Changing the Balance of Power Aid Management Tools Making Aid work: The Challenges for Aid Coordination and Management Aidan Cox, UNDP Regional Centre Bangkok

Slide 2 Goal “Partner countries exercise effective leadership over their development policies, and strategies and coordinate development actions” –Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness

Slide 3 Time to Go Home? Lack of ownership Donor driven aid Lack of clear prioritisation of aid Top down Unclear accountability Poor coordination Lack of predictability – can’t plan effectively Direct funding by donors parallel to Govt National know-how not tapped Aid spread thinly across sectors/locations High transactions costs Little alignment with national systems Nepal Presentation

Slide 4 Making Aid Work: Solutions? “The size of a country’s fiscal space is the principal measure of ownership – anything else is imbued with well-meaning hypocrisy” – Rathin Roy, Manila

Slide 5 But: Past performance suggests major donors will put only small share through Direct Budget Support Even when donors do provide budget support, it may come with a raft of conditionalities – either explicit, or bundled in with technical assistance

Slide 6 Can Aid Management Tools Help? Yes!

Slide 7 How? Philippines: –“Government must know what it wants from Donors, know its own priorities – otherwise aid will reflect the priorities of the donors” (Jeanne Illo) See Gabriel Acasina Report on Aid Management Systems

Slide 8 It’s our carpet, not yours Be clear on the design – then it matters less what colour, quantity and quality of silk donors are offering → You can weave them into your design –If some donor offerings simply don’t fit – you can say so –You can approach some donors to provide specific parts –Your design provides your criteria for deciding what assistance to ask for and on what terms you are prepared to accept it If you don’t have a clear design, the pattern will be driven by what is supplied – and it will end up looking all stripy and blotchy. If so, then whole process has to go back a step – donors need to back off and support the design process instead. Choosing the right carpet design that is appropriate to the country’s needs is key - and that you then have the skill, time, and capacity to implement it Aid management then becomes not just about the supply of threads, where they fit into the design, but also about the ability to build the loom, quality of design, knots, etc. Karin Christiansen, Research Fellow, Overseas Development Institute, London

Slide 9 Turning the Pyramid upside down Ownership is the building block –countries in the sub-region have developed national visions, national development strategies

Slide 10 Turning the Pyramid upside down Ownership is the building block –countries in the sub-region have developed national visions, national development strategies

Slide 11 Too many suppliers of silk? Even if have strong national vision & strategy, results will be poor if too much time spent dealing with donors –India: High transaction costs recognised, and the under $25s asked to work through UN and NGOs –Cambodia: burden of 400 donor missions

Slide 12 Reducing Costs of Doing Business Request Donor focus in 3 sectors only –Focus improves quality –Focus means scarce officials deal with fewer missions, meetings Example of Germany – ‘asked’ to shift sectors (Avoid marriage of convenience)

Slide 13 It’s our carpet, not yours “He who has the gold, makes the rules” –Doc Long, Chairperson of Appropriations Committee Using Aid Management Tools to ensure that all resources – whether through Treasury or through UN/NGO/Private sector work to support national strategy UN required to prepare Business Plans

Slide 14 Changing the balance of power? Expertise $ Knowledge Expertise $ Knowledge Accountability Partnership is not a meaningful term if one partner has all the resources, much of the expertise, most of the information … and takes the decisions

Slide 15 Knowledge can help shift the balance Director of Afghan Assistance Coordination Authority recognised that a world class aid tracking system and team could: –Help mobilise (and sustain) aid flows proof of transparency and accountability hold donors accountable for delivering on their pledges ensure donors are funding the sectors which are agreed

Slide 16 Going beyond aid coordination –Promote integration of external resources within a National Development Framework and Budget enhance credibility of national institutions and domestic decision-making processes – all assistance (‘off’ as well as ‘on’ budget) goes through budget decision making process greater influence on allocative decisions previously taken independently by donors/UN – revitalising cabinet ensure external and domestic resources considered together – more rational overall allocation, greater chance of investments being sustained/maintained DAD enables outputs to be monitored, blockages to be identified Credible national institutions & processes – prerequisite for alignment

Slide 17 UNDP’s package of support Merit-based recruitment and training of national team – Aid Coordination Unit → Budget & External Relations Department Secondment of international adviser to Government Partnership with private sector –Contracted in aid tracking expertise – Synergy International Systems, Donor Assistance Database (DAD) Establishing Government website

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Slide 20 From Aid Tracking to Budget Management In Afghanistan, adapted aid tracking system into tool to prepare the Development Budget – and tried to estimate future recurrent cost implications of investments –Public Investment Programme for each sector, backed by data on ongoing and proposed investments –Common financial summary and project document format for every project (whether designed by Government, donor, UN) Foundation for streamlined reporting of progress against outputs Promotes Government participation: responsible Ministry for every project. Sign off by Line Ministry and donor/UN; submission to MoF Better decision-making & resource allocation

Slide 21 Basic Aid Tracking Simple analysis of commitments against budget requirements is misleading Overstates success in year one, and understates available resources for year 2

Slide 22 Better decisions based on better information Guide to real resource availability against annual budget requirements Shows both domestic and external resources

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Slide 24 National Budget: Livelihood Programme Shows actual projected expenditure by province Allows Government to promote geographical equity

Slide 25 Government-led Coordination Mechanism National Development Forum –Chaired By Government, prepared by Government secretariat Governent-Donor Monthly Forum –Macro and cross-sectoral issues – chaired by Government, prepared by Governent Sectoral CGs – every two months –Chaired by Line Ministry Making Budget process work Promoting Alignment

Slide 26 Partnership Forum Mechanism Government Leadership Avoiding Macro-Micro Paradox (ADB, Bruce Purdue

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Slide 29 Afghan Aid Coordination Unit (Became Development Budget & External Relations Unit) Transition from International TA to Afghan Managers Recruited and trained 25 nationals –Managers –Donor Desk Officers –Database team –Website team –Translators –Administration

Slide 30 Aid Coordination Unit: Officer Responsibilities – Donor and Sector

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Slide 33 End of Main Presentation Additional slides – background information

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Slide 35 Overview of Donor Pledges

Slide 36 Overview by Sector

Slide 37 Demo The default chart appears, in which the amount by Donors is presented

Slide 38 Demo To change the chart format to 3D, select the option from the drop down list

Slide 39 Demo To preview and print the current chart, click on Print Preview.

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Slide 45 Government Website Information sharing Transparency & Accountability Credibility