Proposed CROP Restructuring and the Impact on CROP Libraries

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Proposed CROP Restructuring and the Impact on
CROP Libraries

• An introduction to the Regional Institutional
  Framework (RIF) prepared by Peter Murgatroyd.
  IRC manager, SPREP

2

• The report on a new regional institutional
  framework was commissioned by the Pacific Plan
  Action Committee (PPAC).
• The report went through drafts before agreement
  was reached at the 2007 Pacific Forum in October
  2008 on proceeding with a revised version of the
  RIF

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Objectives of the RIF

• the creation of a framework that will facilitate
  further development, implementation and
  monitoring of the Pacific Plan
• assist in advancing the needs of the countries
  and territories of the region in pursuit of a
  broader vision, which is similar across the range
  of regional organisations

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Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific
(CROP)

• Fiji School of Medicine (FSM)
• Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA)
• Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS)
• Pacific Islands Development Programme (PIDP)
• Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
• Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment
  Agency (SPREP)
• South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission
  (SOPAC)
• South Pacific Board for Educational Assessment
  (SPBEA)
• South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO)
• The University of the South Pacific (USP)

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Original concept

• Development of a three pillar structure
•  
• Original concept
•  
• a. a political and general policy institution
  the Pacific Islands Forum and its secretariat
• b. a sector-focused technical institution the
  Pacific Community and its secretariat and
• c. academic and training organisations, namely
  the Fiji School of Medicine, the Pacific Islands
  Development Programme and The University of the
  South Pacific.

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Agreed framework for restructuring

• (a) the inclusion of the Pacific Islands Forum
  Fisheries Agency (FFA) into Pillar 1, in order to
  recognise the Agencys central regional role and
  to provide fisheries issues with the political
  profile they require
•  
• (b) the need to rationalise the functions of the
  Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission
  (SOPAC) with the work programmes of the
  Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and
  the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional
  Environment Programme (SPREP) with the view to
  absorbing those functions of SOPAC into SPC and
  SPREP
•  
• (c) the South Pacific Bureau for Education
  Assessment (SPBEA) merging
• into SPC and
•  
• (d) the University of the South Pacific (USP)
  and the Fiji School of Medicine forming part of
  Pillar 3 (Education).

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Note

• CROP agencies are sovereign organizations and
  decisions are made by the governing councils made
  up of country members.
• SOPAC is to have its Council Meeting at the end
  of November. Any process of change would need
  approval by the governing councils of the CROPS
  that are affected.
• This process will take time. The timeline of
  meetings for governing councils to discuss the
  proposal is as follows SOPAC Nov. 2007 FFA
  May 2008 SPBEA Sept 2008 SPREP Sept. 2008.
  
• If there was agreement, terms would then have to
  be negotiated and Treaties and Agreements
  amended. It is a complex process.

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Key implications for CROP Libraries if final
agreement is reached

• Rationalising of library functions of SOPAC
• RE-Allocation of library resources from SOPAC
  Library to SPC / SPREP Libraries
• Increased integration and co-operation among
  Pillar II Libraries
• CROP Libraries support objective of a more
  cohesive regional framework a broader and more
  cohesive vision of information resource
  development across CROPS