V. RECOMMENDATIONS
GLOBAL AND
INTERREGIONAL PROGRAMMES
1. UNDP should continue to support global/interregional
programming as a central component of its overall portfolio.
To be effective, global programmes (including the range of
fifth programming cycle activities covered by global/
interregional) should observe the following guidelines:
- they should be designed as demonstration projects,
seeking to build in learning approaches and mechanisms
for the sharing of experience;
- they should be multi-disciplinary wherever possible;
- they should be regarded as a context for innovation and
the development/testing of new approaches;
- they should be undertaken in full consultation with
project partners and stakeholders at both the design and
implementation stages;
- at the planning stage, every effort should be made to
consult with and involve regional bureaux;
- global projects should be designed with a view to seeking
opportunities for linkages with projects at the regional
and country levels;
- project planners should work in partnership with resident
representatives and country offices in stakeholder
identification, capacity assessment, the planning of
consultations and the design and implementation of
country-based components of projects;
2. A strategic framework should be established for global
programmes, concentrating on a limited range of priorities and
themes to be addressed in each programming period.
3. For global programmes, a small fund should be set aside to
support the exploratory stage of innovative initiatives that show
promise but that have yet to prove themselves. Such initiatives
should include strong monitoring components.
REGIONAL PROGRAMMES
1. Regional bureaux should undertake programme planning within
an overall strategic framework that will apply to all regions.
While there should be variations in the character and form of
programming from one region to another, guidelines should be
developed, for approval by the Executive Committee, that will
facilitate the development of regional programmes concentrating
on a narrower range of priorities and themes.
2. Regional programmes, like global programmes, should use a
demonstration and learning approach in support of the achievement
of specific, SHD-related objectives. Regional programmes lack the
resources to develop projects with a service-oriented approach.
GENERAL
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALL INTERCOUNTRY PROGRAMMES
1. The primary mandate of all intercountry programmes should
be to investigate and demonstrate the utility of alternative
methods of addressing core SHD/poverty eradication priorities. To
put this mandate into practice, programme planners require far
better support than that currently available in operationalizing
SHD concepts and principles.
2. In planning intercountry programmes, UNDP should give
particular attention to efforts to facilitate joint learning
approaches with other donors, country partners and other
stakeholder organizations in working in particular thematic
areas.
3. UNDP should undertake a realistic appraisal of its in-house
capacities to provide professional support and direction to SHD
programming. Such an assessment of core capabilities would
facilitate a better understanding of those areas of activity
where UNDP would be best-advised to form alliances with other
organizations at the global and regional levels in the building
and delivery of effective programmes.
4. Whatever its role in cooperative funding, management and
execution of projects, UNDP should always ensure a sufficient
internal allocation of human resources and money to permit its
staff to play a proactive role in overall management and
monitoring.
PROJECT
CYCLE AND SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
1. The administration should take steps immediately to produce
improved guidelines for the preparation of projects and project
documents in consultation with staff in regional bureaux and
BPPS.
In addition to the core components always included in
accordance with existing guidelines, it should be stipulated that
the following are essential elements of a well-structured project
document:
- a clear statement of the broader development problem to
be addressed;
- a clearly focused specification of a more limited
development objective or goal;
- properly articulated objectives and activities, which
follow logically from the development objective, along
with expected results.
- an implementation strategy, accompanied by a detailed
work plan, to be updated annually;
- a staffing plan, associated with the work plan;
- a management plan with clearly stated roles and
responsibilities for all project partners and principals;
- a straightforward description of the governance structure
for the project.
2. Project documents should include a systematic strategy for
monitoring and evaluation with separate budget lines for
monitoring and for evaluation.
3. New procedures and monitoring mechanisms should be
developed to make certain that project approval committees
operate effectively in ensuring quality control and the
achievement of high and comparable standards across the portfolio
of UNDP intercountry projects.
4. The administration should take steps to consult with the
regional bureaux and BPPS to put into place guidelines that, in
combination with strategic frameworks for programmes, will reduce
the number of intercountry projects and help to ensure an
adequate budget for each project approved.
