. Project strategy and institutional arrangements
4.1. Programme Strategy:
4.1.1. General:
The Pacific SDN will link and encourage the exchange of information between organizations with different mandates, strengths and clients. The regional and international institutions will be the major source of technical information and SDN will depend on their information gathering and handling activities through already existing programmes.
The information from these sources will be transmitted to different users in a number of ways. For users of technical information in PICs, (for example line ministries, NGOs and the business sector) , SDN will enhance their access to relevant information by linking them directly as users in local (electronic mail user) networks with direct access to information sources internationally or indirectly through an local intermediary. Users of information at the communities will access information through the outreach programmes of NGOs and existing community education and extension programmes of government line ministries.
The importance of ensuring that information get to communities is paramount to the SDN. To ensure this, SDN will provide financial and technical support to NGOs to strengthen their information dissemination activities and to assist in repackaging and sensitizing information for communities. NGOs therefore play a pivotal role in the SDN strategy, as conduits and links for community information and other community concerns both to the national level and to the regional institutions as the main providers of information.
The major emphasis of the Pacific SDN will be on information that will lead to changes for sustainable development at the community level. The thematic areas for these information will be those of on-going regional sustainable development programmes. (Refer to 5.1.4.).
4.1.2. Pacific SDN Target Group Focus:
The sustainable management of the limited natural resources of the PICs is an urgent priority as mounting pressures are exerted by growing populations on a dwindling resource base. The Pacific SDN will concentrate on modifying the responses to these pressures at the community level because:
1) communities control the great majority of natural resources in the region;
2) the pressure these communities exert on the natural resource base are related to meeting basic needs and generating modest amounts of income; and,
3) regional and national organizations that are concerned with sustainable development need to better link their efforts to the community level.
Modifying the pressures on natural resources at the community level is envisaged to result from greater awareness and appreciation of :
1) the adverse implications of current unsustainable practices,
2) sustainability principles, and
3) alternative resource management practices that are sustainable.
SDN will provide information on these areas to support awareness raising and educational programmes.
The need for an appropriate modality for taking information out to communities is important, noting their unfamiliarity with sophisticated communication technologies and preference for verbal and personal communication. The role of community-based NGOs is vital in this regard. NGOs close affinity with communities make them ideal as conduits of information accessed through other SDN modalities. NGOs need to be supported in order to perform this role effectively.
Without diffusing the focus on community needs, the Pacific SDN must also focus on enhancing the capacity of governmental agencies, the private sector, and the research and academic institutions by facilitating their access to sources of information, and to the communities. These stakeholders are not only closely linked in terms of their activities but they are also important sources of information for communities.
4.1.3. Pacific SDN Geographic Focus:
The initial two years of the Pacific SDN Project will be mainly focused on three South Pacific countries: Fiji, Vanuatu and Western Samoa, but every effort will be made to expand the activities into the other PIC's. Full Expansion into other PICs is expected to take place in Phase II which is expected to run for three years. This phase will stand to benefit greatly from the lessons and experience gained through this initial period.
The selection of the initial three countries was the outcome of close consultations within the interim steering committee which consisted of NGO representatives from Vanuatu, Fiji and Western Samoa, as well as representatives of UNDP, UNESCO, USP and SPREP. These three countries were seen as having a strong NGO base from which to launch the SDN Project and wherein the lack of information which SDN can provide was seen as very serious constraint to sustainable development.
4.1.4. Pacific SDN Programmatic/Information Focus:
The Pacific SDN will broker both technical and service information. Technical information normally needs further analysis and interpretation before practical application. Major sources and users of technical information are research institutions, universities, regional organizations, national organizations and government ministries with planning and research functions. Service information requires little or no reinterpretation and includes information such as how-to-manuals, bulletin of facts about processes, technologies and events. These are most useful at the community and individual levels wherein they can be used to raise awareness, educate and encourage the adoption of sustainable development practices, technologies etc.. Service information is more likely to directly lead to changes in sustainable development at the community level. This will be the major information emphasis of SDN.
