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 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; E- government. 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 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 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; Local and municipal governance; Public service delivery; E-government; Institutional mechanisms for good governance; Public ethics and integrity Governance of higher education and the dissemination and management of knowledge; and 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..
The Network Steering Committee GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS 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: 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