Transcript Experience in the PRSPs Africa Region

National Planning Processes and
Policy Frameworks
- What Role for Civil Society and What Role for UNDP -
Designed by Geoffrey D. Prewitt
Poverty Reduction and Civil Society Advisor
Central and Eastern African Sub-Regional Facility
Kenya JPO Meeting– 27 May
Global Context
1.2 billion survive on less than $1 a day
841 million hunger and food insecure
1.1 billion have no access to safe water
113 million children not enrolled in school
515,000 women die of pregnancy related
causes
11 million children die under age 5
36.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS (95% in
developing countries)
National development planning & relationships with donor instruments
CCA
Situation
Assessment
and Analysis
Annual
PRSP
Reports
MDG
Reports
Monitoring
Implementation
&
Impact
National
Development
Priorities and
Planning
Process
(PRS)*
Implementation
Country Programmes and
Projects
National
Development
& Poverty
Plan
Resource
Allocation &
Aid
Coordination
UNDAF
CAS
Other
donor
assistance
plans
Presentation Content
1.
The CCA/UNDAF, the PRSP, and
the MDGs
2.
What is the Relationship?
3.
The Role of UNDP and CSOs
CCA/UNDAF
TOOLS OF UN REFORM AND
PLANNING
“...The CCA and UNDAF should be
related to assisting Government in
implementing the Millennium
Declaration. All should be assessed
against the impact they have on
reaching those targets…”
Source: Operational Activities of the United Nations for International Development Cooperation;
Progress in the Implementation of the UNDAF, Section 145, General Assembly, 56th session
ECOSOC resolution A/56/70 - E/2001/58; 14 May 2001
CCA
Assessment
Analysis
UNDAF
Action
Lessons from the preparation of
other CCA/UNDAFs
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Need to link and/or harmonize the CCA/UNDAF with
other policy and programming frameworks such as
PRSPs
Establishment of multi-dimensional appreciation of
human poverty as entry point
Importance of MDGs
Transboundry matters and acknowledgement of
exogenous factors (including ODA flows)
Role of other actors (particularly requirement of
engaging civil society in the design, implementation,
and monitoring process)
Need for resource-mobilization
Lessons from the preparation of
other CCAs/UNDAFs (continued)
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Avoid false expectations, the UN agencies'
programmes should be realistic and coincide with
national development priorities and correct needs
assessment
Link between priorities and measurable outputs (and
establishment of subsequent indicators) - annexes
found in the Zimbabwean and Kenyan UNDAF's
provide a useful prototype
Interesting Country Examples
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Burkina Faso has developed a strategic
communication and public information program
The Congo-Brazzaville Country Team devised an
innovative approach applying the basic principles of
CCA, CAP and UNDAF in one single document,
called the "UN Plan"
the Heads of UN Agencies in Somalia outlined the
practical principles, their programmatic implications,
and the actions to be taken by the UN operational
agencies
highly participatory UNDAF process was reported by
Mauritius
THE PRSP
Generic Perceptions on the PRSP
- Lessons Thus Far 
Attributes of a Strong PRSP