The all-encompassing nature of the concept of sustainable development means that the scope of information that falls within its sphere is virtually unlimited. While access to such an expansive scope is ideal, the priorities for the sustainable development of PICs identified by the 'Pacific Way' and PICs input into the Programme of Action that was endorsed recently in Barbados, fall within a finite number of broad thematic areas.
Many, if not, all of these thematic areas are already the foci of programmes and projects regionally implemented and involving regional organizations, multilateral and bilateral donors. In fact, national sustainable development activities within PICs are in most cases directly linked to and are part of these regional programmes. For example, activities in the area of biological diversity conservation, agriculture, fisheries, environmental education, to name a few, are part of regional programmes. The programmes have a common need to communicate and share information with their target groups, and to stimulate broad interest and awareness in their activities within and beyond their geographical focus. All of them depend on good communication links to national implementing agencies for purposes of programme planning, implementation, coordination, and monitoring.
Being a link for information exchange between communities, NGOs, line ministries and regional organizations, the Pacific SDN is well placed to provide support to these regional programmes. Where the thematic areas covered by these programmes become the thematic areas for service information that SDN brokers to communities, the result is a clear and definitive information focus for SDN. Supporting regional programmes in this manner also ensures that SDN information is relevant to the sustainable development priorities of communities.
SDN will therefore be closely collaborating with and providing support for regional sustainable development programmes including Capacity 21, South Pacific Biodiversity Conservation Programme (SPBCP), the Equitable and Sustainable Human Development Programme (ESHDP), the Regional Forestry Development Programme, and the SPC's Agricultural Programme.
SDN also recognizes that sustainable development must be institutionalised successfully at all levels, in order for community level changes to have a lasting impact. For example, sustainable forest use practices in the communities must be supported by forest resource policies promoting sustainable harvesting and higher milling recoveries by the industry. Similarly, discouraging the use of toxic pesticides amongst village farmers must be supported by policies at the national level discouraging the importation of the same. SDN seeks to energize this complementarity of actions at all levels by providing the linkages for information exchange between advocacy groups, action groups and policy makers. SDN will further assist in this process by targeting information about policies, management practices and experiences, legislation and regulatory tools and instruments, international trade and sustainable development, occupational health and safety, disaster forecasting, warning, prevention and mitigation, etc. and making them available to interested organizations and individuals.
SDN will also remain aware of the opportunities of networking and for collaborating with others that seek a presence in the South Pacific from which to project efforts to promote sustainable development. SDN could also be interested in this collaboration. Some possibilities include the UNEP-IEO already mentioned, but there are others including the UNEP Earthwatch activities, especially Infoterra, the global environmental information referral service, the Cleaner Production Programme of UNEP-IEO, the efforts of the International Chamber of Commerce to promote the 'Business Charter for Sustainable Development' and others.
4.1.5. Communication Strategy:
The SDN network will integrate with existing information and service networks, seeking to enhance their efforts. Such integration is critical for the success of any information and service endeavour as well as the best guarantee of the long term sustainability of a Pacific SDN.
In the Pacific region, hopes for long term viable programmes are centred in the national governments and regional institutions. These institutions must be an integral operating part of the SDN from the beginning.
This Pacific SDN network will support open information exchange among decision-makers and development partners and will encourage communication about sustainable development among interested organizations at the regional, national and local levels.
Voice communications Pacific SDN will build on the already existing PEACESAT satellite communication network. The PEACESAT network links all the PICs. PEACESAT facilities provide voice/data transmission, multi-party voice conferencing, phone patching and can be used to receive single side-band radio voice or data patches through phone lines.
PEACESAT has been functioning successfully in the Pacific for 20 years and it is fully subsidized by the United States. As voice is the main form of communications in societies of the South Pacific, PEACESAT will be a most important communication vehicle for the SDN.
Data communications There are several other options for networking people and resources in the South Pacific. The following options for data communications will be considered by the SDN in this phase:

