10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org 30TH SESSION EXCOM 6 4 November 2013 Seoul, SOUTH KOREA REPORT ON INSTITUTIONAL AND PROGRAM ACTIVITIES (JANUARY – SEPTEMBER 2013) 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org LIST OF ACRONYMS ARISU Seoul Metropolitan Government Office of Waterworks CBARAD Community-based Adaptation and Resilience Against Disasters C2C CDIA CDRI CIFAL City-to-City Cooperation Cities Development Initiative for Asia Climate and Disaster Resilient Initiative Centre International de Formation des Autorités/Acteurs Locaux / International Training Centre for Local Authorities Council of Local Authorities for International Relations CITYNET Youth Japan CITYNET Youth Program Disaster Risk Reduction Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit – Sustainable Urban Transport Improvement Project Global Network for Safer Cities Green Purchasing Network of Malaysia Innovation and Development Network 4th International Public Transportation Forum Kuala Lumpur Regional Training Centre Korea Transport Institute Millennium Development Goal Public-Private Partnership Seoul Metropolitan Government Sustainable Transportation System Solid Waste Management Tokyo Development Learning Center International Association of Public Transport United Nations Human Settlements Program United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction United Nations Institute for Training and Research Yokohama Waterworks CLAIR CYJ CYP DRR GIZ-SUTIP GNSC GPNM IDN IPTF KLRTC KOTI MDG PPP SMG STS SWM TDLC UITP UN-HABITAT UNISDR UNITAR YWW 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org 1. Introduction This Report describes the major institutional and program activities for 2013 carried out from January to September 2013. The activities are in line with the institutional and program activities planned for 2013 within the framework of the Biennial Plan for 2012-2013, which was approved at the 29th session of the Executive Committee held in Surabaya, Indonesia on 10 July 2012. 2013 is significant as the CITYNET Secretariat moved to Seoul, South Korea and begins a new era for the organization. Following the move, the Secretariat focused on re-establishing the organization by hiring staff, building networks within Seoul, maintaining member and partner relationships, and even implementing new programs and workshops. The transfer, while exciting and revitalizing for the Secretariat, also brought with it numerous challenges. The focus on a smooth transition while maintaining the solid foundation meant that some efforts are redirected from traditional programming and outlined yearly schedule. 2. Institutional Activities for 2013 (Draft) 2.1 Update on the Institutional Activities Review and Redesign CITYNET: The Review and Redesign Committee was set up as an outcome of the 28th Executive Committee meeting, and is comprised of Yokohama, Seoul, SDS, Special Advisor and Secretary-General of CITYNET. It is chaired by Mr. Kirtee Natverlal Shah, Honorable Director, ASAG (Ahmedabad Study Action Group). The Review and Redesign is being carried out in the context of CITYNET’s 25 year completion and plans for its relocation to Seoul. World Bank has provided its technical and financial support to this exercise; a consultant was hired to interview members and partners. His report is attached for the reference of the Executive Committee. A Roundtable Meeting will be organized on 9 July, where the first findings of the exercise will be presented; a concrete action plan will be formulated for decision of the Executive Committee. Preparations for the relocation of the Secretariat: Communications between SMG, Yokohama and Secretariat are carried out to prepare for the transfer of the Secretariat to Seoul in the year 2013. In addition Mr. Choi Han Chul, Deputy Director for Tax Collection Division of SMG, and Ms. Byun Kyung Hwa, Deputy Manager for Human Resource Development Division of SMG were dispatched to CITYNET— the latter effective from 3 February, 2012. Ms. Byun has been assigned as the General Administrative Officer of CITYNET, whose main responsibility consists of implementing relocation procedures. Preparing for the 29th Executive Committee Meeting and 25th Anniversary Ceremony: The 29th Session of the Executive Committee is planned for 10th July, 2012 in Surabaya, Indonesia. Several events will be organized, including the International Seminar on Paving the Way towards Environmentally Sustainable Cities (ESC). The Session will focus on the Review and Redesign of CITYNET and the roadmap for 2013 onwards. Improvement of Financial Outlook, Membership Fee Collection and Budgetary Control System: The Secretariat has worked closely with the elected Auditor, Naga City on how to improve the Network’s financial outlook. The Secretariat has carried out the Auditor’s recommendations (see the Agenda Paper on Annual Audit of CITYNET Accounts). With regards to the budgetary control, although the development of CITYNET’s new financial system has been pending considering major changes in accounting after the relocation of the Secretariat, the Secretariat also studied better accounting techniques for this organisation in cooperation with SMG staff. The budget for 2013 is being prepared in consultation with SMG and Yokohama City. Makati, the lead city of the Foundation, is also expected to establish a fundraising team. As for membership fee collection, the collection rate for the first quarter of 2012 is approximately 41.91 percent as of June 18, 2012. Again, the Secretariat strongly requests support from members, especially those belonging to the Executive Committee and those comprising of focal points of the National Chapters, on this matter. 