National Workshop on Promoting Country Systems in Cambodia

24-25 May 2011

Apsara Angkor Hotel and Spa, Siem Reap

The results of the Cambodia Evaluation of the Paris Declaration, as well as the recent monitoring survey, identifies that the strengthening and use of country systems is still a major challenge in the management of development cooperation resources. To address this priority, which is also one of the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA) commitments, CRDB/CDC, in January 2011, developed a discussion paper, building on an earlier analytical study on strengthening country systems related to planning, budgeting, implementation, procurement, reporting, accounting, monitoring and auditing.

To take this work forward, CRDB/CDC organized a national workshop on promoting country systems on 24-25 May 2011 at the Apsara Angkor Hotel in Siem Reap. The workshop's objectives were as follows:

1. To Discuss and validate the EU/SIDA-funded 2010 report;
2. To Develop a common understanding of opportunities and constraints in country system use;
3. To Agree how the core reforms and PBA work can provide a framework to support further work;
4. To Explore opportunities to develop an assessment tool for common systems, setting out standards and approaches that can support common/joint approaches to country system development;
5. And to identify specific and practical steps towards engaging with sectors, core reforms and systems.
    

After the two day discussion, the workshop highlighted the need to: (i) disseminate information on the major reform programmes; (ii) to coordinate strategically amongst the major reforms to facilitate implementation; (iii) to recognize and address the challenges of managing change; and (iv) to extend leadership and technical support to systems strengthening.

To address these needs, specific and practical steps were identified: (i) a TWG Network meetings to focus more on the core reforms, to discuss the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and potential for more use by the Government and development partners; (ii) harmonization among development partners, under the RGC's leadership, in using the country systems and supporting the core reforms; (iii) using established mechanisms, such as GDCC and the TWG Network, for dialogue and a coordinated approach to leadership; (iv) making resources on the RGC reforms related to strengthening and using national systems available on the website (CRDB/CDC).

A workshop report can be downloaded here

Agenda and PowerPoint presentations can also be viewed below: