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1. H.E. Chhieng Yanara, chairman of the Partnership and Harmonization TWG and Secretary General of CRDB/CDC, welcomed all participants to the meeting. In his opening remarks, he listed the main objectives of the meeting as to jointly discuss the P&H TWG Work Plan for 2010, the progress in applying aid effectiveness priority work at sector levels, the preparation for the Third CDCF and the production of the Aid Effectiveness Report 2010, and the Paris Declaration Evaluation. Furthermore, he emphasized that strong commitments of government agencies, development partners and NGOs would be essential in implementing and achieving the aid effectiveness work. Therefore, CRDB/CDC would play coordination and facilitation roles to support this work particularly maintaining support to the development of Program-Based Approaches, promoting of Capacity Development and National Systems, and ensuring Mutual Accountability in aid partnership between RGC and development partners as well as civil societies. Cambodia would also remain active in global processes and the Secretary General informed the group that he had written to the OECD/DAC Working Party co-chairs in December requesting them to encourage development partners to narrow the gap between headquarter commitments and country-level implementation as part of a broader effort to strengthen our joint aid effectiveness efforts. 2. The agenda items of the meeting were:
i. Partnership and Harmonization TWG 2010 Annual Work Plan ii. Aid Effectiveness JMIs (MA, Education, A&W TWGs) iii. Concept Note of Aid Effectiveness Report 2010 iv. Data issues (including Data Validation, Mission Database, Paris Declaration baseline) v. Briefing on the Evaluation of the Paris Declaration Phase II
[All presentations are available on www.cdc-crdb.gov.kh]
Partnership and Harmonization TWG 2010 Annual Work Plan
3. Mr. Ros Salin, Head of Aid Coordination Policy Department of CRDB/CDC, presented the P&H TWG 2010 Annual Work PlanHe also raised the five comments received from P&H TWG members regarding the 2010 P&H TWG work plan were: (1) Promoting the use of country systems should be conducted throughout the year of 2010; (2) The updated progress of the taskforce on strengthening and managing of the integration between central planning, budgeting and aid management processes and the linkages of the integration process should be clarified; (3) The TC guideline should be followed up and incorporated in the work plan; (4) promoting the implementation of AAA and national aid coordination policies. It should be useful to discuss more between P&H TWG and NGO representatives in leading aid effectiveness forum for the assurance of related issues on aid effectiveness; and (5) Timing related to PD Evaluation study.
4. In response to comments raised, H.E Chair firstly indicated some points on the proposed ToR for the study on the use of country systems as following:
· First, the mapping of the assessment would provide a better understanding of country system; yet the mapping of assessment would be based on the findings of the study. · Second, even the study commissioned by European Commission and external consultants, P&H TWG would take this study seriously and seek for what support that P&H TWG could provide. · Third, the definition of country system should be clear in respecting to AAA and PD frameworks mainly focusing on PFM, Planning and other country systems of the government. · Therefore, the study should ensure the government framework on country systems would be implemented at sector level through the focus on some specific sectors like Health, Education, D&D, and so forth.
5. The P&H TWG would look at the possibility to including Technical Cooperation on Capacity Development into the work plan.
Linkages between central planning, budgeting and ODA management
6. After the representative from Ministry of Planning mentioned on the progress made by taskforce, H.E. Chair stated that the taskforce for managing the process of harmonization between planning, government public investment expenditure and aid cooperation financing, including MoP, MEF, CRDB/CDC and SNEC, was established in August 2009 by the RGC and worked under the Committee for Economic and Finance Policy chaired by H.E. Deputy Prime Minister KEAT Chhon. The taskforce organized the meetings two times already to discuss the process and function of the members. In addition, the next meeting of TWG-PPR would discuss in details on how TWG-PPR and its DPs could provide support to the integration process. Therefore, MoP was requested to take the lead in the process of development ToR for the international consultants, and the draft of ToR should be finalized before the next TWG-PPR meeting.
