East Asia Pacific Infrastructure Regulatory Forum 3 May 2007 To: The Executive Committee, The World Bank From: The EAPIRF Secretariat Sub: Annual Completion Report for the activities of EAPIRF Forum Secretariat Pages: 23 (including Cover page) PricewaterhouseCoopers PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 1
Table of Contents A1: PROJECT SUMMARY... 3 A2: PROJECT BACKGROUND... 5 A3: ACTIVITY 1: WEB BASED INFORMATION EXCHANGE... 6 A4: ACTIVITY 2: EAPIRF ANNUAL MEETING... 9 A5: ACTIVITY 3: TRAINING OUTREACH & PARTNER DEVELOPMENT11 A6: ACTIVITY 4: TWINNING ARRANGEMENTS... 12 A7: ACTIVITY 5: CORE TRAINING PROGRAM... 13 A8: ACTIVITY 6: EAPIRF STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS... 16 A9: ACTIVITY 7: MONITORING AND EVALUATION... 17 A10: ACTIVITY 8: MEMBERSHIP OUTREACH AND PARTNER DEVELOPMENT... 20 A11: OTHER KEY ACTIVITIES... 22 A12: WAY FORWARD... 23 PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 2
A1: PROJECT SUMMARY 1.1 In the last year, the focus of EAPIRF Secretariat was to build the awareness of programs of the Forum among the members as well as around the world. The focus was also on building up organisational processes to manage regular activities of the Forum. 1.2 For each of the activities in our terms of reference, the following major outputs were produced: a) Activity 1 Web Based Information Exchange: PwC re-designed and redeveloped the EAPIRF website. The new website was launched in September 2006. New innovative programs like Regulator in Focus were introduced to attract more involvement of member regulators. The website is now witnessing more than 25,000 hits every month with a daily average of 1244 hits in April 2007 as detailed in section A 3 below. An On-line discussion forum was held in September/October 2006 on Universal Service Obligations in Infrastructure as a prelude to the AGM. Materials have also been prepared for the next forum on Competition Policy in the Provision of Infrastructure Services which will be conducted in May 2007. b) Activity 2 EAPIRF Annual Meeting: PwC organised and held its first AGM for the Forum in Phom Penh Cambodia in November 2006. The theme of the AGM was Universal Service Obligations in Infrastructure. Prior to the AGM a survey was conducted with members and an On-line discussion forum was held. The AGM featured a 2 day workshop on USOs in the transport, electricity, telecommunications, and water sectors with separate sessions for each sector. The sector workshops were conducted by members of the Expert Panel who also prepared case studies of Australia, a middle size Asian country and a Pacific Island country to stimulate discussion. c) Activity 3 Training Outreach & Partner Development: As part of the training outreach activities of the EAPIRF, the Secretariat maintains a database of learning events such as training programs, workshops, seminars, lecture series, online courses etc in the area of infrastructure regulation, on the EAPIRF website. This database is updated on a monthly basis and provides members with information on upcoming events such as the date, venue, topic, contact details and links to further information. Monthly updates on regulatory developments in the region and across the world are also posted on the EAPIRF website. d) Activity 4 Twinning Arrangements: The Secretariat set up a Twinning Arrangements section on the EAPIRF website The section enabled regulatory bodies in the EAP region to register for twinning arrangements PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 3
by providing details of their requirements and expectations from the conceived arrangement but no response was lodged from members seeking a twining arrangement. As agreed with the Bank, this activity will be dropped from the terms of reference for the Secretariat. e) Activity 5 Core Training Program: The Core Training Program syllabus for the Economic Regulation of Infrastructure has been finalised by the Secretariat after discussion with the Executive Committee and the World Bank. The 1 st training program is scheduled to be held in October 2007. In order to reduce Secretariat costs, it has been agreed to schedule the Core Training after the AGM at the same country location. f) Activity 6 EAPIRF Strategic Documents: The annual work plan for the period May 2006 to April 2007 was submitted to the World Bank at the initiation of the assignment. The Annual Funding and Sustainability Plan were presented to the Executive Committee Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in November 2007. A revised plan, which has been agreed with the Bank, will be presented to the Executive Steering Committee meeting to be held in May 2007. g) Activity 7 Monitoring and Evaluation: We have provided information on the performance of EAPIRF vis-à-vis other regulatory forums such as the SAIFR, AFUR and NARUC at the AGM in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This involved a detailed comparison of the website of EAPIRF with those of the other organisations and a detailed comparison of the major activities undertaken by these organisations and where EAPIRF stands in comparison to them. The Secretariat has already completed the draft Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and the final version will be submitted for Executive Committee approval in the next Executive Committee meeting, scheduled to be held in May 2007. h) Activity 8 Membership Outreach and Partner Development: Over 17 development organisations, more than 70 regulatory organisations and several utilities and investors have been contacted regarding the programs of EAPIRF. EAPIRF was invited to the 3 rd World Energy Forum in year 2006. EAPIRF is now a member of the Steering Committee of the World Energy Forum. EAPIRF is now a member of the International Energy Regulatory Network and is featured on the IERN website. 