Donor Network for PSIA

The donor network for PSIA was founded in October 2003 by a range of multilateral and bilateral donor agencies based on the  North Sea Manifesto (pdf - 36kb) The network’s objectives are to support country-led, participatory and evidence-based policy making for poverty reduction. In October 2006, it was decided to integrate the efforts of the donor network for PSIA with the Task Team on Ex Ante Poverty Impact Assessments of the OECD Development Assistance Committee’s Network on Poverty Reduction (DAC Povnet).

 

The PSIA Donor Network’s Activities

 

Since its inception, the network has placed particular emphasis on supporting the implementation of PSIA by partner governments and embedding PSIA work within country systems. Its goal is to promote PSIA, which is solicited, managed and undertaken by countries themselves. In addition to this focus on country-led PSIA, the network has drawn attention to process issues and stakeholder participation in PSIA and has emphasized the need to consider political economy variables in policy analysis and design. On the topic of process and participation, the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) have published a discussion paper entitled Principles of PSIA Process in Policy Cycles and Stakeholder Participation (pdf - 166kb).

The Donor Network's Capacity Development Initiative for PSIA

In a meeting in January 2006, the donor network identified the lack of capacity in partner countries to conduct PSIA and integrate its results into policy making as a major constraint to its use for the development of effective poverty reduction strategies. To confront this challenge, the donor network has launched a capacity development initiative

The objective of the  donor network’s capacity development initiative for PSIA is to develop and implement a comprehensive capacity development program for PSIA type analysis in developing countries. It is intended to go beyond a traditional training-oriented approach and is based on a broad definition of capacity building. Capacity building is understood as ‘the process of strengthening the abilities or capacities of individuals, organizations and societies to make effective and efficient use of resources, in order to achieve their own goals on a sustainable basis’. Based on this definition, the initiative will include not only the development of technical and analytical skills but also the skills for using the PSIA results and managing stakeholder participation in the policy-making process. The goal is to build the capacity to carry out PSIA through national structures and institutions in a transparent manner that encourages political debate and creates momentum for change. As a first step, a framework and action plan for capacity building in  Africa is currently under development and will be presented to bilateral donors for funding.