PRDR: Regional Data Repository for Energy Information

1. http://prdrse4all.spc.int

2. Raising the awareness of the PRDR Support Implementation of SAMOA Pathway and United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States, Apia, Samoa1-4 September 2014

3. What is a Regional Data Repository • Essentially, the PRDR is an Internet accessible filing cabinet storing energy related data as is provided by the original data sources from its member countries. • Energy related data - these are pure data and energy related reports and other documents that include useful data and other energy information are stored

4. How does the PRDR differ from a Database • A formal, international database requires data entries to have a consistent format among all data providers throughout the region. A data repository consists of data in the original formats of the data source. • A major problem contributing to the failure of the several prior efforts to create a formal energy database for the region was the difficulty faced by understaffed agencies in finding the time and skills needed to collect and format their energy data in the manner that is required by a regional database.

5. Entries in a repository do not require time consuming formatting, validation or verification processes, only the addition of key words (tags) and meta-data in the form of a short description of the content of the entry to make it possible for users to locate the type of information they are searching for.

6. Benefits of the PRDR to Users • “One Stop Shop” for all energy data available from sources in the member countries • Data becomes available on line as soon as the data sources collect it and send them to the PRDR in their original form • No modifications have to be made to fit the rigid formats of a formal database • No time consuming data formatting, validation or verification processes are needed

7. Benefits of the PRDR to Sources • Time consuming data requests from external users can be directed to the PRDR for immediate data access • The PRDR provides a backup for the original data • Data sources/providers are not required to modify the original data to fit a specific format as is required of formal database data submissions

8. Benefits to Countries • Having all energy data for the country available in one place makes it easier for: • Energy policy development • Preparing international submissions relating to energy and climate change • Energy project design • Providing up-to-date data for more accurate preparation of energy indicators such as those used for energy security assessments, climate change actions, and poverty.

9. Benefits to International Agencies • Supports donors in their preparation of national and regional energy projects • Provides a timely source of basic, unformatted energy data that can be formatted by users to fit their needs

10. Disadvantages of the PRDR • Data will not be consistent in terms of formats or units • Users must convert PRDR data into the format they wish to use • Due to its lack of formatting, data will not be directly useable as direct inputs to international databases held by the UN, the IEA, World Bank, etc.

11. BACKGROUND

12. September 2014 • Launch of the PRDR SE4ALL during the SIDS meeting • Portal redesign from Grails to Drupal The Journey April 2015 Live production of the revised PRDR SE4ALL Portal July 2014 Recruitment of Energy data base Assistant • November 2015-2016 • Visits to member • Countries • Signing of data sharing agreements • Completion of the initial dataset • Full operation of the PRDR by mid-2016 April 2014 August 2014 December 2014 SPC nominated as interim Host of the PRDR SE4ALL from the Combined Transport and Energy Meeting Recruitment of Application Developer The 3rd PRDR steering committee meeting in the vicinity of the PEAG Meeting – the SPC endorsed to be the Permanent Host

13. The approach SPC has taken as regional host to the PRDR • Portal Development – When the SPC became the host, the PRDR development had changed from the original project document looking at the PRDR being developed as a repository and a database.

14. 2015 Highlights • Support by the World Bank for the PRDR development was received • Visited PRDR member countries to contact data sources and arrange for data sharing agreements • Revised the PRDR website on line with trial data and an initial group of reports and documents available for access • Developing a five year strategy for the PRDR

15. 2015 Highlights • Ongoing support from Australian Aid in terms of resource finance to the SPC • Staff salaries • Administration • Ongoing Support from the EUEI PDF project • Procurement of a dedicated server to support EDD where the PRDR portal will be housed

16. PRDR Strategy

17. Immediate Goals from now within one year at latest • To sign data sharing agreements with member country’s energy data sources to submit data as collected to the PRDR • To obtain agreements with international agencies and donor organizations to provide non-confidential energy related data, reports and project papers to the PRDR for public access. • Obtain funding for five years of operation at around USD 180,000 per year.

18. Five Year Strategy • Continually work with member country data sources to improve the quality and content of data that are being locally collected and sent to the PRDR • Develop a full Pacific Regional Energy Database in parallel with the PRDR that uses data stored in the PRDR as its data source • Establish high quality database procedures that can allow feeding Pacific energy data into world class international databases • Fully operate database by 2020

19. Permanent PRDR Staffing • Part time for one person as project manager • Part time services to support the website • Part time services for financial and administrative activities • Full time for two persons who are assigned solely to the PRDR and will be responsible for: • Assigning tags and metadata to submissions to assure user data access through the search function • Reminding data sources of their commitments to submit data in a timely fashion • Interacting with country focal points (usually the energy office) to stay up to date regarding the energy situation in the country and any changes in data sources or needs

20. Tentative Budget Overview (USD)

21. 5 Year budget – USD 857,277 (due to rounding up, total does not match 100%)

22. Annual Activities 2016-2021

23. 2016 • Funding sought for a minimum of five years of full operation of the PRDR with a budget of approximately USD 180,000 per year. • The PRDR is fully functional as an energy data repository • Data sharing agreements with data providers signed • Commitments with the CROP agencies and development partners established • Information sources actively delivering documents to the PRDR for storage and made available in the portal

24. 2016 • The PRDR portal is fully developed • Linkages to country energy sites established • Development of site templates for country and interested project specific sites • Database component established within the PRDR that draws data from the repository showcasing some of the existing energy statistics information:- • e.g., Framework for Action on Energy Security in the Pacific (FAESP) energy security indicators

25. 2017 • Prepare and get approval of concept papers, project documents and funding to create a Pacific Regional Energy Database that is directly compatible with ESCAP’s APEF portal and other international databases • Use reformatted and converted data input from the PRDR. • Work with ESCAP to develop templates, methodologies and data formats that are consistent with the ESCAP APEF Database now being populated • Because PRDR data may be in different formats for each country, data conversion processes will be developed to make all country submissions consistent and useable in the database • Interact with country data sources to improve data collection and to add data areas of interest to users

26. 2018-2020 • Continue to work with country sources to upgrade data submissions regarding content format and time of submission to better fit the needs of a regional database; • Database becomes accessible to users through the PRDR for the SE4ALL website • As data sources have upgraded their submissions to better meet database requirements, a significant percentage of data submissions to the PRDR are now directly useable for the database. • Operate the PRDR and regional energy database in parallel

27. Beyond 2020 • Continue to work with country sources to upgrade data submissions with the longer range goal of all data submissions being in a format directly useable in the regional database • The PRDR shifts its function away from data collection to being primarily a regional energy document repository • It is not likely to lose its function for data collection entirely as it is not likely that all country energy data sources will convert their data systems to fit the needs of the regional database

28. Thank you