Assessment of Development Results: Guyana - OECD

1 Assessment OF Development results . Assessment OF Development results . E V A L U A T I ON OF UNDP CONT R I B UT I ON Guyana . HUMAN Development effectiveness COORDINAT. Guyana . efficiency COORDINATION ANDPARTNERSHIP sus NATIONAL OWNERSHIP relevance MANAGINGFO. sustainability MANAGINGFOR results responsiven AN Development responsiveness NATIONAL OWN. NATIONAL OWNERSHIP effectiveness COORDINAT. United Nations Development Programme Evaluation Office efficiency COORDINATION ANDPARTNERSHIP sus One United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017, USA NATIONAL OWNERSHIP relevance MANAGINGFO. sustainability MANAGINGFOR results responsiven Tel. (212) 906 5059, Fax (212) 906 6008. Internet: effectiveness Assessment OF Development results . E V A L U A T I ON OF UNDP CONT R I B UT I ON Guyana .

2 Evaluation Office, May 2010. United Nations Development Programme REPORTS PUBLISHED UNDER THE ADR SERIES. Afghanistan Egypt Nigeria Argentina Ethiopia Philippines Bangladesh Georgia Peru Barbados Guatemala Rwanda Benin Guyana Serbia Bhutan Honduras Seychelles Bosnia & Herzegovina India Sudan Botswana Indonesia Syrian Arab Republic Bulgaria Jamaica Tajikistan Burkina Faso Jordan Turkey Cambodia lao pdr Uganda Chile Libya Ukraine China Maldives Uzbekistan Colombia Montenegro Viet Nam Republic of the Congo Mozambique Yemen Ecuador Nicaragua Zambia EVALUATION TEAM. Team Leader Anne Gillies Team Members Virginia Ravndal Perry Mars Evaluation Office Task Manager Azusa Kubota Research Assistant Zembaba Ayalew Assessment OF Development results : Guyana .

3 Copyright UNDP 2010, all rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Printed on recycled paper. The analysis and recommendations of this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Development Programme, its Executive Board or the United Nations Member States. This is an independent publication by UNDP Evaluation Office. Cover photographs provided by UNDP Guyana . Copy editing: Denise M. Doig Graphic design: Laurie Douglas Graphic Design ( ). Printing: Consolidated Graphics FOREWORD. This is an independent country-level evaluation but some of these challenges are being addressed called the Assessment of Development results under leadership of the country office. (ADR) conducted in Guyana by the Evaluation Office of the United Nations Development The ADR highlighted a number of issues and Programme (UNDP).

4 This evaluation examined challenges that are shared by UNDP country the relevance and strategic positioning of UNDP offices in middle-income countries. In order to support and its contributions to the country's continue to be relevant and effective, UNDP. Development from 2001 to 2010. It assessed needs to define its strategic niche and constantly UNDP Guyana 's interventions under the four change its role in a fast evolving environ- thematic areas of the country programme (poverty ment. To support the country's transition to a reduction, democratic governance, environ- middle-income status, the ADR recommends ment and energy, and disaster recovery and risk UNDP Guyana continue to reorient and shift reduction), with an intention to provide forward- its programming towards higher-level policy looking recommendations that are useful for analysis and advice from community-level invest- the formulation of the new UNDP country ments.

5 National stakeholders expressed their programme in Guyana . The ADR process endorsement of this recommendation based on benefited from a participatory stakeholder the strengths of UNDP in Guyana and the workshop held in April 2010 in Guyana . The country's priorities. The ADR also reminded workshop was attended by approximately 60 UNDP of the importance in maintaining a fine national participants, including key senior balance between Guyana 's short-term emergency government officials and high-level representa- needs and long-term Development needs. UNDP. tives from civil society, political parties, the UN Guyana has quickly mobilized resources to attend system and bilateral donors. to the country's emerging priorities, but this was done, at times, at the expense of meeting During the period under evaluation, Guyana long-term Development support outlined in the has graduated from the Heavily Indebted programme documents.

6 As external assistance Poor Countries status and has now become a for Development activities from traditional lower-middle income country. Despite progress Development partners continues to reduce, there made, Guyana continues to face challenges of is a need for UNDP to stay focused on issues out-migration of educated people, poverty and where it has comparative advantage and help uneven levels of human Development among its Guyana explore alternative sources of support people. Guyana also experienced pressing needs through South-South, regional and public- due to the devastating floods of 2005 and the 2006 private partnerships. It is my sincere hope that elections. UNDP Guyana responded to these this ADR has provided UNDP Guyana , UNDP.

7 Emerging needs well, while supporting long-term globally and national partners with an opportu- Development priorities within the framework of nity to reflect on the role of UNDP in Guyana the key national Development strategies notably and other emerging middle-income countries. the National Development Strategy and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. The ADR A number of people contributed to this evalua- identified challenges with programme manage- tion. First and foremost, I would like to thank the ment such as delayed project implementation, independent evaluation team, led by Anne Gillies, weak monitoring and evaluation and inadequate and its members, Virginia Ravndal and Perry sizes of interventions to ensure lasting change, Mars.

8 I thank the external reviewers of the draft FOREWORD iii report, Dennis Ben, professor at the University team with invaluable support. I would also of the West Indies, and Fuat Andic, independent like to thank the UNDP Regional Bureau for consultant, as well as research assistant Zembaba Latin America and the Caribbean, especially Ayalew. My sincere gratitude is extended to Senior Programme Advisor Carla Khammar for all the people in Guyana : the Government supporting the ADR process, participating in of Guyana , political parties, civil society, the the stakeholder workshop and representing the international Development community, the UN regional bureau's commitment to the evaluation family, the private sector, local authorities and follow-up.

9 Finally, let me thank our colleagues members of the communities where the ADR in the Evaluation Office: Azusa Kubota, task team visited during the evaluation mission. manager of this evaluation, as well as Oscar Garcia, Fabrizio Felloni, Michael Reynolds, The evaluation would not have been possible Thuy Hang To, Michelle Sy, and Anish Pradhan without the support provided by colleagues in for their support. UNDP Guyana : Resident Representative Kiari Liman-Tinguiri, Deputy Resident Representative Didier Trebucq, and the ADR focal persons including Patsy Ross, Amaly Kowlessar, Nadine Livan and Kenroy Roach. All other programme, Saraswathi Menon project and operations staff provided the ADR Director, Evaluation Office iv FOREWORD.

10 CONTENTS. Acronyms and Abbreviations vii Executive Summary ix Chapter 1. Introduction 1. Objective and scope of the ADR 1. Methodology 3. Structure of the report 4. Chapter 2. Development Challenges and National Strategies 7. National Development priorities 7. Role of external assistance 12. Chapter3. UNDP Response and Strategies 15. UN and UNDP roles in Guyana 15. UNDP Development approach 17. Chapter 4. UNDP Contributions to Development results 23. Effectiveness 32. Efficiency 34. Sustainability 30. Country programme management 34. Chapter 5. Strategic Positioning of UNDP 41. Strategic relevance 41. Responsiveness 43. Strategic partnerships 44. Contribution to UN values 46. Contribution to UN coordination 48. Chapter 6.