Talking Development Change: Change Champions Poverty

Showing posts with label Change Champions Poverty. Show all posts

Monday, November 22, 2010

Rethinking, Redesigning, Rebuilding Country / International Institutions Advocacy Systems

Matters Arising from Previous Posts

With participants from 10 Countries – US, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, India, Nigeria, Cote d’ivoire, Tanzania, and largest readership coming from US, it is clear that this Blog’s content has substance and our cause – Help make World Poverty History, has merit.

This continues to make slow but steady progress. We keep pressing forward. We hope to attract and retain very soon, the attention of:-

1. Media Executives of National and International Media in the Countries where we have readers, currently 10.

2. Governments of Countries where we have readers

3. Institutional Heads, Senior Administrators, Senior Technocrats of International Institutions operating in Countries where we have readers.

We also hope to rapidly increase the number of Countries where we have readers and the number of readers in each of these Countries. We thank you for you usual practical help and support.

However, it is not encouraging that interaction, after 3 Postings and about 200 views, is yet to go beyond the Single Comment on the MDG Post, “Good Thinking”. Should just 20 Participants break the Ice and begin from this 4^th Post, to share their thoughts / reflections on fundamental issues raised in Previous and Current Posts, the Value of Blog ongoing discussions, to all Participants would be significantly increased.

In view of the above, we urge all Participants who are genuinely motivated to joining like minds, in the great work towards improving Leadership Responsiveness, Followership Responsiveness, Development Effectiveness and Development Impact in the implementation and monitoring implementation of National Visions and World Visions Ambitions on Developed Countries, Developing Countries and International Institutions sides, to please let the interactions / active participation begin now.

Today’s Article:

Rethinking, Redesigning, Rebuilding International Institutions Advocacy Systems

The 2010 United Nations Day on 24 October focused on 8 MDGs’ and followed on the MDG Summit, which adopted a Global Action Plan to achieve the 8 Goals by their 2015 target date.

“I am determined to press ahead as the 2015 deadline approaches” declared Secretary general Ban Ki Moon. He went further to state that “despite our problems, despite polarization and distrust, our interconnected world has opened up vast new possibilities for common progress. Let us commit to do even more to realize the great vision set out in the UN Charter”.

If Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s declarations are not mere political statements, then he should demonstrate and be seen to by citizens in both developed and developing countries to be demonstrating genuine commitment, that he has called for, towards realizing the great vision set out in the UN Charter through converting the “One UN Initiative” or “Delivery as One” (DaO), into Village to Global Strategies, Policies, Programs and Projects Driving the renewed Global Action Plan to achieve the 8 Goals (MDGs’) by their 2015 target date.

It is clear that much remains to be done if this renewed Global Action Plan is to achieve the 8 Goals by their 2015 target date and that a successful and sustainable implementation of the renewed Global Action Plan in ways that achieve the 8 Goals by their 2015 target date greatly depends on several critical success factors, one of which is rethinking, Redesigning and Rebuilding International Institutions Advocacy Systems; including the Advocacy Systems of all UN Agencies and UN Headquarters.

Is it not the case in reality, across our World today, that existing types of Advocacy Systems have weak linkages with Poverty Evaluation, Public Evaluation, Procurement Evaluation, Service Delivery / Performance Management Evaluation and HR-PESCR Evaluation (Human Rights in all its Ramifications – Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Evaluation), National Visions Evaluation e.g. US National Security Strategy Evaluation, UK National Security Evaluation, Nigeria 7 Point Agenda Evaluation and World Visions Evaluation e.g. MDGs’ Evaluation; Paris Declaration, PD, Evaluation; Accra Action Agenda, AAA, Evaluation; One UN Initiative / Delivery as One, DaO, Evaluation; and G20 Global Solutions to Global Problems Initiative Evaluation. Can Ambitions of renewed Global Action Plan for Achieving 8 Goals, MDGs’, by their 2015 target date be achieved without strengthening this Linkage? Can this be achieved without Rethinking, Redesigning, Rebuilding International Institutions, Developed Countries and Developing Countries Advocacy Systems?

We are aware that one of the more Globally Visible UN Agencies currently seek to strengthen its Village to Global Advocacy System through reinforcing its database of registered suppliers with professionals having adequate levels of expertise, experience and exposure. This is commendable. However, without overhaul of its existing Advocacy System, the probability is high that this UN Agency’s selection criteria would substantially include in this expanded / reinforced database, professionals drawn from the same pool, which existing study findings indicate has over the years, produced 1/3 Good Evaluations, 1/3 Flawed Evaluations, 1/3 Failed Evaluations, 1/3 Good Projects, 1/3 Flawed Projects and 1/3 Failed Projects.

