Introduction
The Development Assistance Centre (DAC)
provides assistance to clients from concept stage to
approval of their development projects.
In addition, the DAC tracks the
progress of projects submitted for approval to
enable monitoring of the approval process so as to
be able to highlight issues requiring action by the
appropriate agency to keep the process flowing
smoothly.
The rationale for the establishment
of the DAC was the promotion of inter-agency
collaboration and coordination of the development
approval process together with improved
communication and assistance to applicants.
DAC Project Overview
The Development Assistance Centre
Project (DACP) is an initiative of the Office of the
Prime Minister and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC).
The project was charged with the establishment of a
one year pilot Development Assistance Center (DAC)
within the National Environment and Planning Agency
(NEPA).
The JCC Project Team had the task to
develop a conceptual framework for establishing a
vehicle through which assessment, advice and
recommendations could be made on major projects
prior to application for approval. After two years,
in which Research, Business Process Analysis,
preparation of a Concept Paper, a Study Tour of best
practice sites in the United States and
consultations were undertaken, the Prime Minister
directed in 2008 that a pilot DAC be established in
the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA)
to give assistance to large projects.
The pilot DAC is to provide oversight
to the project applications process for select
projects with a view to improve the service delivery
in the development approval process. It is
anticipated that deficiencies in the present system
may be minimized by engaging clients in
pre-consultation to determine the completeness of
project applications. Further, interagency
collaborations and coordination would also be
pursued to mitigate the lengthy timelines involved
with applications moving back and forth between
agencies.
The Development Assistance centre after a successful
pilot was formally opened on March 2011 and was
formally established/approved as part of NEPA
structure in September 2011.
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