Points of Contact

POC are nominated by the sectoral ministry or department. Some Secretariat divisions also have POC based in regional organisations with whom they work closely.

Generally, requests from member governments and regional organisations for technical assistance from the Commonwealth Secretariat are made through these designated Points of Contact. Each division of the Secretariat may have one or more a different POC in different government ministries, depending upon the nature of the activity or programme.

The POC and Secretariat officials work together in identifying appropriate responses to development needs identified by the POC or other government official as well as in the design, implementation/monitoring and evaluation of all projects and activities supported by the Secretariat. The POC are usually also requested to co-ordinate the selection and nomination of persons to participate in Secretariat training or other programmes.

While the system of multiple national POC often enables the Secretariat to respond speedily and flexibly, it is essential that the PCP is kept informed by their colleagues as to the nature of requests made. The POC should therefore copy all requests and associated correspondence to the PCP. This supports the PCP in their role of assessing the overall national development priorities and analysing the nature and scope of assistance provided by the Secretariat across all ministries, departments and/or institutions. This information, coupled with the PCP's knowledge of the national development priorities and portfolio of aid and assistance received from development agencies, will enable the PCP to coordinate and identify national priority areas for action. It should also enable the PCP to assess how the Secretariat is best placed to respond to the priorities identified, and assess the impact and effectiveness of the totality of the Secretariat's assistance to the member country as a whole.

The specific responsibilities of the POC include:

• Identify priority requests for assistance in the area/s of responsibility through a needs analysis.
• Liaise with the relevant divisions of the Commonwealth Secretariat in relation to requests for development assistance in area/s of responsibility.
• Copy all requests for assistance and related correspondence to the Primary Contact Point (PCP).
• Maintain contact with other national Points of Contact (POC) in other sectors or ministries.
• Provide government ministries/departments, regional and private sector organisations with information on the Secretariat and its development assistance programmes.
• Select participants for training activities using clear and transparent selection criteria.
• Promote gender equality through pro-actively seeking to Identify female nominees for the Secretariat's training activities. Establish closer links with the National Women's Bureau or other national machinery addressing gender issues.
• Encourage participation by private sector personnel.
• Maintain regular contact with long and short-term CFTC experts to monitor progress, review changes to job content and to assess progress reports.
• For long-term experts, promote and follow up counterpart training arrangements to ensure that skills are transferred and will be sustainable.
• Assist the governments and the Secretariat in assessing the results and impact of assistance.

Contacts by Secretariat Section / Division (Secure Area*)

• Governance and Institutional Development
• Special Advisory Services (SASD)
• Debt Management - SASD
• Enterprise & Agriculture - SASD
• Economic and Legal - SASDTrade - SASD

*To request username and password details for the Secure Area contact: cftc@commonwealth.int