Nicaragua: Harmonization and Alignment Process

1. Nicaragua: Harmonization and Alignment Process Mauricio Gómez LacayoViceminister – Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2. Harmonization and Alignment of International Cooperation • Objective: • To obtain a more effective, efficient and appropriate development aid • To achieve a larger and greater impact of the external resources by significantly reducing transaction costs • To increase the benefits of the aid recipients • To establish strategic alliances : • Between the Governmental Institutions • Among the National and International Lending Community • With Civil Society

3. Current situation of the Cooperation • Worldwide recognition: impact from cooperation has not been as expected • Cooperation: • dispersed and duplicity of efforts • high transaction costs • weak interagency coordination • weak coordination with and among governmental entities • distorting effect on the capacities of national institutions

4. In this context, what have we done?

5. Monterrey I Coordinating Forum Roma • Analysis • Need for change II Coordinating Forum Proposition of instruments and mechanisms Mechanisms Implementation SWAPs Managua Declaration Strengthening of Cooperation Coordination Consensus on mechanisms Nicaragua´s Process overview Round Tables

6. Along with these Process • We have formed Strategic Alliances • OECD DAC • JCLA Process • OECD DAC Survey • Partner Country Meeting • Regional Forums • South South Cooperation • Harmonization and Alignment Action Plan • Government and Donor Community

7. The Results…. • Strengthening of the National Ownership • Permanent and institutionalised mechanisms • Highlighting H&A Agenda • Gathering Local Actors • Getting International Attention and Support • Obtaining a base line to measure advances and pending tasks • OECD DAC Survey

8. The Remaining Challenges • Ownership • Strengthening our own capacities • Brain Drain • Regulation of Technical Assistance • Dissolution of Parallel Structures • Promoting in a energetic and jointly manner all on going processes • Implementation of H&A Action Plan • Reinforcement of Official Coordination mechanisms

9. The Remaining Challenges • Alignment • Generalized use of Country Systems • SWAPS • Budget Support • Better resources prevision • Vital information for Planning and MTEF • One comprehensive Assessment Matrix • Alignment to the National Budget Cycle

10. The Remaining Challenges • Harmonization • Lower transaction costs • Delegated Cooperation • Information Sharing • Analytic works, studies and reports • Harmonisation of norms and procedures • Joint Missions and Reports • Flexibility in allocation and reallocation of resources

11. How to move Forward… • Making the H&A Agenda the General Agenda • H&A approach should be part of everyone's work and objectives • Donor and Lending Community as well as Government should integrate it into their organizational culture • Finding relatively uncompromising areas to avance on • Little Changes with great impact • Parallels structures back to Government entities • Projects funds to be manage by governmental institutions • Sharing donors resource programming information

12. How to move Forward… • Making concrete compromises by Key Actors • Government • Donor and Lending Community • Civil Society Organizations • Development of a Follow Up system • Strategic Partner • Realistic, Measurable and Reachable

13. How to move Forward… • Creating a dissemination Strategy • Constant information amongst the key actors • Better and Greater Participation • Feedback assurance • Clarification and unification of concepts • All actors moving into the same direction • Unification of efforts • Divulgation of progress made and challenges ahead

14. Conclussions • Change management is a timely manner and both donor and country pace should be respected. • No real progress will be made without a consensual strategy plan backed with real, concrete and measurable compromises from key actors.