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org Enhancement of National Chapters and the Satellite Office: Please refer to the topic below on the “Enhancement of Decentralization Efforts” for details. Strengthening networking with Japanese local governments, institutions and individuals: The Secretariat succeeded in receiving funds from CLAIR (the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations) of Japan for the year 2012 through the City of Yokohama for the Climate Change Workshop to be organized in Indonesia, and the project fund on Disaster Risk Reduction in Iloilo, Philippines, for three consecutive years from 2012 through JICA. 2.2 Challenges Faced In Implementing Institutional Activities From the year 2011, the Secretariat has been in the transitional stage of office relocation from Yokohama to Seoul. Discussions with staffs who are expected to move to Seoul along with the office relocation are carried out; there are, however, unclear issues that need to be clarified with Seoul, including working conditions and the subsidy. Due to the advancement in schedule of the Executive Committee Meeting in conjunction with the 25 th Anniversary in July of this year, CITYNET Secretariat has to shift its focus to the preparation of the Executive Committee and the Celebration for the time being. A stronger yen currency has also caused CITYNET break into its reserve funds to meet expenses for payments incurred in Japan (mainly salaries and other operational costs). 3. Program Activities With the Seoul Secretariat slowly adjusting to the bustle of CITYNET programs and activities, it remains to provide a rich array of capacity building programs and selected local government projects to its members under the four cluster areas - Climate Change, Disaster, Infrastructure, and Millennium Development Goal (MDG). 3.1 Capacity Building Program In 2013, CITYNET continues to engage in several capacity development initiatives with major longterm partners and also established new relationships in South Korea with organizations known for their core competence and expertise in their sectors. Two of these organizations are the Korea Transport Institute (KOTI) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government Office of Waterworks (Arisu). Outside of Korea, CITYNET continues to partner with the Kuala Lumpur Regional Training Center (KLRTC) – International Training Center for Local Authorities (CIFAL) in harnessing the capacities of its member cities and organizations. 1 KLRTC: The Kuala Lumpur Regional Training Centre (KLRTC) 1 or CIFAL Kuala Lumpur has been the main platform for CITYNET’s capacity building programmes on basic urban environmental services since 2003. In April 2013, on the eve of its tenth anniversary, CITYNET held a brainstorming workshop with KLRTC and Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA) and identified the strategic direction that KLRTC could take in establishing itself as an important learning and knowledge center for cities in the Asia-Pacific region. In the workshop, the parties agreed on an action plan for 2013-2015 that would see a greater number of workshops on expanded topic areas, including recycling and Public-Private Partnership (PPP). CITYNET is strengthening KLRTC by coordinating with United Nations Institute for Training and Research’s (UNITAR’s) CIFAL network and partners such as CDIA and Green Purchasing Network of Malaysia (GPNM). Yokohama Waterworks Training: Owing to CITYNET’s long-term partnership with Yokohama Waterworks, members are able to receive quality training, exchange best practices, and go on site study visits which greatly improve their own local waterworks KLRTC was launched in 2003 as a joint initiative between UNITAR, CITYNET, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Veolia Environment, and UNDP. 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org policies and practices. After the Secretariat’s move to Seoul, the Yokohama Project Office has assumed responsibilities in managing this training program. 3.2 CITYNET Cluster System The same challenges and constraints noted by the Yokohama Secretariat continue to be issues in 2013 whilst operationalizing the CITYNET’s Cluster System. These include lack of coordination and communication between and among cluster committee members, other members, and the Secretariat as well as high dependence of clusters on the Secretariat to initiate their activities. The Seoul Secretariat will then carefully examine the Cluster System in the coming months to explore ways in which to significantly enhance its effectiveness and relevance and see a more active interaction among clusters. The Secretariat will aim for better and dynamic interfacing among cluster members, inter-cluster dealings and secretariat involvement. Likewise, the initiatives and other developments that will be introduced in the 2013 CITYNET Congress can provide the clusters with cutting edge ideas in planning their future activities. Table 1 below shows a brief overview of the 2013 Clusters’ activities and outcomes. Further details are available in the annexes. Table 1: Overview of Cluster Activities and Outcomes (January – October 2013) Objective Climate Change policies and strategies on mitigation and adaptation Activity Smart Cities Project (Yokohama) January Jakarta and Bangkok Community-based Adaptation and Resilience Against Disasters (CBARAD) April 2012 – March 2015 Iloilo Green Dreams Conference of