DISCUSSION PAPER RE: 2015 APMP NMI DIRECTORS WORKSHOP. APMP Focus Groups DRAFT Guidance for Focus Group Chairs and APMP Committees

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1 DISCUSSION PAPER RE: 2015 APMP NMI DIRECTORS WORKSHOP APMP Focus Groups DRAFT Guidance for Focus Group Chairs and APMP Committees September 2015 In this document, references to APMP s Committees cover the APMP Executive Committee (EC), Technical Committees (TCs) and Developing Economies Committee (DEC). Noting the significance of the Focus Group initiative to APMP s strategic evolution, the Executive Committee proposes that it be the main topic for discussion at the 2015 APMP NMI Directors workshop. This paper is presented to APMP Directors for consideration ahead of and in order to initiate that discussion. Context At the 2014 APMP General Assembly, APMP members agreed to: Establish between one and three working groups to determine and guide APMP s activities in focus areas identified at the 2014 Directors Workshop. Each working group will: 1. Be led by a full member economy of APMP; 2. Include an Executive Committee (EC) member for liaison purposes, or liaise with the EC via a nominated EC member; 3. Work with the Lead Technical Committee Chair to identify Technical Committee Initiative (TCI) projects relevant to focus areas; 4. Provide advice to the EC on priority TCI/Developing Economies Committee projects; 5. Propose to the EC one off major projects/collaborations for funding; 6. Coordinate projects and collaborations approved by the EC; Provide advice to the Lead TC Chair on issues that TCs should consider and respond to. The Focus Groups have been charged with the following tasks: 1. To survey regional and national capabilities and measurement issues and needs in each area. 2. To determine how APMP can respond to the issues and needs. 3. To develop a multi year forward work program to address needs. At this time Focus Groups are not mentioned in the APMP MoU; they are structures established by APMP as a result of decisions by the General Assembly.

2 Current APMP Focus Groups on topics chosen by the 2014 Directors Workshop are listed in an Attachment. Selection of topics for the formation of Focus Groups The formation of a Focus Group on a particular topic will be approved by the APMP General Assembly on the basis of proposals received by the APMP Secretariat. The General Assembly will also approve the Focus Group Chairs. Duration of Focus Groups A Focus Group will continue in operation until the topic of the Focus Group is no longer a priority for APMP. Because some of the current topics chosen at the 2014 Directors Workshop address major and long standing challenges for our region (eg: Energy Efficiency, Food Safety, Climate Change), it is expected that those topics will remain priorities for APMP for many years. Composition of Focus Groups Focus Group Chairs will be drawn from APMP Full Member economies and at present are nominated by the APMP member institute that agreed to lead the Focus Group at the 2014 Directors Workshop. It is important that Focus Group membership encompasses the full range of relevant APMP expertise and knowledge, and all interested APMP experts should be given the opportunity to participate. Consequently, the following process is proposed: 1. APMP Chair advises Focus Group Chairs of proposed steps below. 2. APMP Chair s all APMP members advising of the current status of the Focus Group activities and membership. Members will be asked to indicate their level of interest in each Focus Group: i.e. active member (with rationale and contact details), observer (contact details), or not interested. The APMP Chair s is also sent to all Committee Chairs. Chairs are asked to discuss membership of the Focus Groups with their members, seeking nominations for membership. Committee Chairs then pass those nominations to the APMP Secretariat. 3. Focus Groups develop recommendations to put to the next Directors Workshop regarding appropriate resourcing for activities. Recommendations to be communicated to the APMP Secretariat by the Focus Group Chairs. Meetings of Focus Groups Like other APMP Committees, Focus Groups are expected to conduct most of their business remotely throughout the year via and other means. However, Focus Groups are encouraged to meet, hold workshops, coordinate events, hold webinars etc. at least annually in association with APMP mid year or General Assembly meetings, or as opportunities arise.

3 Communication between Focus Groups and APMP Committees To deliver on their tasks, the Focus Group Chairs will need effective two way communication with APMP s Committees, including: Advising the Lead TC Chair on issues that the TCs should consider and respond to; Advising the DEC Chair on issues that the DEC should consider and respond to; Working with the Lead TC Chair to identify TCI projects relevant to the focus areas; Working with the DEC Chair to identify DEC projects relevant to the focus areas; Working with the DEC and Lead TC Chair, advising the EC on priority TCI/DEC projects; Recommending to the EC one off major projects/collaborations for funding; and Coordinating projects and collaborations approved by the EC. Responsibilities of Focus Group Chairs with respect to APMP Committees At least 3 weeks prior to APMP mid year and General Assembly meetings, the Focus Group Chairs will provide progress reports for APMP s mid year and annual meetings, covering: Work plans; Proposals re: how APMP s Committees can support these work plans; Responses to inputs from APMP Committees, etc.; and Other recommendations, issues, etc. Where practical and as needed, Focus Group Chairs are encouraged to attend the relevant APMP Committee to report directly and discuss activities, etc. If not practical, Focus Group Chairs should nominate a representative in the relevant APMP Committee to lead Focus Group discussion and is responsible for briefing this representative. Responsibilities of Chairs of APMP Committees with respect to Focus Group activities APMP Committees and their Chairs are expected to consider guidance from the Focus Groups as they develop and implement plans for their activities. They are also expected to provide guidance and proposals from their Committees to the Focus Group Chairs. In practise this means that each APMP Committee should include an Agenda item on Focus Group activities and should enable and support discussion by Focus Group Chairs/members and/or nominated Focus Group representatives at their Committee meetings. Further, Committee members should consider becoming members of Focus Groups as appropriate. APMP Committees should review Focus Group reports and workplans and provide suggestions/recommendations and proposals to the relevant Focus Group Chair. The Chair of each APMP Committee will transmit relevant outcomes to the Focus Group Chairs. Funding of Focus Group activities Because Focus Groups are not presently mentioned in the APMP MoU, a mechanism for funding for Focus Group activities could be inclusion in the TCI Project budget line item, for approval by the General Assembly in the usual way. As with the other issues raised in this paper, this and other funding mechanisms are proposed for discussion at the 2015 APMP NMI Directors Workshop.

4 Support from APMP member institutes Directors of APMP member institutes are asked to consider supporting the Focus Groups by means including: 1. Encouraging technical and scientific staff to join and work with Focus Groups. 2. Encouraging staff from their strategy offices to join and work with Focus Groups to improve alignment between the activities and future planning of the Focus Groups and those of the member institutes.

5 ATTACHMENT: APMP Focus Groups as at July 2015 As of June 2015, the areas and lead NMIs for each established Focus Group are: Focus Group Lead NMI(s) Status Energy Efficiency NIMT (Thailand) NMIJ (Japan) NIMT is proposing to develop a Thai case study through engagement with Thai energy stakeholders and in consultation with NMIJ. This would then be reported to Focus Group members to prompt similar action. A Focus Group workshop is then proposed in association with APMP s 2016 mid year or annual meetings. Medical Diagnostic Equipment Climate Change Food Safety CMS/ITRI (Chinese Taipei) NIM (China) NIM (China) Survey yet to be undertaken but results to be reviewed at workshop proposed with APMP Roadmap to be developed at Workshop. Workshop proposed with APMP 2015 to develop roadmap and action plan. Follow up surveys and training proposed. Survey has been distributed and responses are currently being reviewed. A report will then be circulated based on these responses. A further Focus Area, Clean Water, was identified as a priority area at the 2014 APMP NMI Directors Workshop but has not yet been convened.