Learning Curves

OED
February 2008

ImplementingtheParis DeclarationatADB
OneoftheuniquefeaturesoftheParisDeclarationonAidEffectivenessisthemonitoring mechanismthatisusedtoreviewandreportonthedegreetowhichendorsershavefollowed throughoncommitments.Thedeclarationalsohasamonitoringandevaluationsystem aimedatdevelopingacomprehensiveunderstandingofhowincreasedaideffectiveness contributestomeetingdevelopmentresults. ADBisasignatorytotheParisDeclaration.Itmusttakespecificactionstopromote implementationandcompliancewiththecommitmentsunderthefivepillarsonwhichthe declarationrests.IsADBdoingtherightthings?Andisitdoingthemright?
Background In2007,theOperationsEvaluationDepartmentinthe AsianDevelopmentBank(ADB)conductedaSpecial EvaluationStudyonEvaluationofthe ImplementationoftheParisDeclarationattheAsian DevelopmentBank:ADevelopmentPartnersStudy foranOECDDACJointEvaluation. 1 Thestudyaimed tocontributetothefirstphaseevaluationofthe OrganisationforEconomicCooperationand DevelopmentDevelopmentAssistanceCommittees jointevaluationofthedeclaration. Followingthetermsofreferencegivenbythe committee,theevaluationfocusedoninputswithin ADBcoveringownershipandleadership,capacity building,andmainstreamingandincentivesfor promotingandstrengtheningthepillarsofownership, alignment,harmonization,managingforresults,and mutualaccountability.Theevaluationbuiltonspecial evaluationstudies onADBsapproachestopartnering andharmonizationinthecontextoftheParis Declaration,ADBsresidentmissionpolicyand relatedoperations,andmanagingfordevelopment resultsinADB,alsoconductedin2007. SummaryofFindings OwnershipandLeadership.ADBspoliciesand strategiesgenerallysupportthepillarsofthe declaration,andADBsrevisedguidelinesforpreparing
Operations Evaluation Department Asian Development Bank

itskeycountrypartnershipdocument,thecountry partnershipstrategy,reinforcetheirimportance.Some ofADBspolicies,strategies,andprocesses,however, mayhinderachievementofsometargetsinthetwelve indicatorsofprogress.Forexample,thecurrentsetof loanmodalitiesmayneedtobereviewedwithaviewto facilitatingADBsparticipationinprogrambased approaches.Duringinterviews,ADBsBoardof DirectorsandADBsManagementweregenerally supportiveofthedeclaration.However,ADBs Managementcouldprovidemoreregularandvisible demonstrationofsupport.Thestudyflaggedconcerns too.Thescopeanddefinitionoftheindicatorsof progress,forinstance,mayneedtobereviewedand clarified.Further,guidelinesandindicatorsfor activitiesrelatedtothedeclarationincountriesthat havenooperationaldevelopmentstrategyarenot available.Moreover,thecostofharmonizationtoa developmentpartnermaybesignificant. CapacityBuilding.ADBstaffaregenerallyawareof thepillarsofthedeclaration,andofsomemorethan others.Generalawarenessraisingisyettobe undertaken,butADBstaffareprofessionalswho continuetolearnaboutgooddevelopmentpractices. Staffworkinginfieldoffices,countryprogramming, sectorswithmanydevelopmentpartners(e.g., education),anddevelopingmembercountrieswith governmentsactivelyimplementingthedeclaration

6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City, 1550 Metro Manila, Philippines Tel +63 2 632 4100; Fax +63 2 636 2161; evaluation@adb.org; www.adb.org/evaluation/