1.3 The key focus of the Forum this year in on conducting its first Core Training Program on the economic regulation of infrastructure later in 2007. Accordingly, the Secretariat is making necessary arrangements, contacting sponsors and developing course content for the program. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 4
A2: PROJECT BACKGROUND 2.1 PricewaterhouseCoopers is coordinating the EAPIRF secretariat from May 2006 under the assignment EAPIRF Forum Secretariat. 2.2 As part of the project initiation, we undertook discussions with the Executive Committee (ExCom), the World Bank (WB), incumbent consultant Castalia, Website specialists E-xpert and other experts/vendors in E-communication. Based on these discussions, the activity plan for the year 2006-07 was submitted to the ExCom which was subsequently adopted by the Forum. 2.3 During the project period, the Secretariat coordinated an Annual General Meeting and an ExCom Meeting at Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in November 2007. The Secretariat also conducted 4 Executive Committee Meetings over the internet. 2.4 The key activities taken up during the assignment are as follows (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) Web based Information Exchange EAPIRF Annual Meeting Training Outreach & Partner Development Twinning Arrangements Core Training Program EAPIRF Strategic Documents M&E Membership Outreach and Partner Development ExCom Meetings over the internet 2.5 In this report, we further discuss the key tasks performed under each of these activities. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 5
A3: ACTIVITY 1: WEB BASED INFORMATION EXCHANGE 3.1 The Secretariat designed and developed the new website of EAPIRF. The new website was launched in September 2006. 3.2 The new website fulfils 2 important requirements of the members of the EAPIRF. (a) (b) Information sharing; and Interaction between members. 3.3 Information Sharing: The website maintains a repository of information under the following sections (a) (b) (c) (d) Papers categorised by sectors; Links to other resources on regulation; Monthly updates on regulatory developments in the region and across the world (provided by IP3); and Updates on the learning events such Training, Workshops, Conferences & Seminars (provided by IP3). 3.4 The Secretariat sends a periodic newsletter to the members on the latest updates in the website. The website also contains updated sections on the overview of the EAPIRF and its key functions. 3.5 Interaction between Members: The key features provided to enable greater interaction between members are as follows (a) (b) (c) (d) Regulator in Focus (Discussed in details under the section A11 Other key Activities); Country and Regulatory profiles; On-line Discussion Forum; and Q&A Forum. 3.6 The features of the website were discussed and showcased at the AGM in Phnom Penh. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 6
3.7 EAPIRF conducted an online discussion for a period of 15 days on the topic Universal Service Obligations in September-October 2006. The discussion was moderated by a panel of experts. The Secretariat also designed a paper on Universal Service Obligation to aid the discussion. 3.8 The discussion was preceded by a survey on the same topic which was designed and conducted by the Secretariat. The Secretariat analysed the responses of EAPIRF members who participated in the survey and this was discussed at the AGM in Phnom Penh. 3.9 The EAPIRF website has an exclusive section for Executive Committee Members where they can login to access information on agenda of previous meetings and minutes of meetings. This section also enables the ExCom to send online approval to the agenda of current meetings. 3.10 The next Online Discussion is scheduled to be held in May on the theme of Competition Policy in the Provision of Infrastructure Services. It will provide important inputs the workshops to be held at this year s Annual Meeting. 3.11 Website Performance: With many new initiatives taken up by the Secretariat, the EAPIRF has achieved higher visibility and access over the past year. The EAPIRF website is witnessing more than 25,000 hits every month with a daily average of 1244 hits in April. 3.12 The summary of the website performance for the last 4 months is as shown below. (Please note that the data for the month of April is up to 15 th April 2007 only) 3.13 The EAPIRF website has a ranking of 4 out of 10 in Google's PageRank. A higher page rank indicates a greater popularity of the website. PageRank is a numeric value that represents how important a page is on the web. PageRank is one of the methods Google uses to determine a page s relevance or importance. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 7
