Ho to Write A Report on A Metting Attended?

I’d like to share you the kind of report that I make when I attended a meeting in Singapore last February. By the way, that’s the second chance for me to visit Singapore after 7 years and I saw there were a lot changes in the country. Anyway, here’s the report:

 

REPORT ON MEETING ATTENDED

Title : Fourth STI Directors of Training Meeting

Date : January 31 – February 2, 2016

Venue : The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

_________________________________________________________________

First of all, I would like to thank the Head of FETA and the Executive Secretary of FETA for giving me the opportunity to attend the Fourth STI Directors of Training Meeting in Singapore. The meeting gave me the opportunity to learn many issues in regards to the training needs of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. As a trainer who usually performs TNA for MOF, I find it was a very enriching experience for me.

I will describe briefly below some elements in the meeting.

• The seminars are designed to: 1) discuss the training needs of countries in the Asia-Pacific region, based on input from the Directors of Training   2) explain STI’s criteria for selecting participants to courses, seminars, and workshops   3) provide an overview of the training activities of the IMF Institute for Capacity Development (ICD)   4) discuss the importance of collaboration among ICD and the regional institutions in identifying the specific training needs and delivering training services in a specific region.
• The slot of time was two-days seminar on February 1-2, 2016. (The welcome reception was held on January 31, 2016 at the venue.) There were 33 senior officials in charge of training at central banks, ministries of finance and economy, or other government economic agencies, including directors of economics, research, training, or international departments (from 10 countries).
• The meeting featured panel discussions led by directors of training, presentations by IMF staff, and reflections by STI’s donors.
• Participants debated a broad array of issues, including country experience with IMF capacity development, the IMF’s new training curriculum for member countries, how best to coordinate technical assistance and training, and the challenges of accurately evaluating the impact of training and technical assistance activities.

• Throughout the meeting, participants stressed the importance of keeping pace with the region’s evolving training needs. Following the global financial crisis, for example, countries in the region found themselves confronted with a series of financial regulatory and supervisory reforms, which required an entirely new set of skills to implement. Training programs in the region therefore need to keep up to speed with a changing external environment, which can be challenging.
• The meeting was also attended by representatives of the countries that provide financing to the STI (donor countries). Senior officials from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Japanese Ministry of Finance, and the Australian High Commission shared their perspectives in a session highlighting the donors’ view of capacity building. Tsutomu Kameda, Section Chief in the International Organizations Division of Japan’s Ministry of Finance, observed that the Japanese approach to capacity development favored concrete, hands-on experience. Other donor representatives praised the IMF’s move toward a “results-based management” system for assessing the impact of training and technical assistance.
• Another important result from the meeting was the Asia-Pacific region encompasses economies from across the development and population spectra. It includes high-income economies like Hong Kong SAR and the Republic of Korea, emerging economies like Malaysia and Thailand, and low-income countries like Cambodia and Nepal. And global giants such as China and India—with populations exceeding one billion—sit alongside small states such as Palau and Tuvalu, with populations of less than 25,000. The STI must take into account all their policy challenges.
• The last point I noted is that uncertain economic environment also underscores the need for continued capacity building—including through training—in the Asia-Pacific region. Asia has shown good resilience and policy frameworks, yet the recent episodes of global volatility have demonstrated that policy tradeoffs can worsen quickly. These new challenges put a premium on the expertise in assessing macroeconomic and financial vulnerabilities.

