GOVERNMENT-DONOR COORDINATION COMMITTEE (GDCC)

II. PROGRESS REPORTED BY TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS

TWG: Agriculture and Water

TWG Action Plan

8. Similar to the previous three months, 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 including its four task forces and a secretariat, and is actively pursuing its workplan.
Jointly develop (i) medium term strategy for Agriculture and Water and (ii) sectoral program framework for agriculture and water. All key targets have been met including development of a strategy and program frameworks. Works are now underway on resourcing and undertaking detailed program elaboration. (see JMIs below)
Provision and exchange of information related to TWGAW mandate and activities. The TWGAW website has been developed including detailed information related to TWGAW mandate and activities, and is accessible on www.twgaw.org .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 ISAEA of the Ponley Irrigation System. Current tasks concentrate on integrating lessons learned from various activities in A&W Strategy program elaboration.
Promote sustainable management and development of irrigation activities. The review of experiences on Modes of Intervention, results, and Lesson learnt in Participatory Irrigation Management and Development in Cambodia was completed. This will help to contribute to 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 and sectoral program framework for agriculture and water. 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 a high-level stakeholder workshop on the Strategy was endorsed during full TWGAW on 22 December 2006 and it is being prepared and schedule to jointly organized on 30 January, 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. Expanded TORs for design and costing of each of these programs are being developed (expected to be completed end of Jan.2007). Task Management Groups are being defined (for ministerial approval) , and a number of interested donors have already committed in principle to fund the program designs process. 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 mid 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 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 draft document has been produced, building on ministries' plans and within the NSDP framework.

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.

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.

14. RGC and development partners use jointly agreed results-oriented reporting and assessment frameworks that have a manageable no. 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).

Resource mobilization

15. The TWG has reported that resources for the design of the five programs for implementing the A&W strategy are only committed in principle. The expanded design TORs due for completion by 31 January 2007 will determine the resources required from both RGC and EDP, and how this will be shared among the individual agencies involved for each program. The commitment of these EDP resources will in any case firstly depend on approval of the A&W Strategy by the Ministers of MAFF and MOWRAM, and secondly on the similarly reviewed approval of program design TORs and the setting up of adequate Task Management Groups.

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