Nicaragua:
Harmonization and
Alignment Process
Mauricio Gómez Lacayo
Viceminister – Secretary
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
February 2005
Harmonization and Alignment of
International Cooperation

Objective:
 To
obtain a more effective, efficient and appropriate
development aid
 To achieve a larger and greater impact of the external
resources by significantly reducing transaction costs
 To increase the benefits of the aid recipients
 To establish strategic alliances :



Between the Governmental Institutions
Among the National and International Lending Community
With Civil Society
February 2005
Current situation of the Cooperation
Worldwide recognition: impact from
cooperation has not been as expected
 Cooperation:

 dispersed
and duplicity of efforts
 high transaction costs
 weak interagency coordination
 weak coordination with and among
governmental entities
 distorting effect on the capacities of
national institutions
February 2005
In this context, what have we done?
February 2005
Nicaragua´s Process overview
I Coordinating
Forum
Monterrey
Roma
• Analysis
•Need for change
Managua Declaration
Consensus on
mechanisms
Round Tables
II Coordinating Forum
Proposition of instruments
and mechanisms
Mechanisms
Implementation
SWAPs
Strengthening of
Cooperation Coordination
February 2005
Along with these Process

We have formed Strategic Alliances
 OECD
DAC
JCLA Process
 OECD DAC Survey
 Partner Country Meeting
 Regional Forums

 South
South Cooperation
 Harmonization and Alignment Action Plan

Government and Donor Community
February 2005
The Results….
Strengthening of the National Ownership
 Permanent and institutionalised
mechanisms
 Highlighting H&A Agenda

 Gathering
Local Actors
 Getting International Attention and Support

Obtaining a base line to measure
advances and pending tasks
 OECD
DAC Survey
February 2005
The Remaining Challenges

Ownership
 Strengthening
our own capacities
Brain Drain
 Regulation of Technical Assistance
 Dissolution of Parallel Structures

 Promoting
in a energetic and jointly manner
all on going processes
Implementation of H&A Action Plan
 Reinforcement of Official Coordination
mechanisms

February 2005
The Remaining Challenges

Alignment
 Generalized
use of Country Systems
SWAPS
 Budget Support


Better resources prevision

Vital information for Planning and MTEF
 One
comprehensive Assessment Matrix
 Alignment to the National Budget Cycle
February 2005
The Remaining Challenges

Harmonization
 Lower

transaction costs
Delegated Cooperation
 Information

Sharing
Analytic works, studies and reports
 Harmonisation

of norms and procedures
Joint Missions and Reports
 Flexibility
in allocation and reallocation of
resources
February 2005
How to move Forward…

Making the H&A Agenda the General Agenda
 H&A
approach should be part of everyone's work and
objectives
 Donor and Lending Community as well as
Government should integrate it into their
organizational culture

Finding relatively uncompromising areas to
avance on
 Little Changes with great impact
 Parallels structures back to Government entities
 Projects funds to be manage by governmental institutions
 Sharing donors resource programming information
February 2005
How to move Forward…

Making concrete compromises by Key
Actors
 Government
 Donor
and Lending Community
 Civil Society Organizations

Development of a Follow Up system
Strategic Partner
 Realistic, Measurable and Reachable

February 2005
How to move Forward…

Creating a dissemination Strategy
 Constant
information amongst the key actors
Better and Greater Participation
 Feedback assurance

 Clarification
and unification of concepts
All actors moving into the same direction
 Unification of efforts

 Divulgation
of progress made and challenges
ahead
February 2005
Conclussions
Change management is a timely manner
and both donor and country pace should
be respected.
 No real progress will be made without a
consensual strategy plan backed with real,
concrete and measurable compromises
from key actors.

February 2005