Fifth Steering Group meeting takes place in Paris

The PDG Steering Group held its fifth meeting at OECD Headquarters on 15 December. The meeting was preceded by a session of the PDG Working Group. The Steering Group was updated on the work of the Secretariat over the past six months, including progress reports on PDG field activities and collaborative solutions, as well as recent and planned PDG knowledge products. The Steering Group approved a number of planned activities for the Partnership in 2010, including studies and conferences with a continued focus on helping fragile and post-conflict states strengthen government functions and service delivery. The Group also reaffirmed its support for the ongoing PDG pilot projects in Georgia, Guatemala and Liberia, as well as the collaborative work in Grenada.

The Steering Group was also briefed by Mr. Timothy Antoine, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance of Grenada, who outlined PDG support to Grenada to-date and next steps. The Grenadian guest was also officially given by OECD Deputy Secretary-General Amano the result of the PDG's collaborative effort to support public procurement reform in the country.

In a letter to the Head of the Advisory Unit, the Italian Ambassador to the OECD, His Excellency Mr. Antonio Armellini, conveyed the request of Italy to join the Partnership for Democratic Governance as an observer. This request was welcomed by the Steering Group during their meeting on 15 December. With this latest addition, the work of the Partnership is now officially observed by four countries: Brazil, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, in addition to the fifteen PDG members.

During the fifth meeting of the PDG Steering Group, the Secretariat presented delegates with a first draft of the forthcoming PDG Handbook on Contracting Out Government Functions and Service. This draft, which is one of the outcomes of the joint PDG/AfDB conference held in Tunis in June 2009, was welcomed by the Steering Group. The Group also provided guidance on the necessary steps leading up to the final publication of the Handbook, which is scheduled for the third quarter of 2010.

Over the next several months, the Secretariat will continue engaging with its partners to peer review and finalise the content of the Handbook. Additional information on this publication will be provided by the Secretariat over the coming months.

The Secretariat has published its Annual Activity Report for 2009. This document is intended for stakeholders and the general public in order to better contextualise the work of the Partnership. By presenting each area of PDG work, readers will gain a concrete understanding of the PDG approach and how Partnership members are helping to further the development priorities which make the PDG a unique initiative.

An electronic version of the report may be downloaded by clicking here. Should you require print copies of the report for outreach purposes, please contact the Secretariat by e-mail.

The Advisory Unit continues to extend its invitation to all interested parties to join our community of practice by creating a PDG Online account today. PDG Online is a unique, custom-built web platform where users can comment on and participate in an ongoing intellectual debate, learn more about the latest work of the Partnership and more. The website is also being enriched with a new series of discussion papers from a number of development experts on issues ranging from contracting out to the role of non-traditional donors and South-South co-operation. Users are also invited to post comments on this content in order to further the ongoing debate.