Working Together for Greater UN Impact

Repositioning the UN in a changing aid environment

The case of Country xxx

July 2005

Harmonization & Alignment to achieve the MDGs

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

• Development cooperation “Post-Paris” – a new consensus

• Reappraising the role of the UN

• The UN response to the challenges of a new aid environment

• Turning theory into practice – the UN Country Team in xxx

• Discussion on challenges and the way forward

Outline of the presentation

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

•MDG-based national development plans as framework for cooperation

•Strong national ownership, grounded in strengthened capacity

•Increasing use of budget support as one option

•Use of national systems (procurement, audit, reporting etc.)

•Greater predictability of aid flows

•Mutual accountability

•Performance-based/results-oriented

Development Cooperation“Post-Paris”

A new aid consensus? Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (March

2005)

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

Reappraising the role of the UN

• Policy dialogue and advice

• Advocacy

• Technical cooperation

• Capacity development of national partners

• Support to independent monitoring

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

1. Putting national development plans at the center of UN country programming

2. Strengthening national capacities

3. Increasing the use of national systems

4. A case in point: new cash transfer procedures

The UN response to the challenges of a new aid environment

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

The UN response to the challenges

of a new aid environment1/4

Putting national strategiesat the center of the UN country programming

process

• Support to national development plans

• Maximum synergies CCA/UNDAF national processes

• Alignment of programming cycles

• UNDAF outcomes derived from national priorities

• UN role in sector support programmes

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

The UN response to the challenges

of a new aid environment2/4

Strengthening national capacities

• Capacity development vs. implementation support

• Better reflect national capacities in the CCA/UNDAF process

• Support to capacity development programmes

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

The UN response to the challenges

of a new aid environment3/4

Increasing the use of national systems

• UN commitment to facilitate the use of national systems in a large number of areas

• Review of rules and regulations ongoing

• Support to strengthen systems that do not yet fulfill international standards

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

The UN response to the challenges

of a new aid environment4/4

Case in point: Harmonized cash transfer procedure

• UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WFP agreement major operational simplification focus on national systems reduced transaction costs

• Joint review of financial management capacities of partners

• Systematic support to address capacity gaps

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

1. The Country Team – “One UN, One Voice”

2. Follow-up to Paris

3. […]

From theory to practice – The UNCT in xxx

The following part of the presentation is meant to link

the global UN reform process to activities and

initiatives at the country level. It will therefore be

different for each case. The following slides are

suggestions only…

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

From theory to practice The UN Country Team in xxx

1/3

The xxx Country Team – “One UN, one voice”

• Inter-agency cooperation through thematic groups

• Leadership of the Resident Coordinator

• Increasing efficiency – the UN House, common services…

Adapt to context

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

From theory to practice The UN Country Team in xxx

2/3

Past initiatives of the Country Team in pursuit of greater aid effectiveness

• [First generation UNDAF, support to PRSP, establishment of donor coordination mechanisms, alignment with national systems etc.]

• ….

Adapt to context

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

Planned initiatives in follow-up to Paris

• [Realignment of programming cycle with PRSP, support to SWAps, capacity development in the area of donor coordination, work with government on a Paris Action plan etc.]

• …

From theory to practice The UN Country Team in xxx

3/3

Adapt to context

- The End -

Working Together for Greater UN Impact

Possible discussion items

• Areas for future work Aid coordination mechanisms (national / sector) Division of labor among donors/agencies, joint programming

Country-level Action Plans in follow-up to Paris Use of new aid instruments (e.g., budget support) Involvement of civil society in donor coordination Monitoring and mutual accountability

• Mind shift From projects to strategic sector wide thinking From implementation support to true capacity development

• Donor and UN capacities Adjust the skill mix of staff to the circumstances at hand Comparative advantages of agencies/donors

• …..