5. UNDP should establish a consultative/advisory body with
representation from the regional bureaux and BPPS to review and
monitor developments in the field of intercountry programmes. The
advisory committee would be briefed on newly funded initiatives
and the results of project and thematic reviews and evaluations.
It would also undertake/commission, through and in consultation
with OESP, studies of various kinds regarding overall trends and
performance in intercountry programmes. In addition, it would
take on responsibility for information-sharing on intercountry
programming throughout UNDP and consider issues of common
concern.
6. Consultations and Participation
- Project preparation guidelines should emphasize the
importance of using a participatory and consultative
approach at both the design and implementation stages.
Project approval committees should ensure that proper
steps have been taken in this regard.
- The project preparation and project document guidelines
should address the importance of careful, detailed work
in specifying beneficiaries and clearly identifying
stakeholders. This will also result in better-focused
projects.
7. Management and Implementation
- All projects should be expected to provide a clear,
unambiguous statement concerning roles and
responsibilities for project management and
decision-making.
- UNDP should also address the issue of more clearly
distinguishing between the responsibilities associated
with execution and those associated with implementation
(the distinction between the two is made on a daily
basis, yet in practice, the boundary is unclear).
- UNDP should take appropriate steps to ensure that
adequate human and financial resources are allocated to
facilitate the undertaking of essential monitoring and
supervisory responsibilities by UNDP headquarters staff.
- UNDP should note, in the strategic frameworks and
guidelines for intercountry programmes, the importance of
continuing consultation with/involvement of resident
representatives.
- Advice should be provided to make certain that project
design and budgets make provision for supporting the role
of country offices in intercountry programmes.
- UNDP should ensure that appropriate training and
preparation are provided to national officers engaged in
supervision/monitoring of intercountry programmes.
8. Monitoring, Evaluation and Performance
Assessment
- Programming guidelines should be developed (and enforced)
to ensure that all intercountry programmes include a
satisfactory strategy for monitoring and evaluation.
Wherever possible, project partners and stakeholders
should be involved in ongoing monitoring and in planning
for project evaluation.
- In association with the monitoring and evaluation
strategy, projects should develop, at the design stage, a
set of milestones and performance indicators as well as a
statement of expected results to provide a foundation for
monitoring and evaluation. Project preparations and
consultations should seek to build agreement and
understanding among project partners on the relevance of
the set of indicators selected and their utility in
supporting mutual learning.
9. Capacity Development
- The administration should consult closely with BPPS (and
particularly MDGD) to correct the weakness in project
design and performance (in the intercountry sphere, at
least) with regard to capacity development.
- OESP and MDGD should work together in an effort to
capture lessons from best practices and use the knowledge
gained thereby in training and in the development of
manuals and other programming support tools.
10. Gender
It is strongly recommended that attention be given by the
administration and management at the bureau/division level to the
absence of incentives for dealing adequately with the gender
dimension in intercountry programmes. At the same time, consideration
should also be given to the lack of preparedness of staff to cope
with gender issues and gender mainstreaming.
UNDP
AND THE PURSUIT OF THE SHD MANDATE
Learning
- As a matter of urgency, UNDP should develop guidelines
for project planners on building intercountry projects
around learning approaches. Such guidelines should be as
practical as possible.
- The administration should give serious attention to the
need to develop incentives and support systems to
facilitate and encourage a positive attitude by staff in
recognizing learning from project experience, as well as
information-sharing across projects and components of
UNDP, as an essential building-block of an organization
committed to SHD.
SHD Leadership: Focus and Concentrate
- In its provision of guidance to intercountry programmes
through strategic framework documents and guidelines,
UNDP should take into account the fact that, if it is to
be a leader in SHD, it must concentrate and focus its
intercountry programming resources.
- UNDP should take a pragmatic, entrepreneurial role in
defining a niche and a development gap. This will involve
identifying and securing partners and then devising
strategies to fill a gap not adequately filled by any
other donors. This can only be possible with overall
guidance and supervision from headquarters along with
focused professional support and constructive dialogue
with programme planners and international partners.
- The administration should give attention, as a matter of
urgency, to improving quality control, management,
monitoring, information-sharing and organizational
learning.