Transcript Innovations in Public Administration in the Mediterranean

First Meeting of the Steering Committee of the
Network of Innovators in Governance in the
Mediterranean Region
Rabat, 14-16 March 2007
The Network of Innovators in Governance
in the Mediterranean Region
Draft Constitutive Document
InnovMed Programme
Division for Public Administration and
Development Management
UNDESA, United Nations
BACKGROUND
The Network of Innovators in Governance in the Mediterranean Region
was launched on 6 June 2006 by UNDESA during the Marseille
meeting by over 40 participants, including government officials,
experts, practitioners, as well as representatives of regional and
international organizations gathered in Marseille.
The Meeting and establishment of the Network of Innovators in the
Mediterranean Region is one of the activities of the InnovMed
(http://www.unpan.org/innovmed) of the United Nations, in
collaboration with Formez through C.A.I.MED.
The Network can facilitate the dissemination, knowledge sharing and
adaptation of innovations in governance, as well as promote interinstitutional cooperation among the countries of the Mediterranean
region. The Network of Innovators links together government
institutions, schools of public administration, academic institutions,
as well as regional organizations from the countries of North Africa,
Middle East and Western Balkans.
MISSION
The Network of Innovators is a tool at the service
of governments in the region looking for new
and more effective solutions to their governance
challenges.
Its mission is to create public value by
disseminating, sharing and adapting knowledge
on innovations in governance, i.e. concrete
solutions to real governance problems.
It also intends to serve as a platform for the
promotion of a culture of innovation in
Governance in the Mediterranean Region.
OBJECTIVES
The Network promotes South-South as well as North-South cooperation. Most importantly it is serves as catalyst to facilitate more
contact among government representatives in charge of public service
and between them and experts working in the same field. Its main
objectives are:
1. To facilitate knowledge-sharing about innovations in public
administration;
2. To support capacity development activities at the national level;
3. To promote dialogue among government officials, civil servants,
public sector managers, experts, academia, and trainers on challenges
and solutions to governance problems;
OBJECTIVES (cont.)
4. To provide support in the identification of innovations and
adaptation of successful experiences in other countries of the
MED region through pilot initiatives;
5. To foster research on innovations in governance and produce
knowledge on innovations in PA with potential of transferability
in the Med. Region ;
6. To produce knowledge on methodologies for the transfer of
innovations in governance;
7. To promote information on knowledge management and
innovative practices; and
8. To strengthen mutual cooperation to enhance public sector
capacity building with a view to fostering economic and social
development.
FUNCTIONS
1. Advocacy and Networking
• Networking and sharing of knowledge on innovations in
governance among the members of the Network can take
place through the InnovMed web-site; regional and national
meetings; workshops and global events.
• The InnovMed web site (http://www.unpan.org/innovmed)
provides an important tool for networking. The web-page
promotes the exchange of useful experiences among the
innovators in the region; provides detailed information on the
programme, as well as a directory of experts in the region and
a forum that will be soon activated. The web-page also
includes quarterly newsletters sent to all members and
partner institutions as well as to all Permanent Missions to the
United Nations based in New York. Through its activities, the
Network can raise awareness among public officials of
existing innovations in governance.
FUNCTIONS (Cont.)
2. Capacity-Building and Training
• Provide assistance to the UN in designing specific
training modules (this mainly refers to schools and
institutes of public administration, as well as academia)
based on expressed needs by its members;
• Provide support in selecting innovations in governance
which are of interest to particular governments in the
region and support the adaptation of innovations by
being part of replication teams;
• Facilitate Training and the transfer of innovative ideas in
governance and public administration;
FUNCTIONS (Cont.)
3. Studies, Research and Development
• The Network is to foster applied research and encourage
comparative studies;
• Establish research working groups based on common
research interests amongst experts and practitioners in
public administration in countries of the region on specific
issues of interest to its members;
• Help organize discussions and online meetings on specific
themes related to public administration reforms at the
regional, sub-regional, as well as national levels.
ACTIVITIES
1. Annual Conferences
The members of the Network meet on annual basis to
exchange information on activities of the Network of
innovators; to discuss future activities; and to facilitate
the adaptation of innovative ideas, methods and
techniques in public administration based on research
conducted in the region.
ACTIVITIES (Cont.)
2. Workshops and Training Programmes for the Adaptation of Innovations
in Governance
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The Network of Innovators aims at promoting the objectives of the InnovMed
programme and those of member countries by supporting the development of
training methods and skills; governance and public administration reform, and
research addressed to government officials, trainers, academics and researchers.