UNITAR/ CIFAL August 12-14 CITYNET Young Professionals September 18-20 CITYNET Members, local government leaders, private sector KLRTC 26: Fourth International Conference on Green Purchasing Training and best practice exchange on urban infrastructure Time Frame Beneficiary Climate Change Workshop on Sustainable Urban Transport in Asia and the Pacific Region Seoul Training Program for Water Managers in Southeast Asia Infrastructure CITYNET Members, transport September managers, 2-5 local planning officers, city legislators September 8-14 CITYNET Members' water managers, Output/Outcome Yokohama officials visited the two cities for a training program follow though An effective communitylevel adaptation and resiliency schemes in Iloilo City including increased citizens’ awareness in dealing with disaster Students learned about climate change and green future including identifying their roles and possible activities in those Follow-up Conducted by Yokohama Project Office Conducted by Yokohama Project Office Presentation to CITYNET and SMG Staff Shared best practices as well as identified challenges, and strategies for developing green policies Evaluation and follow up report City exchanges on transport challenges and solutions; learned about urban transport and development of Seoul Evaluation and follow up report Comprehensive overview of Korean waterworks systems, processes, and technology Evaluation and follow up report 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org city planning officials KLRTC 27: Integrated Urban Planning in the Asia Pacific Region and World Conference on Sustainable Cities September 23-26 CITYNET Members' city planning officials Workshop on creative and strategic ways of addressing urban planning in Asian cities Evaluation and follow up report Designed to help city officials increase their awareness & expertise in handling climate-related risks Canceled due to lack of participants As campaign support, CITYNET assisted in circulating the Disaster Risk Reduction Survey In progress Disaster Disaster Risk Reduction, Best Practices, Urban Risk Profiling Climate and Disaster Resilience Initiative CITYNET Members City officials Making Cities Resilient World Disaster Campaign Cluster Members August MDG's Helping local governments achieve the MDGs by 2015 Low-Cost E-learning Project September -December Two Schools in Tansen, Municipality, Nepal Nepal National Chapter Project MayNovember Baglung, Nepal CITYNET Young Professionals Program July November Graduate Students in Korea Supported the schools in implementing an IT solution in making access to offline learning materials possible ultimately improving the quality of education Provided assistance in constructing public toilets in Baglung Municipality, Nepal as part of their Open Defecation Free Zone Program through the CITYNET - National Chapter Nepal Provides a platform for students to network, learn about international issues, and engage green growth and multiculturalism in Korea as focus areas In progress In progress CYP Congress and Launch Climate Change Cluster Lead City: Dhaka / Co-Lead City: Jakarta As the effects brought about by climate change become more severe, cities have to take serious measures towards mitigation and adaptation in order to minimize the impacts in their localities. Asian cities in particular need to actively develop climate change strategies, monitor greenhouse gas emissions, and consider innovative economic solutions such as cap and trade or CDM projects to address the challenges that they will face in the future. Below are some Climate Change related activities in 2013. 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org Capacity Building Green Dreams Conference for Youth of UNITAR / CIFAL: Five CITYNET Young Professionals (CYP) participated in the Green Dreams Conference for Youth organized by the CIFAL Jeju International Training Centre from August 12-14. The three-day event gave the participants the opportunity to learn from experts about issues like climate change, sustainability, and ecology. They discussed related issues in small groups, particularly focusing on the role that youths could play and their contribution to long-term change. On the last day of the conference, each group presented their ideas on the conference focus where they received feedback from experts. More information on the CYP program can be found in Section 3.2. KLRTC 26: 4th International Conference on Green Purchasing: The 4th International Conference on Green Purchasing was held from September 18 - 20 in Subang Jaya. The three-day conference was organized by Green Purchasing Network of Malaysia (GPNM) and brought together about 400 participants from national and local governments, the private sector, and academic and international organizations. Resource speakers, presenters and panellists composed of high level officials and experts shared programs, strategies and critical factors necessary for the successful development of a green environment and sustainable green-oriented policies. Yokohama Smart Cities Project: Officials from the Yokohama Climate Change Policy Headquarters, Y-Port of Yokohama City and CITYNET visited Jakarta, Indonesia and Bangkok, Thailand in January as a follow-up to the Yokohama Smart Cities Training Program conducted in Yokohama, Japan in 2012. Part of the discussion in Jakarta is a potential partnership between city and Yokohama on climate change adaptation and energy management. Since the Secretariat’s move to Seoul, all Yokohama Smart Cities activities is being conducted by the Yokohama Project Office. Other: