Farming Systems and Sustainable Livelihoods

Development Partners Mapping Study

Steve Rogers, FAO Consultant

Overview of presentationAid effectiveness – Paris Declaration, Accra

Agenda for ActionBackground to studyMain questions addressedObjectiveMethods and structure of the reportSynopsis of key findingsKey messages

Paris Declaration on Aid EffectivenessFive Main Principles:1. Ownership2. Alignment3. Harmonization4. Managing for Results5. Mutual Accountability

Key points agreed in Accra Agenda for ActionPredictability – donors will provide 3-5 year forward

information on their planned aid to partner countries.Country systems - partner country systems will be used

to deliver aid as the first option, rather than donor systems.

Conditionality - donors will switch from reliance on prescriptive conditions about how and when aid money is spent to conditions based on the developing country’s own development objectives.

Untying - donors will relax restrictions that prevent developing countries from buying the goods and services they need from whomever and wherever they can get the best quality and the lowest price.

Background Many development partners providing

substantial assistance to the PICs.In July 2007 Pacific Aid Effectiveness

Principles signedFAO programming assistance to the Pacific

region.Detail and analyse current and planned

activities of key development partners in the broader agriculture sector in 14 PICs and in the region.

Main Questions addressedWho are the main development partners

providing assistance to the sectors of the study?

Where do these partners focus their support (geographically – in which PICs) and which sector areas?

How do they deliver their support?What are the strategic frameworks in which

this support is provided?

ObjectiveTo enhance harmonization and

complementarity of development resources based on respective comparative advantages.

Method used for the studySearch of websites.Face to face (and telephone) interviews.Questions forwarded to key informants in the

region.Study of project documents and development

partner. support strategy/policy documents.Study undertaken during February-May

2008.

Structure of the reportShort summary report (30 pages)Summary tablesRegional overview paper14 Country overview papers

Because of the breadth of the study (both geographically and across sectors) it cannot be considered exhaustive.

The Mapping Study is available on FAO website www.faopacific.ws

context in which the key development partners to the region are defining their operational focus for assistance to the sector.

Development of the primary sectors in the Pacific will only come about in an environment where stability and good governance operates (including law and order).

It will be driven by private sector-led activities.Governments have an important facilitating role through :

supporting a strong enabling policy and business environment improved transport and communications infrastructure information and skills training secure access to land and access to affordable financial

servicesRegional integration and a strengthened regional

architecture to deliver policy and technical support to the countries in the region are also necessary.

Synopsis of key findingsThe agriculture sector remains central to economic growth,

poverty reduction and food security in the Pacific.Funding has failed to keep pace with need in many

countries.Rebuilding rural infrastructure (notably transport systems)

and agriculture research and extension systems are seen as priority areas needing support.

Much of what happens in agriculture lies in the hands of the private sector, thus providing an enabling environment for private-sector growth has been targeted for support by key development partners in the region.

Climate change (mitigation/adaptation) and disaster preparedness are becoming a key focal areas for increased development assistance.

Synopsis of key findingsAt least 12 international donors, several UN and

regional agencies are active in the sectors in the PICs.Development partners have concentrated bilateral

assistance in agriculture sectors to relatively few PICs.Bulk of assistance to Melanesian countries.For smaller nations programmes of CROP & UN

agencies are particularly important.For many PICs development support (and national

budget allocation) to the agriculture sector (particularly for production & productivity) has been relatively small over recent years.

Synopsis of key findings

Development partners are paying increasing attention in the way they do business to aid effectiveness, by stressing country ownership, alignment and harmonisation, and managing for development results.

Almost all development partners use country-level strategies with linkages to partner country planning, particularly the local national sustainable development strategy.

Many PICs do not have strong agriculture sector plans that provide coherent policy framework for investment.

Goals/pillars common to several regional & national strategies/frameworks for cooperation Poverty Alleviation - Achieving Millennium Development Goals –

Sustainable Development Food Security Improved Governance Gender Equality (Private sector-led) Broad-based Economic Growth – Improved

Employment Opportunities and Income - Equity Sustainable Livelihoods Sustainable Environmental Management – Reduced Vulnerability –

Increased Resilience Regionalism – Economic Integration Harnessing Trade for Development Improved Infrastructure Improved Service Delivery Aligning – Coordinating – Harmonising Development Support

Synopsis of key findingsInstruments, approaches and modalitiesThe bulk of development assistance is provided as grantsDevelopment partners use several different approaches to

deliver their development assistance to the PICs. These approaches include: Technical Assistance and Advisory ServicesProgramme funding for CROP agenciesProject AssistanceProgramme Based Assistance Competitive Research FundsCompetitive Enterprise FundsParticipation FundsScholarships & Training OpportunitiesTwinning and Mentoring

There are no SWAps in agriculture.

Synopsis of key findingsdonor coordinationAll of the major donors have emphasized donor

coordination as a tool for improving efficiency.Donor coordination offers the potential to

consolidate efforts and overcome high transaction costs.

Many PICs have established aid coordination points within their administration to better facilitate donor coordination.

But many are struggling to cope with the high demands faced.

Key messages An anticipated substantial increase in volume of aid to the

agriculture and environment sectors will require improved approaches and modalities for delivery.

Whilst there is an increased interest in budget support mechanisms (general and sector) this has not been widely adopted yet in the PICs.

The project approach still dominates in the sector. Donor fragmentation remains a challenge, and building coherence

across development interventions should remain a priority. Need for more division of labour according to agency

comparative advantages. A robust programme design, based on regional coordination and

partnerships, with national implementation, could be an effective and efficient means in coordinating predictable and transparent investment to strengthen food security and sustainable livelihoods in the region!

Agriculture Sector Goals

Pillars2

1 3

National Development

Goals

2 3

Actions

Actions

Actions

Donor

funds

Budget

TA

MTEF

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Policydialogu

e

Policy dialogue

Aidcoordinatio

n

Thank you,

And thanks also to all agencies and individuals who kindly shared information for this study.