The Network organizes workshops on a regular basis on specific themes to be
decided by the Steering Committee members including the five top priorities
identified by government officials and experts from the region during the
Consultative Meeting on Priorities in Innovating Governance and Public
Administration in the Mediterranean Region, Naples, 17 - 20 May 2004: e.g.
Human resources reform; public service delivery; Decentralization; Egovernment.
Training programmes will aim at training selected participants from the member
countries in the development of their special skills focusing on fostering successful
implementation of public administration reforms throughout the region. The
Network also aims at developing other programmes based on specific needs and
requests. Simulations of innovations for government officials would also be an
important tool to promote change in the public sector.
ACTIVITIES (Cont.)
3. Publications and Dissemination of Information
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•
InnovMed’s publications aim at enhancing knowledge among
member and non-member institutions from the region and also
provide relevant information for experts around the world who
wish to learn more about public administration in the
Mediterranean region.
InnovMed research and publications programme includes:
–
Publication of reports of InnovMed’s conferences, annual
meetings, seminars and workshops;
–
Quarterly Newsletter on recent events, papers and
publications;
–
Other publications and books according to needs expressed by
the members.
The Network can also help create a database to collect
information on successful practices and disseminating knowledge
through UNPAN and other means.
ACTIVITIES (Cont.)
4. Research
Research working groups can be established within
the framework of the Network on topics reflecting
particular needs in public administration reform, and
innovations in governance. These working groups
could be established according to the members'
proposals and available resources.
MEMBERSHIP
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The Network of Innovators in the Mediterranean Region is a regional
network and it includes institutions and people from the following
countries: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt,
Serbia; Montenegro, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian
National Authority, Syria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
Tunisia, and Turkey. It also includes innovators from all other countries
of the Mediterranean region, including Southern European countries.
The participants to the meeting that launched the Network are its
founding members.
The Network is open to consultants/experts in the field of governance;
governmental bodies/officials; NGO's; the private sector; and media, as
well as regional and international organizations working in the
Mediterranean region.
Main criteria for membership are open membership but selective, in
terms of government experience, expertise, professionalism, academic
background, and commitment; Share the vision and aims of the
Network; and Geographical diversity, but with a special focus on poor
areas.
STRUCTURE
The Network is characterized by its multidisciplinary nature and multiplicity of
governance actors. The Network should be composed at first by thematic subnetworks. It can then be divided into functional sub-networks. Each sub-network
can be coordinated by an individual/institution in order to facilitate its work.
Sub-networks can be formed around the following themes:
•
Policy Management processes;
•
Civil Service reform, including resources management in the public sector;
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Local and municipal governance;
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Public service delivery;
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E-government;
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Institutional mechanisms for good governance;
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Public ethics and integrity
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Governance of higher education and the dissemination and management of
knowledge; and
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Public private partnerships in public service delivery
The list of themes is by no means exhaustive and will be determined by the Steering
Committee of the Network on an annual basis..
GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS
The Network Steering Committee
The Steering Committee, which is the Network’s governing body, should be constituted by 12
members (4 for each sub-region). Members of the Steering Committee are elected for a two-year
term. For the purpose of setting up the Steering committee and its functioning, an interim group
is established with members chosen based on a balanced geographical representation as well as to
ensure that government officials and public servants as well as members of the academia are
represented. The Steering Committee is expected to discuss and decide on:
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The Agenda of activities of the Network of Innovators for each biennium;
Possible funding for selected activities;
Membership issues related to the Network; and
Any other issue related to the functioning of the Network.
The Advisory Board
The Advisory Board should be composed of regional and international institutions operating in the
field of governance and public administration reform, with a particular focus on innovations. The
Advisory Board is expected to review and make recommendations to the Steering Committee on
the following:
 The most appropriate programmatic framework;
 Mechanisms for mobilising additional resources for the Network;
 Innovations in governance from around the world that could be adapted in countries of the
region.
FUNDING
The Network is facilitated by UN DESA which can provide
funding, at least in its initial stages. It is a light structure
that relies on volunteer contributions of regional and
international organizations in terms of time, expertise,
experience and funds. The Network can also receive
grants and donations as well as funds from individual
countries as trust funds entrusted to the United Nations.
Members of the Steering Committee can discuss
additional sources of funding.
NETWORK OUTREACH
• Disseminate information among Permanent
Missions to the United Nations to share this
information with governments in the region;
• Maximize the use of the UNPAN portal as a tool
for dissemination of the Network’s activities;
• All information about the Network can bear its
logo (to be created soon).
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability of the Network depends upon the following factors:
• Commitment;
• Credibility;
• Valuable delivery;
• Advocacy of members, diversity of membership, including not only
academics and experts, but also government officials; and
• Sustainability of the Network ultimately remains with its members.
THANK YOU