Assessment of Development Results: Lao PDR

2011

The evaluation examines contributions and strategic positioning of UNDP’s support to the country’s development under the current country programme 2007-2011.

The evaluation found that UNDP has made important contributions. Most notably, it has been playing a lead role in supporting the Government coordinate aid in the country where approximately 70 percent of public investment comes from external sources. It has also helped the Government integrate poverty reduction into its national development plan, strengthen local governance, enhance the transparency of parliamentary debates, introduce an environmental assessment of foreign investments, put in place a national system for the clearance of unexploded ordinances, develop response capacities to natural disasters, and align its legal system to international treaties and conventions on human rights and the environment.

The report points out that further effort would be needed for the benefit of UNDP’s work to reach ordinary citizens: for example, the national development plan needs to be implemented in a truly pro-poor manner, the legal system must be strengthened to enforce treaty obligations, and strengthened local government capacity needs to be effectively utilized by channeling development funding through it. UNDP programme activities themselves need to be more pro-poor and gender-mainstreamed in substance.

Full Report

2007

The evaluation found that UNDP has contributed significantly to policy development and dialogue, including incorporation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and pro-poor concerns into national planning. Through the National Human Development Reports and other initiatives, UNDP has contributed to capacity development in the government to carry out high-level policy and strategic research on key issues, such as regional integration and human development. In the important field of governance, UNDP has gained the status of a trusted partner of the government. However, there are still areas where UNDP can assist the government, such as in the field of democratic governance and participation. In the areas of environment and sustainable development, UNDP has supported the country's efforts to fulfil its obligations to the international environmental agreements it has ratified. Given the importance of natural resources to the Lao economy, more could be done to incorporate related issues into policy dialogue in order to optimize the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of the country. UNDP has also succeed in establishing more efficient planning for operations related to UXO, thus ensuring continued international support to the effort.

Full Report

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