The Population Council Secretariat/The Population Unit (PCS)
Ms. Anne-Marie Seenarine, Research Officer, serves as the
Secretary of the Population Council. The current Chairman of the
Council is Mr. Desmond Hunte, Demographer and Consultant.
The Population Council is a multi-sectoral body whose Terms of
Reference authorize it to monitor the overall implementation of the
National Population Policy through evaluation of Sectoral programmes
and projects and to recommend and effect relevant adjustments. The
Council is responsible for the dissemination of information on
population and ensuring its appropriate use in planning and
decision-making. The Council is also expected to function as an
advisory body to the Government on population matters to provide
overall policy direction.
The Population Unit functions as the operational arm of and
Secretariat to the Council. The Secretariat is responsible for
coordinating research, training, information dissemination, and the
incorporation of population issues into social and economic
programmes. The Secretariat is also responsible for the harnessing
of information on demographic variables, the analysis of this
information and the education and communication activities, which
must be undertaken consequently. In order to perform these functions
the Secretariat must be recognized as a coordinating agency to which
relevant information on the performance of programmes is fed
regularly.
Core Functions
- Prepare research projects and proposals on population
matters;
- Coordinate and monitoring of research surveys;
- Coordinate and monitoring implementation of the National
Population Policy;
- Consult with Council members with respect to research
activities; status of reports and publication of material;
- Organise workshops/seminars on population and development
issues;
- Facilitate the dissemination of information on population
and development to relevant agencies and media personnel; and
- Collaborate with representatives of national, regional and
international agencies on matters pertaining to population and
development.
Achievements
Proposed activities could not be achieved because of the
non-staffing of the Unit. Any achievement of the Unit is contingent
on prompt staffing which has yet to be realized.
Challenges
• Staffing of the Unit
• Specialised training in the area of population and development
• Adequate Funding
|