• The minutes from the first day of meeting (February 1, 2016) are as follows:

9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.	Opening session by Ms. Julie Kozack, Director of IMF-STI Singapore. There was also opening remarks by Mr. Leong Sing Chiong (Assistant Managing Director Monetary Authority of Singapore). He pointed to the “essential and fundamental” character of STI training. He noted that when his staffs return from training, they try to impart the knowledge gained to colleagues in order to maximize the value of the training to the institution.
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	Short lecture and overview of IMF Institute for Capacity Development (ICD) and its Strategy in the Asia-Pacific Region Mr. by Mr. Dominique Desruelle (Deputy Director Institute for Capacity Development International Monetary Fund). It was followed by an open discussion on ICD strategies. I raised a question on the possibility to invite IMF lecturers to FETA and the funding policy from IMF.
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.	A sharing from Vietnam’s Experience with IMF Capacity Building by Mr. Ha Hai An (Deputy Director General Department of International Cooperation State Bank of Vietnam)
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.	Panel Discussion of Country Experience with IMF Capacity Building. There were 5 panelist speakers: Mr. Ha Hai An (Vietnam), Mr. Selvakumar Seerangarayan (Joint Secretary Economic Affairs Ministry of Finance, India), Ms. Efi Dyah Indrawati (Senior Trainer FETA Ministry of Finance, Indonesia), Mr. Iñigo L. Regalado (III Deputy Director Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas Institute Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas), Ms. Matana Waitayakomol (Director Learning and Development Institute Bank of Thailand). It was moderated by Mr. Mangal Goswami (Deputy Director IMF – Singapore Regional Training Institute). I made the first short presentation on Indonesia’s experience with IMF Capacity Building (PPT slides attached).
2:00 p.m. − 2:30 p.m.	A lecture on “Transitioning to New ICD Curriculum” by Ms. Laura Kodres (Assistant Director Asian Division Institute for Capacity Development International Monetary Fund)
2:30 p.m. − 3:15 p.m.	Open Discussion of New Curriculum moderated by Ms. Kodres. Participants also discussed how best to take advantage of advances in technology such as online learning and integrate them into their institutions’ training programs. I raised a question on how STI assess the online learning.
3:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.	Panel Discussion on The Donor’s Perspective on Capacity Building. There were 4 panelist speakers: Mr. Michael Feller (Third Secretary, Economic, Australian High Commission Singapore); Mr. Tsutomu Kameda (Section Chief International Bureau, Ministry of Finance Japan); Mr. Goh Mui Pong (Deputy director MAS Academy Monetary Authority of Singapore); and Mr. Heng Aik Yeow (Director General, Techincal Cooperation Directorate Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore). The discussion was moderated by Ms. Julie Kozack.

 

• The minutes from the second day of meeting (February 2, 2016) are as follows:

09:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	Panel Discussion with training directors from 4 different countries: Ms. Aloysia Wong (Senior Manager of Administration Division – Corporate Service Department, Hong Kong Monetary Authority); Ms. Naomi Kedea (Head of Department, HRD Bank of Papua New Guinea); Ms. Maha Tantrige Indivari Visakha Amarasekere (Director Department of External Resources, Ministry of Finance Sri Lanka). The discussion was moderated by Mr. Dominique Desruelle.
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.	A presentation by Ms. Maureen Therese Burke, a communication officer from IMF Communication Department. The topic was “IMF Communication on Capacity Building.”
11:30 a.m. – 12 noon	A presentation by Ms. Julie Kozack on “Recent Development in Training and Survey on Training”.
12 noom – 12:45	A discussion led by Mr. Mangal Goswami on “Issues in STI Training Administration.” He emphasized on the solicitation of participants, application process, the selection and nomination process.
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.	Panel presentation on Enhancing Capacity Building by TA and Training Coordination. The speakers were Mr. Odd Per Brekk (Director of Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific IMF); Mr. David Cowen (Head of Office IMF Technical Assistance Office for the Lao PDR and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and Scott Roger (Coordinator of Pacific Islands Teaching. The discussion was moderated by Ms. Julie Kozack
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.	Closing Session led by Ms. Julie Kozack

 

• After the closing session, there was communication interview for STI video/Survey Article. I was interviewed by Ms. Maureen Burke on Indonesia’s experience with STI IMF and the result will be uploaded on STI website.
• For further detailed information please find in the attachments the lecture handouts for all the sessions.

 

Jakarta. February 18, 2016

 

Senior Trainer,

Efi Dyah Indrawati

NIP 197206291999032001