ATEC News

World leading technical and management expertise in the tropics

The Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium (ATEC) is a specialist group offering expertise suitable to international and Australian clients in government, non-government organisations and private sector seeking a diverse and highly skilled network of specialist consultants. This collaborative mix of research institutions and significant private enterprise brings together knowledgeable and experienced people to offer innovative and practical solutions at a local level across the global tropics.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN TROPICAL EXPERTISE?
Newsletter No.9, May 09

The word is spreading…

The Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium’s (ATEC) ever-expanding database of Tropical Experts from Australia and beyond continues to spark the interest of like-minded organizations. The latest group to jump on board and help spread ATEC’s message is Business Gold Coast (Business GC).

Representatives of the group were in attendance at the recent Trade Queensland International Development Business opportunities Forum in Brisbane and heard all about the good work of the Consortium from guest speakers Kathy Ranking and Graham Poon, the champions of ATEC. Business Gold Coast were so impressed with the work being carried out by ATEC that they have added a link to the ATEC site on the “industry networks” page in the Environment section of the BusinessGC website.

Check out the link for yourself at: http://businessgc.com.au/index.php?page=industry-networks-3
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Latest Opportunities

Need a project partner nationally or internationally for an opportunity? Contact Graham Poon for assistance. (Contact details at end of newsletter.)

TRAINING COURSES DELIVERY: SAMOA – Oloamanu Professional Development Centre – National University of Samoa
Background:The Samoa In Country Training Programme (SICTP) is a capacity building initiative funded by the governments of New Zealand, Australia and with in-kind support by the Government of Samoa. The SICTP is designed to eliminate poverty through the provision of elite practical skills training for the public including state corporations, private and non- governmental sectors.

The training is focused at enhancing on-the-job performance of the participants and ultimately the sectors.

The programme has been existence in various forms since 1997 and it aims to provide practical skills training to enhance on-the-job performance of participants. Up until 2006, the SICTP was managed by a Managing Services Contractor based in Wellington (New Zealand) and coordination was moved to the Oloamanu Professional Development Centre (OPDC) of the National University of Samoa (NUS).

Contact:This is a one-stage tendering process. For further information on the requests for training, briefing and template documents, and the opportunity to join the mailing list (and receive early notification of tender opportunities), go to http://www.samoaictp.ws

Details: Request for proposals – Samoa In-Country Training Programme.
The Oloamanu Professional Development Centre of the National University of Samoa manages the Samoa In-Country Training Project on behalf of the Government of Samoa, AusAID and NZAID. This is a request for proposals from qualified trainers to deliver the following courses in Samoa 2009 and 2010.
S272 – Environmental noise competency (MNRE), 6-9 July 2009.
S260 – Research data / information analysis (OEC), 6-8 July 2009.
S262 – International classification of diseases (NHS), 6-17 July 2009.
S265 – Social research / survey skills (MWCSD), 3-7 August 2009.
S278 – Managing people (CoC), 10-14 August 2009.
S289 – Principles of good governance (SUNGO), 10-14 August 2009.
S273 – Earthworks management for the regulator (MNRE), 3-7 August 2009.
S264 – Report writing skills and technical advice (PSC), 17-21 August 2009.
S284 – International financial reporting standards and Samoa Companies Act (Amended) 2006 (SIA), 17-20 August 2009.
S261 – Performance appraisal (NHS), 24-28 August 2009.
S271 – Statutory valuation (MNRE), 24-28 August 2009.
S270 – Report writing and cost benefit analysis (MAFF), 24-28 August 2009.
S263 – Debt collection (MOR), 31 August – 4 September 2009.
S266 – Mediation and negotiation (regulator), 14-18 September 2009.
S267 – Contract supervision and management (SWA), 14-18 September 2009.
S275 – Basic accounting for accountants (CoC), 14-18 September 2009.
S286 – Contract management for providers (SUNGO), 14-18 September 2009.
S287 – Contract management for contractors (SUNGO), 21-25 September 2009.

These are interesting short-term training programmes where one works with a local trainer to help build their capacity, as well as providing your technical skills in a particular field. Go to http://www.samoaictp.ws/ to see the full list and then access links to download each particular project reference.

Through this website, you can also register for e-mail notification of upcoming projects. Well worth it!

Asian Development Bank
TA Name: Regional Cooperation on Knowledge Management, Policy and Institutional Support to the Coral Triangle Initiative
Country: Regional (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste)
Project Number: 43126- 01
Fund Source: Only proposed at this stage, still to undergo approval from the ADB Board.
Budget: US $0.5 million from the Regional Coop & Integration Fund.
Project Officer: Maria Lourdes (Marilou) Drilon (mldrilon@adb.org)

The RETA will require 16 person-months (pm) of international consulting services and 65 pm of national consultants. The consultants will be selected and hired by ADB from a firm according to ADB’s Guidelines on the Use of Consultants. ADB will enter into a partnership agreement with an appropriately qualified NGO to conduct a series of training workshops and learning events.