A MPCOP-PE&ES member in assessing 3PCM and CSR Project Briefings document and other related documents made many useful points, including:-

1. In Order for the 3PCM principles to arrive in interventions of UN and other international organizations, they need to be included in the policies, guidelines and operating procedures of these organizations. This will happen when enough professional having influence in the elaboration of the guidelines will be convinced of the validity and the potential of the project. The project should make efforts to be visible and to convince high level professionals to join. The inclusion of 3PCM principles in national strategies, both in developed and developing countries will also have an influence on the way UN and development agencies approach development evaluation. In the UN in particular, many guidelines are created by committee or task forces composed from member states government representatives. The policies of the UN should therefore be directly driven by the opinions of member states.

This Point applies with equal weight to strengthening International Institutions Advocacy Systems.

Can the Research, Planning, Statistics, Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Assessment of a renewed Global Action Plan to achieve the 8 Goals (MDGs’) by their 2015 target date be done on successful and sustainable basis without professionally tackling all fundamental issues raised in this MPCOP-PE&ES Member’s comment as applicable to One UN Initiative / DaO in UN Headquarters, UN Agencies: Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices?

Can the Research, Planning, Statistics, Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Assessment of these professional solutions be successful on sustainable basis without 3 Paradigm Shifts from:-

1. Hand Book Evaluation to Hand On Evaluation / Replacing “Hand Book Evaluation Manual” with “How to Manual on Hands On Evaluation” in UN Headquarters, UN Agencies: Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices.

2. Academic Research advancing frontiers of knowledge to Development Research improving Development Effectiveness and Development Impact

3. Evaluation as Technical Tool contributing to Decayed Village to Global Research, Planning, Statistics, Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Assessment Systems, DVtGRPSIME&AS to New Village to Global Research, Planning, Statistics, Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Assessment Systems Fit for the 21^st Century, NVtGRPSIME&ASF21C.

Can these 3 Paradigm Shifts be achieved on successful and sustainable basis without New Advocacy Systems in UN Headquarters, UN Agencies: Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices?

At UN DESA “Capacity is defined as the ability of people, organizations and society as a whole to manage their affairs successfully. Capacity development is understood as the process whereby people, organizations and society as a whole unleash, strengthen, create, adapt and maintain capacity over time.” A Reinforced International Institutions Advocacy System should promote and protect this type of Capacity Building.

The time is now for Secretary General Ban Ki Mooon to recognize the Central Role of New Advocacy Systems at UN Headquarters, UN Agencies Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices, if the renewed Global Action Plan to achieve 8 Goals by their 2015 target date, is to succeed where Global Action Plans in the past 10 years has failed. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon would be making great mistake, if Lessons are not Learnt as to why Global Action Plans in past 10 years failed in African Countries and actually Learn Lessons from these failures, this way lost ground in past 10 years can be fully or substantially recovered, thus putting Africa and the World On Track towards achieving ambitions of the renewed Global Action Plan to achieve 8 Goals by their 2015 target date. Anything less, and the World would arrive at 2015 only to be making fresh Global Action Plan for meeting the targets by a new date.

As long as Lessons are not actually Learnt, it will be Business as Usual, despite Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s best intentions, 5 years from today, many African Countries would be Off Track meeting MDGs’ targets, with costs in Prosperity and Security taking its toll not only on African Countries but also on US, UK and other Developed Countries and other Developing Countries across the World. To avoid this adverse consequences now is the time for all hands – from International Institutions, Developed Countries and Developing Countries sides, to be on deck in the work towards achieving renewed Global Action Plan to achieve 8 Goals by their 2015 target date ambition.

Should Secretary general Ban Ki Moon ensure that Charity starts from UN Headquarters, UN Agencies: Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices, success achieved implementing New Advocacy Systems / One UN Initiative / DaO within the renewed Global Action Plan to achieve 8 Goals by their 2015 target date, could be benchmarked and replicated in other relevant International Institutions – World Bank Group, EC etc, Developed Countries and Developing Countries.

Appendix

If you want to participate in the implementation of ideas and suggestions generated from discussions on this Platform, we invite you to join Multidisciplinary Professionals Community of Practice on Poverty Elimination and Environmental Sustainability, MPCOP-PE&ES and Comprehensive Systemic Reform, CSR Project. Please send 3PCM and CSR Project enquiry to ispeabuja@yahoo.co.uk

List of Topics for Next 10 Weeks.