3.14 The page rank of a few popular websites is given below. Organisation Website Pagerank 1 Google www.google.com 10 2 BBC / CNN www.bbc.co.uk, www.cnn.com 9 3 The World Bank www.worldbank.org 8 4 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission www.accc.gov.au 7 5 NARUC www.naruc.org/ 7 6 OFGEM www.ofgem.gov.uk 6 7 Energy regulators regional association (ERRA), Europe www.erranet.org 6 8 AFUR www.afurnet.org/ 5 9 OOCUR Organisation Of Caribbean Utility Regulators www.oocur.org 5 3.15 A page rank of 4 is quite encouraging for a new website like EAPIRF. The page rank of a website typically improves with higher number of hits over time. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 8
A4: ACTIVITY 2: EAPIRF ANNUAL MEETING 4.1 EAPIRF conducted its 4 th Annual General Meeting at Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from November 20-22, 2006. The formal AGM meeting was followed with a 2 days of discussions on the delivery of Universal Service Obligation in Infrastructure. 4.2 The event was attended by 54 delegates from 15 regulatory organizations of 13 countries and the representatives of the World Bank, AusAid and Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC). This participation included 21 self funded participants from 9 countries, apart from participation from organisations in Cambodia. We believe this represents an increasing commitment of the members towards the Forum. 4.3 Preparation of AGM: The theme of the AGM was the delivery of Universal Service Obligations in Infrastructure. Prior to the AGM a survey was conducted with members and an On-line discussion forum was held on the AGM theme. Invitations to the program were emailed not only to all the EAPIRF members, but also to other regulatory organisations in region. The email invitations were followed up with phone calls to all the invitees, in order to boost participation for the event. 4.4 The EAPIRF website was updated with a section on the AGM for members to learn more about the event and register for it online. The Secretariat also handled the logistics to ensure that the event was well organised and smoothly run. 4.5 The Secretariat approached 17 developmental agencies and other organizations as well, to seek sponsorship for the program. Initially, summary information about EAPIRF and the AGM was sent to a number of potential sponsors to initiate the contact. A formal request letter from the EAPIRF Chairman was then sent to agencies expressing interest in the AGM. Regular telephonic follow up was made, and additional information (list of members, training program) was sent as part of the follow up. 4.6 The Secretariat was successful in obtaining sponsorship only from the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) towards the sponsorship of two participants. Significant sponsorship funds could not be collected since the agencies we had contacted had planned their budgets well in advance and also because many of the agencies required involvement of the recipient government in the funding process. 4.7 These key considerations when seeking sponsorship have been addressed when planning for this year s AGM. The most significant outcome of the process of seeking sponsorship has been that it has helped in building the visibility for the Forum. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 9
4.8 PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia also sponsored two participants to the event the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam and the Department of Electricity of Laos PDR. 4.9 Executive Committee Meeting and Annual General Meeting: The Executive Committee meeting was conducted in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, prior to the AGM. A number of key decisions were taken during the meeting, relating to payment of fees by members, the core training program to be conducted in 2007, budget approval, election of new ExCom members and other relevant issues. 4.10 The Executive Committee meeting was followed by the Annual General Meeting. The AGM provided an opportunity for EAPIRF members to interact with each other and identify more strongly with the Forum. The Secretariat made a presentation on the key activities undertaken by the Forum in 2006 and outlined the future steps for the EAPIRF. A key session of the AGM involved taking the participants through the website in order to make members familiar with the website and encourage its usage. 4.11 The theme of the AGM was Universal Service Obligations in Infrastructure. The AGM featured a 2 days of discussions on universal service obligations in the transport, electricity, telecommunications, and water sectors with separate workshop sessions for each sector. The sector workshop were conducted by members of the Expert Panel who also prepared case studies of Australia, a middle size Asian country and a Pacific Island country to stimulate discussion. 4.12 The feedback that was received for the AGM was highly positive and encouraging. A majority of the participants found the content of the program to be useful and relevant to their work. However, some participants had difficulty in understanding the pronunciation of some of the presenters and some participants felt that the case studies undertaken as part of the training should have been more relevant to the EAP region. 4.13 The Secretariat will address these concerns in the design and planning for the AGM to be conducted in 2007. 4.14 The Events section of the website contains more details of the AGM (http://eapirf.org/others/agm/agm2006.asp). The section contains all the presentations that have been made at the event, as well as the feedback summary. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 10
