Providing Technical Expertise and Specialist Advice

The Secretariat provides specialist advisory services to assist with national policy formulation and implementation. At the request of governments, its advisers work side-by-side with senior policy makers on the reform or upgrading of the work of government departments and training institutions.

This has a positive impact on individuals in countries across the Commonwealth who will benefit from the improved services being offered by their respective government departments.

The Secretariat provides over 150 specialist consultants each year to Commonwealth countries. Many of them advise central government departments, others work in hospitals, or in legal, trade, infrastructure or training institutions. Some are technical advisors whilst others are operational experts, working with and training government officials.

For example, we have worked to strengthen the Judiciary in the Solomon Islands and Tonga through the placement of Judges. We have provided doctors for Maldives and Pakistan after the Asian Tsunami of 2004 and the Pakistan Earthquake in 2005. A livestock specialist is currently assigned to Grenada by the Commonwealth Secretariat to help rebuild the sector.