(e.g.,Bangladesh,Philippines,andVietNam)arethe mostfamiliarwiththedeclarationperse.Butstaffin generalhavealowlevelofawarenessofmanagingfor resultsasrevealedbythespecialevaluationstudyon managingfordevelopmentresultsinADB. Notwithstanding,thenewcountrypartnershipstrategy guidelinesapprovedin2006anddistributedin2007 providesomeguidancetostaffinimplementingthe pillarsofthedeclarationwhenpreparingcountry strategies,includingpromotionofcountryownership andresultsorientation. ADBsresidentmissionsplayakeyroleinmeeting thecommitments.Theysupportprojectdesignand administrationandareperceivedbydevelopment partnerstoincreasetheeffectivenessofADBsservices. ThespecialevaluationstudyonADBsresidentmission policyandrelatedoperationsrevealedthat,overthe years,boththevolumeandscopeoftheirworkhave grown.But,theircapacitiesarerestrictedbyalackof delegatedauthorityandincreasedworkloadwithouta commensuratequantitativeandqualitativeincreasein resources.Theeffectivenessandefficiencyofresident missionscouldstillbeimprovedwithgreater delegationmatchedbytherequiredresources. Increaseddecentralizationwouldimprovetheir responsivenesstoemergingdevelopmentissuesand wouldrespondtocallsforincreaseddecentralizationby thelargerdevelopingmembercountries. MainstreamingandIncentives.ADBstaffare endeavoringtoimplementthedeclarationsprinciples, withthreepillars,viz.,ownership,alignment,and harmonization,integratedmorethantheothers.But mainstreamingthecommitmentsofthedeclarationin anyonedevelopingmembercountryis,inthefinal analysis,affectedbythatcountrysownershipofthe declaration.Inaddition,therearenoparticular incentivesforstafftoimplementthePariscommitments. Lessons.InADB,implementationofthedeclaration hasdifferedacrossdepartmentsandamongresident missions,andhasbeenbottomup,becauseno corporatestrategyoractionplanwasdesignedtomeet commitments.Implementationofthedeclarationisnot resourceneutralunderthecurrentorganizationalsetup. Alignmentandcoordinationactivitiescanrequiremuch time,whichmayimpactonotherresponsibilitiessuch asimplementationandsupervision.WhereADBisan establisheddevelopmentpartnerinasectororarea, governmentofficialsanddevelopmentstakeholdersare morelikelytoexpectittoplayaleadrolein coordinatingassistanceandinleadingpolicydialogue. Also,thedeclarationoffersnoguidanceonhow
Learning Curves available @ www.adb.org/evaluation/

developmentpartnersshouldconductthemselves wherethereisnonationalstrategy. Recommendations ADBscommitmenttothedeclarationneedstobe communicatedregularly,withvisibledemonstration ofsupportbyADBsManagement. Formoreeffectiveimplementation,thereisaneedto designateafocalunittoprovideoverallguidance, knowledgemanagement,monitoring,andreporting onthedeclaration. TrackingandmonitoringADBsimplementationof thedeclarationcanbefacilitatedbydevelopinga consolidatedimplementationandmonitoring frameworkthatconsidersthecommitmentsunder eachpillar.ThiswouldincludeoutliningADBs plannedactionstomeetcommitments. Thereisneedforbetterguidanceandstaffcapacity developmenttofacilitateimplementation,and monitoringandreportingontheprogressof implementation. ADBneedstobetterunderstandtheresource implicationsofmeetingitscommitmentswitha viewtoprovidingguidancetostaffontradeoff choicesor,wheredeemednecessary,reallocationof and/oradditionalresourcesandtheprioritythat variousactivitiesshouldhave. (TothecommitteeandtheThirdHighLevelForum onAidEffectiveness.)Thescopeanddefinitionsof indicatorsneedtobereviewedvisvissignificant activitiesnotpresentlycaptured.Intheabsenceofa nationaldevelopmentstrategy,guidelinesonand/or indicatorscapturinghowdevelopmentpartners shouldcoordinatetheirassistancearerecommended. Feedback WhentheseLearningCurveswereprepared,ADB ManagementsResponseandtheChairsSummaryof theDevelopmentEffectivenessCommittee Discussionswerenotavailablefordisclosuretothe public.ThestudywascompletedinJanuary2008.
1

ADB.2008.SpecialEvaluationStudyonEvaluationofthe ImplementationoftheParisDeclarationattheAsian DevelopmentBank:ADevelopmentPartnersStudyforan OECDDACJointEvaluation.Manila.Available: http://www.adb.org/Documents/SES/REG/SSTREG2008 03/SSTREG200803.pdf

Team Leader: Leah Gutierrez; Tel +63 2 632 4113; lcgutierrez@adb.org