Agriculture Sector and SWAps Harmonisation and Alignment

What’s different about Agricultural SWAps?  Agriculture is a productive sector – farmers are ‘experts’ also: Outputs-> incomes, employment and GDP  …So…Markets and Private sector are more important  Public vs Private roles in the sector: impact on livelihoods Not always a consensus, MINAGRI not always in charge and roles can change over time:  Govt: > focus on Policy reform, enabling action for private sector and correcting market failures and < focus on actual service delivery….  Whats the role of subsidies?  How to attract credit? Effects of Exchange rate  Agriculture is heterogenous, one size does not fit all: Agro-ecological differences mean different things delivered in diff areas: NOT LIKE UPE  …So how can SWAp be flexible?

OWNERSHIP, ALIGNMENT AND HARMONISATION: Agriculture sector in Rwanda  2004/2005 GoR (+) have set the agenda: NAP, PSTA, MTEF Progress in the framework…but sector most projects designed before this…  11 donors engaged in Projects in the sector 5 of these are also Budget Support: how well does Ag sector engage in BS?  Approximately 20 projects in the sector each with its own project steering committee which meet 2x p.a. minimum = 40 meetings Cluster meetings are on top and all other meetings and core work Risk of not having enough time for planning, M/E  Only one operating project has been developed after the PSTA, 3 others in pipeline  Role of public and private sector not totally clear cut: because of transition in sector – low capacity of private sector and lack of organisation of farmers

A pretty Picture? NAP, PSTA, MTEF IFAD DFID JICA Belgians FAO RNE LUX EU ADB WB USAI D RURAL DEVELOPMENT CLUSTER = forum for coordination NAP, PSTA, MTEF IFAD DFID* JICA Belgians * FAO RNE LUX EU* ADB * WB * USAID * = BS also

2. Challenges Multiple Donor Procedures: M&E, procurement, financial management Few DPs until recently have had a ‘sector view’: most focused on projects National vs DP procedures: When the procedures differ the DPs win! Planning and Budget cycle: PTBA comes after the budget cycle so annual budget does not capture actual expenditure  So… it makes it hard for MINECOFIN and DPs to assess real sector performance (e.g. absorption capacity) and therefore harder for MINAGRI to lobby for extra funds Sector Wide View is not always easy to see

3. Opportunities Good technical and political basis for a SWAp Improved Alignment of Plan and MTEF  Alignment of PRSP and MTEF with PSTA including reclassifying the MTEF  Including BD and BO in MTEF  Identification of sector and programme wide outcome indicators (also in MTEF)  Improved M&E and reporting against these, including Joint Budget Sector Review Reporting Enquete Agricole: Sector Statistics clearer EDPRS process underway and Joint Sector Review undertaken MIS in the sector will be developed PER due to be undertaken (first since 2003) PAPSTA project has activity on SWAp and jointly funded by IFAD and DFID….evolution… Joint analytical work undertaken adding value to implementation of Strategic plan Commitment of MINAGRI and some DPs to develop a SWAp (e.g. IFAD, DFID, WB, RNE, EU, Belgians)

4. Which areas of Alignment and Coordination of DPs are most developed and why? Reporting:  report by project Budgeting:  by project and portfolio Financial Management system:  own systems Procurement:  own systems but linked to NTB Preparation of Support: Participative but  rarely done jointly between donors focused on programmes Monitoring and Reviews: often involve others in project MTRs but  only just getting focused on the sector outcomes Evaluations:  rarely done jointly; project focus more than sector Analytical Work and Knowledge: ongoing Policy Dialogue: exists but can do better – still fragmented Cycle Alignment:  can and should do this!

5. Potential Alignment instruments – do we have them in the sector? MoU: used between GoR and some DPs but for project support only; not really there between DPs Code of Conduct: Aid Policy Document guides all sectors; no sector specific guidance Joint Financing Agreement: Between donors limited to joint project support Joint Assistance Strategies: DFID and WB doing a Joint Country Assistance Strategy Agreed Limited Agenda: No silent partners! Coordinating timetables (donor/ Govt): Can and should be done! Go between TA: in process of getting some

6. What can national and DPs do to enhance…  National Leadership of DP coordination Cluster supported by Technical Working groups for the 4 programmes of PSTA and a SWAp TWG Sector Coordination Secretariat Model like justice sector? Give clear guidelines to DPs and stick to them  National Ownership and Commitment Awareness raising amongst stakeholders:  MINAGRI, Agencies, Districts, DPs, Parliamentary Committee  Informed Policy dialogue Joint Analytical Work Joint Sector Reviews Joint Fora for dialogue are used

7. Key Challenges & are they being tackled?  Agreeing role of the state in Agriculture – what, how, for how long?  Developing capacity of private sector and NGO service providers  Sustained political and technical commitment to developing a SWAp  DP procedural and political constraints and commitment to SWAp over traditional project approach  Capacity to plan, implement programmes and report on sector outcomes (central and Local level)

8. Key Next Steps  Action plan developed from this event, to include: Coordinating Timetables Code of Conduct Technical sector issues: e.g. MTEF and decentralisation; sector performance contracts…  Shared and validated by SWAp TWG (to be created)  Create TWG for 4 programmes under the RC  Explore idea of Coordination Secretariat?