KLRTC Workshops on recycling and green commercial complexes are being planned for November and December. Projects Natural Farming: The CITYNET Secretariat, together with the Korean Natural Farming Association, is planning to provide a training course in natural farming and urban agriculture to Phnom Penh, Cambodia under the City-to-City Cooperation (C2C) Program. Organic waste management is also being explored in Phnom Penh. Project Proposal: The CITYNET Secretariat submitted a proposal on sanitation, “Towards an Integrated and Sustainable Sanitation Solution for Barisal, Bangladesh: An Assessment of the Current Sanitation Situation in the Informal Areas” with the Seoul Water Research Institute, pursuant to a request for proposals by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Infrastructure Cluster Lead City: Seoul / Co-Lead Organisation: AIILSG City development should focus on sufficient, efficient and sustainable infrastructure through an inclusive approach. Taking this approach, the Infrastructure Cluster can align their activities in the coming months on how to build their capacities in establishing an infrastructure that is well-planned, integrated, and practical. 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org Capacity Building Workshop on Sustainable Urban Transport in Asia and the Pacific Region: CITYNET, together with the Korea Transport Institute (KOTI), hosted the second workshop on “Sustainable Urban Transport in Asia and the Pacific Region” in Seoul from September 2-5. The workshop was held in conjunction with KOTI’s 4th International Public Transportation Forum (IPTF). The participants were from CITYNET member cities and organizations composed of officials and technical officers from various local governments and national agencies in Asia including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines and Sri Lanka. The GIZ-Sustainable Urban Transport Improvement Project (SUTIP) sponsored Indonesian participants from various agencies, cities and their project management office in Jakarta. During the workshop, the participants learned about Seoul’s public transport challenges and achievements and in turn, each city shared their transportation best practices and challenges. They identified actions that they could consider in their own country to address their pressing transport concerns. In the same event, CITYNET signed an MOU with the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) to collaborate in selected events, programs, and initiatives related to public transport. Seoul Training Program for Water Managers in Southeast Asia: In partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Government Office of Waterworks (ARISU), CITYNET conducted the “Seoul Training Program for Water Managers in Southeast Asia” from September 8-14. The training showcased Seoul’s water management system with a combination of lectures / discussions and diverse field visits including visits to the Office of Seoul Waterworks, Seoul Waterworks Research Institute, Jungrang Sewage Treatment Center and Arisu Water Purification Center of Seoul. The participants had the chance to directly observe Seoul’s adopted process and technology for water purification and wastewater treatment. The participants came from local governments in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal and Philippines. They discussed water management practices and technology as well as their country experiences. KLRTC 27: Integrated Urban Planning in the Asia Pacific Region and World Conference on Sustainable Cities: Integrated Urban Planning in the Asia Pacific Region took place from September 23-26 at the KLRTC. The workshop gathered city mayors, senior city managers, urban planners, environmental officers, engineers and other key urban leaders and decision makers. UN-Habitat introduced the Urban Planning Guide for City Leaders during the workshop. There were paper presentations and sessions on various topics in urban development particularly urban infrastructure. The program culminated with the formulation of an urban development action plan. The workshop was held in conjunction with the 5 th International Conference on World Class Sustainable Cities with the theme “Liveable Cities are Creative and Competitive Cities.” KLRTC 28: External Urban Infrastructure Financing Options in the Asia-Pacific Region: CITYNET, in partnership with CDIA, plans to hold the second course on External Urban Infrastructure Financing Options in the Asia-Pacific Region in October. The course is an ‘introductory orientation’ to provide cities with additional knowledge on external financing options for their infrastructure investment projects and discussed ways to analyze projects for possible financing options. Prior to the event, a Training of Trainers (ToT) will be conducted to train a core group of technical staff and trainers from KLRTC and CITYNET on how to conduct / deliver the training course. The core group is expected to eventually become trainers and facilitators of the course. Advocacy Global Network for Safer Cities: An analysis of policy responses to crime and violence indicates that in many countries with high rate of crime and violence, the imperative has been to focus on improving the criminal justice system. There is, however, a growing understanding 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org that this needs to be complemented by crime prevention and enhancement of urban safety. Still, resources such as financial and human are limited coupled with weak political support for crime prevention agenda both at the