Public Administration Reform Practice Note

2. Global Practice Meeting on Public Administration Reform Public Administration Reform Practice Note

3. Provides a strategic framework for UNDP Country Office staff and Regional Programmes for PAR programming Provides UNDP’s development partners with clear sense of UNDP’s strategic focus Provides a ‘portal’ to more detailed programmatic guidance: toolkits including primers, case studies; other resources. The Practice Note

4. Mapping of UNDP activities, lessons from experience and evaluations Inputs by the Democratic Governance Group, PAR Advisers based in NY, Oslo and the SURFs. Comments from Network Discussion between October 8th and October 22nd, involving over 20 participants. Review by the Democratic Governance Programme Team – over 25 responses. Peer review by senior practitioners in partner agencies Process of developing the PN

5. Practice Note Primers on: PAR in francophone countries PAR in post-conflict PAR in the HIV/AIDS most affected countries Gender mainstreaming in PAR Case studies and regional studies Policy Positions ARNs, Consolidated replies, network discussions, consultant rosters, etc. Other Practice Notes and Toolkits In Governance A-C Decentralization Access to Information Practice Notes in Other Practices Poverty HIV/AIDS PAR Practice Toolkit

6. Anti Corruption Electoral Systems Access to Information Parliamentary Development Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Poverty Reduction and Human Rights Gender Equality The Role of Economic Policies in Poverty Reduction UNDP’s Role in PRSPs Trade and Future Multilateral trade Negotiations Etc. UNDP Practice Noteshttp://www.undp.org/policy/practicenotes.htm

7. The PN is built around capacity development at the individual, institutional and societal levels for poverty reduction in four areas: Civil Service Reform Improving the policy making system Reforming the machinery of government Reforming the public expenditure management system Substance and Scope of PAR

8. Entry points and sequencing Winners and losers Gaining support and fostering leadership Accounting for different administrative traditions Enshrining the Human Rights Approach Measuring Progress PN provides practical guidance for DG practitioners

9. Difficult to define a UNDP role compatible with its resources. Other players have increased their role in this field, e.g. World Bank, ADB, IADB, and DfID Surveys in Africa, Asia, and the Arab States have shown that focus on reform of central government declined while decentralization has become a core area for UNDP Main issues in PAR for UNDP UNDP’s comparative strength is evolving:

10. UNDP’s twin pillars of a pro-poor and human rights-based approach to PAR are a focus on open government and decentralization UNDP practitioners, informed by this Practice Note and accompanying toolkit will be able to engage in a dialogue on all aspects of PAR, and be advocates for UNDP’s pro-poor and human rights-based approaches. UNDP’s Niche

11. Engaging in a dialogue for pro-poor, democratic and human rights based reform Promoting a participatory process in elaborating the reform policy and designing reform programmes, and ensuring that reforms have full ownership Ensuring that reform of the public administration begins with using and developing existing capacity UNDP’s strategic approach

12. Promoting ‘open government’: accessible; transparent; accountable; includes public participation in decision-making; and government-held information is accessible. Assisting government in creating the enabling legal and institutional environment for decentralization PA in post conflict countries. UNDP’s strategic approach

13. To engage the government on PAR issues means finding strategic opportunities for funding or dialogue. UNDP programme staff should be prepared to engage in a dialogue on all aspects of PAR, because: UNDP has a particular perspective, and because there will be cases in which it is the best suited to lead in supporting a PAR programme. UNDP’s strategic approach