Commonwealth Pacific Governance Facility

The Commonwealth Pacific Governance Facility (CPGF) was established in 2010 to support the governance initiatives of the Pacific Plan.

The CPGF supports the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and other development partners' in providing quick and responsive technical assistance to Commonwealth Pacific member countries, implementing or formulating governance activities in:

• Strengthened democratic institutions and processes
• improved capacity and effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions
• improved public access to official information

CPGF is developing frameworks for strategic regional activity in two thematic areas. These work towards strengthened anti-corruption practices in public procurement and improving processes and stability of political parties. Since its inception, CPGF has implemented a number of national projects at the request of Pacific Island governments. These include:

Strengthening the Ombudsman's role
In February 2011, the CPGF assisted the Government of Niue in raising public awareness of the role and benefits of the office of the Ombudsman in making government more transparent and accountable. Following CPGF support, the Niue cabinet agreed to permanently establish the Office of the Ombudsman and to enshrine it in law. The function of the Ombudsman, is to investigate public complaints on government actions and provide independent assessments. This feedback is an important incentive for improved public leadership and service delivery.

Electoral Resource Management Database System
The CPGF has been working with the Office of the Electoral Commissioner in Samoa to develop a database which will track electoral resources and better forecast resources needed for future elections. This will improve the government’s accountability of resources utilised in conducting elections.

Freedom of Information Policy
Funded by CPGF, a consultant was contracted to draft a Freedom of Information (FOI) Policy for the Government of Tonga from October 2011- March 2012. The FOI Policy places an administrative framework to guide public authorities on providing better access to government information by clarifying what is expected of them in relation to providing information and responding to specific requests. The FOI Policy, accompanied by an implementation plan, also provides guidance to the public on what they can expect from public authorities.  The Policy  is intended to pave the way for implementation of a FOI Bill in the foreseeable future. It has been supported by an analysis of existing laws, regulations and procedures and will include recommendations on how FOI can be implemented legislatively.

Land Records Management
CPGF supported  a short-term consultancy to undertake work with the Tonga Land Management Division within the  Tongan Ministry for Lands, Survey, National Resources and Environment. This happened from June-August 2011. Its purpose was to improve organisation and efficiency of the land records management and archiving system at the Ministry by:

• conducting a needs analysis based on the current land records management and archiving systems of the Ministry
• improving staff productivity through the development of training materials and staff training
  
• establishing efficient and effective filing and archiving systems including document preservation and
• assessing options and costs for future improvements.

Law Reports
In the second half of 2011, CPGF supported the local publication of annual law reports from 2009 and 2010 in Tonga. These are edited reports of significant judgments from the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and Land Courts, serving as a valuable resource for the judiciary and law practitioners. A training manual for the judiciary of Tonga on editing law reports, was also produced.

MPs Induction workshop in collaboration with CPA and UNDP
In collaboration with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the CPGF held an induction workshop for the new administration in Tonga following the general election held in November 2010. The five-day workshop, which took place in early 2011, provided an overview of a reformed parliament, parliamentary procedures and protocols for Members of Parliament.

Law Literacy Week
The CPGF supported Tonga Law Literacy Week in November 2010. With a focus on the theme of ‘good governance’, the objective was to educate people on the law, its processes and the role of institutions such as the Legislative Assembly and the judiciary. Activities included outreach visits by the Crown Law department to primary schools and villages and radio talkback programmes where the public asked questions on constitutional and political matters.