ROUNDTABLE 3: HARMONISATION

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ROUNDTABLE 3HARMONISATION

• Optimizing Aid Delivery, Complementarity,
  Division of Labor
• Key messages to the ministerial session, Thursday
  4 September,
• by Keith Muhakanizi, Deputy Secretary
• to Treasury, Uganda.

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Background

• The roundtable was well attended and had a
  lively discussion that covered
• (i) In-country division of labour and
• (ii) Harmonization and cross-cutting issues
• (gender, environment and human rights)
• Distinguished panelists were made up of partner
  governments, CSO, donors
• More than 300 delegates, actively sharing their
  experience

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RT 3 Panel 1 Division of Labor (DoL)

• Excessive aid fragmentation reduces aid
  effectiveness, overburdens partner countries and
  creates high transaction costs
• Managing Division of Labor is urgently needed,
  but this is not an end in itself the ultimate
  goal is better harmonization, alignment and
  transparency
• There is a need for partner country leadership
  and inclusive transparent Division of Labor
  processes
• Capacities for aid management need to be
  strengthened both for donors and partner
  countries

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RT 3 Challenges/ Risks

• The speed and urgency of Division of Labor
  processes may impede country leadership if not
  well managed
• There are perceptions that Division of Labor may
  lead to the creation of orphan sectors
• There should be a sober assessment of comparative
  advantages of different in-country donors and
• Leadership roles should not only be based on
  volume of finance but
• evidence-based, peer reviewed, but partner
  country criteria must have final say
• There is a need to recognise the diversity in
  financing modalities in Division of Labor
  processes
• Vertical funds and emerging donors need special
  attention

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RT 3 Panel 2 Cross-Cutting Issues (CCI)

• We need to firmly integrate human rights, gender
  equality, and environmental sustainability as
  goals in their own right in harmonization and
  Division of Labor efforts
• Harmonization and mainstreaming of CCI will be
  most effective under
• (i) partner country leadership and
• (ii) through partner systems
• Committed donors can facilitate and support
  processes of integrating Cross-Cutting Issues
• Measuring results for Cross-Cutting Issues makes
  a difference!
• There is a need to develop capacity and provide
  incentives for staff to engage on Cross-Cutting
  Issues

3rd High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness Roundtab
le 3 Harmonisation
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Conclusion

• At country level, we need to step up
  implementation of Division of Labor processes,
  led by partner governments
• We need to share good practices more
  systematically and agree on a set of Principles
  on Division of Labour which will provide
  guidance and serve as elements for collective
  learning
• Partners and donors need to agree on benchmarking
  and peer review processes in order to be held
  accountable on their commitments to Cross-Cutting
  Issues
• More work needs to be done by Working Party on
  Aid Effectiveness on Cross-Cutting Issues and
  aid effectiveness/new aid modalities.

3rd High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness Roundtab
le 3 Harmonisation