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p. 7 of 7 BACK | NEXT Maximizing Institutional Effectiveness Streamlining Organizational and Business Processes Mobilizing Human Resources and Budget Assuring Development Impact Strengthening Accountability Managing Knowledge Fostering Partnerships

Annual Report 2003 : Maximizing Institutional Effectiveness

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Fostering Partnerships

The diversity and scale of the development potential and challenges in the region require collaboration among all stakeholders committed to reducing poverty. ADB’s partners include national and local governments, civil society, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), and bilateral and multilateral development agencies.

To enhance partnerships, ADB focused on (i) harmonizing policies and procedures to minimize transaction costs, (ii) strategic coordination to better align country strategies and programs with the development planning cycles of individual DMCs and with those of other key development partners, (iii) working with NGOs and civil society, and (iv) enhancing communications and outreach to attain a higher public profile for and understanding of ADB. This includes a combined review of the Information Policy and Strategy of ADB and the Policy on Confidentiality and Disclosure of Information. Representative offices and regional and resident missions play a growing role in this regard. The network will be augmented by the Pacific coordination and implementation office in Sydney, approved in 2003 which will expand outreach in Australia and New Zealand.

Two factors that have catalyzed stronger partnerships are (i) expansion and devolution of responsibilities to resident missions; and (ii) establishment of grant funds from several bilateral donors, including Canada, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and United Kingdom.

Experience gained in Bangladesh and Cambodia as well as lessons learned from other institutions led ADB to view sector-wide approach programs (SWAPs) as a way to enhance project effectiveness. SWAPs presume strong local capacities and require that stringent policy and fiduciary conditions be met up front, but with attention to the best blend of instruments, SWAPs can serve the needs of poorly performing countries.

In May 2003, a participatory process involving more than 500 representatives of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors culminated in the adoption of ADB-Government- NGO Cooperation: A Framework for Action, 2003–2005. This document provides a medium-term roadmap for increasing tripartite collaboration in poverty reduction efforts and recommends specific actions to increase NGO participation in ADB activities, to enhance transparency and interaction, to develop ADB capacity for NGO cooperation, to build NGO capacity, and to strengthen government-NGO cooperation.

One immediate step of the Framework’s implementation was the creation of a pilot NGO small grants window, NGO Partnerships for Poverty Reduction, made possible by a $500,000 regional technical assistance fund financed by the Poverty Reduction Cooperation Fund. Technical assistance will help NGOs design and implement innovative projects in several DMCs. Projects will emphasize poverty reduction and enhanced cooperation among ADB, governments, and NGOs.

This landmark development in ADB relations with civil society gives ADB greater flexibility and additional resources to support innovative NGO activities that complement poverty reduction efforts at the country level. NGOs may submit proposals for up to $50,000 per country or up to $20,000 per project.

Coordination with other development partners was given increased importance in 2003. Active participation in events organized by the European Union, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization provided ADB with an effective platform to present regional perspectives to a global audience.

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