Pacific Islands Assistantship Program

Lead Agency

NOAA Pacific Services Center (PSC).

Participating Jurisdictions

American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Hawai‘i.

Goals

• Provide on-site support that brings information, technology, and training to coastal communities in the Pacific Islands.
• Provide an opportunity to learn coastal zone management through hands-on experience working in a dynamic and intellectually challenging environment.

Description

The NOAA Pacific Services Center and the NOAA Coastal Services Center have supported the Pacific Islands Assistantship (PIA) since 2001. The PIA program matches highly qualified recipients of professional degrees with hosts from the four Pacific Island coastal resource management organizations of Hawai‘i, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

New assistants are placed every two years for two-year terms. The focus of each assistant is dependent on the needs of the programs and partners. The first round of assistants, serving from 2001 to 2003, focused on integrating technology tools such as geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and the Global Positioning System into Pacific Island coastal management. The 2004–2006 assistants will focus on similar needs with more emphasis on land use planning and application development.

To support the assistantship, NOAA has contracted with the Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) to administer the PIA program, as well as the NOAA Coastal Services Center fellowship and coral assistantship programs.

Recruitment for the 2004–2006 assistants is under way. The islands are in the process of interviewing and selecting their final candidates. After all candidates are selected, PSC will host orientation training in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, January 12 to 16, 2004.

The Pacific Islands Assistantship (PIA) program Web site contains more information.

Outcome

Increased capacity in spatial technologies and coastal resource management within the islands.

Project Partners

American Samoa Department of Commerce, CNMI Coastal Management Program, Guam Bureau of Statistics and Plans, Hawai‘i Coastal Zone Management Program, NOAA Coastal Services Center, University of Guam Marine Lab, and others.