Possible pointers

Faten AggadAfrica’s Change Dynamics Programme, ECDPM

Sandton 4 March 2015

How to maximize the impact of peer reviews?

OECD-APRM meeting- Methods and Practices of Peer Reviews: Lessons from the APRM and the OECD

• Innovative tool that promotes a participatory approach to agenda setting at country level (strengthening citizens participation in policy making processes, raise public awareness)

• Allowed African countries to tell their own stories • Countries can share their experiences in a context

where they have similar context • Identification of the cross-cutting issues which

underpin development of countries• Early-warning system• Building an African knowledge resources

Consensus on the positive contribution of the APRM so far

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Building incentives

Content (questionnaire all-

encompassing, non-integration into existing plans,

limited linkages with existing

processes on the continent)

Follow up

Capacityfor implementation: Human capacity and resources

(country level & Secretariat level)

Process (i.e. lengthy review

process (shorten in 2nd reviews?)

Identified areas for further reflection

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• Government departments? • Presidency?• Civil society? • Private sector? • Etc…

=

Critical to identify the drivers for implementation

Incentives for whom?

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What assumptions? i.e. in terms of

implementation capacity of the

country (financial and human

resources), ‘owner’ of implementation

Opportunity-costs

Scope Benefits foreseen

Articulating the ‘business case’ for the APRM upfront

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What’s the value proposition for the country?

• Process vs output focus • Peer review vs peer learning • Agenda setting or implementation-oriented

reviews/advisory• General governance assessment tool• Benchmarking

= Different roles/scope of the APRM exercise?

Requirement for flexibility in the tool? Or develop a ‘palette d’offre’

Unpacking the ‘why’ question

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•1st generation reviews •Comprehensive •Broad governance assessment tool

•Problem identification•Dialogue to identify priorities

Base-line assessment

•2nd generation reviews •Sectorial to address agreed priorities

Addressing priority areas

•Could be triggered by improved indicators in the identified sectors or emergence of new trends.

•Assess whether priorities are still relevant (adaptability of change strategy)

Pattern of development assessment?

Promoting adaptability to sustain relevance?

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Constantly promote uptake to promote relevance

Tools for prioritization

• What is the political economy of policy implementation in a given country?

• Possibility for joint dialogue with the country? • Identify strategies to address sensitive reasons for

blockages• Integrate the assessment of blockages when

formulating recommendations (focus on low-hanging fruits as a start for a country-driven reform strategy?)

Understanding blockages throughout the process

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Uptake limited not because of a “lack that could be filled by more capacity, more funding, more dialogue, etc…[it’ is because there are significant incentives not to do so” = understanding incentives is critical

Making the APRM more impactful: Focus on uptake approaches

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Linkages with African processes/actors (i.e. PAP) International opportunities to dialogue: i.e. the case study of the EU• Governance Initiative of the EU in 2008 • 2.7 Billion Euro to support governance at country

level• Requirement by EU delegations to develop

‘Governance profiles’ • Where there was awareness (i.e. delegation in

Kenya), the APRM Country Report generously used in developing the country governance profile

• Discussion on the follow up mechanism currently in place.

A case for stronger linkages to strengthen the attractiveness of the APRM?

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• What is realistically possible at different levels (secretariat, country-level, civil society)?

• Implementation depends on setting realistic objectives to demonstrate results (what is the political economy of implementation)

• Balance between continuous monitoring of trends (i.e. in a priority sector by the secretariat) with fixed moments to assess progress (i.e. bi-annually through dialogue or reporting)

• Mobilise networks to support continuous M&E

Strengthening the M&E system?

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Thank youwww.ecdpm.org

www.slideshare.net/ecdpm

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