Opportunities

Shortcomings
Core Principles of the PRSP
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country-driven, involving broad-based
participation by civil society and the private sector in
all operational steps;
results-oriented, and focused on outcomes that
would benefit the poor;
comprehensive in recognizing the multidimensional
nature of poverty, but also
prioritized so that implementation is feasible, in both
fiscal and institutional terms;
partnership-oriented, involving coordinated
participation of development partners (bilateral,
multilateral, and non-governmental);
based on a long-term perspective for poverty
reduction
Attributes of a Strong PRSP
(compiled from country experience)
 Nationally owned and developed through a broad
and deep participatory and consultative process
from the beginning of the exercise;
 Long term perspective or focus;
 Analytically sound premised on national poverty
reduction objectives;
 Full information disclosure;
 Resources explicitly earmarked for poor and
marginalized groups;
 Integrated macro-economic, structural, sectoral and
social considerations
Attributes of a Strong PRSP
(compiled from country experience) - CONTINUED
 Gender and environmentally sensitive;
 Assigned roles of stakeholders;
 Built upon instructive experiences and work to
date;
 Integrated into national planning and budgetary
system;
 Causal relationship between public actions and
poverty reduction
 Sound monitoring and evaluation criteria; and
 Cost effective.
Opportunities and Shortcoming
Opportunities
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Focus on Poverty
Reduction
National Ownership/
Multi-Stakeholder
Consultation
Comprehensive
Political Process
Shortcomings
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Macro-economic Bias
Bank/Fund Board
approval & Process vs.
Product or Speed vs.
Quality
Inconsistency between
priorities and
measurable
benchmarks
Exposure of national
sensitivities
Principles of Participation in the
PRSP
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Outcome Orientation
Inclusion
Feasibility
Ownership
Transparency
Sustainability
Effectiveness and Efficiency
Stages of the PRSP Process (Contents of this slide
adapted from World Bank PRSP Source Book)
How Participatory processes can help
Participatory Poverty Assessments can supplement conventional data
gathering and capture the multi-dimensional nature of poverty and
different groups’ needs.
Stage 1: Analytical and Diagnostic Work
Research to deepen the understanding of poverty
and reflect the diversity of experiences according
to gender, age, ethnic or regional groups, and
so forth.
Participatory Analysis of the poverty reduction impact of public
expenditure can generate deeper understanding than analysis by
officials and experts only.
Stage 2: Formulation of the strategy
Analysis of the poverty reduction impact of a range of
public expenditure options.
Identification of public actions which will have the
most impact on poverty.
Negotiation between different national stakeholders over priorities can
lead to broader ownership and more widely accepted consensus.
Also important is public approval, reach through extensive consultation
between civil society representatives and their constituencies. Though
non-binding, this is vital for broadening ownership and making the PRSP
truly participatory.
Stage 3: Approval
Approval at the country level, then formal approval by
the World Bank and IMF Boards. At this point, debt
relief and / or concessional loans become available
Stage 4: Implementation
Agreement on roles and responsibilities with government
And service providers at the local level.
Monitoring implementation.
Feedback to revise the strategy and enhance its
future effectiveness.
Stage 5: Impact Assessment
Retrospective evaluation of the Poverty Reduction
Strategy to derive lessons for subsequent versions.
Negotiation of roles and responsibilities with civil society can help
generate agreed standards for performance, transparency and
accountability.
Participatory research can enhance people’s awareness
of their rights and strengthen the poor’s claims.
Feed
Back
To
Next
phase
Participatory monitoring of effectiveness of policy measures,
public service performance and budgeting can contribute to
efficiency and empowerment of the poor.
Participatory evaluation can bring to bear the perceptions of
actors at different levels and their experience of the strategy.
THE MDGs
Millennium Development Goals
and Select Targets
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
 Halve
the proportion of people with less than a dollar a
day.
 Halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education
 Ensure
that boys and girls alike complete primary
schooling
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
 Eliminate gender disparity at all levels of education .
4. Reduce child mortality
 Reduce
by two thirds the under-five mortality rate.
Millennium Development Goals
(cont’d)
5. Improve maternal health
 Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio.
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
 Reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development
Why are the MDGs Important

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Faltering progress of socio-economic
development and growth
Global agreement/campaign
– Global and national reporting
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Time-bound and outcome/results oriented
Improved, long-term monitoring
Focus on people/cross-cutting
Achievable but will require concerted action
from all stakeholder through partnerships,
including increased resourcing
MDG Reporting
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Global reporting annually: led by UN-DESA to
General Assembly with comprehensive report every 5
years
Country-level reporting: led by UNCT through
production of periodic MDG reports (MDGRs)
– Advocacy tool for stimulating debate and mobilising resources
– Intended to be reader-friendly