Pactok
Pactok offers non interactive electronic mail and electronic conferencing using the Fidonet file transfer protocol. Pactok will link the SDN Suva location to the Pactok node in Australia and can also serve the other members of the SDN. Non-interactive access to the Internet and the networks of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) such as Pegasus is also possible;

The Peacesat data channels
The data channel can provide interactive access to the Internet via the PEACESAT Honolulu station. Internet provides electronic mail and electronic conferencing, along with access to a variety of information resources and organizations, including news and textual information about sustainable development, other SDNs, and the computerized resources of over 20,000 sites around the world, including key international information services and databases. Apart from electronic mail and electronic conferencing, the following services are also available: telnet, ftp and access to gopher clients, WWW, WAIS and other services.
At present, access to the data channel must be scheduled and the switch over from voice to data mode must be done annually in Honolulu. Scheduled time slots lasting 30 minutes may not always be sufficient to navigate the Internet or for file transfers at 9.6 Kbaud. However, free interactive access to the Internet is a luxury. Few other SDNs can boast this level of service combined with essentially free access, and its use needs to be encouraged.

The University of the South Pacific (USP)
USP has acquired a leased line for access to an Internet service provider in Australia. The USP leased line costs Fiji dollars 50,000 (about USD 33,000) per year and has a 2400 baud bandwidth, which is very low. Only a few users can operate the link at a time. Telnet is possible but not always, and electronic mail is definitely possible and appears to be reliable. The possibility of increasing the bandwidth needs to be considered.

Packet radio technologies
Packet radio technologies allow data communications using a computer, a radio transmitter and a specially configured modem. Speeds up to 56,000 baud are possible. In the South Pacific, this technology could provide the most reliable and least costly solution to data transfer between hosts and users. The SDN will look into this low cost solution as one option to meet the long term communication needs of the Pacific SDN.
The communications strategy of the Pacific SDN will be based on the realization that no single communications option can meet the needs for information exchange and communications. Furthermore, redundancy has to be built in to the networking strategy of the SDN in order to ensure a minimum level of service at all times.
4.2. Institutional Arrangements
4.2.1. SDN Secretariat and SDN Coordinator
The Pacific SDN will be supported by a small secretariat to manage the day to day workings of the network. The SDN Secretariat will be located initially with SPC/Suva, one of the main Peacesat service hubs. The Secretariat will coordinate SDN information activities and facilitate greater programme coordination among the SDN member organizations. Staff of the SDN Secretariat will include a SDN Coordinator, a Training/Information Officer, and an operator/clerical assistant.
The SDN Secretariat will be the operational arm of the SDN and will implement the programme of work and budget and communicate with members of the Steering Committee. Position descriptions for SDN staff are appended (See Annex A).
During Phase I of the project (see below), which is covered under the terms of this agreement, the Agriculture Programme of the SPC at Suva will host the SDN Secretariat and will house and provide administrative and other support as agreed. In addition, SPC/Suva will assist in training SDN users and in servicing SDN PEACESAT users.
4.2.2. Steering Committee:
During the first phase of the project, the members of the initial start-up group will serve as the Steering Committee. The chair of the initial SDN Steering Committee will be taken by the SPC. The initial start-up members comprise Regional Institutions, local and International NGOs and the UN.
The private sector and the media along with others will be approached and asked to participate in the initial Steering Committee.
The members in addition to UNDP are:

FSP/Vanuatu (Foundation for Peoples of the South Pacific),

O Le Siosiomaga (Western Samoa NGO),

SPC (South Pacific Commission),

SPACHEE (South Pacific Action Committee on Human Environment and Ecology/Suva),

SPREP (South Pacific Regional Environment Programme/Apia),

USP (University of the South Pacific),

WWF South Pacific (World Wide Fund for Nature/Sydney)
After the initial start up phase, Steering Committee members will be selected on the basis of consultations involving the SDN Coordinator, UNDP, SPC and the initial start-up group of members of the Steering Committee. Members of the post start-up Steering Committee will be chosen based on their role as representatives of groups that are key stakeholders for sustainable development in the South Pacific. This will take place about 18 months after the Pacific SDN begins.
The SDN Steering Committee will provide advice, support and assistance, and feedback on policies, memberships, and the programme of work and budget, to the SDN Coordinator. The SDN Coordinator should draw on the experience of the members of the Steering Committee, but should not be constrained by the Steering Committee not being able to meet on a regular basis.
The Steering Committee will help the SDN Coordinator secure resources, assistance and introductions using the network of contacts available to the members of the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is a way for the SDN to secure the help and participation of key stakeholder groups in the management and ownership of the SDN.
Most of the work of the Steering Committee can be done electronically. Teleconferences will be held as appropriate.
4.2.3. Operational Procedures:
The establishment of the SDN will consist of two project phases with an overall duration of 5 years.
Phase I (2 years):
During the initial stage of the project, SPC/Suva will host the Secretariat and provide office space and other "in-kind" support. Due to limited resources, SPC/Suva can not provide financial or manpower support in the short or long term unless there are additional funds from donors. In the interim period UNDP and SPC will be responsible for the start-up of Pacific SDN and for the preparation of the final project proposal.
For the meeting in May 1995 of SPC's Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrators (CRGA), a detailed proposal will be presented. Pacific SDN should begin as soon as possible (June 1994) once the permanent Coordinator is onboard and the Project Document finalised.
Phase II (3 years):
With the establishment of the Pacific SDN and the selection of the SDN Steering Committee, the project will focus on further refinements of programme strategy for Phase II. The SDN Coordinator, with the advice and input of the Steering Committee,will be responsible for preparing a detailed programme proposal for Phase II.

