Integrated Framework

There is a list of press releases from all stages of the IF process.

The 2009 Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) was officially launched on the 31st of March 2010 in Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel by the Honourable Prime Minister Honourable Dr. Derek Sikua. The 2009 DTIS can be down loaded here or you can follow this link. Read more about the launching of the 2009 DTIS on the press releases column.

Integrated Framework (IF) is a Multilateral approach to trade and trade related assistance to Least Development Countries (LDC). It is a call by LDCs who feel that they have not fairly benefited from global trade. Integrated Framework has mainly three (3) Objectives to act in accordance with.

1. Trade Capacity Building
2. Mainstreaming Trade Policy into National Development Plan
3. Coordination of Trade and Trade Related Assistance/Projects by Donors and Development Partners.

The expected outcomes of this initiative are:

1. Visibility of Trade in Development Policy and Strategy for public Sector and development partners respectively.
2. A Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) Plus an Action Plan, consisting of executable priority and Projects to address immediate bottlenecks.
3. Provide a platform and guidance for a coordinated and sustainable trade development strategy for Solomon Island.

Solomon Islands Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade embarked on this initiative and was formally and officially recognised on the 11th of May 2007 as an IF beneficiary Country. Solomon Islands IF established its National Structure which includes an Office space and three working staffs in the External Trade Division Called the IF-National Implementation Unit (IF-NIU), a IF-National Steering Committee (IF-NSC) consisting of line ministries, private sector and NGOs and an appointment of European Union as an IF Lead Donor Facilitator. IF has four (4) stages which are:

1. Entry Stage: through which an LDC (e.g. Solomon Island) requests to participate in the IF process and have its application reviewed.
2. Pre-Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) stage which comprises awareness activities, the establishment of a national IF Structure and a preparatory mission which lays the ground work for the DTIS
3. DTIS stage which leads to the production of the DTIS and its Action Matrix, reviewed by the National Validation Workshop and;
4. Implementation stage. which includes project formulation and execution and the mainstreaming of Trade into the national development plan.

More background information on the DTIS is available here.

A copy of the Solomon Islands Concept Note as well as Aide Memoir is available for download.

“National Ownership” has becoming a catchphrase of the development community. Many experiences point to the importance of having the country in the driver's seat when developing national strategies and policies. As the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) stated in an Integrated Framework Working Group (IFWG) meeting on 28-29 November 2002:

“Locally owned country development strategies should emerge from a dialogue by local authorities with civil societies and with external partners, about shared objectives and their respective contribution to their local enterprise. Each donors programmes and activities should then operate within the framework of that locally owned strategy in ways that respect and encourage strong commitment, capacity development and ownership.”

National ownership of trade policy reforms is the key to ensure the long term sustainability of trade policy and capacity development efforts. It helps to anchor the process of trade reforms to society, enables the development of alliances among a wide rage of actors, and fosters an environment for constant upgrading of capacities (learning by doing). National ownership also reduces the influence that trading partners may exercise on a country's policies via technical assistances programmes. More mover, national ownership of trade policies will be most successful when the required capacities for trade policy formulation and implementation are fortified.

Some of the required capacities are directly linked to international trade, such as enhancing negotiation skills for regional and multilateral trade agreements and the implementation of WTO agreements. While others are related to broader frameworks that have a direct impact on trade performances such as governance and sound macroeconomic policies.

The establishment of the SI - National Structure which includes the IF-Focal Point, IF-NSC, IF-NIU as well as the selection of EU as the Lead Donor Facilitator are institutional development that fosters the IF ownership process. Ownership development is a cumulative process that should take place through our the IF process to ensure unity of all IF stakeholders towards common objectives and a strong identification with national policies. Since the DTIS and its Action Matrix form the substantive and analytical content of trade capacity building, it is important that national stakeholders exercise leadership functions from the start of the IF process. It is the interaction of the ownership and Leadership that ensures an endogenous process of capacity development. In addition some key factors for developing national ownership of trade policy are;

• Strong support at the highest political level,
• Early involvement of stakeholders,
• Broad-based participation,
• A positive incentive system,
• Common understanding of the pursued objective,
• measurable objectives and outcome and,
• on going IF dynamics through project implementation.

In the Pacific, Vanuatu is the first country to under take the IF process. They've completed their DTIS and into the Implementation of their priority recommendation as recommended by the DTIS. Vanuatu's DTIS document is available for down load. For more information about Vanuatu's IF, this link will lead you there.

For further information regarding IF, please contact the IF-NIU staffs.