Nicaragua: Harmonization and Alignment Process

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Nicaragua Harmonization and Alignment Process

• Mauricio Gómez LacayoViceminister Secretary
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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Harmonization and Alignment of International
Cooperation

• Objective
• To obtain a more effective, efficient and
  appropriate development aid
• To achieve a larger and greater impact of the
  external resources by significantly reducing
  transaction costs
• To increase the benefits of the aid recipients
• To establish strategic alliances
• Between the Governmental Institutions
• Among the National and International Lending
  Community
• With Civil Society

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Current situation of the Cooperation

• Worldwide recognition impact from cooperation
  has not been as expected
• Cooperation
• dispersed and duplicity of efforts
• high transaction costs
• weak interagency coordination
• weak coordination with and among governmental
  entities
• distorting effect on the capacities of national
  institutions

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In this context, what have we done?
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Nicaraguas Process overview
Round Tables
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Along with these Process

• We have formed Strategic Alliances
• OECD DAC
• JCLA Process
• OECD DAC Survey
• Partner Country Meeting
• Regional Forums
• South South Cooperation
• Harmonization and Alignment Action Plan
• Government and Donor Community

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The Results.

• Strengthening of the National Ownership
• Permanent and institutionalised mechanisms
• Highlighting HA Agenda
• Gathering Local Actors
• Getting International Attention and Support
• Obtaining a base line to measure advances and
  pending tasks
• OECD DAC Survey

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The Remaining Challenges

• Ownership
• Strengthening our own capacities
• Brain Drain
• Regulation of Technical Assistance
• Dissolution of Parallel Structures
• Promoting in a energetic and jointly manner all
  on going processes
• Implementation of HA Action Plan
• Reinforcement of Official Coordination mechanisms

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The Remaining Challenges

• Alignment
• Generalized use of Country Systems
• SWAPS
• Budget Support
• Better resources prevision
• Vital information for Planning and MTEF
• One comprehensive Assessment Matrix
• Alignment to the National Budget Cycle

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The Remaining Challenges

• Harmonization
• Lower transaction costs
• Delegated Cooperation
• Information Sharing
• Analytic works, studies and reports
• Harmonisation of norms and procedures
• Joint Missions and Reports
• Flexibility in allocation and reallocation of
  resources

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How to move Forward

• Making the HA Agenda the General Agenda
• HA approach should be part of everyone's work
  and objectives
• Donor and Lending Community as well as Government
  should integrate it into their organizational
  culture
• Finding relatively uncompromising areas to avance
  on
• Little Changes with great impact
• Parallels structures back to Government entities
• Projects funds to be manage by governmental
  institutions
• Sharing donors resource programming information

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How to move Forward

• Making concrete compromises by Key Actors
• Government
• Donor and Lending Community
• Civil Society Organizations
• Development of a Follow Up system
• Strategic Partner
• Realistic, Measurable and Reachable

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How to move Forward

• Creating a dissemination Strategy
• Constant information amongst the key actors
• Better and Greater Participation
• Feedback assurance
• Clarification and unification of concepts
• All actors moving into the same direction
• Unification of efforts
• Divulgation of progress made and challenges ahead

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Conclussions

• Change management is a timely manner and both
  donor and country pace should be respected.
• No real progress will be made without a
  consensual strategy plan backed with real,
  concrete and measurable compromises from key
  actors.