Charmina Saili, Regional Planning Adviser, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

Fifth IHP+ Country Health Teams Meeting Intensifying action for better results

2-5 December 2014, Sokha Angkor Resort, Siem Reap, Cambodia

South-South Cooperation in the PacificPacific Islands helping each other through Peer Reviews & South-South Attachments

• Who we are - Pacific Islands Forum• Pacific Peer Review & South-South Attachments

Mechanisms• Experience so far• Lessons Learned from Peer Reviews & South-South

Attachments

OUTLINE OF TALK

WHO WE ARE:16 Pacific Islands Forum Countries

PNG 7M pop

Niue 1,500 pop

3 key features•Our diversity•Common challenges•Our “Pacific way” of working together - helping each other

AUS 20 M pop

Vanuatu 240,000 pop

Samoa 180,000 pop

•Mix of LDCs, fragile states, Low, MICs & donor countries (Aus, NZ)•1 to 500 island nations & a continent!•SIDS, isolation, dispersed pop high cost of services, limited capacities•Highest ODA per capita, Aid fragmentation - High mission/project #s•Low use of country systems•Variable MDGs achievement

Government

Health System

Multi-lateral Partners

(UN, SPC, WHO)

Bi-lateral Partners

(AusAID, NZ)?

MALTB

NCDGBV

RHEPIIMCI

MH

HSS

All development partners mean well…But…The devil is in the execution…….

• Pacific Islands Forum Leaders concerned that despite significant development resources, the Pacific was lagging behind in achievement of the MDGs

• New development compact – Cairns/Forum Compact agreed in 2009 as a package of initiatives aimed to assist Forum Island Countries (with support of their development partners) to accelerate existing government efforts to achieve the MDGs by 2015

• Peer Reviews & South-South Attachments key initiatives for cross learning/review amongst Pacific countries to strengthen systems, institutions & capacities to improve development results in the Pacific

WHY PEER REVIEWS?

• Pacific Island countries share similar development context and challenges.

• Peer to peer conversation and “pacific-specific home grown” learning amongst Pacific Island nations on what works and what doesn’t in development coordination

• Implementation is facilitated by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS)

• Collective commitment and responsibility of Pacific Island countries & development partners to implement

WHY PEER REVIEWS?

• Government systems & processes of national planning, budgeting, public financial management systems ;and Aid management systems and processes

• Development partners systems and processes of engaging with governments implementing their commitments to Paris and Pacific Principles of Aid Effectiveness

WHAT DO PEER REVIEWS FOCUS ON & WHO ARE CONSULTED?

• Executive of Government – Prime Ministers/Presidents, Ministers of Finance, Planning and Foreign Affairs

• Legislature - Speakers of Parliament, Public Accounts Committees

• Senior Government Officials in all key sectors

• Development partners,• NGOs & private sector

representatives

What peer reviews focus on WHO are consulted

Country volunteers to undertake a peer review

Country chooses a team of up to 5 peer reviewers (3 partner country reps and 2 reps from development partners).

Country agrees on TOR with their Peer Review Team & Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

Country approves final Peer Review Report

Country implements recommendations with support of development partners & monitored annually with PIFS

HOW PEER REVIEWS WORK

Purpose is to be “helpful” – to hold a conversation as equals, as Pacific neighbours.

Find out what works well and what does not and promote this for regional learning

Offer helpful advise/possible solutions based on other country experiences in the Pacific but tailored to host country realities

Country Led and Driven Peer Review Team works in partnership with host country

• Manage database of peer reviewers from countries & development partners

• Invite peer reviewers on behalf of the host country

• Convene peer review team & provide brief on host country systems and processes

• Assist in finalising & obtaining approval of host government for peer review report

• Publish & upload peer review reports onto PIFS website and disseminate to member countries and development partners

Role of the PIFS

•Facilitate & fund regional mechanism for South-south/triangular cooperation – technical assistance, attachments, mentorship amongst FICs

•Track and follow up implementation of FICs priority actions and report progress annually to Forum leaders

•Commission, document and disseminate widely case studies and best practices in the region on development coordination

Facilitate the peer review process Monitor & facilitate support to implement recommendations

Peer Reviews All 13 Pacific Forum Island

countries completed reviews 40 peer reviewers (Cook Islands, FSM, Nauru,

Niue, PNG, RMI, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Australia, New Zealand, UN, UNDP, UNESCAP, World Bank)

Consulted with over 4,000 Pacific stakeholders

173 recommendations across 12 countries 80% focus on strengthening planning & aid management

EXPERIENCE SO FAR – Peer Reviews

2010Nauru, Kiribati

2011VanuatuTuvaluNiue

2012RMITongaPNGFSM

2013PalauSolomon Islands Cook IslandsSamoa

Supported by the PIFS, Samoa hosted 3 planning, finance and aid management officials from FSM , Solomon Islands, PNG, Vanuatu, and Nauru for attachments in May & October 2014

5 more countries seeking south-south attachments in 2015

CEO of Samoa Ministry of Finance and senior officials with the FSM and Solomon Islands senior officials from planning, budgeting, PFM and aid management, May 2014

EXPERIENCE SO FAR - Pacific South-South Attachments

• Peer to peer “pacific-specific home grown” learning amongst Pacific Island nations on what works and what doesn’t in development coordination

• Sharing is more meaningful as it is framed within similar context of limited capacity, dispersed populations, geographical isolation

• Acknowledges and builds the existing capacity of Pacific development professionals

• Builds professional and personal networks across Pacific and development partner development professionals

BENEFITS OF PEER REVIEWS & SOUTH SOUTH ATTACHMENTS

• Pacific countries are using peer review recommendations to:– Reaffirm, support and drive already planned and needed country

reforms to strengthen planning, budgeting, PFM and aid management – Establish institutions, systems, processes, policies and capacities to

more effectively engage with development partners– Drive needed changes in development partner behaviour on aid

fragmentation, budget support, aid predictability and use of country systems

– Mobilize development partner support for strengthening systems of planning, budgeting, PFM, aid management

• Development partners using peer review recommendations to – Guide their engagement in strengthening country systems– Lobby with other development partners for more coherent support to

Pacific countries

How effective are the Peer Reviews in driving reforms of systems?

• Respect for country soverignty, ownership – leadership by the host country to drive the peer review process

• Non intrusive, non confronting approach. – Country to country partnership approach a conversation among peers

for mutual learning and benefit– Balanced approach to finding challenges but also good practices as well

as “offering” tailored not dictating Pacific solutions to common challenges.

• Focus on “actions”/solutions rather on the challenges• Solidarity – giving collective voice to common development

coordination challenges across the Pacific countries• Credibility of the Process:

– Access to and interest of highest political leadership in country, region– Participation of senior and well respected officials as peer reviewers– Inclusiveness of consultation

Key features of Peer Reviews that had the most impact?