A5: ACTIVITY 3: TRAINING OUTREACH & PARTNER DEVELOPMENT 5.1 As part of the training outreach activities of the EAPIRF, the Secretariat maintains a database of learning events such as training programs, workshops, seminars, lecture series, online courses etc in the area of infrastructure regulation, on the EAPIRF website. This database is updated on a monthly basis and provides members with information on upcoming events such as the date, venue, topic, contact details and links to further information. 5.2 The Secretariat has also been making efforts towards building partnerships with training organisations which conduct training in areas of relevance to EAPIRF members. Towards this end, there is a section on the website wherein training service providers can register as EAPIRF training partners so that EAPIRF members are regularly informed about the activities conducted by these organisations. 5.3 In addition, reputed training service providers such as the Australian Centre of Regulatory Economics (ACORE), the Public Utility and Research Centre (PURC) and IP3 are in regular touch with the Secretariat and update the Secretariat with information on the activities undertaken by them which may be of relevance to EAPIRF members. 5.4 While the EAPIRF website is constantly updated with information on training events, the Secretariat frequently emails EAPIRF members regarding certain training programs conducted by reputed organisations such as NARUC, PURC, SAFIR and ACORE. It is encouraging to note that many members have shown interest in taking part in these training events, and are accordingly directed. 5.5 The EAPIRF website also contains a section with information on organisations which conduct training in the area of infrastructure regulation. 5.6 We believe that the EAPIRF will be able to build stronger linkages with training partners once the Core Training Program is established. Mr. Achmad Lanti, an Executive Committee member, has also suggested that the EAPIRF s training programs can be delivered through local training coordinators. This suggestion can be taken up in the future, once the Core Training Program has been well established. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 11
A6: ACTIVITY 4: TWINNING ARRANGEMENTS 6.1 The Secretariat has achieved little success in facilitating twinning arrangements between EAPIRF members. 6.2 While EAPIRF members have expressed their enthusiasm for the concept of twinning arrangements between members, concerns such as finding appropriate twinning partners, problems regarding the financing of the arrangement and other logistic issues have prevented the concept from being implemented. 6.3 The Secretariat has a Twinning Arrangements section on the EAPIRF website. The section enabled regulatory bodies in the EAP region to register for twinning arrangements by providing details of their requirements and expectations from the conceived arrangement. 6.4 These details will be provided on the notice board for other members to identify possible partners for a twinning arrangement. The Secretariat will facilitate the discussion between potential partners and aid in identifying areas of cooperation. 6.5 However, there has been no response from regulators on the Twinning Arrangements section of the website. 6.6 Based on the poor response to the Twinning Arrangements section on the website and the major concerns arising out of implementing such arrangements between members, it has been decided that this activity will not be taken up by the Secretariat. The funds in the AusAid grant will be allocated to other activities. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 12
A7: ACTIVITY 5: CORE TRAINING PROGRAM 7.1 The Core Training Program syllabus for the Economic Regulation of Infrastructure course has been finalised by the Secretariat after discussion with the Executive Committee and the World Bank. The 1st training program is scheduled to be held in October 2007. In order to reduce Secretariat costs, it has been agreed to schedule the Core Training after the AGM at the same country location. 7.2 The objective of the course is to develop the technical skills of the regulators in the region especially in the economic regulation of infrastructure and the basic approaches to regulation. The five day course will cover the economic principles and techniques for revenue and tariff regulation. 7.3 The training can be attended by both, senior staff of regulatory agencies (who have attended the Annual General Meeting (AGM)) as well as middle level regulatory officers. 