TWG Network meeting on Development Effectiveness

27-28 February 2012

Feedback form – consolidated comments

 

1. Results-based monitoring

 

How useful was this session?

  • Government respondents (25) gave this session an average of 4.3 out of 5. The highest score was 5 (12 respondents), the lowest score was 3 (4 respondents).

  • DP/NGO respondents (23) gave this session an average of 3.7 out of 5. The highest score was 5 (2 respondents), the lowest score was 2 (1 respondent).

Other comments provided by respondents

Questions were asked about the main lessons and areas of focus for future work, the use of a proposed Managing for Development Results Community of Practice, and the need for further CRDB/CDC support. Responses focused on four main sets of issues. In order of frequency, these are:

 

  • The interest in developing results frameworks (mainly at sector level) & CRDB support
  • The importance of integrating ODA into budget frameworks at sector level
  • The need to clarify the JMIs and their link to sector and national results frameworks
  • The importance of producing a robust NSDP monitoring framework

 

2. Development effectiveness – PBAs, country systems and the core reforms

 

How useful was this session?

  • Government respondents (25) gave this session an average of 4.3 out of 5. The highest score was 5 (10 respondents), the lowest score was 3 (3 respondents).

  • DP/NGO respondents (21) gave this session an average of 3.6 out of 5. The highest score was 5 (2 respondents), the lowest score was 2 (2 respondents).

Other comments provided by respondents

Questions were asked about the main lessons and areas of focus for future work, and the need for further CRDB/CDC support. Responses focused on five main sets of issues. In order of frequency, these are:

 

  • PBA implementation is a priority for many TWGs (see the workshop report), especially with a focus on strengthening systems through the application of the core reforms.
  • Promoting TWG effectiveness (leadership, revision of TORs to cover the application of the core reforms and systems strengthening).
  • The need to develop relationships beyond the TWG, including other RGC ministries/agencies for cross-cutting issues and to those that lead the reforms, as well as the private sector.
  • The need for PBAs to be based, especially in the early stages, on comprehensive resource frameworks (BSP/AOP) that are linked to a sector results framework.
  • CRDB/CDC support should include support to PBA roadmap development and to improved knowledge management (developing tools and access to model examples of PBA components and their application other sectors).
 

3. Partnering and dialogue mechanism

 

How useful was this session?

  • Government respondents (25) gave this session an average of 4.3 out of 5. The highest score was 5 (11 respondents), the lowest score was 3 (2 respondents).

  • DP/NGO respondents (22) gave this session an average of 3.5 out of 5. The highest score was 5 (2 respondents), the lowest score was 2 (3 respondents).

Other comments provided by respondents

Questions were asked about the main lessons and areas of focus for future work, need for further CRDB/CDC support. More than half of the responses recognised the need to improve partnership and dialogue quality but did not make any specific recommendation. In general, the responses focused on three main sets of issues. In order of frequency, these are:

 

  • Strengthen dialogue quality, especially between senior-level counterparts, and its coverage to focus on results and the resources (domestic and external) that need to be managed in a coherent framework (e.g. in a single BSP/AOP)
  • Improve the use and application of existing tools (PBAs, partnership principles) to bring together all DPs (some decline to join) and major CSOs, as well as to explore opportunities for working more closely with regional partners/donors and private sector
  • Many development partners identified the need to improve TWG leadership/ownership and coordination across sectors as TWGs were currently not addressing some development issues that partners wish to discuss

 

4. Overall impressions and feedback for the future

 

Overall, how useful was this meeting in supporting the work of your TWG?

  • Government respondents (25) gave the overall meeting an average score of 4.6. The highest score was 5 (12 respondents), the lowest score was 3 (1 respondent).

  • DP/NGO respondents (22) gave the overall meeting an average score of 3.6. The highest score was 5 (4 respondents), the lowest score was 1 (1 respondent).

Other comments provided by respondents

Questions were asked about the preparation and organization of the meeting and how it could be made more effective and useful in the future. In the responses to the three sessions (above) there was little distinction between the suggestions made by Government and DP/NGO participants. In this final set of suggestions, however, there was a marked difference between the two groups. Most Government respondents left this section blank, offered thanks for a good meeting or asked for future meetings to be broadly similar. Of the very few more critical Government observations, these mainly related to logistics (advance sharing of the documents, having them prepared in Khmer, insufficient DSA etc). Conversely, almost all development partners provided lengthy comments and suggestions. These bullet points therefore relate almost exclusively (but not entirely) to development partner inputs:

 

  • Almost without exception, every DP response observed the need for more senior-level RGC representation for the meeting to be useful in promoting TWG performance/results
  • Future meetings should include more senior-level MEF/CAR/NCDD representation as the core reforms are the main entry points for capacity/systems development
  • Future meetings should allow more time for: (i) other TWGs (especially good performers) to present to offer practical advice on how to promote TWG performance; (ii) dialogue within TWGs based on a simpler and more focused review/reporting template
  • Full meetings of each TWG would be useful to prepare for the retreat by allowing inputs and suggestions of all TWG members