7 April 2016

Our experience shows that we can ensure a more transparent construction sector by simply informing people about the kind of work being carried out in their neighborhoods. By disclosing SMG’s construction work information on the Construction Informer website, all the stakeholders, from private contractors to the responsible Seoul government officials, came to adopt a more transparent, responsible, and accountable administration of our public construction development.”

–Mr. Won Soon Park, Mayor of Seoul
2 December 2015 UNDP-SMG workshop on Public Construction Transparency

The UNDP Seoul Policy Centre (USPC) and the Seoul Metropolitan Infrastructure Headquarters (SMIH) of the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) undertook a full-day workshop to discuss the most effective ways to share with developing countries Seoul’s experiences and lessons learned from its Clean Construction System (CCS) through USPC’s Development Solutions Partnership (DSP) on Open Data and Public Construction Management for efficiency, transparency, and integrity in the public construction sector. 

Introduced in 2011, CCS is an effective technological and institutional approach to enhancing transparency, efficiency, and the protection of construction workers’ rights in the public construction sector. The system won the prestigious UN Public Service Award in 2013, in recognition of its innovation and potential for application in other countries.

The workshop was organized to strategize how to provide follow-up support to countries that had participated in the International Workshop on Public Construction Transparency, co-organized by USPC and SMG on 2-4 December 2015, which had shared CCS with some 70 overseas participants from 20 countries around the world.

Based on the demand from the workshop participants for sustained partnerships and support, USPC and SMG in partnership with GAIN had released a Call for Expressions of Interests in February 2016 to solicit proposals from these countries, in order to provide advisory and technical support, combined with seed funding, for their application of the learning points from the December meeting. Almost all of the eligible countries had submitted their proposals, thereby making the selection process very competitive.

At the workshop, participants intensive discussions with Seoul Government partners on how to design and implement effective triangular cooperation among UNDP, SMG, and partner countries. Participants also deliberated each of the submitted proposals against the a set of evaluation criteria l that include implementation opportunities and capacities in candidate countries, project sustainability and ownership, availability of necessary expertise and resources, and quality of the proposed work plans.

Support will be delivered for the period of 2016-2017 to a maximum of five countries selected through this competitive process following further in-depth discussions. DSP partner countries will apply Korea’s CCS and lessons learnt shared at the Workshop, and implement various initiatives to promote more transparent, efficient, and accountable management of the public construction sector through at the country-level, with Seoul’s CCS as a reference point.

Since the early 2015, the UNDP Seoul Policy Centre (USPC) has been partnering with the Seoul Metropolitan Infrastructure Headquarters (SMIH) of the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) and the UNDP Global Anti-Corruption Initiative (GAIN) to share Seoul’s CCS under the DSP. The ‘Open Data and Public Construction Management’ DSP is one of two DSPs UPSC is currently conducting alongside the ‘Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Systems’ DSP in partnership with Korea’s Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission (ACRC).

Initiated in 2014, DSP is a new approach for USPC, acting as a knowledge broker and facilitator, to connect Korea with the wider UNDP network and enhance the Korea-UNDP partnership on strategic development issues globally. DSPs work through triangular cooperation among Korean Government institutions, UNDP, and partner countries.

The workshop took place on 14 March, 2016 in Seoul, Korea.

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The Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme India has developed a national-level pool of trainers to conduct training on two thematic areas: Leadership Skills and Ethics. The pool of trainers brings with it the skills and experience of retired and serving officers and faculty of government training institutes.

The pool consists of 53 trainers who have undergone rigorous training on a high quality module developed by reputed institutes and delivered by scientifically trained National Facilitators on a pan India and international basis to ensure better learning of the skills. The trainers have been trained and assessed by the Centre for Creative Leadership and certified by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India.

The modules have sufficient flexibility to account for local and regional variations. The concept is based on an officer-teach-officer model where trainees learn both from the module and from the personal experiences and sharing of the facilitators. The methodology is extremely participatory and engrossing so that there is deep impact on the trainees. Both modules are available in 2-day and 3-day design formats.

Following the training, these trainers are being successfully deployed in training programmes at the provincial level. Leadership and ethics are at the core of civil services across all countries of the world.  Other countries could also benefit from services of this pool of trainers that has been developed by the Government of India and is being used within the country.

Further information on the training that can be provided by the trainers and the list of trainers can be accessed as per details given below –

http://solutionexchange-un.net.in/ftp/decn/resource/NationalpoolofTrainers-Leadership Skills and Ethics.pdf

http://solutionexchange-un.net.in/ftp/decn/resource/Listoftrainers-Ethics.pdf

http://solutionexchange-un.net.in/ftp/decn/resource/Listoftrainers-Leadership.pdf

http://solutionexchange-un.net.in/ftp/decn/resource/2-daysEVIPG Design.pdf

http://solutionexchange-un.net.in/ftp/decn/resource/3daysEVPG Design.pdf

http://solutionexchange-un.net.in/ftp/decn/resource/BasicLeadershipSkills.pdf

For more information, please contact:

Sumeeta Banerji
Assistant Country Director & Head (Democratic Governance)
United Nations Development Programme
55, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi – 110003
sumeeta.banerji@undp.org

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Niue’s Legislative Assembly Parliamentarians boosted their capacity to undertake their oversight role and gained a deeper understanding of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) at a three-day workshop in the small Pacific island nation.

“Our parliamentarians want to learn more about the UNCAC and how they can oversight more thoroughly financial activities in our economy and country,” said Legislative Assembly Speaker Hon Togiavalu Pihigia.

Acting Premier Hon Billy Talagi, in opening the workshop, said: “Governance is one of our stated national pillars. Transparency and accountability is to be practiced at all levels of government, the Assembly and the community.”

The Acting premier, Assembly members, parliamentary staff, and other stakeholders attended the workshop provided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Global Organization of Parliamentarians against Corruption (GOPAC) through the United Nations Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project.

UNDP and UNDP worked together to provide UNCAC capacity-building along with enhancing the important work of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee. Niue is one of only three remaining countries/territories in the Pacific yet to sign on to UNCAC.

UN-PRAC Adviser Annika Wythes emphasized that “Parliamentarians have a key role to play in preventing and indeed fight corruption, often leading by example.

“While Niue may face different challenges to other Pacific nations, there are many benefits for Niue joining the other 11 Pacific countries that have ratified UNCAC,” said Wythes.

GOPAC Oceania Chair John Hyde said that there was strong interest from Assembly Members on learning about best practices and the role of parliamentarian-driven initiatives to build integrity and oversight of government.

Included in the workshop was a dedicated session on the financial oversight role of the Public Accounts Committee, with the New Zealand Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee Chair, Hon David Bennett, assisting as a resource person, as part of UNDP’s governance strengthening programme in the Pacific.

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