Steering Group holds fourth meeting in Paris

The PDG Steering Group met in Paris for the fourth time on 19 June. The Steering Group expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Advisory Unit, and agreed that the Partnership should continue to work on its main activities, with special attention to those in Georgia, Guatemala and Liberia. Ongoing consultations in Grenada and Timor-Leste should also continue, according to the Steering Group. In addition, the Group discussed the Programme of Work and Budget for the coming 20 months.

Japan formally becomes 15th member of the Steering Group

The Steering Group, at its June meeting, officially welcomed Japan as its 15th member following Japan’s decision to pledge JPY 60 million to the PDG Advisory Unit in FY 2009. Japan had previously been a Steering Group observer since the launch of the PDG in October 2009.

From 8-9 June in Tunis, the Partnership for Democratic Governance held a conference on "Contracting Out Core Government Services and Functions in Fragile and Post-Conflict Situations". This event was co-hosted by the African Development Bank and benefitted from the financial support of Japan. The conference brought together around 80 participants from a wide range of development aid stakeholders: DAC members (Canada, EC, Japan, US, UK), non-DAC donors (Brazil, Chile, Poland and Turkey), international organisations (UNDP, UNICEF, UNECA, ADB), NGOs and the private sector. Workshop discussions addressed four sectors including health and education, the provision of infrastructure and utilities, public sector governance, and security and justice. The proceedings of the Conference will be available in October as the second volume of the PDG Experts’ Series.

New set of PDG studies underway

The PDG has recently started to investigate different recruitment approaches for the provision of technical assistance in post-conflict and fragile situations. This work will allow the PDG to inform and improve practices for its membership and the broader international community as well as to directly contribute to the design of PDG country-level work through operational guidance.

As part of this work, the Advisory Unit has recently launched two research projects as part of its knowledge products workstream:

Recruitment in Early Recovery

A study on Recruitment in Early Recovery was commissioned to the Center on International Cooperation of the New York University. The study will look at both the recruitment and the deployment of interim personnel at the operational level in a range of countries (Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands, Afghanistan, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo), examining these issues through the lens of five different mechanisms for recruitment and management of civilian experts/specialists. The study also aims to identify the potential scope for innovative supply and management of this kind of technical assistance. The research team, led by Rahul Chandran and Dirk Salomons, has recently engaged in the field work, starting with missions in DRC, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands. A second phase of work will lead to the development of operational tools for use in the field. The core contact group for this work now comprises Australia, the UK, OECD DAC INCAF (International Network on Conflict and Fragility), UN, ZIF (Center for International Peace Operations). Other key actors wishing to join the contact group for this work should contact the PDG Advisory Unit.

The Use of Diasporas in Core Government Functions and Services in Fragile and Post-Conflict Countries

This study focuses on the use of diasporas in core government functions and services in fragile and post-conflict countries. Based on a series of four case studies, this report will identify lessons learned, map bottlenecks and formulate tentative recommendations on the use of diasporas for the provision of technical assistance in core government functions. The final report is expected by the end of November 2009.

Plans underway for second Experts' Group meeting

A second meeting of the PDG Experts' Group will take place in Paris from 27-28 October 2009. The meeting will serve as a follow-up to the PDG-AfDB conference in Tunis.

Timor-Leste work moves to new phase

Following the decision of the PDG Steering Group to proceed with action learning and monitoring work in Timor-Leste, the Advisory Unit is currently engaged in consultations with the Timorese government, UNDP and key donors on the best way to move forward on the Knua Buka Hatene ("places where people can go to find information") project, which originated with the PDG but is now ready for independent development by the Timorese government and UNDP. Baseline studies are being carried out and discussions are underway on how the PDG might assist with monitoring and evaluation to support the lessons learned process.

PDG Online ready for launch

Following its presentation to the Steering Group in June, the Partnership's collaborative online platform, PDG Online, is now ready to be launched to interested members. Members of the PDG community — including all Steering Group and Experts' Group members, as well as those who have participated in PDG conferences and dialogues — will be receiving individual invitations to register. For more information, please contact the Advisory Unit.

Steering Group gives green light for PDG projects in Georgia, Guatemala and Liberia

During its meeting in June, the Steering Group was given an assessment report for PDG involvement in Georgia, Guatemala and Liberia. The proposed projects include support to improved donor co-ordination and enhanced aid effectiveness in Georgia, strengthening municipal leadership and the system of development councils in Guatemala and reinforcing the rule of law by enhancing the ability to prosecute sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) crimes in Liberia. The members of the Steering Group welcomed PDG involvement in these countries and sectors. Following this decision by the Steering Group, the Advisory Unit is now engaged with PDG members and its international partners to identify funding options and candidates for the professional positions.

New discussions begin on Haiti

As a follow-up to the Steering Group's discussions in June, the Advisory Unit is holding consultations with PDG members and the Government of Haiti to explore possibilities for support. Preliminary discussions have been advancing with the IDB, and discussions with other partners are planned throughout the summer. Should PDG members agree on a way forward, a follow-up mission to Haiti will be planned in September/October 2009

Request for PDG support in Grenada receives positive feedback

In March 2009, the Advisory Unit received a request from the Permanent Secretary of the Grenadian Ministry of Finance for PDG support to establish the new Public Procurement Authority, foreseen by the provisions of the 2007 Public Procurement and Contracts Administration Act (PPCAA). In response to this request and as the first step, the Advisory Unit commissioned a review of the PPCAA under the tenets of the OECD/DAC Methodology of Assessment of National Procurement Systems, notably those provisions of the Act which have to do with the legislative and regulatory frameworks; institutional framework and management capacity, and integrity and transparency of the public procurement system, with particular emphasis on the functioning of the Public Procurement Authority. The review was transmitted to the Grenadian Ministry of Finance in May. In June, the Steering Group asked the Advisory Unit to continue discussions with Grenadian partners on the best ways to utilise the PDG support and to find modalities for assistance, including the possible development of a field project, subject to the availability of donor funding.