No further details are available on the ADB website at this stage, but if interested please contact Graham Poon for assistance. He can either facilitate an introduction to the project officer or research further details. Although the project is not yet approved, this is a good time to speak to the project officer to begin dialogue and present your capabilities.

TA Name: Agriculture Infrastructure Development
Country: China
Project Number: 43049- 01
Fund Source: Still to undergo approval from the ADB Board.
Budget: US$ 800,000
Project Officer: Tun Lin (tunlin@adb.org)

Consulting Services needed: A team of international and domestic consultants will be recruited. The technical assistance (TA) will require 17 person-months of international and 30 person-months of domestic consulting services. The indicative international consultants include (i) Economist/Project Preparation Specialist (Team Leader) (ii) Irrigation Engineer (Deputy Team Leader), (iii) Agriculture/Pest Control Specialist and (iv) Environment Specialist. Indicative domestic consultants include (i) Irrigation Engineer (Deputy Team Leader), (ii) Agriculture/Pest Control Specialist, (iii) Environment Specialist, (iv) Agro-forestry Specialist, (v) Water Users Association and On-farm Water Management Specialist (vi) Financial Management Specialist, (vii) Feasibility Study Specialists and (viii) Social Development and Gender Specialist.

Note: The “Consulting Services Recruitment Notice” (CSRN) has been posted on the ADB website. You can register your interest now. A detailed 9 page Terms of Reference (TOR) is available for download from the project webpage. Contact Graham Poon for a copy if this is more convenient.)

Queensland University of Technology

Opportunities in capacity-building and training with QUT under ALA programmes:

1.    Ecotourism Development  Master Planning: with the Davao City Chamber of Commerce (Philippines)
2.    Capability Enhancement in Addressing International Trade Food Safety-Related Issues: Philippines
3.    Developing Energy Efficient and Environmentally Sustainable Manufacturing and Building Practices in the Vietnamese
4.    Clean Development Mechanism – Pacific region (a state government agency needs to lead this one – we’re preparing this for another funding program.)
5.    Policy Development on Disability Services – Pacific  ( again, a state government agency would be preferred here)

For further information contact:
Graham Poon

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Introducing Fiona Shallcross

Fiona is the Cairns Liaison Officer – Research Services, James Cook University. She is the point of contact for researchers across the Cairns campus requiring advice on commercial consultancy, contract research work, tender submissions and grant applications.

Fiona also works with industry and government, linking researchers and collaborative partners together where possible. If you are trying to find a researcher with particular expertise for a paid consultancy or to collaborate on a tender or grant submission, please contact Fiona to discuss your business requirements.

Fiona represents JCU on the State Governments Tropical Expertise Action Plan Implementation Committee as well as the Tropical Expertise Business Matching for Global Opportunities committee. In addition, Fiona is the contact person for JCU researchers applying to Smart Futures Funding and to industry looking to collaborate with JCU on a Smart Futures Fund submission.

Fiona Shallcross
Ph: (07) 4042 1786
Email: fiona.shallcross@jcu.edu.au

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One-minute lesson

When should you begin your discussions with a project officer about a project that interests you?

As soon as possible! It is amazing the amount of information that can be gained when communicating with a project officer. You should begin your relationship-building at the earliest opportunity. In order of usefulness (ranked on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is best), contact can be face-to-face (10), through an intermediary face-to-face (6), phone (4) and e-mail/letter (2).
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Did you miss any of the previous newsletters? Please write to us below and we’ll be very happy to send them to you! To receive newsletters regularly, please register on the Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium website at http://www.australiantropicalexpertise.com.au/ which is managed by Advance Cairns, or contact Lianne Brown at info@australiantropicalexpertise.com to be added to the mailing list.

For more information about projects or assistance in finding project partners, please contact:

Graham Poon
graham@kleinhardt.com.au
Ph: (07) 4040 7100
Mobile: 0448 951 454

Kathy Rankin
Kathy.Rankin@dtrdi.qld.gov.au
Ph: (07) 4048 1126
Mobile: 0417 753 759

Disclaimer: This information is provided as general information only. You should ensure that any actions taken are suitable for your own situation. Work in developing countries may have a higher risk in health and security aspects.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 at 11:45 am and is filed under Latest News, Opportunities and Tenders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.