In late 2015, the Pacific Community (SPC) Land Resources Division (LRD) underwent an external review of its projects, programmes and operational effectiveness. The outcome of this review prompted the Division to reflect on its own relative position within the region in order to be a more effective service provider for the Pacific People.

Between 2016 and 2018, LRD held a series of consultations with member country representatives and relevant professionals from the region to validate priority collaboration areas and help build ownership of the Division. The in-country consultations benefited from past and ongoing projects such as the European Union (EU) funded Pacific Agriculture Policy Project (PAPP), as well as from individuals and non-governmental and civil society institutions, particularly those representing communities of practice, for example the Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network (PIFON). Additional consultations with the UN, the EU and bilateral Pacific donors helped ensure consultation synergy between LRD planning and the Framework for Pacific Regionalism and the UN Pacific Strategy 2018-2022.

The results of these multi-stakeholder consultations with member countries and national, regional and strategic development partners and stakeholders serve as the foundation of this business plan. The current draft has duly considered stakeholder comments and aims to work with member countries on both country and integrated programming in the Pacific. This version builds on past drafts by providing further details on LRD’s new structure and staffing, core strategies and competencies, and implementation modalities and partnerships, as well as a detailed description of LRD’s theory of change, specific integrated programmes and activities, budget overview, risk strategy and an indicator framework to be used to track progress towards results