Enhancing country ownership of Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS)

1. Enhancing country ownership of Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS) Filippo CavassiniThe World Bank PRS Day Accra, Ghana May 2, 2005

2. Presentation outline • Country ownership in context. • A framework to assess country ownership of PRSs. • Country experiences. • Challenges.

3. 1. Country ownership in context Country ownership underpins the PRS process together with… • Long-term Vision -short-term and medium-term policies integrated into a national development strategy linked to a long-term vision and the budget. • Country-led Partnership -coordination, alignment and harmonization of development assistance under government leadership. • Results Focus -continuous evaluation of performance to review and update policies and programs.

4. …and it is regularly assessed through… • Assessments of PRS process • Joint World Bank-IMF Assessments of Progress in Implementation of PRSs (since 2000). • World Bank CDF Progress Reports (since 1999). • OED and IEO Evaluations of PRS initiative (2004). • Case Studies • Country case studies on PRS implementation prepared by OED and IEO for evaluations of PRS initiative (2004). • World Bank four case studies on country ownership of PRSs in Bolivia, Ghana, Kyrgyz Republic and Senegal (2005). …and many others undertaken outside the World Bank and the IMF (e.g. SPA/ODI, UNDP Evaluation Office, Oxfam)

5. Some findings of the 2005 CDF Progress Report for the 55 countries implementing a PRS or IPRS… • 73% have taken action to develop a coherent long-term vision and medium-term strategy linked to the budget, with 16% advanced. • 63% have taken action toward deepening country ownership of national development strategy, 12% of which are advanced. • In 47% governments have taken some action to provide more leadership for internal and external partners to align and forge partnerships around a single national development strategy, 10% of which exercise strong, effective leadership. • In 47% greater attention to results has led to stronger data collection, more transparency and efforts toward a country level M&E system that informs strategy refinements, 4% of which are advanced.

6. 2. A framework to assess country ownership of PRSs • What is country ownership? • Country ownership of PRSs multidimensional. • Country ownership of PRSs dynamic. • The factors of country ownership.

7. What is country ownership? • Locus of initiative, intellectual conviction, public support from leadership and stakeholders, institutionalization. • Operational approach to country ownership elusive. • Participation often used as a proxy for ownership.

8. Country ownership of PRSs multidimensional • Internal dimensions • Broad agreement within the executive on country priorities. • Broad support among national institutions (parliament, local governments). • Broad support among internal partners/domestic stakeholders (civil society, private sector). • External dimensions • Needs and priorities of individual countries rather than those of external partners shape the PRS. • External assistance aligned with PRS. • Progressive move toward use of country systems to support PRS implementation and M&E.

9. Country ownership of PRSs dynamic • Unlikely to be achieved in any one PRS cycle • Capacity constraints. • Entrenched practices and vested interests. • Institutional and political structures. • Continuum • Learning by doing. • Evolving as strategy implementation progresses.

10. The factors of country ownership • Leadership within and participation across the executive. • Government-stakeholder dialogue. • Role and impact of national institutions. • Role and impact of internal partners. • Role and impact of external partners. • Political and economic shocks.

11. 3. Country experiences • Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda. • Presented within the factors of country ownership.

12. Leadership and participation across the executive • Clear alignment of finance and planning • Uganda: The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development leads PEAP implementation. • PRS formulation and implementation embedded in interministerial coordination mechanisms and linked to MTEF • Mozambique: Economic Council (line ministries + Central Bank) approved PARPA and coordinating PARPA implementation and MTEF. • Line ministries aligning sector action plans with PRS priorities • Senegal: 24 sector operation programs + national workshop to harmonize them.

13. Government-stakeholder dialogue • Mechanism for systematic consultations, with mutually agreed objectives/timetable • Senegal: terms of reference and timetable for consultations agreed by government and stakeholders at a National Seminar prior to PRS formulation. • Burkina Faso: regional councils as permanent venue for dialogue with stakeholders + yearly participatory CSLP revisions at the national and regional levels. • Communication strategies including PRS translated into local languages • Ghana: Development Communication Enhancement Program: simplified version of GPRS circulated in local languages + broad dissemination of Progress Report + website. • Malawi: radio campaign prior to the launch of the MPRS, and the Malawi Economic Justice Network disseminating information on the MPRS through the radio, newspapers, and training programs.

14. Government-stakeholder dialogue (cont.) • M&E system incorporating information exchange between government and stakeholders • Tanzania: Poverty Monitoring Steering Committee – joint government – stakeholder committee revised medium-term indicators to strengthen coherence with PRS objectives.

15. Role and impact of national institutions • Parliamentary committees contributing to PRS formulation and implementation • Ghana: parliamentary committee on the GPRS presenting report to plenary during GPRS formulation + special committee on poverty reduction to oversee GPRS implementation. • Local development plans compatible with PRS • Uganda: district development plans feeding into 2004 update of PEAP. • Burkina Faso: formulation of ten regional strategies feeding into formulation of CSLP II.

16. Role and impact of internal partners • Umbrella CSOs facilitating deepening of dialogue • Tanzania: NGO policy forum, chaired by member NGOs on a rotating basis, participating in PERs and contributing to formulation of new PRS (NSGPR). • Senegal: CONGAD, Collectif and Trade Unions facilitating dialogue between government and civil society during DSRP formulation and implementation.

17. Role and impact of external partners • Alignment of assistance strategies with PRS priorities • Uganda: partnerships principles to guide dialogue with external partners – joint country assistance strategy.

18. Political and economic shocks • Interruptions due to political and economic events to be factored in • Ghana: 2001 government change strengthening GPRS process but effects of 2000 economic crisis reducing resources and affecting GPRS macroeconomic framework.

19. 4. Challenges • Integrating PRSs into national planning instruments, linked to long-term visions can strengthen sustainability. • Involvement of line ministries and local governments in PRS formulation and implementation can help broaden consensus on PRS objectives and facilitate implementation. • Permanent mechanisms for sustained dialogue between government and country stakeholders can help embed participation into national decision-making processes. • Involvement of national institutions can enhance accountability. • Representation of stakeholders through umbrella organizations, which consult with their members prior to engaging the government, can increase transparency.