country and city levels. UN Habitat’s Global Network for Safer Cities (GNSC) puts the spotlight on urban safety and making it a priority in urban development agenda. CITYNET, as a partner, will support the launch of the GNSC in the Asia-Pacific region and actively participate in program activities including development of a regional action plan, knowledge management and training (through KLRTC), collection of good practices within the region and dissemination of the regional guide / toolkit. Disaster Cluster Lead City: Makati / Co-Lead City: Banda Aceh As the effects of Climate Change and the impacts of urban growth become more evident, Asian cities should take a more proactive role in ensuring that they have the capacity to respond to such occurrences. CITYNET hopes to see more activities from the Disaster Cluster in the coming months and will continue to promote disaster-related programs, activities, and events. Capacity Building Climate and Disaster Resilient Initiative Program: An important disaster resilience capacity building program offered by CITYNET in the first half of 2013 was the Climate and Disaster Resilience Initiative (CDRI). The CDRI Program sponsored by CITYNET, Kyoto University, and the Tokyo Development Learning Center (TLDC) of the World Bank and was designed to help city officials increase their awareness and expertise in handling climaterelated risks faced by their cities through cost-efficient online self-learning tutorials and video conferences. For 2013, the Program intended to continue the initial CDRI 2010 Program. However, the minimum target number of participants was not met so that the organizers decided to cancel holding the Program this year. Still, CITYNET, Kyoto University, and TDLC reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of the CDRI program and will likely run it again in the future. Advocacy Asian Disaster Preparedness Center Handbook: The CITYNET Secretariat provided members with valuable literature on Disaster Risk Management by circulating the Disaster Risk Management Handbook produced by Asia Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). Making Cities Resilient: The ‘Making Cities Resilient’ initiative headed by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), one of CITYNET’s partners, is an ongoing campaign until 2015 to promote urban resiliency. Through this campaign, local governments learn from each other’s experiences by sharing best practices and participating in educational opportunities. Handbooks and toolkits are available to help cities establish a resiliency benchmark and develop a framework for cities to build on their disaster preparedness campaigns. In 2013, CITYNET actively supported UNISDR in the ‘Making Cities Resilient’ campaign and assisted in circulating the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Survey which promotes DRR needs of local governments and have it reflected as part of national and global priorities. Former CITYNET Program Director Bernadia Tjandradewi attended the partners’ meeting in Barcelona last April where she gave a presentation on the post-2015 DRR Framework. The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) joined the initiative this year and there was a meeting between CITYNET and UNISDR officials last July when the latter visited Seoul. The meeting focused on how to continue the collaboration after the Secretariat had been moved to Seoul. 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org Millennium Development Goals Cluster Lead City: San Fernando / Co-Lead City: Vacant As a commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), CITYNET extended significant albeit small support to some of its member cities. Even as the MDG Cluster discusses potential activities for the coming year, selected city projects were identified for implementation this year with the aim of assisting cities in their poverty reduction efforts. Projects Low Cost E-learning Project: In September, CITYNET commenced a project in Tansen, Nepal which will provide an opportunity to students of two public schools in the municipality to make use of enhanced IT as an aid for learning. The “Making IT Infrastructure Available to Peripheral Urban Areas as a Means of Enhancing Learning and Facilitating Development: A Stand Alone, Low Cost and Low Power E-learning Solution for Tansen Municipality” aims to upgrade the learning facilities in Shree Saraswoti Secondary School and Shree Laxmi Higher Secondary School by providing them with an IT solution that will make access to offline learning materials possible. Ultimately, the project hopes to improve the quality of education in public schools with the future hope of scaling up the initiative so that it can be used in more municipalities. A technical team from the Innovation and Development Network (IDN) of Seoul National University is providing the expertise needed in the development and installation of the learning technology. Aside from the public schools, the stakeholders include the local government of Tansen, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development of Nepal, and the Ministry of Education of Nepal. OLE Nepal is an NGO that will lend support to the project by providing the needed e-learning content materials as well as inputs in the training of teachers, students and school officials on the use and maintenance of the technology. Technical Cooperation between Developing Cities (TCDC): The TCDC program is one of the pillars of CITYNET support as a facilitator of city-to-city cooperation. With CITYNET’s assistance, the Sub-metropolitan city of