Planning for 2007
Posted: 31 January 2007 | Source: PCUThe Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) started 2007 as a restructured team, in which the Project Generation Team (PGT) and the Finance & Contracts Unit (FCU) are supported by a strengthened Central Support Unit (CSU). The PCU mapped out its work in 2007 during a planning meeting held on 11-12 January 2007, and discussed its plans further with the key Programme partners during the Programme Coordination Group meeting of 30 January 2007.
This year will place heavy support demands on the PCU and its counterparts in our provincial and local partner organisations, not only to ensure that a sufficient number of good quality projects are generated and supported by our grant funds, but, very importantly, also to ensure that we support the building of Local Economic Development (LED) support capacity in the Province. In that regard, we are planning to significantly upscale our training and learning network activities. Amongst other things, we will launch our principal learning forums, the 4 Advisory and Coordination Groups, during the year, and will commence with the sharing and discussion of lessons from this Programme's project development and implementation experience, as well as from elsewhere.
We are planning a Provincial LED Conference in the second half of the year to build on the outcomes of the work of the Advisory and Coordination Groups, and to set the scene for the development of a Provincial LED Strategy. With regard to the management of our grant funds, please note that we are streamlining the evaluation process to ensure that we shorten the period between submission of proposals and award of contracts to successful applicants. Both the Provincial Treasury and the Delegation of the European Commission to South Africa are committed to making an agreement on streamlining the process work, and we trust that applicants will see the results during the course of this year.
