I.       OVERVIEW

1.     This report provides information about the progress of TWGs for the period between March 2006 and January 2007, which was reported by TWGs to the Secretariat of GDCC. To produce this report, a questionnaire was developed and sent to all Chairs of TWGs in December 2006. The questionnaire involved main information about:  

  1. Progress in implementing TWGs Action Plan.

  2. Progress on Joint Monitoring Indicators.

  3. Implementation status of the Action Plan on Harmonization, Alignment and Results.

  4. Resource mobilization.

2.    Very similar to the previous reports submitted by the Secretariat to GDCC, the first part of this Report summarises the progress, and highlights some important issues suggested by all TWGs regarding the implementation of their Action Plans, progress toward the JMIs, the implementation status of the H-A-R Action Plan, and resource mobilization issues. The second part of the Report provides detailed information about the progress reported by each TWG to the GDCC secretariat. The annex presents the status of the progress report submission of TWGs and relevant reporting.

Progress against Action Plans

3.    More than half of the TWGs are making progress in implementing their Action Plans between March 2006 and January 2007. Seven TWGs (Education, Fisheries, Food Security, Forestry and Environment, Infrastructure, Public Administrative Reform) reported partly achieved progress or delay in the implementation of their planned activities. Different TWGs reported differently their reasons of the delay or partial progress, which, inter alia, include: lack of funding, coordination problems with other relevant stakeholders, lack of attendance from TWG members. Only one TWG (Private Sector Development and Trade) did not report their progress in implementing their Action Plans.  

4.    Four TWGs (Food Security, Forestry and Environment, Infrastructure and Regional Integration, and Public Administration Reforms) have reported that lack of funding is constraint to implementing their activities. In particular, PAR requires more support from individual TWGs for the implementation of agreed activities. Two TWGs (Gender and Fisheries) suggested that there be active participations of TWG members, including both development partners and senior management members of line ministries. Some TWGs made concrete recommendations and suggestions to GDCC to address their implementation problems as follows:

  1. Fisheries TWG raised that poor response from development partner members, regarding information requests, and particularly poor attendance of development partner members at the TWG meeting caused the delay of the TWG activities. This TWG also required development partners to provide a good quality and precise information on their support to fisheries, for instance, information about ODA, etc.

  2. Food Security and Nutrition TWG put emphasis on lack of funding for safety net development, as well as for the development of nutritional surveillance system. The TWG called for more efforts of the TWG members in order to find more support for the planned activities.

  3. Forestry and Environment TWG reported that many of their planned activities are not completed. The TWG solicited more funding and support from development partners, and more cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction.

  4. Gender TWG made explicit recommendation to senior management of line ministries to be more committed to the TWG meetings. It also requested relevant ministries to allocate funds and mobilise resources from development partners without depending on the MoWA, especially regarding the implementation of the GMAPS. Furthermore, the TWG stressed the necessity of Gender Responsive Budgeting, the success of which requires national endeavour, collaborative efforts and financial and administrative reforms within the ministries with the advocacy and technical expertises provided by MoWA.

  5. Infrastructure and Regional Integration TWG requested GDCC to discuss with Development Partners on the abolishment of the RFRM to avoid poor rating on the on-going transport external funding projects. It also requested GDCC to assist in appealing for financial assistance from interested development partners, and in accelerating the promulgation of Draft Law of Water Resources Management by the National Assembly.

  6. Legal and Judicial Reform TWG made a good recommendation regarding sharing experiences among TWGs. It suggested an exchange of experience between sectors, on which TWG’s operate more effectively, and how the experience can be shared across sectors.

  7. Planning and poverty reduction TWG proposed GDCC to remind all line ministries and agencies as well as development partner to adhere to the NSDP priorities, align all external assistance to PIP priorities, provide full data on disbursement for the previous year at the end of January of the following year, and set clear schedule for preparing PIP, national budget, and MTEF.

  8. PAR TWG highlighted the need of more support for the implementation of the Strategy on Phasing out of Salary Supplementation.

  9. PFM TWG made recommendations to the MEF to tackle decisively delayed actions, for instance, the MBPI issues, to further develop effective TA selection and coordination.

  10. Joint Monitoring Indicators

5.    In general, TWGs have made progress in implementing JMIs. Some of important issues together with various suggestions/recommendations raised by the TWGs to GDCC are highlighted as follows:

  1. Facing various constraints, D&D TWG reported the failure to adopt the organic law(s) on sub-national democratic development, and D&D and organic law implementation framework on time. The constraints take account of two important points: (i) technical and internal policy complications in the law requiring times and efforts to avoid misunderstanding and ambiguity, and (ii) preliminary and provisional nature of the implementation framework in accordance with changes in the draft law, which is not yet finalized.

  2. Education TWG reported the decrease in percentage of net enrolment ratio (NER) from 91.9% to 91.3%, and female net enrolment ratio from 90.7% to 89.7%. Unsatisfactory progress was also reported regarding the indicator of increase of survival rate from grade 1-6 – total survival rate decreased from 52.6% to 48.15% and female survival rate decreased from 51.78% to 47.55%. This decrease was reportedly due to the increase in drop-out rates, which have increased in all grades (1-6), compared to previous year.

  3. Food Security and Nutrition TWG reported lack of funding to support the implementation of the indicator "develop a social Develop a social safety net policy to ensure Food Security and Nutrition for the most vulnerable groups of the population". The TWG also stressed that given the significance of the issue related to the outbreak of pandemic influenza, the JMI should be rephrased and put under the responsibility of another TWG.

  4. Forestry and Environment TWG reported some progress in implementing JMIs, but raised their constraints of lacking budget to implement the JMIs.

  5. Gender TWG pointed out the necessity to adopt the sub-decree for the implementation of the DV Law, which requires both MoWA and MoI to put this agenda on their priority list. In addition, the TWG also seeks for close cooperation between MoJ and MoWA, regarding the issue of the adoption of the law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation.

  6. PAR TWG stressed little progress in implementing action planning under the Strategy for Phasing Out Salary Supplementation, and sought for greater and timely support is from TWGs.

Harmonisation, Alignment and Results Action Plan

6.     The majority of TWGs have reported some progress in implementing the H-A-R Action Plan. Three TWGs (Food Security and Nutrition; Infrastructure and Regional Integration, and Private Sector Development and Trade), however, did not report on the issues. Partnership and Hamonisation TWGs reported that a mechanism based on the regular reporting by TWGs to GDCC secretariat has been established to facilitate and monitor the implementation of H-A-R Action Plan.

Resource mobilization

7.     With regard to resource mobilisation to implement their Action Plans between March 2006 and January 2007, 11 TWGs have reported they have been able to mobilise resources. Two TWGs (Legal and Judicial Reform, Public Administration Reform) reported they are not able to mobilise resources and other five TWGs did not report on the matter. Forestry and Environment TWG reported they are able to mobilise resources, but there is remaining resource gaps of about USD 6.5 million. Fisheries TWG pointed out that to support their Action Plan, there is DFID/DANIDA Natural Resources and Livelihoods Programmes, but little funding from other donors is still a concern for its sector programme.

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