1. PRSPs & Parliament in Africa Parliamentary Performance in Four PRSP Countries Dr. Rasheed Draman Parliamentary Centre

2. Overview: An analysis based on field research in Ghana, Malawi, Niger and Tanzania Brief comments on methodology Review of analytical framework Assessment of PRSP performance Strengths and weaknesses of Parliaments in their PRSP roles

3. Key Messages: Careful review of PRSPs in 4 cases shows weaknesses: –Budgets not followed –HIPC funds distorted –Monitoring poor –Gender equity gaps Suggests present economic policy not being implemented Main question: how better performance? Need stronger oversight to correct Puts focus on role of Parliaments Parliaments are helping, but need selective support

4. The Rapid Appraisal Review: Selected 4 cases of PRSP activity, set up intensive visits, background studies, ongoing follow-up PC team in each did detailed roundtable, community outreach Parliamentary audit Community Outreach Meeting, Mchinji, Malawi

5. Framework for Analysis: Five parts of PRSP process connect –Diagnosis leads to decisions re priorities –Must be reflected in budget cycle process –Then implementation –Monitoring should change analysis, etc. Poverty Diagnosis & Analysis Poverty Policy Priority Decisions Budget Cycle Process with PRSP Changes Monitoring and Evaluation of Outcomes/Impacts Policy Implementation and Service Delivery

6. Role of Parliaments: Parliaments inserted in political economy, with special oversight role on: –Civil society participation in diagnosis –How budget reflects PRSP priorities –Monitoring of results on the ground Treatment of gender another area where Parliament increasing role

7. Findings on Four PRSPs: Despite different situations, policy thrusts are similar But reality is pro- poor spending not being followed in budget performance E.g. lower Northern Ghana health funds Ghana Personnel Spending, First half of 2003 Ministry Budget Actual Food & Agric 76% 98.6% Health 84% 97.9% Manpower 78% 94.0% Defence 79% 93.7% Overall Total 77% 91.3% Y.Zhou, ‘A Review of Budget Performance In Ghana,’ WBI Video Conference, 2003.

8. HIPC Benefits Distorted: In 3 of 4 cases HIPC resources handled outside budget In some countries, replace budget PRSP promises Allow non-poor spending increases Political allocations common Malawi Budget Review,2003 Key Concerns noted: 1.17 out of 29 areas of pro- poor spending reduced 2.Including rural feeder roads and water supplies 3.More needed for Health and Agriculture 4.HIVAIDS funds unspent 5.HIPC reporting stopped Report on the 2003/04 Budget, Malawi Budget and Finance Committee, July, 2003

9. Gaps in Monitoring & Gender: Tanzania and Malawi both developing monitoring systems to catch up Ghana and Niger have taken few steps HIPC Watch in Ghana plays main role Gender equity emphasis hard to see anywhere – on-the-ground comments critical in Tanzania, Ghana and Malawi

10. PRSP Challenge: Quite serious issues arise from review Poor seem remote from PRSPs, clear performance gaps HIPC role in these countries mixed Women key poverty focus, yet sidelined Can Parliamentary oversight/pressure respond to problems to improve PRSPs? Not possible in rubber-stamp cases But these 4 are active Parliaments What is happening?

11. Bridge for Poor/Civil Society? Greater input key to governance change Parliament links to poor quite limited E.g. Tanzania audit But good signs on civil society ties Can be policy plus Niger MPs during village outreach session

12. Poverty Policy and Parliament Parliament role small in start of PRSPs But several cases show more leverage –Tanzania school growth pushed hard by MPs, rate up 58 to 85%, 13000 classrooms –Malawi Budget Committee has stressed HIV/AIDS mainstream spending Strong chairs, consensus role important What macroeconomic policy potential?

13. Gender Equality a Focus: Gender leadership in all 4 parliaments Not so much via women’s caucus Key female-led committees active in pushing PRSP role Will happen in Niger Tanzania work to get PRSP say for ‘special seat’ MPs Ghana committee most active as community monitor Malawi committee applying ‘gender budget’ to PRSP

14. Budget Cycle Role: Mix of strong/weak points very complex Major budget focus Much public input But few support resources, no real leverage on plans, so basicly ineffective Macro policy gap Budget Cycle Process

15. Monitoring Role: Clear findings in this context Parliaments working to be more active, learning new community-based methods, and pushing for national roles Strength in this area is widely perceived and links with civil society will help Close ties to people represented a basis

16. Main Conclusions: Must start with evidence of widespread PRSP performance failures – should there be more focus on this as priority? Parliamentary role overall a mix of strengths (links to civil society, gender focus, monitoring momentum) – and of weaknesses (budget cycle role, links with poor, limits to policy leverage)

17. What Can Parliaments Do? Greatest area of strength monitoring Gains from training on community ideas like score cards Key women-led committees gender leaders – main goal to strengthen these Parliaments can also build policy role Could include more mobilizing of people Sharing policy ideas and insights among committees useful Macro policy should be a concern, too

18. Challenges for Parliaments: Biggest concern to stress is lack of budget and financial control – must build own capacity, improve staffing, work for impact earlier in budget cycle Plus continuing challenge of truly reaching poor for serious interaction To meet these goals, international and national emphases must change to reinforce Parliaments and contributions they can make