Frequently Asked Questions

We hope that you here we will be able to provide you with any or all information on the Pacific Regional Centre. If in any case you should require more information contact through Email Laisani Komairasea, PSRC Programme Assistant.

Which UNDP Country Office is covered by the Regional Centre in Pacific?
The UNDP offices covered by the Regional Centre in Pacific are: Samoa, Fiji and PNG. The countries under the Samoa Office are: Tokelau, Niue, Cook Islands and Samoa. The countries under Fiji are: Kiribati, Palau, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Fiji.

What are the main priorities of the Regional Centre in Pacific?
The Regional Centre in the Pacific has two main priorities. The first priority is to provide the fifteen (15) Pacific Island Countries with easy access to knowledge through high quality advisory service based on global applied research and UNDP lessons learned. The second priority is to build partnership and to promote regional capacity building initiatives, which allow UNDP, governments and other development partners to identify, and create and share knowledge relevant to solving urgent development challenges.

What thematic or UNDP focus (or practice) areas are covered by the Regional Centre in Pacific?
Democratic Governance; Poverty and Achieving the Millennium Development Goals; and Peace and Conflict Reduction are the three main focus areas of the Regional Centre in the Pacific. A key element of the success of the Pacific Centre will be its capacity to demonstrate an integrated approach to development as well as its capacity to deliver technical advice and support that reflects the multi-dimensional nature of development.

What kind of support can the Regional Centre in Pacific provide to help UNDP Country Offices in Asia-Pacific?

• Policy advice to the three Pacific Offices in Suva, Apia and Port Moresby and through them the Governments & NGO communities in the 15 Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) across the five UNDP practice areas drawing on the Asia Regional Centre & Headquarters’ expertise when required
• Delivery of specific regionally focused activitiesthat promote regional cooperation & coordination or provides impetus for focused country-based activities (this could include regional or sub-regional workshops, training conferences etc).
• Technical backstopping & monitoring & evaluation expertise in the delivery of country-based activities that are either developed through individual country programmes or are managed & implemented through regional project activities based in the Pacific Centre.
• Knowledge sharing in the five UNDP practice areas across the region as well as the sharing of information & advice on issues rising elsewhere in other regions as a means for building capacity & sharing experiences.

Expert Referrals

How to make a request for a referral?
To make a referral request, UNDP country offices simply need to send us an e-mail and attach the terms of reference of the specific assignment. Remember, it is the terms of reference that triggers the processing of the referral. Without it, it is very difficult for us to respond. We will follow up with you directly upon receiving the request and the terms of reference.
The value of the Pacific Centre roster is that it is linked globally, regionally and at the country level, and that it is managed and quality controlled.
We thank all staff who makes use of our services.

How can the professionals register to become members of the Pacific Centre’s expert roster?
A consultant, who is interested in short-term assignments, can register for possible inclusion in the Pacific Centre roster by clicking on the Expert roster on our online registration facility and simply follow the instructions.

Can I contact other Regional Centres or SURF’s to get expert CV’s
Yes, the federated nature of the roster allows you to contact any Regional Centre and/or SURF, and receive the same referral service. We, however, encourage you to contact the Regional Centre and/or SURF which best matches your request and geographical location

Policy Advice and Technical Backstopping

Can Pacific Centre staff assist us from Fiji without undertaking missions?
Yes, Pacific Centre Fiji staffs are at the disposal of Country Offices so if you need some support, even if via email or from a desk, let us know!

Are the Pacific Centre Fiji staffs connected to the work of UNDP Headquarters units?
Yes, in fact, that is an important aim and comparative advantage of UNDP as the UN's global development network, namely, to learn from and feed good development practices at our global hub and in other UNDP regional offices around the world