1 PRSP Monitoring and Synthesis Project Finnish Aid in a PRS Context Helsinki Workshop May 2003

2 General 3 year project – March 2001 to March 2004 Funded by DFID, primarily for DFID staff – cross-departmental steering group ODI-based management team (2.5 people) and access to panel of consultants

3 Objective The objective of the Project is to support and enhance DFIDs engagement in the PRS process through providing well-timed advice, guidance notes and synthesis papers on key issues arising in the country implementation of PRSs. Although the main thrust of the Project is to support DFIDs strategic engagement with PRSs (mainly at the level of IFID and the Regional Policy Departments) it will aim to assist country offices through regular newsletters, best practice notes and access to synthesis materials through the DFID intranet.

4 Short term monitoring Collect and archive information on PRSPs globally (country, thematic, international) – draw on DFIDs own traffic Use this information base to produce synthetic material (briefing notes, newsletters) on demand Also act as a contact point for PRSP enquiries and support web and intranet sites

5 Short term monitoring Cover the following topics –Patterns of ownership of, and participation in, PRS processes –Emerging links between budgets and PRSPs – MTEFs, costings etc. –Evolving links between PRSPs, PRGFs, and PRSCs – moves toward common performance frameworks etc. –Changes in IFI and donor behaviour – coordination, harmonisation, transparency, JSA processes etc. –PRS review, evaluation and monitoring processes

6 Longer term research Currently one long term research project on the political dynamics of the PRSP process Producing 4 country case studies and a synthesis