New Topic Posted Every Monday

1. MDGs’ at 10: How to Achieve Sustainable Success in the Implementation of Outcome 2010 UN MDGs’ Summit? 8 November 2010 Ref 2/2010

2. Reinforcing and Reinvigorating Implementation of G20 Summit Declarations 15 November 2010 Ref 3/2010

3. Rethinking, Redesigning, Rebuilding Country / International Institutions Advocacy Systems 22 November 2010 Ref 4/2010

4. Transforming Policy, Program, Project Failure into Success 29 November 2010 Ref 5/2010

5. One Worldwide Competencies Framework for All 6 December 2010 Ref 6/2010

6. Reforms for Achieving National Visions and Global Visions 13 December 2010 Ref 7/2010

7. Human Rights and Governance 20 December 2010 Ref 8/2010

8. Religion and World Sustainable Development 27 December 2010 Ref 9/2010

9. New Year; New Hope 3 January 2011 Ref 10/2010

10. Elections, Economic Growth and Pro Poor Institutional Reforms 10 January 2011 Ref 1/2011

Together we can help make our World a

Better Place

to Live, Work and Recreate for Citizens and Immigrants in all Countries Rich and Poor.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Reinforcing and Reinvigorating Implementation of G20 Summit Declarations

Matters Arising from Previous Posts

Good Cause, Good Content, Good Visibility

Good Thinking, Good Participation, Good Action

At Development Change Champions Blog, we take each of the above fundamental issues seriously and we encourage shift away from focus on problems and passing blame and shift towards focus on solutions and opportunities.

We have Good Cause and Good Content. We seek Good Visibility. Please share your thoughts on way forward.

We have Good Thinking. We seek Good Participation and Good Action. Please share your thoughts on way forward.

Reordered Publishing of Articles

The Article scheduled for publication today is “Rethinking, Redesigning, Rebuilding International Institutions Advocacy Systems”. This Article will now be published on 22 November 2010 to allow for today’s article. When it is necessary to reorder publishing schedule to allow for posting of articles, we consider to be of higher priority in the National / International Development Cooperation, we would do this and amend our list of Articles for publication accordingly.

Today’s Article:

Reinforcing and Reinvigorating Implementation of G20 Summit Declarations

As G20 Leaders end 5^th G20 Summit, the time is now for them to genuinely recognize that the mutual prosperity and mutual security of all UN Member Countries – Rich and Poor; Developed and Developing; Big and Small; is a fact that should be taken more seriously, if full implementation of G20 Summit Declarations are to be taken more seriously by them – in the interest of their own citizens and citizens of other countries, particularly billions of the world’s poor.

It is pertinent to note that Current Global Recession is Linked to World Food, Fuel, Finance and Terrorism Problems; that improved Global Collective Action for tackling these World problems is a major reason for expanding G8 to G20; that from the 1^st G20 Summit hosted November 2008 hosted by US to the 4^th G20 Summit hosted by Canada earlier in the year, many decisions that ought to have been fully implemented by now are either partially implemented or not implemented at all; that as long as Lessons are not ACTUALLY Learnt in the implementation of past G20 Summit declarations; it would be discovered, sadly with possible adverse consequences, that come the 6^th G20 Summit in 2011, some 5^th G20 Summit decisions that ought to have been fully implemented would still be partially implemented or not implemented at all. Given the magnitude and complexity of the issues that G20 Leaders have to address, would it be a good idea to reduce G20 Meetings from twice a year to once a year starting in 2011?

It is clear that sustainable solutions to Global Recession, World Food, Fuel, Finance and Terrorism problems greatly depends on reinvigorating and reinforcing G20 Global Solutions to Global Problems Initiative in ways that include adequately Comprehensive Political Solutions, Economic Solutions and Technical Solutions to these real and complex world problems on the ground and this greatly depends on reinvigorating and reinforcing MDGs’. Paris Declaration, PD; Accra Action Agenda, AAA; One UN Imitative / Delivery as One, DaO; in ways that include adequately comprehensive Political Solutions, Economic Solutions and Technical Solutions to these World Vision real and complex Village to Global problems on the ground.

Yes, G20 has done much since November 2008 to date. However, the increasing pain and misery – largely avoidable, of Citizens in France, UK, US, other Developed Countries and Developing Countries, indicates that much remains to be done and much more could have been achieved at less cost and less pain, had there been full implementation and effective monitoring, evaluation and assessment of the full implementation of G20 Summits 1 – 4 Declarations. This Flaw is a Scar on the Conscience of G20 Leaders; National and International Media Executives and the Boards of Global, Regional and National: Research, Planning, Statistics, Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Assessment Professional Bodies.