7. Furthermore, H.E. Chair mentioned that, as the consensus at SNEC meeting last year and based on the Organic Law on D&D, the studies or the reforms on the integration between planning, government public investment expenditure and aid cooperation financing should be undertaken in more comprehensive manner which instead of focusing on one ADHOC of particular issues.
Promoting the implementation of AAA and national aid coordination policies
8. H.E Chair also appreciated the efforts made by CCC, the representative of NGO communities, so far in promoting of aid effectiveness at sub-national levels. It should be useful to conduct the consultation on aid effectiveness between RGC and NGOs at national level rather than at sub-national level. Indeed, in 2010 there would be the identification critical activities that NGOs could support the aid effectiveness’ work of the government. In this case, NGOs should work at the sub-national levels to provide better understanding on aid effectiveness and aid effectiveness priorities for Cambodia.
Timing related to PD Evaluation study
9. The draft report of PD evaluation phase II would be submitted by the evaluation teams to the National Reference Group (NRG) for discussing and finalizing as schedule at the end of April 2009. Furthermore, the brief of the findings of the evaluation would be submitted by the Evaluation Team to CRDB/CDC on 19th March 2010. The important brief findings would be the main source of AER 2010 and for the Third CDCF.
JMI on Aid Effectiveness Priority (Progress, Achievement and Challenges)
10. Education, Mine Action and Agriculture & Water TWGs made a brief presentation on status, achievements and challenges of their respective aid effectiveness JMIs. The objective of the presentation was to promote further discussion on sector-focus aid effectiveness priorities.
§ TWG-Education clarified that Education congress and Annual Operational Plan (AOP) was remarkable progress. Nevertheless the capacity development still had some uncertain elements such as formulation of a comprehensive capacity development plan, initiative and incentive scheme; however, it would be expected to discuss on these issues in the near future. Besides, the collaboration between line-department and DPs, the consistency between Education Sector Support Program (ESSP) and public budget and PIP, infrastructure expenses, involvement of DPs in AOP were still challenging. § TWG-Mine Action mentioned that its identified aid effectiveness priority was well progress. The development of the National Mine Action Standard (NMAS), supported by United Nation Development Program (UNDP), would be important in strengthening aid effectiveness mechanism of Mine Action. This document would be translated in Khmer version then submitted to Council of Ministers (COM). The result on conducting Aid Effectiveness Research on Mine Action, funded by Cambodian Rehabilitation Development Board (CRDB), would be submitted to TWG-MA for review. However, the challenge still exited related to project funding by DPs. TWG suggested that program/project funding should get through responsible ministries and funded project provided by DPs should not parallel with the government projects. § TWG-AW mentioned, regarding the first aid effectiveness priority - finalizing the integrating and prioritizing the five programs, that the finalization of the integrating and prioritizing the five programs were approved by the TWGAW co-chairs in 2008/2009 under the Strategy for Agriculture and Water (SAW) which aimed to prioritize, sequence, align and harmonize on each component/sub and their activities. Presently, this harmonized SAW program was finalized and ready for submission to the minister for approval. Second, regarding the second aid effectiveness priority- developing a common framework and mechanism to implement the SAW programs, Public Expenditure Reform (PER) were prepared for SAW implementation, PIP was align with SAW, there were Sub-national level consultations, and DPs and RGC provided funding commitment and in SAW implementation. TWG prepared implementation plan and followed up organic law on D&D for SAW implantation.
12. It was agreed by DP’s representatives that harmonization from donors and also between relevant ministries should be addressed. They also indicated that perhaps 4 or 5 specific programs should be carefully monitored and brought them to discuss at the next TWG P&H meeting. In addition, Program Based Approach (PBA) should be understood in the same way and at all levels of aid effectiveness implementers. Indicators for all TWG activities could also be improved and CRDB/CDC agreed to address this issue.
