TPT/17/HOD/6.3

APEC Transportation Working Group

DRAFT TPT-WG "MANAGEMENT guide"
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

 Lead Shepherd
(New Zealand)

DRAFT TPT-WG "MANAGEMENT guide" – ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The TPT-WG management group consists of the Lead Shepherd, Deputy Lead Shepherd, Steering Committee Coordinators (3), and the Programme Director, APEC Secretariat. Any one of these office holders may have a need to approach TPT-WG contacts for information or to coordinate TPT-WG activity. In addition, many member economies have responsibility for the leadership of TPT-WG projects and for hosting TPT-WG meetings.

The following is a draft guide to the main responsibilities of each of the management group positions, and for economies as appropriate. They are drawn from BMC guidance material regarding "shepherdship", and work the Lead Shepherd did in 1997 regarding the creation of the Coordinator positions and which received TPT-WG endorsement at TPT/13 in 1998 (TPT/13/PLEN/5.2). It is not intended to be definitive, but rather a guide to the major roles and responsibilities of TPT-WG members. For convenience it is broken into a general section and then specific responsibilities related to TPT-WG project and meeting processes.

It is proposed that this guide be discussed at the Shepherds/HODs/SCCs meeting at TPT-WG/17 under item 6.3. Comments on the draft in advance of the meeting are welcome.

TPT-WG MANAGEMENT GUIDE – ROLES & Responsibilities

1 The TPT-WG management group consists of the Lead Shepherd, Deputy Lead Shepherd, Steering Committee Coordinators (3), and the Programme Director, APEC Secretariat. Any one of these office holders may have need to approach TPT-WG contacts for information or to coordinate TPT-WG activity. In addition, many member economies have responsibility for the leadership of TPT-WG projects and for hosting TPT-WG meetings.

2 The following is a summary of the main responsibilities of each of the management group positions and for economies as appropriate. They are drawn from BMC guidance material regarding "shepherdship" and work the Lead Shepherd did in 1997 regarding the creation of the Coordinator positions and which received TPT-WG endorsement at TPT/13 in 1998. It is not intended to be definitive, but rather a guide to the major roles and responsibilities of TPT-WG members. For convenience it is broken into a general section, and then specific responsibilities related to TPT-WG project and meeting processes.

A. General management responsibilities

Lead Shepherd:

• Communicate major decisions of the various APEC fora to the TPT-WG economy contacts.
• Provide advice and support to the various Project/Expert Groups Chairs and Steering Committee Co-ordinators.
• Lead the implementation of the Operational Plan and other activities to fulfil instructions given by the APEC Leaders, Ministers and Senior Officials and report periodically to Senior Officials on the development of these issues.
• Oversee the development of activities ensuring that the TPT-WG, in responding to Leaders and Ministers priorities, co-ordinate with other APEC bodies, and enhance the quality of project proposal with well defined outcomes.
• Act as the spokesperson for TPT-WG.
• Encourage business and transport operator participation in TPT-WG meetings and projects.

Deputy Lead Shepherd:

• Provide support to the Lead Shepherd in the administration of the TPT-WG.

Steering Committee Co-ordinators:

• Provide support to the Lead Shepherd in the administration of the TPT-WG and to the various Experts Group Chairs.
• Take responsibility for managing the issues and projects of the steering committee.
• Encourage business and transport sector participation in Steering Committee meetings and projects.
• Ensure that TPT-WG projects under that steering committee's purview meet overall APEC goals (i.e., trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation and economic and technical co-operation) as well as TPT-WG goals (as indicated by APEC Ministers of Transport in their joint ministerial statements and in the TPT-WG Operational Plan).
• Regularly review the status of each project handled by that steering committee to assess and ensure progress, including intersessional communication with lead economies.
• Evaluate projects to determine those projects that could or should be terminated or combined with other TPT-WG projects to rationalise and better co-ordinate TPT-WG work.
• Determine areas of "overlap" with other APEC projects (i.e., those handled in other working groups or committees) and propose appropriate methods for co-ordinating in those areas (including the possibility of joint projects).

Economy Contacts

• Respond promptly to requests from members of the TPT-WG Management Group.
• Ensure information emanating from the TPT-WG Management Group is distributed to appropriate government and business interests in the economy, including any Project/Expert Group Chairs in the economy.

Project/Experts Groups Chairs

• Assisting Shepherds with TPT-WG management matters.
• Briefing Steering Committee Co-ordinators on the project cycle.
• Helping project overseers to:
• Fine-tune project proposals;
• Conduct tendering processes;
• Draft contracts; and
• Prepare bills

Project Sponsor

• Prepare project proposal in accordance with TPT-WG and BMC guidelines.
• Forward to Steering Committee Co-ordinators for review and comment.
• When complete, submit the project proposal to the next TPT-WG meeting, circulating it in advance to economies in accordance with the four-week rule.
• If approved by the TPT-WG, submit the proposal to the BMC through the Steering Committee Co-ordinator and the Lead Shepherd.