Pokhara in Nepal visited Makati City in the Philippines to learn about its GIS-based Tax Information System from April 22-26 pursuant to the TCDC program. The parties will explore the possibility of a post-TCDC follow-up project for the application of GIS in the city hall and two wards in Pokhara. Youth Program CITYNET Young Professionals (CYP) Program: Recognizing the critical role that youth play in nation building and their potential to contribute to local governance, the Seoul CITYNET Secretariat officially welcomed its first group of young professionals in July. This year there are 20 young professionals from more than 20 countries with diverse academic backgrounds who joined the program. They researched on topics concerning green growth, waste management, mobility, and multiculturalism in Korea which they presented during the CITYNET Youth Congress held last October 12. A panel of experts were invited to the Congress who provided feedback and facilitated discussion about the cluster presentations. A paper received the Best Research Award as selected by the expert panel. The CYP will be launched during the CITYNET 2013 Seoul Congress on November 4. CITYNET Youth Japan: In January, CITYNET Youth Japan (CYJ) kicked off their year with an Africa-Japan student summit in Yokohama, Japan which brought together students from across the globe to build a collective voice that will advocate for African development. 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org 5. Communications, Promotions, Social Media, and Outreach Introduction As the CITYNET Secretariat negotiated the challenges of relocating to Seoul, South Korea in 2013, communications and social media also underwent many changes. Communications was folded into the brand-new Partner Development team, becoming part of a larger vision for public relations, outreach, and branding. The Partner Development team consists of Youngmin Chang, Partner Development Director, Brenna Foster, the previous Communicaitons and Information Officer and now a Partner Development Officer, and Jacki Dover, hired in late May, 2013. This team worked together to create a new communications and outreach strategy focused on: Improving the clarity of content across all channels Reaching out to existing members and partners to strengthen relationships Connecting with new development agencies for mutually beneficial communications strategies Raising the profile of CITYNET across the region and globally With these goals in mind, the following projects and publications were produced. Publications As of October 2013, the following were published: 5 E-Newsletters (Digital) 2 CityVoices: Spring 2013 and Fall 2013 (Magazine) Annual Report 2012 (Report) CITYNET Korean Promotional Booklet What is CITYNET (Informational Brochure) 20 CityNet Members Blog Posts (Digital) Publications focused on clarity of design and content. Text was streamlined and highly edited to produce both readable and informative copy across publications. The CITYNET newsletter began a slow process of redesign in order to create a shorter, easier to read newsletter that can be opened on even the slowest internet connection. The majority of newsletter text is now hosted on the website (www.citynet-ap.org) with a brief and attractive summary that includes all relevant facts. This enables readers to quickly skim and gather information, while still being able to click through for further information and materials. The CITYNET Korean Promotional Booklet was created to raise awareness of the CITYNET Secretariat’s move to Seoul and reach out to Korean cities, organizations, and companies. The booklet was distributed to more than 100 divisions of SMG and mailed out to over 20 Korean cities. This was one part of a dedicated effort to raise CITYNET’s profile in Korea, and connect with key host city and country entities. Website One main goal in 2013 was to improve the look and user experience of www.citynet-ap.org. After analyzing the 2012 website design and architecture, it was obvious there were many barriers to efficiently access information across the site. Most information was buried under several layers of interface, and there was a lack of images attract users to stay on the site. Additionally, due to high 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org staff turnover, information on how to manage and update the 2012 website had been lost and had to be recreated ad hoc. With input from both the former secretariat in Yokohama and the Seoul secretariat, a new website design was finalized in early May 2013. With a focus on ease of use, and space to display both member-created and secretariat-produced content, the new design features an attractive rotating banner and easy-to-access navigation bar. After extensive re-writing, editing, and reconstruction, the information architecture was finalized in early July 2013. The goal was to reduce the time that a user would have to spend searching for information and instead to have every bit of content available within 3 clicks from the front page. In late July 2013, the new website went live. The 2013 website has seen a 300% jump in users, from an average of 1135 per month to 3804 after the new website has launched. Users also stay on the website for an average of 2 more minutes when compared to the previous design. Content is easily accessible, and because the website is based on a Wordpress platform, it is easy for any relatively web-savvy person to update and manage design and architectural features. Figure 1: www.citynet-ap.org homepage screenshot 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org