Honiara, Solomon Islands - Demonstrating an unwavering dedication to the establishment of resilient communities, the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS) has formalized its collaboration through the ceremonial signing of a Letter of Agreement (LoA) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Governance for Resilient Development in the Pacific (Gov4Res) project. 

This formalization event took place concurrently with the conclusion of the MPGIS Knowledge Sharing orientation workshop for Provincial Officers, held in Honiara. The workshop convened 127 participants (95 males and 32 females) from all nine provinces, engaging meeting, learning and discussing community development over eight-day discourse centred around community development. The essence of the partnership with the Gov4Res project resides in enhancing provincial and ward-level systems, ensuring that the integration of a risk-informed into project planning and budgeting, fostering a bottom-up approach to resilient development.

Empowering Resilient Communities through Strategic Collaboration
During the fortnight-long orientation workshop on knowledge sharing, which received joint support from the Solomon Islands Government (SIG), World Bank, UNDP, United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the European Union, over 100 provincial officers engaged in a diverse array of modules. These modules encompassed topics such as climate change, risk-informed development planning, gender equality, resilience building and budgeting processes. This comprehensive training furnished participants with essential insights to address the challenges confronting their respective communities and to promote the principles of sustainable development.

The signing ceremony convened representatives from MPGIS and UNDP, who acknowledged the pivotal of the Provincial Capital Development Fund (PCDF) mechanism in propelling risk-informed development at the grassroots level. They also recognized the crucial support provided by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management, and Meteorology (MECDM) in furnishing  scientific and technical data for informed development planning across various sectors and tiers.

In his opening address, Mr. Stanley Pirione, the Permanent Secretary of MPGIS, underscored the profound significance of the LoA with the UNDP Gov4Res project. He remarked, "This LoA with the UNDP Gov4Res project formalizes the support for two Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Reduction Officers (CCARRO) in Choiseul and Isabel provinces, empowering them to address climate change and disaster impacts effectively. We welcome the support of CCARROs and Systems Strengthening at Provincial and Ward Level for Integrating a Risk-Informed Approach to Project Planning and Budgeting, which emphasizes the importance of understanding and reducing community vulnerability while ensuring sustainable development."

Mr. Pirione further underscored the pivotal role of collaboration, affirming, "Coordination and partnership are critical across ministries, provincial governments, and development partners to achieve our risk-informed development ambitions. We acknowledge the support from Gov4Res in promoting Risk-Informed Development in the agenda of sub-national governments through our ministry."

Mr. Patrick Pee, UNDP Officer in Charge for the Solomon Islands Sub-Office, reaffirmed the organization's unwavering commitment to supporting the Solomon Islands Government within the framework of this partnership with MPGIS.

He said, "We reiterate our commitment to the Solomon Islands Government under this partnership with MPGIS, as we work in conjunction with the UNDP Provincial Governance and Service Delivery project funded by the EU and implemented in conjunction with UNICEF . We will continue to partner with the Government and other stakeholders to achieve the resilience ambitions outlined in the Solomon Islands Government's National Development Strategy (NDS) 2016-2035."

Strategic Areas for Building Resilience
Through this partnership, MPGIS and the Gov4Res Project are poised to pursue several strategic areas to enhance community resilience and informed decision-making:

Supporting Systems Strengthening: Both parties will focus on bolstering systems for incorporating risk considerations, including climate change, disaster, and social risks, into project designs and provincial government processes.

Empowering with CCARRO Support: The collaboration includes support for two CCARRO provincial positions in Choiseul and Isabel provinces, further empowering local communities to address climate change and disaster challenges.

Identifying Risk Mitigation Measures: The partnership will facilitate the identification of tools and processes to assess risk mitigation measures and determine their additional costs, streamlining risk screening checklists, project budget templates, and standardizing small-scale infrastructure designs.

Incorporating Risk Measures into Governance: MPGIS and Gov4Res will work together to provide advice on incorporating risk measures into the Provincial Governance Strengthening Programme, fostering informed and resilient development initiatives.

With this comprehensive approach, the collaborative efforts of UNDP Gov4Res and MPGIS promise to build a more resilient and empowered Pacific region. By equipping communities with the knowledge and tools they need to tackle challenges, this transformative partnership seeks to pave the way for a sustainable future and improved livelihoods for all.