Public sector management / Public administration

The goal of this TA is to help build resilience through supporting fragility and conflict-sensitive approaches to development in selected fragile states in Asia and the Pacific. Building on previous assistance supporting ADBs engagement in FCAS, specific assessment tools have been piloted (e.g., peacebuilding tool, guide to fragility assessment, fragility index, institutional strengthening framework, customized risk management framework). This TA will support and expand their application in FCAS DMCs and will provide the means to capture collective local knowledge (resilience mapping) to better understand the operating context and the interaction between intervention and context. This will enable more effective policies and programs designed specifically to address the complex development issues in FCAS. A key lesson from earlier TAs is that further strengthening of ADB and counterpart agencies capacities for engagement in FCAS, as well as stakeholders participation, to avoid negative effects and maximise positive impacts for peacebuilding/statebuilding and development, is needed to improve development effectiveness in such fragile settings.

The resilience mapping one of the recommendations of the Manila forum will: (i) capture the drivers of fragility and conflict in FCAS country, (ii) identify ways to cultivate the country's strategies, programs and projects, to nurture peacebuilding and statebuilding efforts to build resilience, and (iii) integrate all existing assessments that can be used by FCAS governments and development partners in country programming and project financing into a customized (country-specific) framework for peacebuilding and statebuilding. The mapping exercise will be based on the judicious use of all fragility and conflict assessment tools and processes, some of which have been developed and piloted under earlier ADB TA. This will include, but is not limited to, assessments of capacity, institutions, gender, civil society, economic policy, state performance and governance, natural hazards, and political economy. The mapping of resilience to fragility and conflict will be piloted in one selected FCAS country prior to replication in other fragile situations to design a customized framework. A training program on fragility and conflict-sensitive approach to development will also be conducted for concerned staff and partner government agencies to better understand how to integrate fragile/conflict-sensitivity within complex institutional cultures, structures and systems, and how to operationalize it in difficult and volatile political contexts. A communication strategy, in turn, will be prepared and implemented to promote and advocate the wider use of the resilience mapping exercise to implement fragility and conflict-sensitivity approaches to development among key international and local players in FCAS as basis for the formulation of national development plans, country programming, and project formulation.

Need to translate international commitments into actions for fragile states. Since 2005, many high-level meetings have been held and declarations of intent have been issued on aid effectiveness in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCAS), but those commitments need to be translated into more effective action on the ground. In June 2013, ADB and the Australian Agency for International Development (now Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) held a high-level forum on Building Resilience to Fragility in Asia and the Pacific in Manila to translate international intent into country-led actions supporting more resilient and more inclusive societies to emerge. The Manila forum was designed to exchange ideas on new ways of engagement and what constitutes working differently and working better in FCAS to help build resilience to fragility and conflict. The Manila forum made five recommendations: (i) increase the participation of all FCAS stakeholders, (ii) give greater voice to FCAS countries, (iii) improve FCAS funding, (iv) map fragility to better understand and work more efficiently in the local context (resilience mapping), and (v) measure fragility. This TA will focus on resilience mapping through participatory approaches in selected FCAS countries.

Lack of understanding of the local context in which development partners operate. Without proper understanding and appreciation of the local conditions for which development partners operate, the policies, principles, and approaches that development agencies normally apply can be ineffective. Engagement without understanding the local context may even result in risks adding to the difficulties states already face in establishing effective and legitimate institutions, policies and the leadership needed to transit to stability and sustained development over the long term. As Kaplan states, International action should focus on facilitating local processes, leveraging local capacities and complementing local actions, so that local citizens can create governance systems appropriate to their surroundings. Kaplan further notes that foreign blueprints for establishing state institutions may not be suitable to local conditions. Mapping fragility to better understand local context and identify drivers of fragility and conflict will enable strategies, programs, and projects to maximize positive benefits, mitigate risks, and avoid negative impacts of ADBs interventions in FCAS countries. The mapping may also help identify peacebuilding indicators to measure fragility, in quantitative or qualitative terms.

Strengthening ADBs limited technical capacity to operate in fragile and conflict-affected situations. The midterm review of ADBs Strategy 2020 highlights support to FCAS and notes the importance of understanding the local context, making long-term commitments, and ensuring country ownership, in addition to being flexible in responding effectively to the unique challenges in FCAS countries. ADB needs to commit and invest in additional capacity if it is to successfully mainstream FCAS-sensitive approaches. Trainings on fragility will therefore continue to be mainstreamed into ADBs staff development programs. This TA will supplement the full-time staff member, who is the institution-wide focal point. The dedicated team of FCAS experts engaged under this TA (FCAS resource group) will support country and project teams in ADB's geographically diverse FCAS countries and in subnational situations of fragility and conflict. The Operational Plan for Enhancing ADBs Effectiveness in FCAS commits ADB to 13 activities over the 2013 to 2020 period. One of these activities is the establishment of a resource group, composed of consultants with FCAS experience.

The proposed TA responds to ADB's Strategy 2020 recommendation to seek innovative means to strengthen the effectiveness of country-led models of engagement in FCAS. It supports the implementation of ADB's approach to engaging with FCAS and the Pacific Approach 2010-2014. It will also assist implementation of the 2010 recommendations of the Special Evaluation Study on FCAS and ADB's Operational Plan in FCAS.

1. Fragility and conflict-sensitive assessments conducted in selected FCAS countries using existing tools and frameworks

2. Capacity building and institutional strengthening on fragility and conflict-sensitive approaches to development conducted for concerned staff and partner government agencies in selected FCAS countries

3. National communications strategies implemented to promote and advocate the use of the resilience mapping exercise and the fragility and conflict-sensitive approach among key international and local players in selected FCAS countries.

A minor change in implementation arrangements to revise consulting services requirements in line with PARD management reconsideration of TA implementation has been approved. Recruitment of consultants is ongoing.

A conflict-sensitive approach is being implemented in Afghanistan; a study on mapping resilience to fragility has been conducted based on country performance assessments; the Government of Vanuatu expressed no-objection for the implementation of capacity building for Vanuatu Project Management Unit; the initiative on building the capacity of Pacific Water and Waste Association as a regional hub for knowledge transfer and sharing is underway.

A minor change in implementation arrangements and budget reallocation to (i) include a Research budget line item; and (ii) reallocate uncommitted $50,000 from National consultants' budget line item to Research budget line item to finance a Participatory Action Research (PAR) was approved on 10 March 2017.

To facilitate additional activities in PAR (i) Minor Change in Scope and Implementation Arrangements, (ii) Budget Reallocation, and iii) Extension of TA Completion Date was requested and approved on 7 March 2018. The Ta completion date is extended up to 30 October 2018.

To date, the TA has total disbursement of $768,484 which is 85% of the TA amount; $6,939 still remains undisbursed or 1% of the TA amount, and $124,577 uncommitted amount or 14% of TA amount (however, several activities have already been planned and some consultants are currently selected for recruitment). Implementation of TA 8821 activities is within scope and financed by the committed amounts.

Stakeholders' participation/consultation will be used during project implementation in participating FCAS to avoid negative effects and maximise positive impacts for peacebuilding/statebuilding activities and development, to improve development effectiveness in such fragile settings.

TA is extended up to 30 October 2018.