COUNCIL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CAMBODIA (CDC)

KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA

Nation Religion King

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Council for Social Development

THE STATUS OF POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY

The 6th Donor Consultative Group Meeting

CDC, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

June 20-21, 2002

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I. CAMBODIA POVERTY

1. Poverty Map 2000

- Poor commune is classified into 4 categories: <10%, 10-25%, 25-40%, >40% poor Households.

- Poorest provinces are Siemreap, Kampong Thom, Preah Vihea.

II. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT (2nd Semester 2001-1st Semester 2002)

2. Institutional Arrangements

- CSD consisted of 13 members from 11 Ministries: the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport, the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Labor, Vocational Training, and Youth Rehabilitation, the Ministry of Women’s and Veteran’s Affairs, the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction, the Council of Ministers, and the Council for the Development of Cambodia.

- CSD has added 3 new members namely the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Public Work and Transport, and the National Bank of Cambodia.

- Social Sector Working Group chaired by UNICEF consists of three sub-WGs: health SWG (WHO), education SWG (UNESCO), and food security SWG (WFP).

- GSCSD consisted of:

• Four thematic WGs: Poverty Monitoring and analysis WG, Sectoral WG, Social aid WG, and Administration and Logistic WG.

• Poverty monitoring and analysis technical unit (PMATU) is staffed by 10 National Professionals supported by UNDP and SIDA.

• Ten Social Development WGs from line-Ministries.

- GSCSD has added 3 new WGs from the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Public Work and Transport, and the National Bank of Cambodia.

- National workshop, national poverty forum, and regional consultation are the mechanisms to mobilize all stakeholders to participate in the development process of the PRSP.

- PRSP sector WGs were established under the support of the WB. The three PRSP WGs were established: in the MAFF, the MRD, the Ministry of Water Resource and Meteology.

- Four stakeholder WGs have been set up, namely Donor WG (chaired by UNICEF), NGO WG (chaired NGO Forum), Parliamentarian WG, and Private Sector WG. Four technical staff have been nominated to work in each WG.

3. Work Plan and PRSP Formulation

- Started from September 2001 and scheduled to finalize in October 2002.

- PRSP Work plan was revised after Stakeholder Workshop on 9 April 2002.

- Draft PRSP Outline and Action Plan Matrices were presented at the National Workshop on 28-29 May 2002. The feedback from the National Workshop was incorporated and the consolidated outline and action plan matrices were presented at CSD meeting on 11 June 2002 to get final inputs and changes.

- The costing of action plan matrices, linked to the budget proposal will be developed after the final consolidation of the PRSP outline and the action plan matrices. The costing is expected to commence in late June or early July 2002.

- The first draft PRSP is going to be prepared in early July 2002.

- The second draft PRSP is scheduled to prepare in late August or early September 2002.

- The final draft PRSP is scheduled to complete in October 2002.

4. Poverty Diagnostics and Monitoring

- The Poverty Monitoring and Analysis Project funded by UNDP/SIDA is currently working on the diagnostics of poverty and poverty monitoring. The output of the project is incorporated in the PRSP document.

- The first phase of the Project has followed the six modules:

• Module 1: PMATU set up and General Operation

• Module 2: Training PMATU, MOP/GSCSD

• Module 3: PMA improvement plan

• Module 4: Proposal for PMA Management Information System

• Module 5: Study on MDG implication at sub-regional level

• Module 6: Preparation of HSES 2002-2003

- Currently the Project is working on the localization of the Poverty, Vulnerability, and Inequality (PVI) outcome indicators.

- The Project, along the process, has provided the on the job training to the PMATU National Professionals and GSCSD members.

- The study of the previous Cambodia’s Socio-economic surveys such as CSES 1997, CSES 1999, and CDHS 2000, based on which the Project is going to conduct Household Socio-economic survey in 2002-2003.

5. PRSP Outline

I. Introduction

II. Poverty Diagnostics

III. Macroeconomic Framework

IV. Strategies and Priority Actions

A. Sectoral Strategies

B. Cross Sectoral Strategies

V. Process of Participation

VI. Monitoring and Evaluation

VII. Resource Allocation

VIII. Conclusion

Annex

• Poverty Map

• Food Security and Nutrition Map

• Action Plan Matrices

6. Action Plan Matrices

- The format of the Action Plan Matrices:

            •            Objectives
            •            Constraints
            •            Policy Direction and Actionable Measures
            •            Targets/Indicators

- The consolidated Action Plan Matrix consists of 12 Ministries’ action plan matrices.

It includes 127 objectives and 581 actions, and contains 98 pages.
- The Action Plan Matrix’s Criteria:

            •            Pro-poor
            •            High priority
            •            Integrated cross-cutting strategies
            •            No overlapping action
            •            Integrated comments from the National Workshop
            •            Consistent with the National Budget
            •            Realistic and achievable

7. The Participatory Process

- The monthly meeting of GSCSD started in January 2002.

- First National Poverty Forum was conducted in March 4-5, 2002. Around 200 participants attended the NPF.

- The Stakeholder Workshop on 9 April 2002 to widely open for participation in the process of PRSP formulation from all stakeholders. Around 150 participants attended the Workshop.

- The National Workshop on PRSP outline and action plan matrices was conducted on 28-29 May 2002. Around 300 participants attended the National Workshop.

- The CSD/GSCSD meeting was held on 11 June to finalize the PRSP Outline and the Action Plan Matrices.

III. MAJOR CONSTRAINTS

8. Government Human Resources

- More capable core staff

- Local consultant of sector

9. International consultant working on the substance of the PRSP

10. Minimum need inputs required

11. Cooperation and coordination among all committed stakeholders to fully participate in the PRSP formulation process

12. Time frame constraint (October 2002)

IV. CHALLENGES AHEAD

13. Institutional Arrangement

- PRSP sector WGs to be established in MOH and MOEYS

- Strengthening coordination of 4 stakeholder WGs, donor WG, NGO WG, legislative branch WG, Private Sector WG and the nomination of the right technical staff to these four WGs.

- Additional members of CSD and GSCSD from 8 more ministries namely the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteology, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Energy, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Information.

14. PRSP Formulation

- The costing of the action plan matrices to be linked with the available and constraint national budget (July 2002).

- The first draft PRSP to be prepared in early July 2002.

- The second draft PRSP to be prepared in late August or early September 2002.

- The final draft PRSP to be completed in October 2002.

15. Poverty Diagnostics

- The on-the-job training on the poverty analysis.

- Household Socio-Economic Survey to be conducted from October 2002 to mid-2003.

16. The Participatory Process

- Strengthening cooperation with Donor Social Sector Working Group (SSWG).

- Regular GSCSD monthly meeting.

- The second National Poverty Forum to be conducted in 02 July 2002 to discuss such issues as PVI, the Role of NGOs in the Poverty Monitoring, and the Questionnaires for the 2002-2003 HSES.

- The three regional consultation at the provincial level to be conducted in Siemreap, Kompong Cham, and Sihanouk Ville.