IATI implementation Observations from the EC IATI steering
IATI implementation: Observations from the EC IATI steering committee, 9 february 2011, A. Gerbrandij/DEVCO
Conducive political, institutional and policy environment • High political commitment: Commissioner Piebalgs speech in DEVCO seminar + call from his cabinet • EU Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions, December 2010: fourth chapter on transparency and mutual accountability • Aid transparency part of EU-US transatlantic dialogue • Advocacy role of CSO’s: letters to high level; lobbying for EU approach; and transparency assessment (EC 4 th place with 70, 2% score) • Existing DEVCO processes on aid transparency • Challenge: IATI status and set up
Hearts & Minds (1) • Collaboration between aid effectiveness experts, IT and DAC reporters, started from beginning (2008) • Added value: 3 monthly reporting, non-quantitative • Trigger for internal quality improvements • Linked with new related processes: for example Project Cycle Management Platform for documents • Advantage: ‘IT Strategies’ team in same unit as aid effectiveness (in previous AIDCO structure until 2010)
Hearts & Minds (2) • ‘Hot potato’ effect! + the car production line analogy • Mind sets determined by people’s own mandates • Capacity and human (and financial) resources constraints • Feeling of working with double standards (DAC/CRS and IATI) • Attention a bit lost between July and December
Factual steps (1) • Laid down in internal procedure, approval by management: Schema Directeur DEVCO, January 2011 • Coverage by DEVCO 75% of EC ODA (ENLARGEMENT, ECHO and EIB not in (yet)) • Useful visit of IATI support team on 1 February 2011 • Consideration of further IATI technical support • IATI EC Implementation Schedule ready in course of February
Factual steps (2) • Concrete request for actions to DEVCO services • Setting up internal ad hoc implementation structure • Planning to disclose data phase 1 and parts of phase 2 (documents) as of October/November 2011 • Make data available in user friendly way through EC Joint Research Centre TR-AID initiative (database/aggregator) • Plan to present aid transparency package at Busan HLF IV • Challenge: to link with country level through EU Delegations
Conclusions • High level commitment essential but not sufficient • Overcome bureaucratic resistance to change and non-routine work • Ensure participation at different levels: political, policy (aid effectiveness) and technical (IT, DAC reporting) • Use existing processes/procedures • Lay down specific actions, deadlines and actors in documents/instructions • Incremental approach and keep it manageable
Thank you • High level commitment essential but not enough • Overcome bureaucratic resistance to change and nonroutine work • Work at different levels: political, policy (aid effectiveness) and technical (IT, DAC reporting) • Use existing processes/procedures • Lay down specific actions, deadlines and actors in documents/instructions • Incremental approach and keep it manageable
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