1. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT IN PLANNING LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC Peace Independence Democracy Unity Prosperity FORUM ON PLANS AND PRSPs IN EAST ASIA

2. Presentation Organisation National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy (NGPES) formulation Sixth Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) preparation Challenges

3. NGPES FORMULATION (1) 1.First National Workshop on Poverty Alleviation, 1996 2.6 th Round Table Meeting in 1997 3.Rapid Poverty Assessment in 1997 & LECS II in 1997/98 4.7 th Round Table Meeting in 2001 5.PPAs and LECS III

4. NGPES FORMULATION (2) 6.Presentation of Governance Policy Paper to partners in development in April 2003 7.8 th Round Table Meeting in September 2003 8.National Assembly’s approval of NGPES in October 2003

5. Participants in NGPES Formulation Central Ministries & Agencies, NA, and the mass organizations Academics and researchers Provinces, districts and communities Private sector International NGOs Partners in development

6. Incorporation of Stakeholder Views in NGPES The consultations generated a rich array of ideas from stakeholders, including on the Needs and priorities to be addressed Strategies, policies and actions Approaches Targeting

7. NGPES Implementation Implementation slow largely due to lack of earmarked funds: Annual Plans and budgets tied to PIP under Fifth Plan Partners too did not earmark funds Only modest support for preparation of focal area plans and costing

8. Lessons from NGPES Participation valuable Economic growth necessary for sustained poverty reduction Targeting necessary to help the poorest NGPES needs to fit with 5-year Plan Integrate poverty reduction in sectors

9. Sixth Plan Formulation (1) Began in the last Quarter of 2003 Bottom-up approach Drew upon lessons from Fifth Plan and various macro and sector strategies Preliminary ideas shared with partners in development, private sector and Lao researchers and mass organizations

10. Sixth Plan Formulation (2) Draft Sixth Plan presented to: (i) Government several times, (ii) Party Central Committee and National Assembly, (iii) Partners, and (iv) Party Congress To be shared with private investors and Lao researchers & mass organizations Submit Final draft to National Assembly

11. NGPES Integration in Plan Various strands of poverty reduction pulled together as a coherent strategy Key sectors and supporting sectors Cross-cutting areas Poverty-focused National Programmes Targeted interventions

12. Stakeholder Views The consultations generated a wealth of suggestions, and a few examples are: public fiscal management financial sector private sector development Prioritization with poverty focus Implementation, monitoring & evaluation

13. Challenges Resource mobilization Ensuring adherence to priorities Improving implementation Monitoring, evaluation and reporting

14. THANK YOU LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC Peace Independence Democracy Unity Prosperity