EC advanced seminar DLG 2012_Session 2.3 Decentralisation and budget support in Ghana

This presentation delivered by Daria Fane, EU Delegation in Ghana, presents the lessons learnt by the EU in supporting decentralisation by using the budget support aid modality:

1) Real and sustainable reform processes generally emerge from within a system

2) In a context of multiparty democracy and open political environment, consensus building for reforms is lengthy, complex and achievements can be at stake at every moment.

3) Reform in open competitive systems needs to be based on a broad based cross partisan consensus building on core objectives and way forward and must count on a group of champions and strategic alliances operating at the highest political level.  

4) The quality of a reform process can not be measured by the level of perfection of the underlying strategy, policy and action plan but rather by what key stakeholders understand and are ready to engage in the process on a daily basis.

5) Strategy development, work planning and implementation are not linear processes but incremental, and very often initial plans are overtaken by reality.  As much as plans are important, they often need to be adjusted during implementation.    

6) Implementing reform processes needs: strategic thinking and inclusiveness, but also flexibility and top-down pressure.  

7) To be effective politicy dialogue and aid should support reform processes that are really a priority for the government, be aligned to the rythm of consensus building, strengthen coordination and monitoring systems.  Budget support needs to be well planned, but at the same time allow flexibility and an opportunity to engage faster if necessary.  Decentralisation reforms need strengthening and monitoring at different levels: national and regional for supporting policy reforms and local for development of district capacity support and performance monitoring.