DFID to Visit St Helena
12 January 2010
The St Helena Government and the Department For International Development are working together to secure monies for the Island.
This money is needed to run St Helena over the next three years and SHG is hoping to be able to use some to implement new projects that will be designed to help and move the Island forward in key areas.
St Helena must bid for funding along with other countries around the world and this year is expected to be particularly challenging in light of the ongoing financial crisis.
However, this year, the Island will be presenting one of its strongest cases, strengthened by using a new approach to strategic planning, which was introduced through the public sector modernisation programme.
As part of the process, a team from DFID will visit St Helena from 14 to 20 January 2010 to enter into discussions with SHG. The team, known as the Development Aid Planning Mission, will be led by Malcolm Geere, who replaces Phil Mason as Head of the Overseas Territories Department in DFID. Other team members will include Richard Haviland, the new Programme Manager for the South Atlantic; Caterina Alari, Governance Advisor; Garth Armstrong, Economic Advisor; and Anna Miles, Social Development Advisor. Eddie Palmer, DFID Representative will also be a member of the team.
Discussion will focus on money the island needs in order to deliver key services. There will also be talk on how DFID can help the Island fill senior posts that cannot be filled on Island, due to a lack of skills in certain areas which has always been a problem for St Helena.
In addition, there will be talk about progress with the Frontloading programme. Under this programme, DFID agreed to provide St Helena with additional money to develop the infrastructure providing the Island met certain targets. Some money has been donated already and more good progress has been made in a number of areas. In this regard, discussion will focus on areas of success and challenges the Island is facing with meeting the targets.
While on the Island, the team will be particularly interested in looking at progress the Island has made in areas of economic growth obtained through private sector development; investments the Island has made in its people and in the physical infrastructure; how well the Island is caring for its vulnerable people; and progress made on the public sector modernisation programme.
Public Relations/Information Office, Office of the Chief Secretary, 6 January 2010