| Recommendations
Having considered the recommendations of the Asia-Pacific
POPIN Consultative Workshops since 1995, their implementation
and the changes brought about by information technology,
the following recommendations, that reflect current
issues and future plans are put forward as the basis
of activities for the Asia-Pacific Population Information
Network:
1. Sharing of Information
Recognizing the importance of sharing population
information within and between national and subregional
and regional POPIN, it is recommended that:
(a) Centers regularly revise, update and expand their
mailing lists to facilitate the exchange of publications
in the vernacular at the national level and in English
at the subregional level and that with this, the capacity
of centers as clearing houses will be strengthened.
(b) The development of Internet websites to facilitate
more efficient information access and dissemination
is vigorously pursued at all levels.
(c) In addition to the online distribution of the
Asia-Pacific POPIN Bulletin and other information
materials, that CD-ROM or print copies are prepared
by national centers for users who do not have access
to information technology.
(d) That countries should apply internationally accepted
standards and guidelines for the delivery and management
of information.
(e) That members should contribute news and feature
articles and photos on relevant activities and programme
that have been approved by national POPIN centers
for inclusion in the POPIN Bulletin.
2. Human Resource Development / Capacity Building
Asia-Pacific POPIN recognizes:
(a) The efforts of, and acknowledges the continued
need for, national, subregional centers to strengthen
their human resource capacity in population information
through training programmes such as workshops and
TCDC exchanges on the subregional level for purposes
of identification of training needs and cost-effectiveness.
(b) That training programmes continue to be the most
valuable tool for strengthening capacity and the Network
encourages all national centers to implement impact
assessment surveys that will assist with the planning
of training programmes. In this context, the Secretariat
will develop a draft impact assessment survey tool
that can be shared and modified by countries.
(c) Countries should continue to repackage information
from different sources to meet local needs and that
training programmes continue to reflect these needs
at national and subnational levels.
(d) That national POPIN members, in consultation
with subregional centers ensure that those nominated
for training programmes meet the criteria set by the
organizing body so as to maximize the benefit of activities
and for cost-effectiveness.
3. Database development
Database development provides timely information
to assist with decision making. To better meet the
needs of policy makers, planners, researchers, decision
makers, academics and students and all seeking population
information, the Workshop recommends:
(a) The continuation by all network members to provide
input to thematic databases of Asia-Pacific POPIN
under the responsibility of the Secretariat on issues
such as reproductive health indicators, population
policy, population law and family planning and the
expansion of these to incorporate new and changing
areas of interest and concern.
(b) That POPIN member countries are responsible for
the online updating of national directory databases
through the addition of new records or the deletion
or modification of out-of-date records to maintain
the integrity of the databases, utilizing facilities
developed by the Secretariat.
4. Information Communication Technologies (ICT)
Recognizing the importance of ICT's in population
information work, it is recommended that:
(a) National POPIN centers continue to develop their
ICT capacities with a view to enhancing access to
and dissemination of nationally and regionally-produced
information such as directories and the Asia-Pacific
POPIN Bulletin and electronic-based population and
related information.
(b) National centres develop their capabilities in
the production of electronic materials through the
digitization of IEC materials for access and dissemination
via the Internet.
(c) Collaborative measures for the exchange and sharing
of information using ICT are pursued.
5. Future Developments
Changes in national, regional and global population
priorities requires the Network to reflect these.
Following the Fourth Asian and Pacific Population
Conference and the ICPD, the direction taken by the
Asia-Pacific POPIN Secretariat has been to build technical
and human resource capacity at the national and sub-regional
levels for the promotion of greater self-reliance
and autonomy. The future directions of Asia-Pacific
POPIN must reflect this and the following are for
consideration:
(a) That partnerships and collaboration with NGO's
and organizations such as Asian Forum of Parliamentarians
on Population and Development (AFPPD), the International
Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and the Japanese
Organization for International Cooperation on Family
Panning (JOICFP) are pursued. Examples of collaboration
and partnerships could be: (i) Contributions to a
column on `Success stories and lessons learned' in
Population Headliners (ii) sharing information on
the DA solution (Digital Approduction) of JOICFP for
use and application by POPIN and the exchange of contact
lists, newsletters and use of e-mail for communication
with the AFPPD and interaction with national parliamentary
committees on population and development, etc.
(b) That as partnerships with NGO's and the private
sector are developed and collaborative efforts strengthened,
it is envisaged that reliance on the Secretariat for
a larger portion of the Networks activities will be
reduced.
(c) It is believed that some national and subregional
centers have developed the capacity to provide basic
level of information management skills, however, ESCAP
and the Asia-Pacific POPIN Secretariat are still expected
to continue to support building national and regional
capacities with a focus on advanced ICT skills.
(d) That increased financial assistance will be sought
locally and regionally to ensure the sustainability
of Asia-Pacific POPIN in terms of training, database
development, sharing of information and collaborative
efforts.
(e) That national POPIN members participate more
actively in sub-regional POPIN groupings for the purpose
of strengthening the subregional groupings through
the regular sharing of publications, development and
use of e-mail distribution lists to enhance communication
for management and information purposes.
(f) The Asia-Pacific POPIN will ensure that the publications
currently produced on population issues as well as
their distribution be continued after the restructure
of ESCAP.
(g) For mainstreaming purposes and strengthening
of POPIN at the national level, that a government
agency be identified where this is not already established.
Furthermore, a sub-national network should be established
where necessary.
(h) That all members of Asia-Pacific POPIN actively
contribute and be involved in the development of the
next phase of the UNFPA Country Programme Cycle that
begins in 2003-2004 to ensure the integration and
development of information activities at national
level.
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