5. Reasons for assistance from UNDP/Executing agency
5.1. Global SDN:
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) resulted in Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan of action for sustainable development which PICs have committed themselves to in principle. UNDP has been assigned a major role by the international community to help developing countries acquire the capacity to develop national plans consistent with Agenda 21 and to help them implement these plans.
To achieve this objective, UNDP has launched Capacity 21. Within this framework, UNDP has also launched the Sustainable Development Network, a networking activity to enhance stakeholder participation in national planning and action for sustainable development and for facilitating access to information for sustainable development.
The Pacific Sustainable Development Network (SDN), with its goal of helping the South Pacific gain rapid access to data and knowledge resources and to help timely information dissemination and exchange, is a crucial part of this effort.
In this context, the UNDP Sustainable Development Network (SDN) could also have a role to play in enhancing human networking in country by bringing together representatives of key stakeholders in the South Pacific, especially those operating at the local and community level. The SDN could also help actors for sustainable development in the region establish links with other SDNs and especially with the international community of NGOs and actors for sustainable development.
5.2. Information Gap:
SDN can play a vital role in bridging the information gap between developed and developing countries. SDN can also be instrumental in helping to short circuit the development cycle so that the experiences gained elsewhere can be more readily assimilated and applied without having to reinvent the wheel.
5.3. UNDP Mandate:
As mentioned, UNDP is mandated by the UNCED Conference and by its Governing Council to organize its present efforts and direct its future efforts toward promoting sustainable development. The Pacific SDN will assist by having a UNDP project, the Equitable and Sustainable Development Project (ESHDP), as a SDN member. This project seeks to coordinate and integrate sustainable development approaches among UNDP regional programmes and between the regional and country programmes as well as increased cooperation and coordination in this area between UN Agencies, bilateral donors, government-mandated regional organizations and regional NGOs. SDN will support ESHDP and other similar activities.
UNDP's GEF South Pacific Biodiversity Programme and Capacity 21/NEMS Implementation Programme:
In the Pacific region, SDN can extend the effectiveness of these two regional programmes. The GEF project will focus on community managed conservation areas, while the NEMS implementation programme will depend on promoting sustainable development at the community level as well. These programmes, together with similar efforts already underway such as the USAID's Profitable Environmental Project (PEP) and WWF's Integrated Community Conservation Area Development programme, will provide a critical mass of communities actively working out how to sustainably use their own natural resources. All of these projects support information dissemination of successfully piloted sustainable development practices. In addition to the role SDN can play in this dissemination process, SDN will also target these communities for the establishment of a SDN communication node, as sources of information on traditional practices, potential users of identified sustainable development practices, and potential advocates to other communities for sustainable development.

6. Special considerations
Lead NGOs will need to work with the environmental units. The idea would be to have the environmental unit responsible for the quality of the information and for working with other ministries in government. The lead NGO would work with the non-government extension and dissemination networks. In this regard, the SDN project will strive to have the national environmental unit together with a lead national NGO responsible for the in-country SDN. This may require some kind of MOU between the two organizations.

7. Coordination arrangements
SPC/Suva as the initial host organization of the SDN Secretariat will be the executing agency for the project. SPC/Suva will be responsible, with the assistance of the SDN Secretariat, to UNDP for the financial, administrative and programme reporting.
The Steering Committee will support and advise the SDN Coordinator who will be responsible for the programme of work and its implementation.

8. Counterpart support capacity
SPC/Suva as the host for the SDN Secretariat will provide in-kind support, including office space, phone systems, secretarial support.
Regional Institutions have ongoing information and community service programmes that are expected to collaborate with the SDN.
In-country lead NGOs will provide infrastructure, administrative and programme support.

C. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE
The development objective is to enhance the capacity of communities, other key stakeholders in development and ultimately of civil society in general, to enact the principles of sustainable development in their decision making, including the planning, implementation and monitoring of development activities; and to start applying these principles now by facilitating access to relevant information, by promoting awareness and by communicating the importance of these issues in the region.
In the South Pacific, this means the promotion of sustainable human development through the adoption or enhancement of ways of life and economic activities that are consistent with the principles of sustainable development.

D. IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE(S), OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES
Immediate Objective 1
To encourage information exchange among organizations in the South Pacific region and enhance communication channels amongst them and with appropriate international organizations in order to facilitate the adoption of sustainable development policies and practices.
Success criteria
All SDN Initial Steering Committee organizations and others who participate will have direct day to day communication access to other members of the Pacific SDN. Each organization will have the needed equipment and trained personnel to participate fully in the SDN. SDN management structure and procedures will be clearly enunciated and fully operational within the first year of Pacific SDN.
Output 1.1
A Pacific SDN communication system established and procedures developed to promote and facilitate access to sustainable development (SD) information among regional institutions, national Governments, local communities, private sector, media and NGO's.
Activities for Output 1.1
1.1.1 Activity description
Constitute Steering Committee to jointly with the SDN Coordinator, decide upon membership procedures and operational parameters. Committee to meet once a quarter electronically and once a year face to face.
1.1.2 Activity description
Establish a regional SDN Secretariat. SPC/Suva as the host institution in conjunction with Steering Committee will recruit and staff the SDN Secretariat.
1.1.3 Activity description
Establish and keep current directory of the information services and distribution networks of the SDN Member organizations in order to facilitate information exchange within the region.
1.1.4 Activity description
Promote the use and enhancement of existing data and information services within the Pacific region.
1.1.5 Activity description
Provide needed communications infrastructure as determined by SDN.
1.1.6 Activity description
Organize/carry out training.
1.1.7 Activity description
Network with SDN participants and the Steering Committee for programme coordination.
1.1.8 Activity description
Effect transition to the post establishment SDN Steering Committee within 18 months after project commences.
1.1.9 Activity description
Formulation of a Phase II Pacific SDN by the SDN Secretariat in conjunction with the elected Steering Committee.
Output 1.2
International networking. Access to international sources of expertise and information enhanced.
Success Criteria:
The SDN Secretariat will become proficient in assisting Pacific organizations to access relevant sustainable development information internationally. Training of SDN collaborators will take place to help them do this themselves.
Activities for Output 1.2
1.2.1 Activity description
Compile a catalogue of internationally available data and information services that are relevant to Pacific interest in sustainable development. Refer to the Sourcebook on Sustainable Development.
1.2.2 Activity description
Establish procedures for accessing these international databases and information services.
1.2.3 Activity description
Identify and contact organizations outside the region which deal with the needed SD information. Target organizations that SDN members are already in contact with.
1.2.4 Activity description
Assist upon request Pacific organizations to obtain the information they need. Demonstrate various resources using internetworking: the Internet, the Association for Progressive Communications -APC; and other instruments as required.
1.2.5 Activity description
Respond to UN requests for information on Pacific sustainable development activities and plans.
Output 1.3:
Sustainable development principles and practices promoted regionally.
Success Criteria:
In conjunction with planned regional meetings, 2 SDN regional presentations will be made per year, emphasizing sustainable development policy implications. Sustainable development concerns should be reflected in national Governments' development plans and regional institutions' work programmes as well as in the programmes of all development partners.
Activities for Output 1.3
1.3.1 Activity description
Publicize widely SDN objectives and activities through the various media in the region.
1.3.2 Activity description
Develop/refine a set of sustainable development principles which are disseminated and which can serve as an aid in evaluating sustainable development practices. 1.3.3 Activity description
Undertake various communication activities based on understanding or surveys of needs of perceived target groups.
1.3.4 Activity description
Make presentations summarizing SDN activities and identifying needs and/or possible projects or interventions for governments, communities, donors and others to consider. These should be undertaken in conjunction with established regional meetings.

2. IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE 2
To strengthen the capacity of non-governmental and government organizations to communicate practical messages about the need for sustainable development at the local and community level.
Success Criteria:
In three countries lead in-country organizations will be designated and supported in their role as communicators and information brokers acting at the local and community levels.
Output 2.1:
Lead in-country organizations designated and appropriate in-country communication activities, including messages and vehicles for communicating these messages, identified.
Activities for Output 2.1
2.1.1 Activity description
Identify appropriate lead in-country organizations and help them develop communication plans and activities.
2.1.2 Activity description
Identify the most appropriate communication channels both regionally and in-country, especially to the community level, communicating the importance of sustainable development and for transferring information as required. This will involve activities such as network mapping and exploring of possible communication linkages at the community level.
2.1.3 Activity description
Provide training and needed equipment to lead in-country organizations to support their participation in SDN.
2.1.4 Activity description
Identify and provide where appropriate needed sustainable development information for the implementation of NEMS and selected regional sustainable development programmes.
2.1.5 Activity description
Collaborate with on-going regional sustainable development programmes, as well as lead NGOs, crystallize community level needs and concerns in regards to sustainable development in general and the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS specifically. Prepare recommendations for national governments and for other stakeholders.
2.1.6 Activity description
Convene one regional teleconference per year of important stakeholders in each country to summarize the results and recommendations from the national meetings for presentation in appropriate regional forums such as the PIC/Development Partners meeting or various Inter-Governmental Meetings.
Output 2.2
Enhanced capacity of SDN members to repackage and communicate information in forms appropriate for use by local communities.
Success Criteria:
Existing capacity of regional institutions to communicate and repackage information is enhanced through improved understanding and appreciation of community information needs and information assimilation capacities. Enhanced ability of lead in-country organizations and of selected line ministries and of other stakeholders to communicate information about sustainable development.
Activities for Output 2.2
2.2.1. Activity description
Facilitate the repackaging of appropriate information, by sharing repackaging approaches, emphasizing such activities such as pre-testing and including such activities as pilot-testing of material and translation into non-technical English.
2.2.2. Activity description
Develop an understanding of the need for repackaging and translating sustainable development material into local languages and develop and implement a plan to meet these needs. This can be considered a marketing and communications plan.
2.2.3. Activity description
Provide assistance to selected project proposals from NGOs for community based communication and information disseminated activities, especially those involving material prepared by or for community decision makers, women and youth.

E. INPUTS
The SDN Secretariat will have a SDN Coordinator, Training/Information Officer and an Operator/Clerical position.
Pacific SDN will support the lead in-country organization information brokering activities.
SDN member organizations receive training and in some cases equipment.
The SDN Coordinator will facilitate community access to SD information and services as necessary.

F. RISKS
NGOs:
As the lead in-country organization, NGOs will receive direct assistance. This assistance reflects their pivotal role in Pacific SDN as information brokers and communicators and recognizes their need for institutional and capacity building support. Most local NGOs are relatively new and depend upon the goodwill and dedication of one or two volunteer individuals.
To take into account the weaknesses of local Pacific NGOs and the issue of sustainability, the SDN Coordinator with input from the Steering Committee will develop appropriate selection criteria that consider current activities, needs, capacity and performance.
Coordination:
The potential SDN member organizations are very busy and under-resourced. Their need is not simply to exchange information, but to find the correct balance between the benefits and burdens associated with additional coordination of goals, information services and programme activities. What is sought is a commitment to work together on sustainable development as reflected in core day to day activities.
To help ensure this correct balance, SDN will try to maximize the gains from additional programme coordination and access to additional information services. The SDN Secretariat will be part of an already existing structure undertaking many activities in the sustainable development arena and the network will choose members whose SDN work is an incremental activity to their ongoing work.
Sustainability:
During the five years of funding, SDN will seek to work with other organizations, especially the regional institutions.
The choice of local NGOs will be based in part on the likelihood of their sustaining SDN after an initial five year funding period.
Expansion of the network to connect to more global sources of information will be demand driven. In addition, the SDN will expand into other countries based on the creation of National SDN networks which seek linkages to a regional SDN.
Finally, by promoting sustainable development awareness and creating a communication nexus that includes regional institutions, national governments, local NGOs and other stakeholders for sustainable development, the SDN will be positioned to provide a sought after service in the Pacific.
With the Steering Committee assisting in the marshalling of resources, it is envisioned that SDN will be able to secure the funding to continue to operate.

G. PRIOR OBLIGATIONS AND PREREQUISITES
Prior Obligations:

US$53,000 from SDN-New York
Prerequisites:

Agreement among potential SDN member organizations.

H. PROJECT REVIEWS, REPORTING AND EVALUATION
(a) The project will be subject to a tripartite review annually. The first meeting to be held within the first 12 months of the start of full implementation.
(b) A project terminal report shall be prepared for consideration at the terminal review meeting. It shall be prepared in draft sufficiently in advance to allow for review and technical clearance by the executing agency prior to the terminal tripartite review.
(c) An independent evaluation mission may also be carried out should the first tripartite review meeting so recommend.

I. LEGAL CONTEXT
"This project document shall be the instrument referred to as such in Article I of the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement between the Government of (country) and the United Nations Development Programme, signed by the parties on (date). The host country implementing agency shall, for the purpose of the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement, refer to the government cooperating agency described in that Agreement."
The following types of revisions may be made on this project document with the signature of the UNDP Resident Representative only, provided he or she is assured that the other signatories of the project document have no objections to the proposed changes:
(a) revision in, or additions to, any annexes of the project document;
(b) revisions which do not involve significant changes in the immediate objectives, outputs or activities of the project, but are caused by the rearrangement of the inputs already agreed to or by cost increases due to inflation; and,
(c) mandatory annual revisions which rephrase the delivery of agreed project inputs or increased expert or other costs due to inflation or take into account agency expenditure flexibility.

