20110602-ACP-Thematic-Observatory

After the conceptualization phase, the Internet Components of COM4DEV have been tendered out and are being developed.
In parallel, technical assistance to ACP Intermediary Organizations and Regional Organizations is being deployed to enable these organizations improve their capacity to apply and use ICT and best practices in their operations, and to enhance their knowledge and understanding of private sector development issues in order to better address them.
As part of the knowledge centre, a set of seven observatories will be put in place: one per ACP region (The Caribbean, West Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa and the Pacific) and a pan ACP + EU one.
Observatories are a crucial component of the Knowledge Centre that will produce and disseminate information and indicators, helping the business community and investors in getting an up to date vision of business conditions in ACP countries.
They have a double objective:

• The generation of a reliable and dynamic Information service to the entire EU/ACP private sector community,
• The reinforcement of the capacity of ACP Intermediary Organisations to ensure a regular information system that will enhance their range of services as well as their visibility, thus contributing to PRO€INVEST’s wider capacity building mandate.
  A survey has been launched to determine sectors and themes of interest to the ACP and EU Intermediary Organisations. Results of this survey, attached, will guide the set up of each observatory.
  Currently, within PRIMS a team of six people is working part time on the COM4DEV, it is made of a Coordinator, PRO€INVEST’s Information Officer and Communications Coordinator, a Business Analyst, a Community Manager that will follow the elaboration of the systems and an assistant. It is referred to as the COM4DEV team in the present document.
  2.3.2. Geographical area to be covered

Pacific Region countries
2.3.3. Target groups

Intermediary Organisations and other COM4DEV members, Economic Communities of the Pacific Region
2.3.4. Specific activities

The Consultant will undertake the following tasks:
1. The Consultant and/or the Management Team Member will be expected to attend the briefing and the debriefing meetings at the Commission’s offices in Brussels.
2. Through (telephone) interviews and discussions with IOs and other COM4DEV members, beneficiaries and the private sector identify and validate thematic and sector-related issues of importance to the COM4DEV community in the Pacific Region. Possibility of travel for direct contact and meetings to verify capacities could be envisaged.

3. Formalize these expressions of interest/concerns and produce blogs/wikis/podcasts capable of generating responses and comments from stakeholders for posting on the PROINVEST e-platform/observatory

4. Train, mentor and motivate relevant staff of IOs and other COM4DEV members in the Region to independently identify, formalize and validate important thematic and sector-related issues of concern to them, produce the relevant content and publish these on the PROINVEST e-platform/observatory as blogs/wikis/podcasts

5. Edit initial blogs/wikis produced by IOs and other COM4DEV members with the aim of gradually integrating up to date information about sectors/topics brought in by people interested in these topics thus ultimately ensuring that the wikis/blogs assume the prominent role of educating and disseminating relevant and useful information among the COM4DEV community in the Pacific Region

6. Ensure that the information/communications officer(s) of the main regional Economic Communities are fully integrated in this assignment, by sharing with them all content produced and by involving them as much as possible in the production and dissemination of such content.

7. Organise two training workshops for two different sets of trainees, one IO identified to continue to function as Moderator, will participate in both training sessions (see below).

8. Any other activities that would seek to enhance the achievement of the key objectives of the assignment.

These activities will be carried out in close collaboration with the EC, COM4DEV team and the PRO€INVEST regional coordinators.

The Consultant must also observe the latest visibility guidelines concerning acknowledgement of EC financing of the project.

The consultant is expected to start the production on the basis of results already achieved in the programme or with other donors so to materialise existing knowledge.
2.3.5. Project management
EuropeAid Development and Co-operation DG
2.3.6. Management structure

The consultant will report to the EC. When and where so required, PRIMS Com4Dev team or any other PRIMS staff so designated will be associated.

2.3.7. Facilities to be provided by the Contracting Authority and/or other parties
Access to relevant information and data as well as to relevant software will be facilitated if needed.

2.4. Required outputs

• relevant topics of interest to the larger COM4DEV community in the Pacific Region as well as COM4DEV members who are interested or have specialist knowledge in these topics are indentified through interviews and discussions;

• contribution-inviting thematic and sector-related content (based on the topics of interests identified) are validated, edited and published, on a weekly basis, in the form of blogs, wikis, podcasts and any other relevant format that suits the needs of the community; the minimum expected output is:
  • one blog/post per week, one podcast every two weeks,
  • one Pacific regional wiki on a specific theme or sector.

• content produced by IOs and other COM4DEV members in the Pacific Region is consolidated into a knowledge base with the aim of gradually integrating up to date information about sectors/topics submitted by people interested in these topics thus ultimately ensuring that the wikis/blogs assume the prominent role of educating and disseminating relevant and useful information among the COM4DEV community;

• IOs and other COM4DEV members in the Pacific Region are trained and motivated to develop the habit of producing their own content and publishing same as blogs, podcasts and wikis on the PRO€INVEST e-platform or other relevant media. the minimum expected output is:
  • 20 to 30 IOs are trained in the Pacific Region in using the Observatory
  • At least one IO that could continue the function of Moderator is identified and empowered

• Organisation of two workshops. The expert will have the following tasks:
  • Booking, purchasing, changing, cancellation, delivery of travel tickets: For budgeting purposes provision is made for up to 26 travelling participants for the two workshops excluding experts.
  • Invitations: issue invitations and joining instructions to participants.
  • Management and payment of the daily allowance to participants: the daily amount shall be as per the official per diem granted by EuropeAid for the country where the meetings are held (Fiji & Vanuatu proposed). Preferably, accommodation and meeting venue will be booked in the same hotel. The participant will receive the difference between the cost of accommodation and meals and the value of the corresponding per diem. The maximum number of per diem shall be for two nights’ accommodation at each meeting.
  • Hotel reservations: for a maximum of two nights for each participant not based in the Country where the workshop is held.
  • Booking and hiring of an appropriate training room: if a better offer can be obtained by booking accommodation and meeting rooms in the same hotel, the expert shall undertake to do so.
  • Hire of appropriate training equipment: the expert shall ensure that the meeting rooms are equipped with the necessary audio and projection devices.
  • Lunches/dinners/cocktails/snacks/drinks for participants: if the meetings are organised in a hotel, this shall be part of the package, otherwise the expert will arrange for either a caterer to provide food to the meeting place or organise a restaurant in agreement with the technical assistance expert in charge of the workshops. For budget purposes it is estimated that there will be a total of up to 30 participants requiring refreshments (including 2 experts).
  • The expert must observe requirements of the latest Communication and Visibility Manual for EU External Actions concerning acknowledgement of EC financing of the project. (See http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/visibility/index_en.htm)

2.4.1. Assumption underlying the project intervention
The Pacific Region and EU IOs are interested in being active participants and contributors to the observatory.
2.4.2. Risks
Limited contribution to and participation in the activities of the observatory by Pacific and EU IOs might pose a risk to the project.
Length of time and resources required to train IOs in the Pacific Region is greater than planned and exceed what has been budgeted for.