Regional study on the reflection of children’s interests in PRSPs and budgets in West and Central Africa

1. Regional study on the reflection of children’s interests in PRSPs and budgets in West and Central Africa Oxford Policy Management Presentation to UNICEF Regional Social Policy Workshop 12 February 2008

2. Regional study on children’s interests in PRSPs and budgets Purpose and content of presentation • To introduce the study • To articulate our approach • To outline the methodology

3. Regional study on children’s interests in PRSPs and budgets Objective of study • Context: • Common use of national frameworks for development planning • Use of MTEFs and budget process to translate plans into delivery • Post Paris Declaration development environment: changing aid modalities • Need for UNICEF to engage in policy process: state as duty bearer for rights • Purpose: • To provide UNICEF and partners (regional and country) with essential knowledge base and methodology to effectively engage in PRSPs, budget processes and new aid modalities • Therefore to understand the way in which children’s interests are affected by PRSPs, budgets and new aid environment

4. Approach The study will • Follow in region overall -- and in more detail in 5 country case studies -- the translation of issues around the well-being of children and the MDGs through the PRSPs into policy, funding and implementation. • Through identifying gaps in the translation, the study aims to identify binding constraints which are the starting points for articulating specific entry points for UNICEF. These may be policy issues, or system issues. The question is not only the gap, but the cause of the gap. • Focus on 4 priority policy areas • Universal primary education • Gender equality, particularly in education • The reduction of under-five mortality (health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene) • HIV and malaria

5. How does it all hang together: methodology, approach and blocks From broad regional overview to specific focus in country case studies Predominantly a problem in identification & policy formulation Block 1: PRSPs prioritisation of children and MDGs Predominantly in budget planning Block 2: Fiscal space and public expenditures Across policy and budget cycle Block 3: Strengthening of PFM systems Across policy and budget cycle Block 4: New aid modalities Block 5: UNICEF engagement

6. Methodology Phase 1: Regional overview Phase 2: Country Case Studies Phase 3: Synthesis • Placing country findings in regional context • Opportunity to compare and contrast findings across case studies and regional overview • Restricted to policy formulation and prioritisation phases • Articulated policy consistent with child right realisation? • Have financial (and other) resources been prioritised for children specific programmes? • Desk review (17) • Situation analysis for understanding child poverty and policy context • Selection research topics (what are specific current gaps/entry points in countries in five areas) • Underlying policy, public finance and public administration processes • UNICEF engagement essential knowledge base of opportunities and constraints needed to develop strategies for effective engagement in PRSPs, policy and budget processes, as well as the new aid modalities

7. Regional review Broad content • Desk base review (entirely) – 17 in total • In countries with a first generation PRSP, analysis will compare new to old PRSPs – is there a different focus of emphasis? • Contextualised within overall resource frameworks (macro-fiscal), including ODA flows and structure to 17 countries POLICIES SUPPORTING SPENDING PLANS • Policy matrix to analyse prioritisation and treatment of: • Universal primary education • Gender • Reduction under 5 mortality • HIV and Aids and malaria • Social protection • Implementation matrix • Monitoring and indicators • Focus on medium term spending plans not annual budgets • Analysis of expenditures across broad categories compared to total GDP and budgets • Real and nominal increases in spending • A view of pro-poorness of spending within social sectors • A view to whether PRSPs are well-costed

8. Country case studies – activities Burkina Faso, Chad, Ghana, Mauritania and Sierra Leone • In depth situation analysis desk review to understand poverty and policy context – across the policy and budget cycle • Review of statistics • Policies and plans in identified sectors • Structure of the state (central versus decentralised) • Reform programmes • Selection of specific research topics – to understand specific bottlenecks • Dependent on the state of the policy debate • Research questions per case country study will be determined as research progresses and in agreement with UNICEF country office • Qualitative research – country visits • Analysis of specific research question along policy/budget cycle • A look at UNICEF engagement in policy and budget processes so far

9. Regional study on children’s interests in PRSPs and budgets Block 1: PRSP’s prioritisation of children and MDGs How does PRSP address child poverty and child rights? • Does PRSP poverty analysis capture poverty situation of children? • Are inequalities – region, gender, or income status – addressed? • Does policy articulation adequately address identified poverty situation? Is it adequately pro-poor in emphasis? • Does PRSP indicate spending prioritisation of included policies? • Does prioritisation of programmes within sectors match stated policy? (i.e. are pro-poor interventions prioritised in spending?) • Is there an action matrix or log frame identifying coherent implementation framework? • Do monitoring and evaluation indicators reflect goals and underlying poverty situation well? • How is PRSP embedded within overall policy and planning context? (case studies) • Is there another long-term development plan or vision? • Are there regional development plans; if so, how do they relate to PRSP? • What is legal status of PRSP, in relation to other policy documents? • Relationship of PRSP to sector plans? • How has emphasis in PRSP shifted over successive documents? • Which organisation in government responsible for drafting PRSP?

10. Regional study on children’s interests in PRSPs and budgets Block 2: Fiscal space and public expenditure for children Overarching questions: • Changes in the size of overall resource envelope, particularly with respect to ODA flows • Share of expenditure on broad categories compared to total expenditure and GDP • Percentage real and nominal increase in spending across categories • Pro-poorness of spending (e.g. balance between primary, secondary, tertiary) • Regional Overview: focus only on MTEFs and info in APRs • Case studies: look deeper into annual budget process • Will require understanding of: • Macro-fiscal framework • Budget classification • Budget documentation – processes • Inter-governmental fiscal relations • Look beyond MTEF and prioritisation to annual budgets and actual spending

11. Regional study on children’s interests in PRSPs and budgets Block 3: Strengthening PFM systems Overarching questions: • What are the on-going PFM reform programmes? • What weaknesses have they been designed to address? • How does PFM reform relate to decentralisation processes? • What other public sector reforms are there? • Case studies: building on understanding of budget process from Block 2 • Will require understanding of: • Budget execution: responsibilities • Reporting and accountability processes • Opportunities for civil society to participate in and influence budget proces

12. Regional study on children’s interests in PRSPs and budgets Block 4: The new aid modalities Overarching questions: • Importance of ODA relative to domestic revenue and GDP • Potential to undermine macroeconomic balances? • How have aid flows been used (repay debts, savings, or increasing spending?) • Variance between committed and disbursed aid • ODA flows by types of modality (GBS, sector support, SWAps, other types of basket funds, traditional project assistance) • Are new modalities aligned with government budget cycles? • Institutional arrangements for government-donor coordination? • Performance assessment frameworks: aligned with PRSP review cycle? • Predictability of ODA

13. Regional study on children’s interests in PRSPs and budgets Block 5: UNICEF’s engagement in PRSPs and Budgets Overarching questions: • What are roles and responsibilities for policy engagement in CO? • How do staff understand their roles, and how their work relates to Paris Declaration? • PRSPs: • Working groups? • What kind of participation? • Support (consultants, regional, or HQ) enlisted to enhance participation? • Barriers to engagement? • Central budget process: • Level of awareness of key staff of budget/admin/PFM processes? • How do they stay involved/informed? • SWAp/ongoing policy dialogue in sectors: • Nature of CO engagement? • Commitment of financial resources to basket funds? • Technical support provided to line ministries? • Opportunities and challenges faced by staff? • Engagement with CSOs to improve participation in policy process?