<< Programmes - Democratic Governance

Beyond planning—the ability to make a difference:

Capacity Development for Public Management

Location:
Lilongwe, Malawi
Period:
2008 - 2011
Corporate Thematic Area:
Democratic Governance and Capacity Development
2007 Budget:
US$522,000 (for the preparatory phase)
Partners:
Office of the President, Accountant General, Auditor General, Department of Human Resource Management, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Information and Civic Education, Ministry of Irrigation and Water Development, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, National Audit Office, Office of the Director of Public Procurement
Contact:
Silke Hollander
Programme Analyst
P.O. Box 30135
Lilongwe 3, Malawi
Office: +265 (0) 1 773 500, Ext. 257
silke.hollander@undp.org

Malawi is one the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It ranks 164 out of 177 countries in the global Human Development Index (2007)—unlike Malawi, most of the bottom 15 are in a state of conflict or emerging from it. In 2006, 65 percent of the population lived below the national poverty line and the majority of those in ultra-poverty were women.

The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) is an articulation of Malawi’s vision of lasting poverty reduction through sustainable economic growth and infrastructure development. It is a comprehensive plan for 2006-2011 targeting six priority areas: agriculture and food security, irrigation and water development, transport infrastructure development, energy generation and supply, integrated rural development, and prevention and management of nutrition disorders and HIV/AIDS. An underlying principle of the MGDS is the need to create a conducive environment for private sector investment to stimulate growth and job creation.

Malawi receives a relatively large amount of development assistance given the size of its economy. In 2004 aid inflows amounted to US$575 million, which is 28 percent of GDP. Under the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, an increasing volume of development assistance resources will be coordinated and managed directly by GoM.

With its national strategy, the resources and the authority to use these resources, Malawi is in a good position to make serious headway in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These three factors, however important are not sufficient. The Government must have systems and people in place that can effectively and efficiently manage these aid flows and implement the necessary programmes, delivering services to vulnerable people across the country.

A number of development partner projects have aimed to address these issues and have undertaken capacity building projects—some with success—but these have been uncoordinated and represented uneven improvement, even duplicated efforts, and came at high implementation costs.

Functional capacity in areas such as human resource management and procurement is essential to the day-to-day operations of the public sector. The UNDP is spearheading the design of a programme which will provide coordinated support for functional capacity development through the Office of the President (OPC) and will be implemented by the relevant line ministries and common service institutions. This will avoid duplication of efforts, create synergies, and help ensure programmes are in line with the MGDS. The UNDP is well suited to channel coordinated assistance from a variety of development partners as it specializes in providing technical assistance and a neutral platform for other stakeholders to work through.

The main objectives of this comprehensive programme are to 1) improve functional capacity for implementing the MGDS, 2) improve performance in public service delivery, 3) increase government ownership in managing development projects and 4) increase public sector accountability. In order to achieve these four objectives, focus will be placed on public procurement, financial management and human resource management, information and communication technology, programme planning and project management, auditing and reporting, monitoring and evaluation, sector coordination and management, economic development planning and administration.

The public sector in Malawi
Delivery of basic services and achievement of MGDS objectives requires a motivated, efficient and effective public sector.

But, there are currently serious capacity constraints. One example of this is that a UNDP assessment of 5 projects in 2005 under a particular Ministry found average delivery rates of only 27.7 percent. The government and numerous development agencies cite lack of capacity, distorted incentive systems and weak accountability as major problems for achieving results.

Capacity is amongst other issues undermined by inadequate training, high vacancy rates—largely a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and insufficient management procedures, systems and logistical support. Therefore despite the large flows of money directed towards programmes and projects in Malawi, many are not able deliver on their objectives and targets and implementation is delayed resulting in poor service delivery.

The programme will develop indicators and other tools, fostering the government’s ability to undertake regular self-assessments. In order to support OPC in its coordination role, a Capacity Development advisor will be working at OPC.

As a first step in developing the programmes thorough capacity assessments are conducted in the identified functional areas and strategies to address gaps will be developed.

What is a Capacity Assessment?
This capacity assessment is a study of how a relevant institution functions. This means looking at each component methodically, reviewing processes, procedures, practices, computer systems, infrastructure, resources; the inputs and outputs of the organization, its departments and teams; goals, mandates, and skill-sets. As a result capacity needs are identified which can be addressed in the capacity development programme.

Once the capacity assessment is complete, a four year capacity development programme will be designed to implement the strategies as prioritised by GoM.

One area of this programme that is already under way is “Building National Procurement Capacity to Implement the Public Procurement Act,” which is discussed in more depth in a separate Fast Facts write-up.