Partnership and Harmonisation Technical Working Group
Terms of Reference
March 2009

I.   Background
The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has established a national coordination and partnership structure that comprises: (a) the Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum (CDCF), for high-level dialogue; (b) the Government-Development Partner Coordination Committee (GDCC), a forum for coordination, dialogue and information sharing; and, (c) a structure of 19 Technical Working Groups (TWGs), to facilitate dialogue and partnership at sector and thematic level. The Partnership and Harmonisation Technical Working Group (P&H TWG) was established in 2004 to provide a forum in which the RGC and development partners could establish and sustain a consensus on aid effectiveness principles and through which the arrangements for implementation of related policy initiatives could be identified, facilitated and reviewed.

The RGC effort to promote aid effectiveness is reflected in its policy documents and associated plans, including the Harmonisation, Alignment and Results (H-A-R) Action Plan (2006-2010) and the Strategic Framework for Development Cooperation Management. In October 2006 a Declaration on Enhancing Aid Effectiveness was co-signed by the RGC and 14 of its development partners.1 As the national effort to promote aid effectiveness has matured, and consistent with complementary global processes that include the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the 2008 Accra Agenda for Action, the P&H TWG has continued to serve as the principal forum for RGC and development partners to identify opportunities for implementing national aid effectiveness objectives and for meeting their global commitments. Efforts have also been made to broaden country-level dialogue and engagement with civil society.

II.   Mandate
The mandate of the P&H TWG is guided by the RGC document on the 'Role and Functioning of the TWGs' (February 2007). The P&H TWG is to support the Royal Government in implementing its policies and plans (Rectangular Strategy Phase II, National Strategic Development Plan), particularly those related to aid effectiveness (Strategic Framework, H-A-R Action Plan), and to facilitate RGC and development partners in meeting their global and national commitments (Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda for Action) by providing advisory and facilitation support on all matters related to aid effectiveness and partnership. The TWG's role is to provide a forum for dialogue and information sharing, for reviewing progress, and for promoting mutual accountability in aid relations; it does not substitute for or replace the RGC as the decision-making and implementing body. The work of the TWG is to be guided by this ToR and by an annual workplan to be agreed by the members of the TWG.

III.   Organizational and Operational Arrangements
The organizational and operational arrangements for the P&H TWG are as follows:

  1. The P&H TWG is chaired by the Secretary General of CRDB/CDC. Its members comprise RGC officials (including representatives of the 18 other TWGs), international and national development partners;

  2. Two co-facilitators, which are nominated by development partners, will support the Chair in organizing meetings, following-up on actions agreed at meetings of the TWG and ensuring efficient communication with the wider development partner community;

  3. The secretariat is comprised of CRDB staff. Its duties include organizing meetings, preparing documentation (including the annual workplan), writing minutes of TWG meetings, routine reporting to GDCC, maintaining membership lists, supporting the monitoring of the respective JMI on aid effectiveness, and any other tasks assigned by the Chair;

  4. Outputs of the TWG are to be defined in annual workplans that are to be presented at the first meeting every year;

  5. The P&H TWG shall meet at least three times per year, including in advance of GDCC meetings;

  6. Documents related to the work of the P&H TWG shall be posted on the CRDB website http://www.cdc-crdb.gov.kh/cdc/gov_workgroup.htm;

  7. In consultation with TWG members, the Chair may form task-specific sub-working groups to address ad hoc issues.

IV.   Tasks and responsibilities
In the context of the TWG's mandate as a forum for discussion and facilitation, and consistent with the principles articulated in the Guideline of the Role and Functioning of the TWGS (2007), the tasks and responsibilities of the P&H TWG include:

  1. To provide a forum for establishing consensus on aid effectiveness priorities that are consistent with the H-A-R Action Plan, the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action;

  2. To provide recommendations on the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of aid effectiveness initiatives related to the H-A-R Action Plan, the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action. This includes support to activities such as: (i) the Paris Declaration monitoring survey; (ii) evaluation of aid effectiveness implementation; (iii) further customisation and increased use of the ODA Database as a coordination tool; (iv) preparation of the Aid Effectiveness Report for CDCF meetings; and (v) the identification and monitoring of an aid effectiveness JMI, including reporting to the GDCC;

  3. To promote information exchange and peer learning on matters related to aid effectiveness – and the JMI on aid effectiveness in particular - and to provide a forum through which good practices may be identified/disseminated and challenges may be discussed in an open and partnership-based manner;

  4. To identify – and seek remedies to - emerging opportunities and challenges that are related to national or global aid effectiveness commitments that may require a response from RGC or its development partners.

V.   Membership of the P&H TWG
The P&H TWG is open to all RGC Ministries and agencies and to all development partners, in consultation with the Chair. Current membership is shown in Annex One.

VI.   Revision of the P&H TWG Terms of Reference
This ToR can be modified at any time based on the recommendation and consensus of the P&H TWG. Its content will be open to review and addressed as an agenda item in the first meeting of the P&H TWG each year.

 

 

Annex One

Membership of P&H TWG (as of March 2009)

Royal Government of Cambodia

  1. CRDB/CDC (Chair and secretariat)

  2. Ministry of Rural Development (RWSSH TWG representative)

  3. Ministry of Economy and Finance (PFM TWG representative)

  4. Ministry of Planning (PPR & FSN TWG representative)

  5. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (A&W, Fisheries, Forestry & Environment TWG representatives)

  6. Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (A&W TWG representative)

  7. Ministry of Environment (Forestry & Environment TWG representative)

  8. Council for Administrative Reform (PAR TWG representative)

  9. Ministry of Interior (D&D TWG representative)

  10. Ministry of Education, Youth & Sport (Education TWG representative)

  11. Ministry of Health (Health TWG representative)

  12. National AIDS Authority (HIV/AIDS TWG representative)

  13. Ministry of Public Works (IRI TWG representative)

  14. Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning & Construction (Land TWG representative)

  15. LJR TWG representative

  16. CMAA (Mine Action TWG representative)

  17. CIB/CDC (Private Sector Development)

  18. Ministry of Women's Affairs (Gender TWG representative)

  19. Council for Agriculture & Rural Development (FSN TWG representative)

Development partners

  1. UNDP (co-facilitator)

  2. ADB

  3. Australia

  4. Canada

  5. CCC (civil society representative)

  6. Denmark

  7. European Commission

  8. France (& AFD)

  9. Germany (& GtZ)

  10. Japan (& JICA)

  11. New Zealand

  12. Spain

  13. Sweden

  14. UK (DfID)

  15. UN Resident Coordinators Office

  16. USA

  17. World Bank

Notes

1/ Second co-facilitator position vacant as of end-March 2009.
2/ EU member countries intend to be represented by a single EU agency.

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