Rethinking Partnerships for Development

JPO WorkshopMonday June 14, 2004

Bureau for Resources and Strategic Partnerships

Objectives

• To share UNDP’s vision on strategic partnerships

• To briefly introduce the Bureau for Resources and Strategic Partnerships

Why partnerships?

• Complex and interdependent world requires various sectors to come together to effectively respond to development challenges – no one can do it alone

• Combining of organizational cultures and competencies lead to innovative approaches and solutions

• Diverse access to networks and relationships through various sectors

What is a partnership?

A collaborative alliance between two or more actors, be it public, private or NGOs or any group of individuals which could fundamentally have different objectives, values, cultures, structures, but that are sharing risks, responsibilities, resources and competencies while committed to a common task which will also help to achieve their specific individual goals.

Key Partnership Principles

• Partnership greater than sum of its parts• Clear & frequent communication - Transparency • Sharing of risks• Ensure benefits for all partners• Clear, measurable goals • Strive to ensure equity among partners• Complementary contributions - build on core

strengths of partners • Agreed partnership governance structure is key for

success• Patience!

Partnership benefits

• Organizational innovation • Improved operational efficiency• Development of human capital• Better access to information• More effective / appropriate products & services• Enhanced legitimacy & credibility• Increased access to resources (pooling)• Increased participation – social capital!

UNDP Resource Trends

0.00

500.00

1,000.00

1,500.00

2,000.00

2,500.00

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Regular resources Non core

Old UNDP Culture

• 80-90% of resources were “core”

• Success measured by disbursement volume

• Process-driven, measured by inputs

• Donors invested in transfer mechanism

• Partners viewed as disbursements agents

• Partners were external face of internal process.

New UNDP Culture

• Development results requires complex interventions by multiple actors - partnerships

• 70% of resources non-core• Non-core = partnerships built around results and

common objectives• Partner priorities co-determine interventions• Results-driven, results = partners & resources • Success = partnerships must be at heart of UNDP

New Partnership CultureRequires…• Partnerships start at home – staff, culture• ‘Extroverted’ networking culture, client focus• Listening skills – understand different cultures• Flexibility, adaptability• Connecting, sharing, reporting – internally &

externally – knowledge management• Responsive leadership, real-time decision making• Not an add-on – the way we do our work!

Ever-Changing External Environment• UN Reform – UNDP within UN system• Globalization, corporate responsibility• Global Compact, Private Sector Commission• MDG Campaign• World Social Forum• Recession in donor countries, and an ongoing

debate on financing development activities

Ever-Changing External Environment

• Proliferation of new development actors, new funds and ways of allocating these funds

• World Bank: IDA XIII – IDA XIV, percentage of loans will become grants

• Millennium Challenge Account – USA

• Future International Finance Facility

Consequences

• Building partnerships and mobilizing resources have become integral part of UNDP doing business.

• Establishment of the Bureau for Resources and Strategic Partnerships according with Administrator Business Plans 2000 – 2003.

UNDP well positioned for partnerships• Inclusive and consensus building approach – not

imposing conditions• Legitimacy with governments, civil society• Impartial – facilitating role• Strong values – attracts partners• Universality – scale up partnerships• Development expertise• Local knowledge

UNDP Strategic Partnerships

• Administrator’s Business Plan 2000-2003Policy, people, partnership, performance, resources

MYFF:• Strategic partnerships for development effectiveness • Prioritize partnerships in all programme areas• Partnerships - leverage UNDP expertise• Need enhance CO capacity in partnership building• Specific focus on private sector & CSOs

Bureau for Resources and Strategic Partnerships (BRSP)

Created (a) to develop UNDP’s institutional capacity to build and strengthen strategic partnerships; and (b) to strengthen the Organization’s resources mobilization function

BRSP as:• Change agent, facilitator• Connecting, aligning, relationship builders &

managers

Support to Country Offices

Directorate

New Initiatives Task Force

MDGs

Division for ResourceMobilizationBonn OfficeRome Office

Japan Unit

Iraq Trust Fund

Operations Unit

Executive Board SecretariatTokyo Office

UN Affairs

Civil Society Organizations

Business Partnerships

UN Foundations

Brussels Office

Washington Office

Copenhagen Office

Geneva Office

External constituencies

BRSP

• Directorate– Japan Affairs Unit– Operations Unit

• Division for United Nations Affairs• Division for Resources Mobilization

– Support to Country Offices Unit– Donor Relations Unit

BRSP

• Millennium Development Goals Unit• United Nations Foundation Affairs Unit• Division for Business Partnerships• Civil Society Organizations Unit• Executive Board Secretariat

Private Sector and the MDGs

“I believe that it will be the building of the private

sector that will be the critical next challenge in

development – very much the way that democratic

governance was so much the challenge for the past decade.”

Mark Malloch Brown

Why private sector and development?

• Globalization• Both business culture & development culture changing

– convergence

• New global business environment – Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR), “sustainable business”, etc.

• New development “paradigm” – public-private

partnerships (multi-stakeholder) post-WSSD

• Resource Mobilization, FfD - FDI and domestic

private investments dwarf ODA

UNDP & Private SectorStrategic priorities

• UN Global Compact• Private Sector Commission Report: “Unleashing

Entrepreneurship”• Brokering investments and commercial activities:

Growing Sustainable Business• Partnerships across UNDP focus areas and MDGs,

Thematic opportunities

Civil Society Organizations

•Civil society constitutes a third sector, existing alongside and interacting with the state and market.

•CSOs comprise the full range of formal and informal organizations within civil society: NGOs, CBOs, indigenous peoples’ organizations, trade unions, social movements, etc.

Civil Society

Market

State

A working definition

Changing contextChanging context

• Enormous growth in number, diversity and influence of CSOs.

• Greater influence in shaping local/global agendas. • Growing mobilization through global assemblies such as

World Social Forum.• Increasing resources channeled through CSOs.

CSO Profile

CSOsBroad Areas of Engagement

• Engagement with civil society in key national planning processes (PRSPs, MDGRs, CCA/UNDAF)

• Small grant mechanisms to promote policy-level partnerships (e.g., BCPR/BRSP Global Initative)

• High-level internal initiatives with civil society(e.g., CSO Advisory Committee, RR/RC Champions’ Initiative, National & Regional CSO Advisory Committees)

• Engaging NGOs and community organizations in sustainable development, conflict prevention and recovery, and HIV/AIDS (Equator Initiative, community dialogue spaces, Community Based Initiatives)

• Policy dialogue with and programmes for indigenous peoples

 

What our Partners SayUNDP partnership survey 2003

• Strengths (aggregated, all partners): – Closely associated with MDGs, governance

– National ownership, country knowledge

– Information, interpersonal skills

– Technical competence

– Country office efficiency

– Resident Coordinator function

What our Partners Say

• Weaknesses / Challenges:– Policy advice, policy reform, advocacy – Environment & energy relatively low profile– Operational services– Overwhelmingly NOT seen as actively working with

Private Sector (but p.s. itself sees us as quite active..!)

• Host governments in general more favorable • Bilateral donors in general more critical• Civil society and private sector in the middle