Thematic Working Groups (TWGs)

The roles and responsibilities generally include the following actions:

• Determine specific activities to be undertaken as it relates to the mandate of the TWG and recommend the composition of sub-groups and working groups to deliver and provide feedback accordingly
• Provide input into other TWGs and committees established for specific time bound actions to accelerate implementation of sector strategies and activities
• Provide input in the execution of the NDP monitoring system, including monitoring, reviewing, and reporting on the implementation of each MTF, progress towards agreed indicators and targets, and constraints to this progress
• Advance programme and strategy mapping exercises and gap analyses to identify where interventions are required, and funding gaps exist, as well as promote complementarities and minimize duplication 
• Contribute to the development of policy frameworks and strategic plans of action that will provide the overall framework and guiding principles for partners working towards the attainment of sector goals; and maintain cognizance and inclusion of cross cutting issues 
• Contribute to the development of each successive MTF, and alignment of each MTF with the corporate and operational plans of relevant entities, including implementation and monitoring and evaluation processes
• Align Jamaica’s national agenda for sectoral development with country commitments and obligations under relevant regional and international agreements and contribute to advancing the achievement of the SDGs

Over the period 2009–2021, the TWGs have supported and contributed to a range of national development initiatives including the following:

• On-going monitoring of the implementation of Vision 2030 Jamaica and the SDGs based on the MTF; specifically, they have contributed to process and outcome monitoring regarding the implementation of the Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Frameworks (MTFs) 2009-2012; 2012-2015; 2015-2018; and 2018-2021
• Supported the development of the Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Frameworks (MTF), particularly MTFs  2015-2018 and 2018-2021
  • Contributed to coordination of sector-level stakeholder consultations, prioritization of national and sector strategies and actions for the respective outcomes, and reviews of the Draft MTF prior to submission of the Final Draft MTFs to Cabinet for approval.
• The development of national capacity for results-based monitoring and evaluation, including:

• Two consultancies supported by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) in 2015 and 2017 to develop the health-related indicators under the Vision 2030 Jamaica – National Outcome Indicator Framework and the outcome indicators for a Health Sector Indicator Framework respectively.

The development of the National Results Framework and M&E System for Sport document.  The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport through a Technical Exchange with the Commonwealth Secretariat led the development of the Framework and System Document.  The Sport TWG played a major role in stakeholder consultations to inform the content of the document and also reviewed various iterations and gave approval for the Final Draft.

• Support in the development of Jamaica’s National Energy Policy 2009–2030 and the first National Energy Policy Action Plan 2009–2012. This national policy was promulgated in 2010 
• Support and strategic input into the development of, and update on the development of 5 sub-policies under Jamaica’s National Energy Policy 2009–2030; National Renewable Energy Policy, National Biofuels Policy, National Energy-from-Waste-Policy, National Energy Conservation and Efficiency Policy, and National Policy on the Trading of Carbon Credits 
• Contributed to Jamaica’s State of the Environment Report 2010, published in 2011 by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA)
• Development and strategic input into documentation to support Jamaica’s participation in the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) – (Rio + 20 Conference), including facilitating the preparation of the Energy and Transport in the Context of a Green Economy papers 
• Strategic inputs into GOJ/UNDP Country Programme 2012–2016 and strategic inputs into the UN MSDF Country Implementation Plans (CIPS) for the periods 2017, 2018 and 2019/20
• Strategic inputs into the structure, positioning, Terms of Reference and work plan for a Climate Change Department within the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change (the institutional design and operationalization of a Climate Change Department)
• Strategic inputs and development of Jamaica’s project proposals for the UNFCCC Adaptation Fund Board (Jamaica’s proposal was approved)
• Strategic inputs into the development of Jamaica’s National Climate Change Policy (draft)
• Participation in the preparation and review of the International Migration and Development Policy (2017) and draft Diaspora and Development Policy
• Participation in the preparation and review of the National Security Policy 2012
• Participation in the preparation and review of the National Education Strategic Plan 2011–2020
• Review of proposal to implement Livelihood Protection Policy (LPP) in Jamaica for Low-Income Workers primarily in agriculture and tourism sectors whose income may be affected by impacts of natural hazards, under project implemented by Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CRIF) and MCII. This product was launched in 2013
• Development of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) National Report 2014
• Update of the Population Strategic Plan 2008–2030 
• Preparation of Jamaica’s National Outcome Document on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Preparation of a National Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation, 2018–2040
• Preparation of Jamaica’s Country Report on the Montevideo Consensus (2018).

• Vision 2030 Jamaica was utilized as the framework to inform Jamaica’s County Position and participation in regional and global dialogue on the Post MDGs/2015 Development Agenda, particularly the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs
• The Thematic Working Groups (TWGS) supported and contributed to the identification of Jamaica’s goals and targets under the SDGs to facilitate Jamaica’s participation in global discussions to inform the SDGs –   

• • The memberships of the TWGs were highly represented in the Inter-Ministerial Working Group (IMWG) that led the development of Jamaica’s Country Position in regard to the SDGs – contained in Jamaica’s National Outcome Document.  The IMWG was chaired by the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT)
  • The TWGs participated in relevant stakeholder consultations
  • The TWGs for Energy, Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change utilized their meetings to review the proposed global goals and inform Jamaica’s country position.