Figure 2: Website Views 2013 Social Media At the beginning of 2013, CITYNET had a presence across Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and the CityNet Members Blog. As of September 4th, 2013, these channels have seen the following growth: Twitter Followers: 272 – 423 Facebook Followers: 20 – 246 YouTube Views: 545 – 946 CITYNET Blog Views: 183 per month – 1078 per month 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org By investing some brief time and effort into social media outreach, there was a huge return in social media growth. CITYNET redesigned its Twitter background, Facebook page, and blog to better reflect the network’s values and aesthetic. By implementing a regular Facebook quiz question, connecting with partners and like-minded organizations across Twitter, and exploring new ideas in the CITYNET blog, CITYNET has raised the profile of the organization with a new range of urban stakeholders. CITYNET is now reflecting a modern and multi-faceted approach, with a range of sophisticated ways to communicate with members and potential members alike. Data Management By the end of 2012, the CITYNET Secretariat and the Seoul Metropolitan Government support team had agreed that in order to efficiently manage CITYNET member data it was necessary to purchase a Customer Relations Managment (CRM) System. After testing several different programs, researching best practices, and attending workshops, the Secretariat decided to purchase Salesforce, a leading CRM system. The Operations and Partner Development team have attended workshops, and tested Salesforce throughout 2013. As part of the Pre-Congress preparations, the Operations and Partner Development team have been collecting updated contact information from all members and partners, and identifying primary contact points for each member city and organization. Post-Congress, this new information will be uploaded into the Salesforce system which will then become the Secretariat’s primary data hub. Prior to Congress, accurate and efficient communication with CITYNET members is of the highest priority, thus the Secretariat will wait until after Congress to switch over to daily use of the new Salesforce system. 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org Partnership Development Developing partnerships and cultivating relationships with members are one of the most essential works at CITYNET as it serves as a platform for members to network among themselves and with partner organizations. With the support from International Relations Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Secretariat has met delegations from Hanoi, Bangkok, Lyon, Ulaanbaatar, Sidoarjo and Hue and city officials from Jakrta, Taipei, Phnom Penh, and many others for various training workshops and a graduate program sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Major two institutions for such trainings are the Seoul’s Human Resource Development Center and the University of Seoul. The Secretariat has developed partnerships with the two institutions so that new trainees mostly from CITYNET member cities would come and meet with the Secretariat staff. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is well known for its excellent transportation system among many other best practices and various institutions in Korea invite foreign government officials to see Seoul’s transportation system and meet with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. In such cases, the Seoul Metropolitan Government invites the Secretariat to present what CITYNET is and how it can serve for their benefits. In such collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Secretariat had an opportunity of presenting to many groups including 100 Indian IAS officers. Collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government extends beyond member cities to partner organizations that visit the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Among those are the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, UNISDR, Metropolis, KOICA and ICLEI. With the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s strong support, CITYNET is expected to further cultivate relationships with members and develop and renew partnership with growing number of organizations. One of the biggest challenges at the relocated Secretariat was potential discountinuance of relationships with partner organizations as all the staff with senority left the Secretariat. Despite the evident challenges, the Secretariat has turned it around to rekindle and develop new partnerships for the 2013 CITYNET Seoul Congress. At the Opening Ceremony of the relocated Secretariat in March, the Secretariat had a contact of one partner organization – UNESCAP – and as of September 11th the Secretariat corresponds with sixteen partner organizations that will organize or participate in the Congress. New partners that stand out among them are the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 resilient cities program and Microsoft’s CityNext on resilient cities. UNESCAP UNISDR UNDP Seoul Policy Centre UNHABITAT UNESCAP organizes Solid Waste Management, Pro-poor Urban Climate Resilience, and Sustainable Planning for Low Carbon Eco-City Development. UNISDR shares regional progress and practices to connect cities to the new post2015 Hyogo Framework (HFA2). Regarding this new framework UNISDR Asia Pacific Office is Calling for Expressions of Interest for Contributions to document the achievements and learning of the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA1) in Asia Pacific. UNDP supports women’s economic empowerment and gender equality. Furthermore UNDP seeks to construct a future development framework, built on lessons learned from working toward achieving the MDGs. UN-HABITAT’s Safer Cities Programme aims to equip local authorities and urban stakeholders to deliver urban safety by preventing urban crime and enhancing urban safety strategies. 