UNPAN Portal
Introduction
Access to information and knowledge creation is one of the critical factors of good governance and socio-economic development. The UNPAN portal offers the SADC region an opportunity to share its information and knowledge with the rest of the world through a web-based portal.
What is UNPAN
The United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN) portal is a virtual electronic network that promotes the sharing of knowledge and exchange of innovative practices and lessons learned in public policies and management at local, national, sub-regional, regional and international level.
The ultimate objective of the UNPAN portal is to support the development of efficient and effective public administration systems and competency in the civil services, especially in developing countries. The UNPAN portal is the only public administration web-based portal in the world today.
Benefits and Services Offered by UNPAN Portal
The UNPAN portal provides the users with the following services:
- Online information services, such as information on the UN programmes/projects on public policies and administration, information on good practices, lessons learned and relevant experiences at international, regional and national levels;
- Online training programmes, materials and facilities;
- Online advisory services and the UNPAN portal help desk;
- Online conferences/workshops; and
- Online worldwide directories in public administration and finance.
CPSI as a partner and as Southern Africa's Online Regional Centre (ORC)
The portal is managed from South Africa's Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI). The CPSI is a government component of the Department of Public Service and Administration. It is mandated to nurture, encourage, recognise and share innovative practices that improve service delivery. CPSI is an Online Regional Centre (ORC) for the UNPAN portal to serve the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region.
The CPSI's major function as an Online Regional Centre, is to identify and collect information on public administration and finance from the SADC region and upload the content to the UNPAN portal.
Therefore the CPSI's role is to:
- Co-ordinate the finding of suitable content providers/institutions,
- Enter into content partnership agreements with potential content providers,
- Co-ordinate a network of SADC country content co-ordinators,
- Market the portal within Southern Africa.
SADC Member Countries
Angola, Botswana ,Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius , Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
The content for the UNPAN portal covers these broad themes:
- Public policies;
- Constitutional and administrative laws;
- Public sector organisations/civil service development;
- Public sector management issues, e.g. human resource management, information technology management and financial management;
- Public -private sector relations (regulations);
- Participatory governance;
- e-Government, and
- Knowledge management systems.
Invitation to Provide Content
We invite all spheres of Government, Public Administration practitioners, Academic Institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations, Community-Based Organisations, Media Houses, Government Information Officers, etc. from all corners of the SADC region to provide content for the portal covering the following types of information:
- Analytical reports
- Best practices on public administration
- Bibliography of public administration
- Public administration events
- Case studies
- Conference papers & related documents
- Country profiles
- Legislations
- Major development and Trends
- Manuals/Tools/Guidelines
- Related Websites
- Serials
- Statistical databases
- Technical project highlights
- Training and related documents.
Users of the portal
Public administration practitioners, academics, students, journalists, politicians, business leaders, NGO managers and members, political parties, donors, development practitioners, economists, embassy personnel, UN, AU, CAPAM, etc.
This portal should be seen as a means to enhance the management of knowledge on Public Administration and Finance for the benefit of Southern Africa as a whole. Access to the UNPAN portal is free.
Contact Details
Should you want to provide content to the portal or you have further enquiries on UNPAN, kindly contact the CPSI at:
- E-mail: unpan@cpsi.co.za or Lydia.phalwane@cpsi.co.za
- Website: www.unpan.org