13. In this regards, H.E. Chair remarked that CRDB/CDC would continually provide support to all TWG upon request in term of aid effectiveness of other sector levels. He also reminded that all TWG Chairs should work with Lead facilitators of TWG to provide a short progress report approximately 1-2 pages on progress made in implementing their JMIs and aid effectiveness priorities as well as identify the new JMIs and submitted to CDC by March 06th 2010 for the Third CDCF meeting.
14. Mr. Philip Courtnadge, Senior advisor to CRDB/CDC, indicated that PBA seemed to have emerged in Cambodia to implement global commitment for Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda for Action. It enforced the ownership in terms of identifying and clarifying what national priority would be. Policy agenda had been involved much stronger consensus in the last year and a half in which the PBA is the most relevant and sensible way to bring together the practices of DPs, promote ownership, coordinate technical cooperation according to RGC capacity needs, and to ensure a results-focus in the work. Concept Note of AER 2010 15. H.E. Chair informed the meeting that CRDB/CDC had responsibility in producing Aid Effectiveness Reports. Therefore, the format of the AER 2010, as articulated in the concept note provided, would follow the same format of previous AER used in the last CDCF meeting. He also requested all P&H TWG members including RGC agencies and DPs to provide feedbacks and comments on the concept note of AER 2010 within two weeks after the meeting. The evaluation of PD would be the main source of qualitative evidence of the 2010 AER.
Data Issues 16. Regarding the validation process, H.E. Chair mentioned that the disbursement data 2009, 2010 and the projections over the next three years would be very important to PD evaluation exercise. This data would also be useful for clarifying the 12 indicators of PD monitoring survey 2011 which would be conducted next year, particularly indicator 3 (aid on budget) and indicator 7 (aid predictability). Even though there were some issues related to supplement salary that may affect the estimated disbursement for 2010, H.E. Chair has asked DPs to continue the process of data validation, and it should be done before 10th March 2010. The Paris Declaration baselines for the 2011 survey exercise were also presented and passed without comment 17. In response to concern raised by DPs on the uncertainty related to supplement salary scheme, H.E. Chair has raised two questions which were: § Whether we should continue implementing the supplement salary during the six-month transition period? § Whether we could reach agreement at CDCF on new scheme on incentive called Daily Operational Cost? 18. The Mission Database, linked to the Cambodia ODA Database by CRDB/CDC, would allow DPs to record their missions to Cambodia and development partners were encouraged to use the Mission database for planning, coordination and also as a tool to support the 2011 survey. Moreover, the discussion on parallel database between CDC and MoP was in the process; however, there should be a single information system that could response to the needs of all Government ministries and agencies. MYIFF for the Third CDCF would focus on data in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and its draft would be discussed more between RGC and DPs on 16 February. However, DPs were requested to consult with the headquarters regarding planned disbursement and projections to Cambodia over the next three years. Briefing on the evaluation of the Paris Declaration Phase II 19. Evaluation Team from VBNK, Mr. Vanly Virya and Mr. Arthur Delvecchio, and from RBMG, Ms. Melinda MacDonald, and Mr. Michael Miner, addressed the meeting by giving the presentation on the processes of PD Evaluation Phase II Exercise in Cambodia and the timeline of the Evaluation Task Analysis work plan. As a result, the brief findings on PD evaluation would be submitted to CRDB/CDC on 19th March 2010. The first draft of the consolidated evaluation report would also be submitted to CRDB/CDC on 13th April 2010. Any other business
20. Based on the result of Workshop on Managing for Development Result that was organized by CRDB/CDC for RGC and DPs in November 2009, the JMI format would be revised to improve quality, partnership-based features, especially to ensure the development effectiveness as it was mainly focused by AAA. A meeting of TWG Chairs, organized on 16th February 2010, would provide the opportunity to the joint reflection on revising and developing the new format of JMIs for the Third CDCF based on development result and development effectiveness.
21. Regarding the selection of P&H TWG co-facilitator, SIDA would become a co-facilitator of P&H TWG.
22. The meeting was adjourned around 5.30 pm.
Report by: Aid Coordination Policy Department February 11, 2010 |