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Regional Training/Consultations on Capacity Development for Sustainable Growth and Human

Development in Europe and CIS

Bratislava, SLOVAKIA

10-11 July, 2007

Capacity development for accountable and responsive public governing institutions at the

regional (area based) level: EU/UNDP Project for Enhancement of Living Standards in Fergana

Valley, Uzbekistan

Jan HarfstConsultant on Area-Based Development in

Post-Conflict & Transition Countries

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Context / Challenges

• Cautious economic reforms coupled with centralized decision-making and lack of political freedom

• Initial stability but growth now lagging behind some neighbours

• Growing regional discrepancies in growth & poverty

• Fergana Valley: 40% of population, but relatively isolated

• Border controls disrupted flow of goods & people in the Valley

• History of inter-ethnic/communal tensions (water) & political unrest

• After “Andijan”, activities of local NGOs/CBOs severely restricted and those of US and International NGOs closed down

• Government’s Welfare Improvement Strategy aims at improving regional planning and promoting decentralization

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EU/UNDP Project for Enhancement of Living Standards in Fergana Valley

• 3 Components:

1. Increase policy formulation & strategic planning capacity at regional, district & community levels in line with WISP

• Training & capacity development of regional/local government & self-governance structures in bottom-up, participatory policy formulation & strategic planning

2. Reinforce local governance development capacity by empowering communities to engage in socio-economic development

• Strengthening organizational capacity of community self-governing structures and support to 50 self-help initiatives in social infrastructure

3. Create and strengthen pilot income generation schemes• microfinance schemes for the poorest and establishment & support to

farmers’ associations/enterprises

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Main Partnerships & Budget

Main Partnerships:• Ministry of Economy

• Regional/District Authorities

• Community Self-Governance Structures

• Local research institutes & consultants

• World Bank, UNICEF, EU, local NGOs

• Farmers’ Associations

Budget:• 1.1 million euros per region for two years

• 40% for seed-grants

• 15% for capacity development (training, study tours, seminars, surveys, mapping, publications)

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Capacity Assessment & Development Methodologies

Defining geographical area of support:• Poorest & most vulnerable regions

• Pilot districts/communities selected based on poverty indicators

• Areas of intervention defined on existing territorial-administrative boundaries

Capacity assessments & response strategies (general):• Clear linkages between national, regional, district, community levels

through bottom-up participatory process

• Strengthen credibility of community-level planning through direct support to community self-help initiatives

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Capacity Assessment & Development Methodologies

Capacity Assessments & Response Strategies (regional/district levels):• No systematic capacity assessment, but no tradition of territorial,

multi-sector planning based on available resources

• Regional/district working groups of government officials & local research institutes established, trained on policy formulation & engaged in development planning

• Tools: Living standard surveys, GIS-based regional/district poverty maps, WISP, sector plans

• Regional seminars in Uzbekistan & international study tours

• Regional Development Strategies & District Development Plans prepared & linked with WISP

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Capacity Assessment & Development Methodologies

Capacity Assessments & Response Strategies (community self-governance level):• Independent assessment of mahalla capacities & constraints

• Establishment of Citizens’ Information & Service Centers

• Social mobilization in pilot communities and training on participatory community development & problem analysis

• Community development planning based on community MDG baseline maps & needs maps

• Seed grants for self-help initiatives in social infrastructure

• Consultative meetings of communities for WIS preparation

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Ownership & Sustainability

• All surveys, mapping, training, facilitation by local institutes/ consultants, trained by international consultants

• Planning exercises lead by regional/district authorities

• Link with WISP provides institutional framework

• Citizens’ Information & Service Centers institutionally linked to Mahalla Funds with mandate to expand services

• Centers funded through Mahalla Fund, mahalla contributions & cost-recovery mechanisms

• Direct involvement of communities in self-help initiatives that are sufficiently small and technically simple to be sustainable

• Lack of administrative/fiscal decentralization may hamper long-term sustainability

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Monitoring & Evaluation

Main progress indicators regional/local policy & planning:• Key persons of local authorities & non-government partners trained• Availability of improved data for policy planning• Regional strategies and District plans prepared

Main progress indicators local governance/community empowerment:

• Community projects implemented by local communities• Mahallas able to participate in policy formulation & planning

Main progress indicators income generation schemes:• Microfinance schemes operational• Farmers’ enterprises created

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Monitoring & Evaluation

• Indicators broken down in more specific sub-indicators

• Progress measurement through monitoring field visits, training evaluation reports, community project completion reports, interviews with local authorities, communities, trainees

• Benchmarks based on household living standards surveys, GIS-based poverty maps, community MDG baseline maps, community needs maps

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Challenges & Lessons Learned

• Practical experiences at local level can help accelerate central-level policy & decision making

• Linking regional/district strategies with WIS & MDGs essential

• Implementation of strategies/plans questionable due to lack of fiscal/administrative decentralization

• Improved capacity at local levels shows that decentralization can work

• Difficulties in promoting citizens’ participation due to lack of civil society partly overcome by supporting self-governing structures

• Focus on improving living conditions can be kept non-political yet result in tangible improvements and genuine empowerment

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Challenges & Lessons Learned

• Communities have mostly focused on single priorities that may remain “one-off” events

• Comprehensive community development planning will promote long-term perspective of needs & priorities and closer links with district plans, regional strategies and national WIS

• Project is strong on measuring quantitative outputs, but weak on measuring outcomes & impact: system currently under preparation

• Project time-frame too short to ensure institutionalization of results and long-term sustainability, i.e. project has demonstration/pilot function

• Future EU plan for 3-year project may remedy this