PacREF Governance Structure

The Forum Education Ministers Meeting (FEdMM), the Pacific Heads of Education Systems (PHES), the Steering Committee (SC), the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific Human Resources Development Working Group (CROP HRD WG), the implementing Agencies Fono (IA Fono), and a PacREF Facilitating Unit (PFU) under the office of the Vice Chancellor & President of the University of the South Pacific all have a significant management and coordination role to play in ensuring that the PacREF programme consistently delivers high-quality services to the PacREF participating countries education systems.

Forum Education Ministers Meeting (FEdMM)

Overall responsibility for the PacREF rests with the Forum Education Ministers through FEdMM. By approving the PacREF and the PacREF Programme, FEdMM has committed to a regional education policy framework, agreed to both national and regional level monitoring of progress against that framework, to assist in assessing its effectiveness, and to confirming the objectives and direction of each Phase of the PacREF Programme. FEdMM meets every two years convened by USP through the PFU. All countries members of the Pacific Islands Forum are members of FEdMM.

Pacific Heads of Education System (PHES)

Reporting to FEdMM, the PHES has the responsibility of ensuring that the PacREF Programme is implemented as intended. PHES members also have the responsibility of ensuring that both their system’s needs are understood and are being addressed through the PacREF Programme whenever feasible and that country-level issues that disturb the smooth implementation of the PacREF Programme are addressed promptly and efficiently. The PHES will meet biennially to review the PacREF Programme and to review and approve the CROP HRD WG’s proposed updates of the PacREF’s four-year rolling implementation plan and the budgets attached to those plans. PHES meeting are convened by UNESCO.

CROP Human Resources Development Working Group (HRD WG)

The CROP HRD WG a group under the CROP architecture, will ensure that the Outcomes Documents from each PHES meetings are adequate to allow each PHES member to comprehensively update their minister and their ministers on PacREF Programme progress and the outcomes of PHES meeting. PHES meetings will be convened by UNESCO in consultation with the Chair of the CROP HRD WG regarding the agenda and presentations.

Steering Committee (SC)

A Steering Committee consisting of five members of the PHES will serve on a 2-year rotational basis. Membership comprises a representative from each of the 3 sub-regions in the Pacific, a representative of smaller island states and a representative of the larger island states in the region. The SC will represent the PHES on all PacREF policy and programming matters in between PHES meetings. The SC will develop a communication strategy to report back to the full PHES following each of their meetings. The SC meetings will precede CROP HRD WG meetings and will be organized by the PFU.

Implementing Agencies Fono (IA Fono)

The five implementing Agencies (SPC-EQAP, USP, UNICEF, UNESCO, APTC) of the PacREF Programme have organized themselves into a group of IA Fono to discuss issues that be presented to the SC and HRD WG. It is also a Forum to discuss collaboration and partnerships in the implementation of activities under the PacREF implementation Rolling Plan. The IA Fono is convened by the PFU.