Steering Committee Co-ordinators

• Review and advise project sponsor of any needed improvements.
• Develop and propose new projects as appropriate to meet APEC and TPT-WG goals.
• Determine those projects that need or require APEC funding (including those for which TILF funding should be requested) and make recommendations with respect to their prioritisation for consideration by the TPT-WG.
• Ensure that all project budget proposals meet the TPT-WG and BMC guidelines.

C. Project Progress and Evaluation reports:

Date: Prior to the second annual BMC meeting.

Lead Shepherd:

• Remind all as to precisely when reports are required.
• Review all reports as they come in, before forwarding them to the APEC Secretariat.

• Lead a small group, with representatives from each of the three Steering Committees, to reviews all Evaluation Reports on completed projects for quality and consistency before sending them to the Lead Shepherd. (Reports deemed to be lacking in any way should be returned to their originators with suggestions for improvements)

• Ensure Project/Expert Group Chairs are aware of reporting requirements.
• Participate in a small group, along with the Deputy Lead Shepherd, that reviews all Evaluation Reports for quality and consistency before sending them to the Lead Shepherd.
• Review all Progress Reports for quality and consistency before sending them to the Lead Shepherd. Reports deemed to be lacking in any way should be returned to their originators.

• Ensure that all Evaluation Reports are prepared as soon as a project is completed. These reports must be completed and submitted to the small group responsible for reviewing them (made up of the Deputy Lead Shepherd and Steering Committee Co-ordinators) no later than nine weeks prior to the second annual BMC meeting.
• Ensure that Progress Reports for all projects are completed and submitted to the Lead Shepherd no later than seven weeks prior to the second annual BMC meeting.

Lead Shepherd:

• Remind all economy contacts that papers for decision must be provided in electronic format at least four weeks in advance of the meeting.
• Advise economy contacts of all major issues that must be discussed at the meeting.
• Distribute information relative to discussions that will be held during the Shepherds/HODs/SCCs and Plenary meetings.
• Chair the Shepherds/HODs/SCCs meetings.
• Provide advice to the Chair of the Plenary meeting (or chair the Plenary meeting if requested by the host economy).
• Assist with preparing (or prepare if requested by the host economy) the Chair's report.

Deputy Lead Shepherd:

• Provide support to the Lead Shepherd, as required.

• Co-ordinate with Project/Expert Group Chairs to determine which meetings will take place, and inform the meeting's host economy of meeting room requirements (duration, capacity, equipment etc) at least 12 weeks in advance.
• Prepare and distribute an agenda for the Steering Committee meeting at least four weeks prior to the TPT-WG meeting.
• Provide support to the Lead Shepherd, as required.
• Represent Steering Committee views at the Shepherds/HODs/SCCs meeting.
• Chair the Steering Committee meeting.
• Present Steering Committee Co-ordinators report at the TPT-WG Plenary meeting.

Project/Experts Group Chairs:

• Prepare and distribute an agenda for the Project/Experts Group meeting at least four weeks prior to the TPT-WG meeting.
• Chair the Project/Experts Group meeting.
• Represent the Project/Expert Group's view at the appropriate Steering Committee meeting.
• Prepare documentation for submission to the Steering Committee Co-ordinator at the TPT-WG meeting.

• Prepare a First Bulletin announcing meeting details and including a preliminary programme, and circulate it no later than 12 weeks prior to the meeting. Meeting details should include hotels, how to register, how to arrive at hotels, visa requirements, etc, and a draft programme based on advice from Steering Committee Chairs.
• Circulate a Second Bulletin announcing final details, no fewer than six weeks prior to the meeting.
• Ensure that a complete list of meeting participants is prepared and distributed to all economies.
• Maintain a document register and ensure that a complete set of documentation, in electronic and paper format, is made available to all participating economies in a standardised format.
• Chair the Plenary meeting, if desired.

• Support the Shepherds at TPT-WG and Ministerial meetings by:
• Raising suggestions to improve the meeting arrangements, schedules, co-ordination among Shepherds, Steering Committee Co-ordinators, project overseers, economy contacts, and TPT-WG members;
• Answering questions on APEC process;
• Conveying mandates and directives from SOM, BMC, and Leaders meetings;
• Informing on APEC activities; and
• Helping with the drafting of the Chair's Report.

This page was last updated on 12 March, 2008