7.4 The course will consist of a 5 days of detailed training on economic regulation and tariff determination principles. The course will be built around participants performing a case study on running a tariff review of a regulated company (water or electricity distribution). Case studies on other sectors will also be included in the training materials. This course is aimed at training the middle level staff from regulatory bodies and utilities. 7.5 Apart from regulatory bodies in the EAP region, the Secretariat is issuing invitations to utilities, private firms and other interested parties which are not eligible for regular EAPIRF membership. In this context the Secretariat has issued invitations for participation in the training program to (a) (b) Regulatory bodies in the EAP region Utilities, private firms investing or operating in infrastructure in the region 7.6 The course fee for participation is shown below. The fee covers program tuition, reading and classroom material, and lunch and refreshments during the program. It does not include the cost of travel to the venue and living accommodation. Category EAPIRF Members Infrastructure regulators from EAP region Affiliate Members Utilities, private firms, and all other interested parties that are not EAPIRF members. CTP Fee No fees, up to 2 participants US$ 1700 per participant US$ 500 per participant US$ 2200 per participant PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 13
7.7 EAPIRF members who have paid the annual membership of US$ 1500 for the year 2007 will be eligible for a complete exemption from payment of the course fee. All other regulatory bodies from the EAP region will have to pay a course fee of US$ 1700 per participant and affiliate members or organisations eligible for affiliate membership will pay a course fee of US$ 500 per participant. The Secretariat hopes that this structure will encourage EAPIRF members to pay the membership fees. 7.8 Other interested parties not eligible for EAPIRF membership will be charged a course fee of US$ 2200. The Secretariat expects to cross subsidise fee paying EAPIRF members in this manner. 7.9 As the first step to collecting sponsorships funds for the program, the Secretariat has initiated email contact with a number of development agencies. The email informs the agencies about EAPIRF and the Core Training Program and is accompanied by a letter from the EAPIRF Chairman, Mr. Thomas Abe, seeking sponsorship. This email contact will shortly be followed by telephone calls to our contact points in each of the agencies. 7.10 As agreed with the Executive Committee and the World Bank, the Secretariat will also be seeking sponsorship funding from private firms for the program. The Secretariat is currently contacting these firms for sponsorship. 7.11 For this purpose, the Secretariat has designed a corporate sponsorship program which consists of the following types of sponsorship: (a) Gold Sponsor: US$ 20,000 and above (b) Silver Sponsor: Between US$ 10,000 and US$ 20,000 (c) Sponsor: Less than US$ 10,000 7.12 In order to ensure transparency, private firms will not be able to directly sponsor any EAPIRF members. Instead, all such funding received will be pooled into a CTP Fund and sponsorship will be disbursed to EAPIRF members from this common fund. Priority will be given to those EAPIRF members who have paid the membership fee. 7.13 Given the weak response from the SERC in China, PwC do not recommend that the next AGM and core training program be held in Beijing. We would prefer to hold these activities in a country where there is an active EAPIRF member who is interested in hosting the Forum. We wish to approach the ERAV in Vietnam or Mr. Lanti to hold these activities in Vietnam or Indonesia. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 14
7.14 As agreed in our teleconference with the Ban, PwC will provide a comparison of costs between Jakarta and Hanoi before a decision is taken to approach either organisation to host the next AGM and Core Training course. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 15
A8: ACTIVITY 6: EAPIRF STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS 8.1 Annual Work Plan: The annual work plan for the period May 2006 to April 2007 was submitted to the World Bank at the initiation of the assignment. The annual work plan for the period May 2007 to June 2009 will be submitted to the World Bank in June 2007. 8.2 Annual Funding and Sustainability Plan: The Annual Funding and Sustainability Plan for the period 2007 to 2009 were presented at the Executive Committee Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in November 2007. A revised plan, which has been agreed with the Bank, will be presented to the Executive Steering Committee meeting to be held in May 2007. 8.3 Annual Budgets and Financial Accounts: The annual budget for the upcoming two year period has already been submitted to the World Bank. This budget covers the period May 2007 to April 2008 and May 2008 to April 2009. An EAPIRF bank account has been opened and is being managed by the New Zealand Electricity Regulatory Commission. The Secretariat has subsequently received payment of membership fees into the account from the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission of Papua New Guinea. 8.4 The Secretariat also submitted a mid term review report called the EAPIRF Status Report in October 2006. Moreover, the Secretariat conducted four Executive Committee meetings and recorded the Minutes of Meetings to summarise the important decisions. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 16