K. ANNEXES
I. Workplan
The workplan is to be developed by SDN Coordinator.
II. Standard legal text for non-SBA countries
"This project document shall be the instrument envisaged in the Supplemental Provision to the Project Document, attached hereto. The host country implementing agency shall, for the purpose of the Supplemental Provisions to the Project Document, refer to the Government cooperating agency described in the Supplemental Provisions."
III. Equipment requirements
The equipment requirements of the project are as follows:
 
1.   Hardware and software - SDN Suva
-    Sun Spark workstation + software                                         
-    Desktop DOS computer: 500 Mb SCSI,486 - 66 MHz,16Mb RAM, Windows, OS/2. 
-    Desktop DOS computer: 170 Mb, 486 - 33 MHz, 8 Mb RAM, Windows            
-    2 x 486 Notebook computers: @ USD 3500/unit, Ethernet connector, 
     V.32bis, V.42 bis, PCMIA internal modems >= 14,4 Kb.)                    
-    Laser printer                                                            
-    CD-ROM players (external SCSI interface) 2: @ USD 750/unit               
-    LAN  (Lantastik) USD 2,000                                               
-    High speed modems: 2 Telebit Worldblazers or equivalent: @ USD 750/unit 1 external             portable V.32bis, V.42 bis (for demos)(Practical Peripherals Pocket modem): @350USD 
-    Streaming tape backup unit, external USD 750                             
-    UPS: 3 units @ USD 700/unit                                              
-    Packet radio                                                             
-    Peacesat conference room microphone system and Peacesat spares           

2.   Hardware and Software - In country nodes (NGO lead)
-    Modems for members with local phone access to hosts:
     (2400 baud MNP5) @ USD 150/unit X 25                                     
     Modems for hosts/members requiring long distance access or access over poor lines 
     (14,400 baud, V.32 bis,V.42 bis modems) @ USD400/unit X 10  (Fax modems)  
-    Packet radio: TNC with modem and radio equipment @ USD1500/node, 3 nodes. 
-    Upgrading computer equipment, software, LAN connections, local service contracts,    voice/data
     patches to local Peacesat nodes, etc.                                    
-    Software (including packet radio software), for all sites

3.   Office Equipment SDN Suva
-    Office furniture(3 desks, chairs, etc.)                                  
-    Air conditioner  USD 600                                                 
-    Photocopier and spare parts                                              
                                                                              
4.   Office equipment - In country nodes
     Office furniture and Equipment
IV. Job descriptions
PACIFIC SDN COORDINATOR

LEVEL - P1 on the SPC Scale (Highest professional category).
Salary, benefits and conditions of employment to follow SPC regulations. Recruitment will follow SPC procedures but be open to nationals of any country. A short list of SDN Coordinator candidates will be submitted to the Pacific SDN Steering Committee for comments and recommendations.

RESPONSIBLE TO
SPC's Director of Programme via the Coordinator of the Agriculture Programme and reports to the Pacific SDN Steering Committee.

LENGTH OF CONTRACT
2 years

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY
Programme Manager for Phase 1 of the Pacific SDN project.

DUTIES:
A. SERVICE TO SDN MEMBERS AND USERS
A.1. Establish a regional SDN Secretariat based at SPC/Suva.
A.2 Preparation of Phase I Pacific SDN workplan and TORs for lead in-country NGOs for review and approval by the Initial Steering Committee.
A.3. Promote the use and enhancement of existing Pacific data and information services, including SDN itself, by national governments, regional institutions, private sector, NGOs and donors.
A.4. Represent Pacific SDN at appropriate regional meetings.
A.5. Convene Pacific SDN regional and national meetings using appropriate channels such as PEACESAT to facilitate programme coordination, to refine SDN services, to formulate recommendations based on SDN activities, etc.
A.6. Responsible for coordination of support to lead in-country NGOs and for expansion of network services to other PICs.
A.7. Promote sustainable development principles and facilitate sustainable development policy discussion throughout the development community, including UNDP country and regional programmes.
B. STEERING COMMITTEE (SC)
B.1. Coordinator will provide the SC with Secretariat Services, especially in assisting the SC to constitute itself and in arranging the quarterly and yearly meetings.
B.2. Coordinator shall assist the SC in the transition to an elected SC within 18 months of the beginning of the project (tentatively by the end of 1994).
B.3. Assist SC in formulating Phase 2 programme of Pacific SDN.
B.4. Keep SC informed on all relevant Pacific SDN matters, programme, administrative and financial.
C. OTHER
C.1. Responsible for preparation of all required programme and financial reports.
C.2. Responsible for liaison with media.
C.3. Responsible for initiating resource mobilization activities.

