News

PDP has been contracted to undertake the final evaluation UNDP’s Fiscal Decentralisation Support Project (FDSP). In contribution to UNCDF/UNDP’s learning experience, PDP will appraise the efficiency, effectiveness and relevance of the program, the sustainability of program results, and the level of satisfaction of program stakeholders and beneficiaries with the results. Recommendations will also be provided on the need for follow-up and future support to fiscal decentralisation.

PDP has recently commenced work on an institutional and situation analysis for Samoa’s Ministry of Revenue. The analysis will provide substantive input for the design of an Institutional Strengthening Project for the Inland Revenue Department, to be funded by AusAID.

Involving a rigorous diagnosis of institutional capacities, the mission will provide fundamental analysis for further scoping and design work for the Institutional Strengthening Project, as well as identifying a range of institutional strengthening options for the Ministry.

PDP are extending their presence in Cambodia with a further World Bank project under the umbrella of the Public Financial Management Reform Program (PFMRP). Bill Harris, one of PDP's civil service reform experts, is working closely with the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) to develop a pilot establishment register of the Ministry as part of the PFMRP. This register will consist of a list of all the approved posts and positions of the Government and will be mapped to each individual employee occupying the post. It will serve to control appointment, transfer and departure of employees between posts and into/out of the civil service. Bill Harris will be based in Phnom Penh for the next month in order to complete the project.

As part of our Laos project on Public Expenditure Planning for National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy (ADB-funded), PDP will this week host a regional workshop on Budget Law Familiarisation for 80 civil servants from the Ministry of Finance and seven provinces. The workshop, to be held in Luang Prabang 9-11 April, will serve to disseminate the New Budget Law approved by the National Assembly in December 2006, discuss the draft implementing decree and collect comments on it in order to further improve and finalize the decree. Saysanith Vongviengkham, PDP’s Fiscal Management Specialist, will lead our team and the Ministry of Finance's presentations on the new framework for the law and the laws general provisions, as well as related fiscal and budgetary aspects and implications.

PDP is currently undertaking a Special Evaluation Study (SES) on the effectiveness of the ADB’s Resident Missions' (RMs) Policy in the Asia Pacific region. The study is being carried out by PDP’s Senior Economist, Paul Bartlett, in coordination with staff members from the ADB.

Based in ADB headquarters in Manila, Paul is carrying out a systematic review of the internal requirements and actual experience of the RMs, supported by field missions to selected developing member countries (DMCs) and consultation with other bilateral/multilateral funding agencies. Paul will provide an assessment of the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and impact of RMs in delivering services to both internal ADB and DMC clients. The SES report will draw lessons for enhancing ADB’s operations and development effectiveness through RMs, with recommendation on practical steps to be taken by the ADB at headquarter and RM levels.

Three of PDP’s seasoned public finance specialists are currently serving as a high-level advisory body to the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Royal Government of Cambodia and its Development Partners.

Les Henning, Jim Lamont and Murray Petrie are currently in Phnom Penh acting to strengthen the quality of dialogue and follow-up during the implementation of the Cambodia Public Financial Management Reform Program. This includes an independent and comprehensive technical assessment of project progress, outcomes and overall impact, including the effectiveness of technical assistance being provided to the project and technical advisers’ contributions to capacity building. The PDP team will also appraise the performance of donors in fulfilling their roles and tasks, and in particular the effectiveness of the donor coordination mechanisms.

The results of the evaluation will be presented by Les Henning at the PFMRP annual review retreat in Siem Reap in April 2007.

We are part way through a stocktaking study of the limitations and restrictions applying to Trade in Services in the Pacific, having completed the first round of consultations with government officials and relevant stakeholders in five of the Pacific ACP States (PACPS). PDP staff have visited Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Palau and Papua New Guinea over the past three weeks, carrying out detailed consultations with government ministries, industry regulators and private sector and civil society stakeholders to determine the state of services regulation in the Pacific. The role of such regulations in the liberalisation of trade in services in these countries is our focus, particularly in relation to the upcoming Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations with the EU. Further consultations are planned in Nauru, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands over coming weeks.

A report will be prepared on the study, outlining, with respect to each PACP, the limitations or trade restrictions applying to the selected sectors/sub-sectors and modes of supply by national laws, regulations, policies and administrative procedures. The report will also comment on the need to develop new and/or revise existing regulations, ensuring that these reflect government policy goals and development plans. The outcome of this report will be used to assist the PACPS in developing their demands and offers for EPA negotiations with the EU, scheduled to begin in early 2008.

PDP’s team have been mobilised and this week commenced work on Phase 2 of Philippines-Australia Partnership for Economic Governance Reforms (PEGR) RA002 reform agenda entitled ‘Consolidating and Embedding the Current Reforms in Fiscal Management.’ This work will maintain the momentum of the PEM reforms and help deepen the quality of key planning and PEM processes and systems that have been developed with PDP’s assistance under RA001 – Coordination and Harmonisation of Plan-Budget Management and Organisational Change, and RA002 (Phase 1) – Establishing a Performance Based/Output Orientated Culture in Fiscal Management.

PDP, in association with local partner CVAI, has been contracted to provide assistance across four inter-related activities.

• Activity 1: Enhancement of capital works programming by NEDA. Technical assistance will be provided to NEDA to develop an improved and focused MTPIP that underpins the budget process.
• Activity 2: Consolidation and deepening quality of MTEF and budget policy framework, in partnership with the World Bank.
• Activity 3: Advocacy and implementation of results-based budgeting (OPIF).
• Activity 4: Moving towards output-based budgeting in reforming organisational and staff management.

Further details of PEGR’s reform agenda activities and PDP’s involvement can be found on PEGR’s website.