8th CG MEETING
2-3 MARCH 2006

SESSION IV: INCREASING AID EFFECTIVENESS

Mr. Chhieng Yanara
Secretary General, CRDB/CDC
Royal Government of Cambodia

 
 
  • Progress over the last year
  • Challenges and Priorities for ODA effectiveness
 

Progress in the international arena

  • Paris HLF and Paris Declaration
  • Cambodia’s participation in OECD/DAC Working Party on Aid Effectiveness: indicators & framework for monitoring the implementation of Paris Declaration.
  • Joint Venture on Monitoring Paris Declaration and Preparatory work for first progress report:

- Cambodia is one of six partner countries for field testing
- Field testing to be held on 27-31 March 2006
- Survey starts in May 2006

 

Progress within the country: Overview

  1. Progress in implementing RGC’s Action
  2. Plan on Harmonization and Alignment
  3. Strategic Framework of Development Cooperation Management was adopted by RGC
  4. National Operational Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures
  5. Operationalization of CDC/CRDB ODA disbursement website
  6. Capacity strengthening of government senior officials to take real ownership of development cooperation activities
 

A new government-donor coordination mechanism is operational…

  • 18 sector/thematic TWGs and GDCC Fundamental change in the institutional set up for planning, managing and monitoring progress on the implementation of development assistance to improve ODA effectiveness

  • 2005: Year of learning-by-doing
    -

    Better understanding of nature and scope of constraints hampering achievement of national development and reforms programs
    - Operational modalities of some TWGs have placed undue burden on both concerned ministries and development partners participating in these areas
    - Secretariat of GDCC at CDC will carry out a review of TWG’s operations

 

RGC’s Action Plan on Harmonization and Alignment Was Updated…

  • RGC’s Updated Action on Harmonization, Alignment and Results: 5 commitment principles of the Paris Declaration
  • Prepared through consultation process with Ministries/agencies and development partners
  • Approved by Samdech Prime Minister on 14 February 2006
  • Spirit of mutual accountability
 

Royal Government’s Strategic Framework for Development Cooperation Management

  • Was Prepared and approved by COM on 27 January 2006
    - Policy framework
    - Objective and basic principles that shall guide the management of development cooperation programs and projects
  • National Program to Implement this Framework
    - Enhance Government capacity to take ownership and assume leadership of development cooperation management processes and management.
    - Support from UNDP, JICA
    - Commitment from DFID
 

National Operational Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures Were Completed…

  • Development partners made use of NOG and SOP in planning and management of programs/projects
  • Further elaboration of RGC’s Strategic Framework for Development Cooperation Management
  • Based on principles in OECD/DAC “Good Practices Papers” and lessons learned in Cambodia
  • Guidelines as common reference to improve aid effectiveness and reduce burdens on government ministries/agencies
 

Challenges

  • Paris Declaration: Ownership
  • Government Challenges: Improve management systems and institutional mechanisms to be transparent and accountable to enhance aid effectiveness
  • Development Partners challenges: translate commitments to action.
  • An urgent need to leave behind practices of the 199s, characterized as a period of “Donorship”
  • Action Plan on H&A : significant progress on activities that required Government action – there had been only limited progress in areas where the development partners were to take specific actions
  • DFID Study on harmonization and aid coordination in Cambodia: understanding of the agreed commitments made at HLFs?
 

2006 Priorities

  • Government ownership in an environment of mutual accountability
  • Principles outlined in Strategic Framework for Development Cooperation Management and National Operational; Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures are followed
  • Shift current emphasis on processes to substance in the work of the TWGs: participation of donor personnel who have substantive/high level technical expertise in the sector/thematic areas of the TWGs
  • Provision of qualified long term TA
  • Short-term TA is demand driven § Improve the efficiently of TWG operations:
    - TWG meeting has a purpose and a defined output
    - To reduce burden, development partners limit their participation to TWGs where they are a funding partner and to more sharply focus their support to priority areas within their country assistance strategies
  • Review the structure and operation of the TWGs with a view to minimize burden both on ministries and agencies
  • Promote sector, thematic, and other program-based approaches
  • Reduce the number of studies carried out by individual development partners on similar topics
  • Demonstrate a will and commitment and apply the concept of “managing for results”:
    - Delegating authority from donor’s headquarters to country offices to empower them to work on harmonization and alignment issues with other in country donors and with the Government in the country context
    - Increase joint programming through “delegated cooperation”
    - Reduce individual donor missions and increase joint missions by
 

Thank you
 
 

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