A9: ACTIVITY 7: MONITORING AND EVALUATION Monitoring and Evaluation 9.1 The M&E plan was originally planned to be developed in the first month of the project. However, due to the accordance of higher priority to the AGM and the website development, the M&E plan was shifted to 8th Month. This was agreed by the ExCom in the Activity Plan (submitted on 5 July 2006) for the Year 1.However, to obtain clarity on all the activities of the forum for a year, the M&E Plan was further shifted to the end of the assignment. 9.2 The proposed plan will be used to monitor the annual performance of the Forum from Year 2. The Secretariat will develop the performance review report and present it to the ExCom during the annual meeting every year." Annual Report - Completion of Activities 9.3 The table below presents a summary of our progress on each of the major activities in the Annual Plan from 1 May 2006 to 30 April 2007. Activities Web-based Information Exchange Completed Activities Web-site Development: revised website was issued on August 2006. The key features introduced to enable greater interaction between members are as follows: o Regulator in Focus;; o Country and Regulatory profiles; o On-line Discussion Forum; and o Q&A Forum. Web-site Maintenance/Update: throughout the duration of the contract. On-line discussions: An online discussion for a period of 15 days on the topic Universal Service Obligations in September-October 2006. The discussion was moderated by a panel of experts. The Secretariat also designed a paper on Universal Service Obligation to aid the discussion. The discussion was preceded by a survey on the same topic which was designed and conducted by the Secretariat. The Secretariat analysed the responses of EAPIRF members who participated in the survey and this was discussed at the AGM in Phnom Penh. The next on-line discussion will be held in late May 2007 on Competition in the provision of infrastructure. EAPIRF Annual Meeting The 4th Annual General Meeting was held at Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from November 20-22, 2006. The formal AGM meeting was followed with a 2 days of discussions on the delivery of Universal Service Obligation in Infrastructure. The AGM was attended by 54 delegates from 15 regulatory organizations of 13 countries and the representatives of the World Bank, AusAid and Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC). This participation included 21 self funded participants from 9 countries, apart from participation from organisations in Cambodia. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 17
Activities Training Outreach & Partner Development Twinning Arrangements Core Training Program Completed Activities Development/Maintenance: As part of the training outreach activities of the EAPIRF, the Secretariat maintains a database of learning events such as training programs, workshops, seminars, lecture series, online courses etc in the area of infrastructure regulation, on the EAPIRF website. This database is updated on a monthly basis and provides members with information on upcoming events such as the date, venue, topic, contact details and links to further information. Development: The Secretariat has achieved little success in facilitating twinning arrangements between EAPIRF members. Because of the poor response to the Twinning Arrangements section on the website and the major concerns arising out of implementing such arrangements between members, it has been decided that this activity will not be taken up by the Secretariat. The funds in the AusAid grant will be allocated to other activities. Training Plan: The Core Training Program syllabus for the Economic Regulation of Infrastructure course has been finalised by the Secretariat after discussion with the Executive Committee and the World Bank. Training Program: The 1st training program is scheduled to be held in October 2007. In order to reduce Secretariat costs, it has been agreed to schedule the Core Training after the AGM at the same country location. EAPIRF Annual Work Plan: The annual work plan for the period May 2006 to April 2007 was Strategic submitted to the World Bank at the initiation of the assignment. The annual work plan for Documents the period May 2007 to June 2009 will be submitted to the World Bank in June 2007. Annual Budgets and Financial Accounts: The annual budget for the upcoming two year period has already been submitted to the World Bank. This budget covers the period May 2007 to April 2008 and May 2008 to April 2009. An EAPIRF bank account has been opened and is being managed by the New Zealand Electricity Regulatory Commission. The Secretariat has subsequently received payment of membership fees into the account from the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission of Papua New Guinea. Annual Funding and Sustainability Plan: The