Europe & CIS

Summary

UNDP has put capacity development (CD) at the core of its Strategic Plan 2008 - 2011 noting that CD is "the overarching contribution of UNDP in assisting the efforts of programme countries to achieve internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals." The project responds to the needs in the Europe and CIS Region for developing the capacity of public institutions to manage their affairs succesfully. Strengthening these institutions is crucial as they are essential for improving the quality of public service delivery and global public goods, and thus improving living standards. The primary beneficiary of the project will be th UNDP Country Offices and UN Country Teams in the RBEC region, with secondary beneficiaries being the national and local governments they serve. This three year project will serve as the regional 'umbrella initiative' for the recently established Capacity Development Practice, and defines the key service lines and expected outputs and results.

Situation analysis:

The key issue: Capacities of public institutions in the RBEC region

Many countries within the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (RBEC) Region have undergone profound governance transformations since 1990 and many have become progressively more democratic. But despite the modernization of public institutions and the establishment of market economies, two formidable governance challenges remain across the region:

(i) weak political interest in further reform, which is a reflection of inadequate efforts to promote inclusive citizenship and empower the excluded; and

(ii) inadequate state capacity to implement reforms, deliver public services, and be more accountable to taxpayers and constituencies.

Generally speaking, weak states face the challenges of poorly paid and trained civil servants, and institutional deficiencies resulting from unclear and overlapping mandates; opaque and poorly understood structure, and inadequate policy implementation and oversight mechanisms. The result is often unresponsive state structures providing poor quality public services within non-transparent financial frameworks.

There has been political will for change in many of the countries of the Region (the European Union accession process, or the neighbouring countries of the EU, such as the Western CIS and Caucasus, which are benefiting from the European Neighbourhood Policy) and considerable resources spent; however, few would claim that sustainable institutions have always been built as a result of the investment made. Developing the capacity of public institutions is essential for improving the quality of public service delivery and thus of living standards. Thus capacity development efforts in the RBEC Region must focus on modernizing institutional structures in the executive, legislative, and judicial bodies in order to promote efficient and effective civil services, foster better policy choices, and fight corruption. 

Strategy

The project defines the strategic entry point for systematizing a rigorous approach to CD in UNDP programming in the RBEC region. Support will be provided to strengthen the capacity of UNDP country office staff as well as UNCT, and the provision of operational guidance and the development of applications of the capacity development and capacity assessment tools and methodology to promote the integration of CD in UN(DP) programmes and projects. The primary beneficiaries of the project will be the UNDP Country Offices and UN Country Teams in the RBEC Region. 

Expected outcome

Public administration integrity and capacity for evidenced based policy development and public service delivery improved

Expected outputs

i) Capacities of national and sub-national public institutions and civil society developed to manage effectively and efficiently public resources for the production of public goods and equitable delivery of public services, in particular to marginalized and vulnerable groups

ii) Knowledge on capacity development and its application in thematic areas generated and transferred through the direct interaction between actors involved and experienced in these areas and relevant stakeholders interested in applying the knowledge in their countries