Focuses on areas where Russian assistance can have maximum impact in close partnership with regional organizations and development partners, to provide support, technical assistance and results. Given identified gaps, the work of others, the skills and experience of UNDP, the project: - Strengthens EWs and climate monitoring capacity; - Strengthens preparedness/planning mechanisms to manage disaster recovery; - Increased use of financial instruments to manage and share disaster-related risks and fund post-disaster recovery efforts. It strengthens preparedness through improved disaster EW and climate information, response services and communication to reduce losses/impacts on the most vulnerable and addresses Resilient Recovery.

UNDP Pacific Office will be the entity responsible and accountable for day-to-day management of the project, including monitoring and evaluation of project interventions, achieving project outputs, and for the effective use of resources. Based on the approved annual work plan (AWP), the Project Board reviews and approves project stage plans and authorizes any major deviation from these agreed stage plans. It is the authority that signs off on the completion of each stage plan as well as authorizes the start of the next stage plan. It ensures that required resources are committed and arbitrates any conflicts within the project or negotiates a solution to any problems between the project and external bodies. In order to ensure UNDP’s ultimate accountability for the project results, Project Board decisions will be made in accordance with standards that shall ensure management for development results, best value money, fairness, integrity, transparency and effective international competition. In case consensus cannot be reached within the Board, the final decision shall rest with the UNDP.

Through the Partnerships and deployment of Experts, short- (few days) and long-term (1-2 months) capacity building exercises are planned for the duration of the project tailored to the needs of the countries and efforts for accreditation of some courses are pursued. Equipment and related technology (including specialised and tailored software) will be invested in certain highly vulnerable countries and will be sustainably managed by the countries thereafter.

The project will be managed by the UNDP Pacific Office Resilience and Sustainable Development team, located in Fiji. The project will be further supported by UNDP Multi-Country Offices in the Region. The project will receive strategic guidance from a Project Board; the Project Board will provide oversight and be overall responsibility for providing high level strategic directions for the project, such as ensuring that the project is focused on achieving its stated objectives throughout its life cycle, delivering quality outputs that will contribute to higher level outcomes. The Board makes management decisions for a project when guidance is required by the Project Manager and when project tolerances have been exceeded. To ensure complementary and not competing or overlapping activities the Project will work closely with PIC Governments and partner agencies that will include national planning offices, national meteorological services, line ministries, and national disaster management offices. Other partner agencies/organisations will include the Secretariat of the Pacific (SPC) GeoScience Division, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP), University of the South Pacific, Pacific Meteorology Council, PHT members and UN Agencies. Prospective Russian partner agencies include the National Emergency Management Centre (EMERCOM) and the Russian Federation Service for Hydro-Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring (ROSHYDROMET).

The Russian Federation, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji and Pacific Island Governments