Annual Funding and Sustainability Plan for the period 2007 to 2009 were presented at the Executive Committee Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in November 2007. A revised plan, which has been agreed with the Bank, will be presented to the Executive Steering Committee meeting to be held in May 2007. M&E Annual M&E plan: We have provided information on the performance of EAPIRF vis-à-vis other regulatory forums such as the SAIFR, AFUR and NARUC at the AGM in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This involved a detailed comparison of the website of EAPIRF with those of the other organisations and a detailed comparison of the major activities undertaken by these organisations and where EAPIRF stands in comparison to them. While the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan was scheduled to be submitted in March 2007 (according to the annual work plan), we have shifted this to the end of the assignment so as to get greater clarity on all the activities the forum is involved in during the year. The Secretariat has already completed the draft Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and the final version will be submitted for Executive Committee approval in the next Executive Committee meeting, scheduled to be held in May 2007. Membership Outreach and Partner Development Membership drive & relationship building: o The Secretariat has contacted over 70 regulatory bodies in the EAP region in the last year towards increasing membership. However, the response from these organisations has been lukewarm. The Secretariat will renew its membership outreach efforts this year by contacting not only these 70 regulatory bodies once again but also other regulatory bodies in the region. o The EAPIRF has developed a strong relationship with both NARUC and PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 18
Activities Completed Activities SAFIR. The Secretariat maintains regular contact with both the organisations and these organisations have frequently provided support and encouragement to the activities undertaken by the EAPIRF. o Our relationship with NARUC has resulted in EAPIRF participation at the World Energy Forum in 2006. As the organiser of the 3rd World Energy Forum in 2006, NARUC had extended an invitation for the EAPIRF Chairman Mr. Thomas Abe, as a speaker at the event. As the Chairman was unable to attend due to prior commitments, this invitation was taken up by Mr. Hul Kunnakvuth of the Electricity Authority of Cambodia. o EAPIRF is now a member of the Steering Committee of the World Energy Forum and will be an active participant in the 4th World Energy Forum. Development of outreach material: The Secretariat has finalised the EAPIRF brochure, along with JWT, after incorporating comments from the Executive Committee. The brochure will be emailed to all the regulatory bodies in the EAP region. The Secretariat has also offered to email or post a hard copy of the brochure to the development agencies and private firms which have been contacted regarding sponsorship. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 19
A10: ACTIVITY 8: MEMBERSHIP OUTREACH AND PARTNER DEVELOPMENT 10.1 A new EAPIRF logo has been created as part of the membership outreach activities of EAPIRF. This logo has been designed by JWT (an advertising firm). The new logo was selected out of a set of 9 logos presented to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee members could vote for the logo of their choice either through the website or through email. The logo finally elected was launched at the AGM in Phnom Penh. 10.2 The Secretariat has finalised the EAPIRF brochure, along with JWT, after incorporating comments from the Executive Committee. The brochure will be emailed to all the regulatory bodies in the EAP region. The Secretariat has also offered to email or post a hard copy of the brochure to the development agencies and private firms which have been contacted regarding sponsorship. 10.3 We believe the brochure will be valuable in building awareness of the EAPIRF and knowledge of its activities in the regulatory community. The Secretariat expects to channel this awareness towards greater participation in the Core Training Program as well as an increase in the membership of the Forum. 10.4 The Secretariat has contacted over 70 regulatory bodies in the EAP region in the last year towards increasing membership. However, the response from these organisations has been lukewarm. The Secretariat will renew its membership outreach efforts this year by contacting not only these 70 regulatory bodies once again but also other regulatory bodies in the region. 10.5 The EAPIRF website also has a section which aims to encourage regulatory bodies in the region to sign up for EAPIRF membership. The section contains information on the EAPIRF and its activities and outlines eligibility for membership and how organisations can enrol for membership. The membership form can be downloaded from the website, completed and emailed to the Secretariat. 10.6 In order to build EAPIRF presence in Vietnam, PwC sponsored Mr. Nguyen Bui Hai of the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam (ERAV) to attend the AGM and Training Program at Phnom Penh, Cambodia. ERAV is now a regular and enthusiastic participant in EAPIRF activities. 10.7 The Secretariat also maintains regular contact with all the EAPIRF members, in order to enable them to identify with the Forum and encourage their participation in EAPIRF activities. With this objective, the Secretariat frequently emails or telephones EAPIRF members and has been able to build relationships with some of the members and encourage them to take part in EAPIRF activities. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 20