QUALIFICATIONS:
A senior person with proven managerial ability; a self-starter experienced in provision of services; a facilitator that can get a wide variety of organizations to work together in the area of sustainable development; and preferably, with experience in sustainable development, natural resource and environmental management and in information/communication handling and delivery in the Pacific.
PACIFIC SDN TRAINING/INFORMATION OFFICER

LEVEL - P2 on the SPC Scale (Mid-level professional category).
Salary, benefits and conditions of employment to follow SPC regulations. Recruitment is to follow SPC procedures, but be open to nationals of any country.

RESPONSIBLE TO
the SPC/Suva's Coordinator of the Agriculture Programme via the SDN Coordinator.

LENGTH OF CONTRACT
2 years

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY
Provide training services and technical assistance in support of Pacific SDN operations.

DUTIES:
A. TRAINING/SERVICE
A.1. Organize/carry out training for SDN member organizations in use of communication equipment, in use of PEACESAT network and in accessing databases and information and services for SDN members.
A.2. Promote the use and enhancement of existing Pacific data and information services by national Governments, regional institutions, private sector, NGOs and donors.
A.3. Assist upon request Pacific organizations to access sustainable development information. In the process of this facilitation, train the organizations to directly access the requested information.
B. INFORMATION OUTREACH
B.1. Establish and keep current directory of the information services and distribution networks of the SDN member organizations.
B.2. Compile a catalogue of internationally available SDN- related data and information services that are relevant to Pacific organizations.
B.3. Codify procedure for accessing both regional and international SDN-related databases and information services.
B.4. Identify and contact organizations outside the region which deal with relevant sustainable development information.
C. OTHER
C.1. Establish procedures to communicate schedule of activities and common areas of operations in order to enhance programme coordination.
C.2. Prepare reports on training and service activities at the request of SDN Coordinator.
C.3. Support the Pacific SDN Steering Committee in the area of information needs.
C.4. Provide technical assistance and advice as appropriate.
C.5. Liaison on a working level with the other information managers in the region and with the PEACESAT staff.
C.6. Act in the absence of SDN Coordinator.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience in information handling, computer database handling, information delivery services and in training non-technical personnel to access information. The person should be familiar with relevant information and communication systems in the Pacific and be qualified to perform such programming tasks as customizing software menus and database accessing procedures.
V. Financial and accounting arrangements (National execution only)
Audit
An annual audit of project activities will be performed by the recognized auditor of the South Pacific Commission in accordance with the UNDP audit guidelines. This audit will contain an audit option on the Combined Delivery Report, Government Disbursement Report and Reconciliation of outstanding Advances/Status of Funds Report for each financial (calendar) year and a copy will be forwarded to the Resident Representative by 31 March in the following year.
Accounting and Financial Reporting
The South Pacific Commission should maintain an accounting system that contains books, records and controls sufficient to ensure the accuracy and reliability of project financial information. Funds will be advanced to the South Pacific Commission upon receipt of the duly completed Request for Advance of Funds. The SPC is expected to prepare two financial reports (Government disbursement report and Reconciliation of outstanding UNDP advice/status of funds) and submit them to the Resident Representative within 30 days after the end of each quarter. The information furnished on the reports forms the basis of a periodic financial review, and their timely submission is a prerequisite to the continuing funding of a project.
The accounting and financial reporting procedures, as set out in the UNDP Government Execution Manual (GEM) will be followed.

| Project Summary Status | Africa | Arab States | Asia | Europe/CIS | LA/Caribbean |

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UNDPProject of the Governmentsof the South Pacific Project Document

A. CONTEXT

B. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION

C. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE

D. IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE(S), OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES

E. INPUTS

F. RISKS

G. PRIOR OBLIGATIONS AND PREREQUISITES

H. PROJECT REVIEWS, REPORTING AND EVALUATION

I. LEGAL CONTEXT

K. ANNEXES

UNDP
Project of the Governments
of the South Pacific
Project Document