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org The Korea Transport Institute The Seoul Institute Clean Air Asia GIZ The Rockefeller Foundation Mircrosoft CityNext WBCSD World Bank CDIA The Korea Transport Institute (KOTI), one of the leading transport research institutions, provides recommendations and alternatives for the nation's transport policy. Specializing in sustainable urban transport KOTI shares its knowledge on some of the best practices in public transit in Korea. The Seoul Institute organizes a parelle session to share Seoul’s best practices on transportation, waterworks, e-governance and railway. Clear Air Asia seeks to equip decisionmakers with knowledge and information on Air Quality Management in smaller cities, so as to make informed decisions when planning city development and measuring environmental impact of policy decisions. GIZ supports Clear Air Asia with the implementation of the Clean Air Action Plans. The Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities programme will provide a select 100 cities with access to technical expertice and resources to create and implement resilience strategies on a citywide scale. Microsoft’s CityNext is a global initiative intended to build smart cities which engages citizens, business and government leaders in new ways by providing access to a broad portfolio of products and technologies, a global network of partners, and multiple successful education and social programs. The Urban Infrastructure Initiative by WBCSD aims for a world where cities provide a sustainable environment for people. This CEO-led organization of forward thinking companies aspires this program to engage cities to implement more effective and affordable solutions to support urban and infrastructure planning. The soon-to-be-opened World Bank Group Office in Korea will function as Korea’s World Bank representative and focus on infrastructure and knowledge sharing to provide a platform for members to work together. Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA) supports urban governments on the Asia-Pacific region to promote more sustainable and equitable urban development plans, and infrastructure investment programs to implement in existing city development strategies. The goal is to improve environmental and living conditions in Asian cities. 10F,Seoul Global Center 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea TEL:(82-2)723-0634 FAX:(82-2)-723-0640 E-mail:info@citynet-ap.org http://citynetcongress.org Center for Liveable Cities The Centre for Livable Cities (CLC) aims to distil, create and share knowledge from Singapore’s experiences over the last half-century on livable and sustainable cities. By exchanging knowledge with other cities and experts, CLC creates learning points and knowledge to address emerging challenges. Conclusion The CITYNET Secretariat underwent many changes in 2013, and Communications changed and grew with the Secretariat. Building off the momentum of the Opening Ceremony in March, the CITYNET Partner Development department has developed clear goals and strategies to help reach both members and potential members more effectively. In the future, through listening to members needs, Secretariat communications will continue to improve the methods and strategies used to deliver and collect information among the network. 6. 2013 CITYNET Secretariat Decentralization Activities 6.1 Introduction After the relocation of the CITYNET Secretariat in early 2013, the Secretariat has sought to connect and work with the National Chapters, Satellite Officse, and Makati Foundation. By introducing new team members, soliciting reports and information, and holding discussions, the new Secretariat has worked to create strong connections with all other CITYNET entities. 6.2 2013 Major Activities 8th National Chapter Skype Meeting: February 7, 2013 This meeting was held with the Yokohama Secretariat as they prepared to relocate CITYNET. Key topics discussed included funding for National Chapters, drafting business plans, and project proposals. 9th National Chapter Skype Meeting: June 4, 2013 The new Secretariat staff introduced themselves to the National Chapter representatives and discussed the current status and way forward for National Chapters. Key topics included increasing communication between Secretariat and NC’s, submission of a general status report from NCs, project proposals, and the budget. 6.2 Plans for the Future The CITYNET Secretariat plans to build upon the strong foundation already established by the Yokohama Secretariat to explore ways to further support National Chapters. The Secretariat will seek to hold regular Skype meetings and email exchanges, to seek input from the National Chapter representatives. 7. Conclusion This report of the activities and programs for the first 10 months of 2013 was compiled by the Secretariat. Major activities included relocating to Seoul, Republic of Korea, the Opening Ceremony of the Secretariat, and preparations for Congress. Please refer to all Annexes and the related detailed agenda papers for further details. The Secretariat highly appreciates members’ contributions and active participation in the Network’s activities.