MDGRs help provide a focus to national development
debate and mobilise UNCT around concrete and
common development agenda
The Relationship Between
Instruments and Planning
Processes
MDGs and NHDRs/CCAs/UNDAFs/PRSPs
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NHDRs provide the appropriate data/baseline
information to measure progress/regression
MDGs provide a core and common development
focus for CCAs/UNDAFs
Indicators used for tracking MDGs are a sub-set of
those in 2002 revised CCA Indicator Framework
MDGs can be used as entry point for UN
engagement in PRSPs and enhance social sector
focus
Use of MDGs in CCAs/UNDAFs and PRSPs helps
give momentum to ensuring provision of basic social
services targeted towards poorest
Relationship with the NHDR
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NHDR promotes people-centered
development much like the focus of the
MDGs
NHDRs are analytical and/or policy
documents and progress toward reaching the
MDGs should be included in annually
produced NHDRs
NHDRs are depositories of up-to-date and
disaggregated country level data and can be
used to monitor progress of MDGs
– Note : beware of data discrepancies
Relationship with the CCA and UNDAF
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The UN Country Team may propose using the CCA
process as a basis for monitoring success toward the
MDGs and preparation of the MDGR, with the
agreement and/or full participation of the government.
The MDGR and the CCA focus on similar national
and global goals, targets and indicators; and both aim
to support the development of sustainable statistical
systems and the skills to analyse and use data for
policy-making and programming.
The UNDAF is a planning tool, such as the PRSP, to
assist the UNCT to achieving the MDGs.
Relationship with the PRSP
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For the PRSPs, the MDGs can be used as an entry point for UN
engagement to enhance social sector focus. Essentially, the
data from the MDG reports and an analysis of their policy
implications can help balance PRSPs which are currently
heavily macro-economic in focus.
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It is also possible that in-between the preparation of periodic
MDGRs, the Annual Progress Report on the PRSP–which will
be increasingly available in HIPC and IDA countries–can be
used as a tool for interim monitoring of progress towards the
MDGs. This implies that the PRSP takes the MDGs into
consideration and that the preparation of such Annual Reports
will actively involve the UN country team and other partners.
The Role of UNDP and CSOs
Setting the Context for Civil Society
Involvement in the PRSP and other National
Planning Instruments
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All actors need to be clear about the expected level
of civil society involvement;
CSO participation should be made a priority and
commitment built to it within the UN and civil society;
Training, support and appropriate tools should be
provided to UN Country Teams on participatory
processes;
Timeframes for the PRSP should be revised, and
sufficient resources allocated to support a
participatory process;
Maximum use should be made of civil society inputs
to consultation processes by permitting their
influence on a number of policy processes;
Setting the Context for Civil Society
Involvement in the PRSP(continued)
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All actors need to be clear about the expected level
of civil society involvement;
Commitment and capacity for engagement in the
PRSP should be built among national CSOs;
Civil society expertise should be fully utilised, to
improve both the process and product of the PRSP
Accountability structures specific to CSO participation
in the PRSP should be developed within the UN
system (including the BWIs); and
Participatory processes ensured to be inclusive and
representative.
Potential Areas of UNDP Support to
Civil Society and other Partners
(adapted from draft UNDP Policy Note on the PRSP)
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The Process
Promoting Regional/Country Ownership
through Institutional and Policy
Coherence and UN Country Support
Fostering Participation of Multiple
Stakeholders
Monitoring and Indicators
Resource Mobilization
Potential Areas of UNDP Support

The Content
Policy Options (pro-poor, pro-gender, proenvironment) and Poverty Assessments

Public expenditure review and budgets

Influencing Macro-economic frameworks,
particularly in the area of trade and debt
National development planning & relationships with donor instruments
CCA
Situation
Assessment
and Analysis
Annual
PRSP
Reports
MDG
Reports
Monitoring
Implementation
&
Impact
National
Development
Priorities and
Planning
Process
(PRS)*
Implementation
Country Programmes and
Projects
National
Development
& Poverty
Plan
Resource
Allocation &
Aid
Coordination
UNDAF
CAS
Other
donor
assistance
plans
“No shift in the way we think or act
can be more critical than this: we
must put people at the centre of
everything we do.”
Kofi Annan, Millenium Report