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Finnish Aid in a PRS Context Day 1: Introduction and Overview

Finnish Aid in a PRS Context Day 1: Introduction and Overview. Helsinki Workshop 19-22 May 2003. Plan for Day 1. Introductions and general information Session 1: What are PRSPs and why do we have them? Session 2: Assessing the experience so far Session 3: Aid instruments and the PRSP

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Finnish Aid in a PRS Context Day 1: Introduction and Overview

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  1. Finnish Aid in a PRS ContextDay 1: Introduction and Overview Helsinki Workshop 19-22 May 2003

  2. Plan for Day 1 • Introductions and general information • Session 1: What are PRSPs and why do we have them? • Session 2: Assessing the experience so far • Session 3: Aid instruments and the PRSP • Session 4: Finnish aid – where are we?

  3. Introductions and general information Finnish Aid in a PRS Context Helsinki Workshop 19-22 May 2003

  4. Who are we? • ODI is “Britain's leading independent think-tank on international development and humanitarian issues” • Team for today: • David Booth and Karin Christiansen, Poverty & Public Policy Group • Erin Coyle and Alison Evans, PRSP Monitoring and Synthesis Project

  5. How do we work on PRSPs? • Practical engagement: • support to country activities • policy work with donors • training • Studies and reviews: • of current practice • of key obstacles and challenges

  6. Materials All the training materials for the four-day workshop can be found on: • http://www.odi.org.uk/pppg/activities/country_level/helsinki/index1.html or via Ministry of Foreign Affairs website

  7. Some points about language • PRSP = Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper • PRS = Poverty Reduction Strategy (what is behind the paper) • “Aid” = development cooperation (but it’s shorter!) • If we use unclear language, please tell us!

  8. Session 1:What are PRSPs and why do we have them? Finnish Aid in a PRS Context Helsinki Workshop 19-22 May 2003

  9. What are PRSPs? What everyone knows: • They replace the old Policy Framework Papers as a basic condition for IMF and World Bank (IDA) concessional lending • They play a similar role in Enhanced HIPC debt relief, for eligible countries • They are increasingly the focus for bilateral donors (DAC, SPA, etc.) in improving the quality of aid

  10. The PRSP schedule Preparation Status Report 1st Annual Progress Report 2nd Annual Progress Report etc.. I-PRSP PRSP (I) PRSP (II) 9-24 months 2-5years HIPC(II) Completion Point HIPC(II) Decision Point NB. Joint Staff Assessment (JSAs) are made of all I/PRSPs, status & progress reports; the joint WB/IMF Boards endorse JSAs but do not approve PRSPs

  11. The PRS cycle Policy formulation Financing Like projects, PRSs are supposed to involve a series of steps, so that design is based on evidence and is then improved by learning (M&E) Communication Poverty analysis Monitoring and evaluation Policy implementation

  12. The five PRS “principles” • PRSPs are meant to be: 1) country-driven - involving broad-based participation by civil society and the private sector in all operational steps 2) results-oriented - focusing on outcomes that benefit the poor 3) comprehensive - in recognising the multidimensional nature of poverty

  13. 4) partnership-oriented - involving co-ordinated participation of development partners (bilateral, multilateral, and non-governmental) 5) based on a long-term perspective for poverty reduction • But what is all this really about? • We need to dig a bit deeper ...

  14. Two things that PRSPs are not • They are not a sophisticated new technical device - a “magic bullet” that will solve fundamental problems of development and cooperation • They are not, on the other hand, just a new fad or fashion of the aid business - soon to be replaced by something new • Because ...

  15. The PRSP initiative responds to three long-term realities • Pro-poor policy reforms have been failing for lack of real country commitment (“ownership”) • When country authorities really don’t want to do something, conditionality does not make them do it (that is, do it properly) • Projects get around the immediate problem but further weaken commitment and capacity (disincentives + transaction costs)

  16. Other key antecedents • Poverty top of the international agenda since Social Summit 1995 • From 1996 DAC seeking partnership for more effective, recipients taking a larger role; but not clear how • UNDP support to national anti-poverty strategies from 1996 - but usually weakly-linked to core national decisions such as budget (still in “project” mode)

  17. Implications • PRSPs offer important opportunities: • for poverty to be “mainstreamed” in national systems, providing priorities for both aid and the national budget • for poverty reduction efforts to be more “country owned” and thus more successful • But these are opportunities, not certainties • The success of the PRS initiative depends on three gambles ...

  18. Gamble 1 If governments are obliged to discuss poverty, and what they are doing about it, with citizens, then they are likely to take it more seriously and be held to account more effectively

  19. Gamble 2 If donors have a national PRSP to coordinate around, then donor behaviour and aid management will improve - leading to lower transaction costs, and less damage to national institutions

  20. Gamble 3 If the PRS is taken seriously by all parties, then relations between donors and governments will change more fundamentally - with increased domestic accountability, more effective aid and better poverty outcomes

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