10. Designing the division of labour

Division of labour means collectively reducing fragmentation and delegating responsibility. Individually, it means that each donor narrows their focus to concentrate on activities where they consider they are well placed to deliver results (comparative advantage). The aggregate effect is that there is an appropriate response to all priorities while minimising duplication.

How a division of labour supports joint programming

Sharing the coordinating workload at sector level or by policy area between the EU and MS (concept of European leads) frames the local discussions in a pragmatic way that supports implementation, helps to ensure the active involvement of all partners and increases the specialisation of the joint EU/MS input.

It also has the potential to promote greater joint implementation in cases where there is scope for more than one partner to pool financial and human resources in working towards a common objective.

Preparing to undertake a division of labour

The work on division of labour will likely start in the early phases of the joint programming process. While the exercise may be technically straightforward, its ramifications can result in lengthy discussion and negotiation, depending on whether or not there are existing ‘divisions of labour’ in the wider development partner architecture. The division of labour process should therefore be facilitated at a Head of Mission and/or Head of Cooperation level and be allotted sufficient time.

The positions and level of comfort of participating donors, as well as their relative competencies, are likely to evolve over time, so opportunities to revisit the division of labour may also be scheduled as part of the joint programme monitoring process.

It is acknowledged that division of labour discussions can be more challenging at country level when there are many partners. To begin the process, consider incorporating the following activities that may already form part of the joint analysis stage:

analyse existing development partner harmonisation, coordination and alignment mechanisms in the country, including existing lead roles among development partners;
discuss any unintended consequences that may arise, for example how a ‘loss of visibility’ when no longer a donor lead may be a problem for some development partners.

The joint programme itself will be the catalyst for discussing and identifying a division of labour. However, there are other entry points and opportunities that may inform work to create or review a division of labour:

at the start of a new national development plan cycle, or a major change in the country context (transition from conflict, post-election reforms, natural disaster, etc.);
at the start of a new strategic programming period or a review process for several important development partners (including in case of policy changes at headquarters);
during high-level country meetings (e.g. round tables or consultative groups), where partner governments present their plans and solicit development partners’ support;
in situations of fragility or transition from humanitarian aid to more structured programmatic aid and more development partners.

Sector leadership and coordination roles

Sector leadership and coordination roles may also be discussed according to the following criteria:

willingness to take on a leadership role and the resources to support the coordination work that this entails (e.g. a secretariat, communications, organisation of retreats);
established and cordial relationships with government counterparts, other development partners and civil society organisations present in the sector;
performance against development effectiveness indicators (to be able to lead other development partners with credibility).

PALESTINE

Over 20 participating development partners in Palestine have agreed to concentrate programming in five sectors. The division of labour among European development partners in Palestine is grounded in the comparative advantage of European donors and based on past and current engagement and expertise. This strategy defined EU lead and active donors in 12 focal sectors. Since then, the division of labour has been constantly evolving as the priorities of European development partners shift over time and interventions move from a sector-based to a results-based approach.
Under the European Joint Strategy, the European lead takes responsibility for coordinating among other European development partners active in that sector. This may involve discussions on programming and projects, exploring opportunities for joint implementation of projects, or being the European voice in policy dialogue with the Palestinian Authority. European leads are also responsible for reporting on developments and progress within their sector. Overall coordination of this process is undertaken by the EU Delegation. The division of labour is a pragmatic tool, and it is vital that it be kept flexible to allow for shifts in policy priorities, especially following elections. One example of flexibility is in the education sector, which was originally led by Belgium. As Finland’s prominence in the sector grew, it was decided that both Belgium and Finland should assume colead roles for the sector. This process was helped by the existing cooperation in the education sector between Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland and Norway through what is known as the Joint Financing Arrangement.
One challenge is that coordination of European development partners takes a significant amount of time and often relies on the goodwill of participating colleagues. When European development partners propose becoming a lead, especially those states that are represented by smaller missions, it is important that they be aware of the resource implications of assuming such a role (leads may require extra support from capitals to fulfil their role). Finally, in order to avoid having progress be dependent on individuals, an institutional framework should be set up to ensure future coordination processes.

Implementing the division of labour

The joint response signals the start of the European division of labour. Pertinent considerations include the following:

Responsible exit strategies (phasing out of sectors by European partners), without creating a financing gap and with minimum disruption to the partner country. Joint programming processes should reflect on exit strategies in the joint response, including scenarios in which other participating partners ‘plug the gap’ and/or other forms of cooperation beyond ODA (e.g. the private sector) come into play.
Agreement on silent partnerships. These arrangements between two or more like-minded funding bodies allow one or more partners to channel a financial contribution, through a partner active in that country or sector, while maintaining appropriate visibility for the silent partner.
Seek partners for joint actions and joint implementation (see section 2) to promote a more coherent multi-donor response to partner country needs.
Ensure the division of labour is highlighted in the joint response (see next chapter), ensuring agreement on what the lead coordinating partners’ responsibilities include. Leading policy dialogue on behalf of the group, sharing of information, hosting of coordination meetings, creating joint policy briefs including key messages for Heads of Mission, reporting in line with the joint results framework, organising joint missions, etc., could all be considered.

Each section or chapter may be used separately to fulfil a specific need for guidance, which means there may be some overlap between the different parts of the document.

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10. Designing the division of labour