Led by Manager Development under the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and President, this unit is primarily responsible for providing high level strategic advice and analysis relating to donor relations; effective liaison and engagement with development partners, member countries, international and CROP agencies; reviewing and finalization of MOUs, and Agreements with external partners and reviewing project proposals.
The Unit is responsible for maintaining and growing strategic external stakeholder relationships with existing development partners and donors, as well as maintaining high quality internal stakeholder relationships including with the Senior Management Team and the regional liaison leads, to help shape the future direction of USP.
We are also responsible for preparing regular reports on current and prospective aid/funding support to the University; providing project management support including monitoring and evaluation; keeping an up-to-date donor profiles and indicative development assistance. The Unit facilitates the University’s relationships with other international organisations and development partners in terms of forming strategic linkages between the USP’s strategic plan, member countries priorities and the regionalism agenda. The Unit organises regular high-level consultations, mid-term reviews, bilateral and multilateral meetings with respective development partners/donors and organisations.
The University, apart from being a higher education institute is also a regional cooperation and integration organisation. Coordinated by the Development Cooperation Coordinator (DCC), this Unit is also responsible for the coordination and management of USP’s relationship with other Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) agencies and ensuring USP’s engagement with the region, international agencies, and development partners. This includes coordinating USP’s participation and representation in regional and international meetings, (including Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, Ministerial and officials meetings organised by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and other CROP agencies), and providing feedback on relevant reports and policy documents. The Unit provides support to Vice-Chancellor and President with analytical briefs and reports on issues concerning the region, in particular the Framework for Pacific Regionalism, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and SAMOA Pathway and other global initiatives such as Oceans and Climate Change. The Unit is also the secretariat to the CROP ICT Working Group (WG) and coordinates University’s participation in other CROP WGs.
The University plays a key role in regional engagement through the CROP mechanism. It leads the ICT Working Group and Human Resource Development (HRD) Working Group. It also participates in other Working Groups such as Sustainable Development Working Group, Marine Sector Working Group, Working Arm on Resilience Development (WARD), Pacific Energy Oversight Group (PEOG), and Gender Working Group amongst others.
The Regional and International Engagement Unit is responsible for the management of USP’s relationship with other CROP agencies; and ensuring USP’s engagement with the region, international agencies, development partners and projects. This includes coordinating USP’s participation in regional and international meetings, and soliciting feedback on relevant reports and policy documents. The coordination of all activities and initiatives relating to CROP and regional engagement is facilitated through the Regional and International Engagement Unit.
USP actively participates in and contributes to regional meetings such as Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting; Ministerial Meetings; CROP Executive Meetings and other relevant meetings organised by the relevant CROP agencies and other regional organisations. The University proactively engages by participating in dialogues with Pacific Island Countries and in finding solutions. USP considers itself a resource point and source of policy advice to the region. The Unit provides high level support to the Vice Chancellor and President, in his role in CROP Heads meeting.
The Forum Leaders established the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific, CROP (formerly the South Pacific Organisations Coordinating Committee, SPOCC) in 1988 with the mandate to improve cooperation, coordination, and collaboration among the various intergovernmental regional organisations to work toward achieving the common goal of sustainable development in the Pacific region. CROP comprises the heads of the intergovernmental regional organisations in the Pacific and is governed by the CROP Charter.
Widely acknowledged to be one of the best examples for regional cooperation, the University continues to grow from strength to strength.
USP has, with the help of its development partners, invested heavily in enhancing and expanding its campuses, its membership, and its operations. USP’s research is as good as that carried out overseas, and more valuable to the Pacific Islands as it focuses on the Pacific and is designed to help the Pacific Islands, incorporating the most modern research tools and traditional knowledge and experience.
USP helps hold the Pacific people and nations together, is a true example of an institution for the Pacific, by the Pacific, and demonstrates that the Pacific can excel in whatever it chooses to excel.
