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Rights to Information and Participatory Democracy Project Review in Narau and Melanesia: Pacific Centre for Public Integrity, Fiji Project Review Report

Date | December 2008
Team | Alison Gray
NZ Aid Programme | Regional governance and growth

Background

By way of background, the Pacific Centre for Public Integrity (PCPI) is a regional advocacy and policy development organisation registered in Fiji in 2004. NZAID provided funding of NZD1.7m to PCPI from February 2006 – September 2008 for a pilot project that aimed to contribute to the adoption of principles, policies and mechanisms to promote and foster good governance practices in Nauru and Fiji, working with a range of partners at regional and national levels to implement the project. Due to difficulties in operating in Fiji after the coup, funding shifted in 2007 to support activities in Vanuatu.

Purpose and Objectives

The review's purpose was to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of project activities for accountability and learning purposes. The review's approach was to consider key documents and files, interview key stakeholders in New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu and Nauru, and assess implementation and impact of project activities.

Main Findings

The review's findings indicated that the original project plan was ambitious for a small, new organisation with no track record. Although the project aligned with NZAID and regional priorities and with national priorities in Fiji, it aligned less well with national priorities in Nauru and Vanuatu. Project planning was sound Fiji, but less so in Vanuatu and Nauru. The project had difficulty recruiting appropriately qualified staff, and had no monitoring or evaluation framework or risk management strategies. Promising progress in Fiji was interrupted by the coup, and subsequent the relocation of the executive director to New Zealand made it difficult to run an effective organisation.

Follow-up

Review recommendations suggested that NZAID stop funding the PCPI and that the PCPI explore structural options for the future and consider focusing solely on advocacy.

To request a copy of the full report email and quote the reference number - Eva0923.