MAIN FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

As the foremost planning agency of the government, the PIOJ's functions include:

• Initiating and coordinating the development of policies, plan and programmes for the economic, financial, social, cultural and physical development of Jamaica
• Undertaking research on national development issues
• Providing technical and research support to the Cabinet
• Undertaking consultant activities for local and foreign Government entities
• Managing external cooperation agreements and programmes
• Collaborating with external funding agencies in the identification and implementation of development projects
• Maintaining a national socio-economic library

The Institute also has a responsibility to:

• Advise the Government on major issues relating to economic and social policy
• Interpret decisions on economic and social policy and integrate them into the national development programme
• Prepare economic models for the guidance of policymakers, investors and other planners.
• Assess existing and projected social, economic and manpower resources and formulate plans for the most effective use of such resources
• Coordinate national, regional and sectoral development planning of facilitate the consistent and efficient implementation of projects and programmes
• Determine the economic, financial and technical feasibility of new development projects, and coordinate the implementation of ongoing projects
• Be instrumental in conceptualizing investment projects for national development
• Collect, compile, analyse and monitor social status and economic performance data
• Prepare population projections.

Director General's Secretariat
The Director General provides technical and managerial leadership by ensuring that priorities are identified, resources are available to achieve targets, and outputs are on schedule and technically sound. At the technical level, advice is provided to Cabinet on the formulation and implementation of macroeconomic and sectoral policies; there is ongoing assessment of the existing socioeconomic framework; and missions/negotiations are undertaken for development programming assistance and performance reviews. The Secretariat also provides technical advice on primary areas for sustainable economic, social and environmental development.
The PIOJ Consulting Services markets the expertise of the Institute to organizations primarily in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Service includes: socio-economic research; projects preparation and evaluation; feasibility studies and business proposals; Workshops and seminars on important national, regional and international issues and information searches.

DIVISIONAL FUNCTIONS

Economic Planning and Research
This Division is responsible for economic monitoring, research and analysis as the basis for policy formulation at the macro, regional and sectoral levels.
The Division also provides advice on trade and trade-related issues for policy formulation and evaluation and for trade negotiation. It monitors important developments and trends in the international economy, provides in-depth analysis and evaluation with respect to the actual and/or potential impact on Jamaica, and makes recommendations for action where appropriate. This Division also serves as the National Enquiry Point on the Services sector as required by Article III of the General Agreement of Trade in Services (GATS). To effectively accomplish these tasks, the Division is engaged in economic modeling and forecasting.

Social Policy, Planning and Research
The Division plays an integral role in the development, implementation, monitoring and assessment of social policies, programmes, and projects. A key feature of the work is tracking social progress, particularly changes in living conditions, the incidence and characteristics of poverty, and the impact of social and economic policies on vulnerable groups. This is the foundation of the policy direction and advice offered.

External Cooperation Management
This Division ensures a coordinated approach in the efficient and effective alignment of external assistance with national economic objectives priorities. This role involves: initiating the programming exercise with external finance agencies so as to identify financing for priority projects; leading the assessment process to determine project viability prior to submission to the Project Pre-selection Committee; assisting various government agencies in the design and development of investment projects; and fostering efficient project implementation through reviews with local and external agencies.

Corporate Services
Support services are provided by the Corporate Services Division through its management of the human, financial, physical and information technology resources of the Institute. This Division also provides a research base on social and economic information and contributes to project development activities in the Information sector.

The Documentation Centre acts as a depository for World Bank Publications. A reference service is offered to researchers, mature students and clients referred from other libraries. Resources include: audio-video cassettes, books, CD ROMs, charts, feasibility studies, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photographs, technical reports. A photocopying service is provided at a nominal charge.
E-mail the "Doc Centre" at doccen@mail.colis.com for appointments to use the library and for information on the services offered.

Corporate Affairs, Marketing and Communications
Client development, which includes redefining current products and outputs as well as guiding the move towards new products and new markets are the main focus of this Division. Other responsibilities include:

• The production of the Institute's publications
• Coordination of the external and internal communications strategy for the organization
• Management of the modernization process to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Institute
• Coordination of all activities relevant to the work of the Board of Directors
• Guiding and coordinating the strategic planning process to provide annual corporate and operational plans, as well as quarterly and monthly performance reports.

Sustainable Development and Regional Planning
Provision of policy, strategy design and coordination for sustainable development through:

• National Sustainable Development Strategy
• Hazard mitigation
• Rural Development
• Urban and Regional Planning
• GIS-based data/information management and reporting