10.8 The EAPIRF also shares a strong relationship with both NARUC and SAFIR. The Secretariat maintains regular contact with both the organisations and these organisations have frequently provided support and encouragement to the activities undertaken by the EAPIRF. 10.9 Our relationship with NARUC has resulted in EAPIRF participation at the World Energy Forum in 2006. As the organiser of the 3 rd World Energy Forum in 2006, NARUC had extended an invitation for the EAPIRF Chairman Mr. Thomas Abe, as a speaker at the event. As the Chairman was unable to attend due to prior commitments, this invitation was taken up by Mr. Hul Kunnakvuth of the Electricity Authority of Cambodia. 10.10 EAPIRF is now a member of the Steering Committee of the World Energy Forum and will be an active participant in the 4 th World Energy Forum. 10.11 Moreover, the EAPIRF is now a member of the International Energy Regulatory Network and is featured on the IERN website. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 21
A11: OTHER KEY ACTIVITIES 11.1 Apart from the activities outlined in the annual work plan, the Secretariat has taken up a number of other activities towards building the Forum. 11.2 The Secretariat has conducted four Executive Committee meetings till date and has witnessed an increasing involvement by the Executive Committee members in these meetings. The Secretariat has made efforts to conduct the meetings using VoIP but has been constrained by technical issues faced by the Executive Committee members and has been conducting meetings over email. It will continue to do so as on-line meetings via VoIP are not a viable form of communication. 11.3 Regulator in Focus: The Secretariat has also introduced the Regulator in Focus activity on the website. This section features a different EAPIRF member each fortnight, and contains an interview with the Chairman of the regulatory body, the achievements of the organisation and the challenges faced by it. 11.4 After rigorous follow ups, we have received responses from 8 regulators for the "Regulator in Focus" section, out of which 3 responses have already been posted on the website. The organizations from which we have received responses are as follows. a) Electric Authority of Cambodia b) Independent Consumer and Competition Commission, PNG c) Energy Regulatory Authority, Mongolia d) Ministry of Public Works and Utilities (Kiribati) e) Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) f) Water Supply Authority, Department of Housing and Urban Planning, Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction - Lao PDR g) Jakarta Water Supply Regulatory Board h) Energy Commission (Ministry of Energy, Water and Telecommunication) - Malaysia 11.5 The EAPIRF has also conducted elections for the Executive Committee to replace Mr. Angel Efren Augustine. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 22
A12: WAY FORWARD 12.1 The key focus of the Secretariat is currently the Core Training Program for 2007 and on attracting donor and private sector sponsorship for the Forum. We will conduct an online discussion on Competition Policy in the provision of infrastructure as a run up to this year s AGM. The central focus will, however, be on designing and finalising the course content for the Core Training Program. 12.2 The Secretariat has already extended invitations for Core Training Program to the regulatory organisations in the EAP region. We have received positive responses from few members. Our emails will be followed by telephonic contact also. We will also extend email invitations to other interest parties such as utilities and private firms. 12.3 Another key area of focus is to collect sponsorship funds for the program. For this purpose, the Secretariat will identify other possible sponsors and establish contact with them. 12.4 Elections for the replacement of Mr. Roy Hemmingway of the Executive Committee will be conducted in May. The Secretariat will call for nominations and set up a facility on the EAPIRF website to allow voting to take place on a confidential basis. 12.5 The Secretariat will also make active efforts to encourage payment of membership fees by the EAPIRF members and contact each member in this regard. 12.6 The Secretariat proposes to submit a Midterm Review Report around October 2007, outlining the activities undertaken in the interim period and the progress made against the annual work plan. 12.7 The Secretariat also proposes to conduct the Executive Committee meetings on a quarterly basis. However, when Executive Committee approval is required on certain issues, a meeting will be conducted apart from the scheduled quarterly meetings. PricewaterhouseCoopers Page 23