GOVERNMENT-DONOR COORDINATION COMMITTEE (GDCC)

II. PROGRESS REPORTED BY TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS

TWG: Agriculture and Water

TWG Action Plan

8. The TWG planned to implement five activities and has reported progress on all scheduled activities.

Further develop the TWG as an effective vehicle for planning and coordination of the work of MAFF, MOWRAM and Donors. The TWG is functioning effectively with regular meetings and a secretariat, and is actively pursuing its workplan.
Jointly develop (i) medium term strategy and (ii) sectoral program framework for agriculture and water (intersection between MAFF and MOWRAM mandates), building on existing MAFF and MOWRAM strategic documents as well as recently released NSDP. All key targets have been met including development (and TWGAW endorsement) of a strategy framework. Work is now underway on resourcing and undertaking detailed program elaboration (see JMIs below).
Provision and exchange of information related to TWGAW mandate and activities. The trial TWGAW website has been developed including detailed information related to TWGAW mandate and activities, and is to be launched and accessible on www.twgaw.org (by the end of September). The site includes a direct link to land concession information available on the MAFF website (see JMIs below).
Understand and enhance links between agricultural extension and water management for agricultural activities. There has been progress in agricultural extension and water management studies, including an AEA on the Ponley Irrigation System. Current tasks centre around integrating lessons learned from various activities with A&W Strategy program elaboration.
Promote sustainable management and development of irrigation activities. The major research study completed in this area will help to inform program elaboration for the A & W Strategy, with sustainable management and development of irrigation being a key consideration in all programs.

Joint Monitoring Indicators

9. Jointly develop a medium term strategy for agriculture and water building on the NSDP and existing MAFF and MOWRAM strategy documents. The TWG has reported that during this period all key targets have been met. As a result, a proposed Agriculture and Water Strategy (2006-2010) has been endorsed by a full meeting of the TWG on 19 September 2006 and final ministerial approval is being sought. Explicitly building on the NSDP and existing MAFF and MOWRAM strategies, it incorporates five main program areas: (i) the Institutional Capacity Building and Management and Support Program for Agriculture and Water Resources; (ii) the Food Security
Support Program (involving input from the TWGFS); (iii) the Agricultural and Agri-business (value chain) Support Program; (iv) the Water Resources, Irrigation and Land Management Program; and (v) Agricultural and Water Research and Land Management Program. TORs have been completed for design and costing of each of these programs, and for associated key stakeholder and wider community consultation during this process. Program design teams are now being formed, and donor funding commitments are being sought to cover the $120,250 required for this phase. Current discussion around donor support for the overall indicative A&W Strategy implementation budget will be further informed and progressed as soon as costings are clarified as part of the current design phase. This is anticipated by late December/early 2007.

10. Establish a mechanism and periodically disseminate information on economic land concessions in accordance with the notice issued by the Prime Minister of 30 June 2005. The TWG has reported that during this period, information on economic land concessions (ELCs) has been disseminated through the MAFF website (www.maff.gov.kh/elc). This website, last updated in August 2006, includes for example: (i) an overview referring to 85 company concession arrangements in 15 provinces and municipalities. 57 are reported as valid and cover 968,395 hectares, with 48 having signed contracts and 9 not having as yet signed. 28 companies covering 221,030 hectares are reported as having contracts canceled since 2000; (ii) detailed profiles on 36 companies with which concession contracts have been signed, and detailed information about 5 which have not yet signed; and (iii) objectives, laws, criteria, procedures and contacts in relation to ELCs. There has been further activity since the time of the last MAFF website updated, including the formation of an ELC working group. It is therefore anticipated that added information will be posted in the near future. The TWGAW website, another mechanism for disseminating ELC information, has been trialed, and was endorsed by TWGAW members on 19 September 2006. It will be launched on receipt of final ministerial approvals at www.twgaw.org. To avoiding duplication, this site will simply include a direct link on its home page to the above mentioned MAFF website (and any additional/alternative ELC sites developed). A member of the TWGAW secretariat participates in the ELC Secretariat meetings, ensuring communication between the two groups on ELCs.

Implementation status of the H-A-R Action Plan

11. National Strategic Development Plan targets are achieved. An overall proposed A&W Sector Strategy has been produced, drawing on ministries' plans and within the NSDP framework. Arising from this Strategy, work is underway and outputs are anticipated by late 2006/early 2007 in relation to the following: (i) elaboration of programs and projects required to implement the A&W Strategy, which will in turn inform and able completion of an A&W sector MTEF; (ii) review, already undertaken or well underway by some project partners, of assistance and policies to align with NSDP priorities and the proposed Strategy and ways of financing and participating in implementation of related priorities.

12. Capacity development issues are addressed in formulation of sector plans and ODA supported programs/projects with development partners financial support to achieve targeted development results. The draft A&W Sector Strategy has included assessment of existing capacity. Some limited early program capacity building has been occurring, with plans underway to refine capacity building strategies during the current program elaboration phase. Assessment of capacity gaps is being detailed in the current program elaboration phase, and will be drawn together in a related A&W sector plan and programs. This will include consideration of EIA procedures in consultation with other partners.

13. Steadily decreasing number of duplicative donor missions and diagnostic reviews and studies. Details of field missions, diagnostic reviews and studies planned by donors participating in the TWGAW are on the donor data base. This data base is to be accessible on the new TWGAW website and regular updating will be sought. Ongoing updates are being sought from donors, but this will be formally requested every 6 months to try to ensure currency and comprehensiveness of information.

14. RGC and development partners use jointly agreed results-oriented reporting and assessment frameworks that have a manageable number of indicators to monitor progress against national sector development strategies. Some development partners have already adopted SOPs which are being applied in the A&W sector (including for, example, AFD and the World Bank). The adoption of SOPs and other Action Plan strategies will be promoted through the TWGAW meeting mechanism and in A&W strategy implementation. So too will NOGs for grant assistance be followed in monitoring and reporting on their programs/projects to reduce burden on RGC implementation institutions.

Resource mobilization

15. The TWG has reported that to date, the TWG has been able to mobilize the resources to implement its Action Plan for 2006.

| Content | Back | Top | Next |