Country Experience with Community of Practice on Managing for Development Results

1. Country Experience with Community of Practice on Managing for Development Results Experience of Cambodia Prepared by: Chea Chantum, MOP Phan Palla, MEF Manila, Philippines 22-23 March 2006

2. 1. The political imperative for change to a results management • Cambodia reformed its economy from centrally-planned to a market-based economy in 1989 • Paris Peace Accord in October 1991: Cambodia changed from the State of Cambodia to the Kingdom of Cambodia (constitutional monarchy) • First general election was held in 1993 (still fighting in some areas and Khmer Rouge did not participate) • Second general election was held in 1998 (peaceful in the whole country, but conflict among political parties) • Third general election was held in 2003 (peaceful in the whole country, but disagreement between political parties delayed the forming of a new coalition government) • Cambodia has been integrated itself into the region and the world since 1999.

3. 2. Steps were taken to change the way work is done and improve incentives to support a results management orientation  Since 1993, many plans to guide rehabilitation and development: • National Program to Rehabilitate and Develop Cambodia (NPRDC) in 1994 • First Socio-Economic Development Plan, 1996-2000 (SEDP-I) • Second Socio-Economic Development Plan, 2001-2005 (SEDP-II) to implement Triangular Strategy • National Poverty Reduction Strategy, 2003-2005 (NPRS) • Cambodia Millennium Development Goals (CMDGs) in 2003, • Many sectoral strategies  National Strategic Development Plan 2006-2010 (NSDP): • overarching document giving RGC’s priority goals and strategies • NSDP operationalizes and implements Rectangular Strategy to achieve CMDGs and other priority goals • A PIP 2006-2008 prepared to support NSDP implementation

4. 3. Hindrances and obstacles were faced in the process • Past political instability • Internal conflict in 1997 • The effects of the economic crisis in the region and the Asia on the Cambodia’s economy in 1997 • Lacks of human resources and skills • Scarce resources • No evaluation and monitoring mechanism • Poor governance

5. 4. The greatest need in meeting these • Foster good governance • Clear Monitoring and evaluation approach and mechanism • Improve budget performance and management through: • increased budget expenditure • better targeted (pro-poor) expenditure • Emphasis on institutional and human capacity building in all sectors

6. 5. Key lessons were learned in moving toward a country-outcome focus, results management approach • Joint Technical Working Groups (TWGs) were established to avoid overlapping work and to enhance effective and efficient performance and management (18 TWGs). • Decentralization and deconcentration have been implemented to enhance targeting pro-poor and rural development. • Many reforms are being implemented (especially in public administration, public financing, judiciary and the armed forces) • NSDP provides a clear monitoring and evaluation framework and a mechanism for tracking the implementation of NSDP.