Sustaining Participation in Poverty Reduction Strategies Labadi Beach hotel, Accra, Ghana

1. Contextual Analysis, Malawi: (PRSP outlook...)byDalitso Kingsley KubalasaProgramme Manager,Malawi Economic Justice Networkdkubalasa@mejn.mw Sustaining Participation in Poverty Reduction Strategies Labadi Beach hotel, Accra, Ghana 2nd May 2005

2. Who? Why? What? • Who we are (our values) • MEJN, Economic Governance focus (Organisational brief) • Our values • Strength in unity of our members • A holy anger at the injustice and suffering of the poor • A spirit of selfless service, not what-is-in-it-for-us • A belief in the power of people to change the situation • Reckless courage and determination to overcome insults, opposition, abandonment and resource scarcity • A learning adventure to put theory into practice • Why am I here? • Malawi’s Contextual Analysis sharing: PRSP participation • Pre-Formulation • Formulation • Post-Formulation • Setting the morale for Stakeholders’ proactive engagement towards sustaining the agenda as key players • What we do • Budget / Policy Analysis & Popularization • PRSP/Budget Monitoring: Evidence-based Advocacy through Participatory Research & Dissemination • Capacity Building (Economic Literacy & Budget Literacy cum Budget Participation Initiative)… • …

3. Presentation Outline • Introduction: stepping up the debate • Poverty Reduction concept Advent • Influencing Governance • Big Questions around PRSP successes… • Challenges & Consensus Building

4. Introduction: The Paper • Malawi perspective: • Overview: Debate on PRSP (processes and impact) • Formulation • Implementation • Policy influence

5. Civil Society background Synergies and collaboration are key to success - reduce risk of achieving nothing by trying to do ‘everything’ • Network mandate:Civil Society Division of labor concept • Networking for max. coverage (monitoring & empowerment) • Local level; District Chapters establishment; conduits of infor. & empowerment programmes to grassroots/decentralized local level structures • National level; Sister sectoral-specific networks’ close collaboration I.e. CISANET, CSCQBE, MHEN… and other stakeholders (Govt., Donors, Parliamentary Committees e.g. Budget & Finance, Education, Health…

6. PRSP Advent - Participation? • PRE-FORMULATION – 1999 2000 • Jubilee Debt Cancellation Campaign • Regional support: AFRODAD, JSA; • Mw mobilization>20,000 signatures…, • Total debt cancellation not granted • (Okinawa Conference in Japan, 1998) • Debt relief opted for. Malawi eligible for HIPC 2. • FORMULATION – 2000 to 2002; • First challenge (MEJN) - coordination of CS input in MPRSP formulation • Coordination desk set-up by CSOs Assembly • Agreed campaign change of focus; Economic Justice • A broader economic scope mandated (desk name change to Malawi Economic Justice Network, MEJN). • National Policy Formulation and Implementation • Economic & Budget Literacy capacity of CSOs

7. Formulation cont’d • Challenges … • Acceptance/suspicions; ‘helicopter consultatns’ – rushed process?? • CS Success stories • Lobbying for extension of formulation period to September 2001 and wider representation of CSOs in TWGs; • Ability to advance CS concerns through TWGs. • Consolidation of TWG papers into MPRS, ( rafting team was put in place by the Malawi government. ) • Successful lobbying for CS places in the team - 4 reps admitted into a team of 15 members. • Feedback to the wider civil society, through organised national workshops (MEJN) • Civil society critiqued MPRS drafts • Recommendations were presented to the lead govt. Ministry of Economic Planning and Development (MEPD). • Final MPRSP launched in April 2002.

8. POST-FORMULATION • Translating PRSP into National Budget • PPEs streamlined (sectoral priorities • Ring-fencing – “protected” by govt • Budget Participation Initiative (Budget Literacy) • Assemblies; CSOs; Grass roots – roles and rights (budget formulation & submissions) • Monitoring the implementation (PRSP/Budget) • Independent monitoring of performance (CS), SDSS for PPEs Outcomes, Budget tracking by sectoral-specific networks • Joint (Govt, NSO, CS – PETS) • Reviews • Analyses (Budget) – CS and Pvt. Sector • Assessing govt’s compliance in allocations (PPEs…) • Annual Reviews (PRS) • Assessing compatibility and adaptability to policy environment • Awareness and Advocacy

9. Hope?? Critical PRSP Reviews • Why critical… • To assess the performance of the MPRS and its linkage to the annual budget • To assess the progress made in relation to policies and reforms critical for the implementation of the MPRS • Review the performance of cross cutting issues of the MPRS, • Review monitoring arrangements and existing efforts made during the implementation of the MPRS on monitoring. • Lessons and Experiences

10. Hope cont’d?? What goes… • Closure of resource drainage taps (PRUDENT Public Financial Mgt) i.e. Procurement, Management, etc • Strict enforcement of three legislations; PFMA, PAA & PPA • New opportunities in political will? • Zero tolerance on Corruption • Strengthened independent Budget Monitoring • Input, output & outcome by CSO networks • Links to Portfolio Committees; • Evidence based advocacy: SDSS I & II, other sectoral initiatives • Continued health engagement & collaboration (constituency and national/committee levels)… • Civil Society willingness and enthusiasm to do more • citizens’ proactive roles, rights and responsibilities in community monitoring • Follow-up mechanisms • Empowerment • Policy analysis and popularization, etc

11. Opportunities • Good social capital and positive rapport between CSO leadership and Parliamentary portfolios, Govt (MoF, EP&D) – strengthened and maintained • Existence of a strong modicum of the ‘participant’ type of political culture due to grassroots' work of CSOs, FBO and CBOs… - strengthened policy debate & empowerment • Shared understanding of roles and responsibilities with increased interaction between stakeholders (Donors, Govt, Parliamentary committees and CSOs at all levels…) • Experience sharing and learning from within and from other parts of the world • experience is the greatest teacher • No need to always reinvent the wheel

12. Challenges: Big Questions • Meaningful Partnerships (CSOs, Legislature, Executive…: too close for comfort? • Relations with government & official process: Co-operation vs co-option • Proper balance btwn Professionalism & objectivity • Multiple roles of CSOs too busy with logframes… • Resources; Free more resources for Poverty Reduction • Debt relief (bigger chunks freed for PR activities) • FY 2003/4 budget: 30% debt servicing with a lesser % covering Health, Education and Agriculture in total • How should the proper balance be sustained (Econ. Growth and social sector) • Drawing out strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats from Comp. Review to build towards 2nd generation PRS • Resources; resources; resources • Who leads; who follows; who benefits?