The UK Evaluation Society 2010 Conference 22 – 23 November 2010 would be looking at Global Recession, World Food, Fuel, Finance and Terrorism problems as it affects the UK and contributions UK Evaluators could make to help tackle UK National Development and International Development Challenges. There is a session devoted to innovative and creative solutions to these complex problems as it affects UK relations with African and Asian Countries. A set of innovative an creative solutions has been left out that makes the UKES 2010 Conference incomplete, if this Conference is to make optimum contribution towards removing this Scar on the Conscience of these Political Leaders and Professional leaders. It is in UK interest, G20 interest and rest of the World interest, that decision to exclude this set of innovative and creative solutions be reviewed. Also the International Development Evaluation Society, IDEAS, 2011 Global Assembly would looking at the same problems from a Global Perspective and in our view would achieve more should IDEAS Board recognize that the underlying fundamental issues go beyond Development Evaluation and so take special care to focus the General Assembly on innovative and creative Political Solutions, Economic Solutions and Technical Solutions.

If we can be frank:-

1. Reinvigorating and Reinforcing the implementation as well as the monitoring, evaluation and assessment of the full implementation of G20 Summit Declarations, MDGs’, PD, AAA, One UN Initiative / Delivery as One, greatly depends on changing the way things work in the Governments and Societies of G20 Countries, particularly US, UK, France, Germany, India, China, Brazil and Saudi Arabia; Non G20 Countries particularly Nigeria and Egypt; G20 Institutions particularly UN Headquarters, All UN Agencies Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices; World Bank Group – all 5 Institutions; World Bank Group – Independent Evaluation Group – all 3 Institutions; IMF, EC and Non G20 Institutions particularly OECD.

2. The sustainable success of Transformations and Movements Driving Village to Global Strategies, Policies, Programs and Projects within (1) greatly depends on identifying, empowering, promoting and protecting Professionals in all relevant Disciplines / Specializations, who have the intellectual capacity to grapple effectively with the challenges of National Development Cooperation and International Development Cooperation – Professionals who are genuine Development Change Champions with adequate levels of expertise, experience, exposure and energy to help Political leaders and Professional Leaders to jointly achieve World Visions ambitions.

In view of the above, we wish to make the following calls:-

A. Political Leaders - Countries

1. We call on Political Leaders and Professional Leaders to quickly agree on a Roadmap to 6^th G20 Summit Consultation Process and Negotiation Process that ensures Lessons Learnt implementing G20 Summits 1 – 4 are actually Learnt in the full implementation and monitoring, evaluation and assessment of the full implementation of 5^th G20 Summit Declarations.

2. The One Mind from anywhere in the World with the most advance Village to Global Transformational Core Ideas that is sufficiently “All Encompassing, All Embracing and Ambitious” to help them achieve G20 Global Solutions to Global Problems Initiative Ambitions linked to achieving MDGs’; PD; AAA and One UN Initiative / Delivery as One Ambitions, to which all relevant Services / Sectors / Issues within each of the 5 World Visions – Village to Global Transformations Ideas would be anchored; identify the minds with the Services / Sectors / Issues Ideas and go further to empower, promote and protect these innovative and creative minds.

B. Political Leaders – International Institutions

We call on Political Leaders, Heads of Institutions, Senior Administrators and Senior Technocrats of International Institutions particularly UN, World Bank, IMF to recognize that as long as they fail to demand adequate levels of Transformation within National Development Cooperation and International Development Cooperation, they are in reality increasing World Poverty and World Hunger, that is in effect they are working against increasing Development Impact and development Effectiveness Worldwide.

C. Political Leaders – International and National Media

We call on Political Leaders, Heads of Institutions, Senior Administrators and Senior Technocrats of International and National Media to recognize that as long as they fail to articulate, implement and monitor, evaluate and assess New Media Agenda, they would be unable to influence necessary Transformations within National Development Cooperation and International Development Cooperation, thus hurting their own Journalists colleagues as well as citizens of both Developed and Developing Countries.

D. Political Leaders – Global, Regional and National Professional Bodies

We call on Boards, Institution Members and Individual Members of Research, Planning, Statistics, Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Assessment Professional Bodies to recognize that as long as they fail to build adequate levels of knowledge, competencies, capacity, networking, they would be unable to influence necessary Transformations within National Development Cooperation and International Development Cooperation, thus hurting their own Members as well as citizens of both Developed and Developing Countries.

E. Opinion Leaders – Developed Countries

We call on Developed Countries Citizens, particularly the Opinion Leaders in Business Community and the Larger Civil Society to recognize that as long as they fail to Demand adequate levels of Transformations within National Development Cooperation and International Development Cooperation from their own Governments, they are in reality increasing the impact and duration of triple whammy – high inflation, high unemployment and low growth in their own countries; that is in reality hurting themselves and people they love.

F. Opinion Leaders – Developing Countries

We call on Developing Countries Citizens, particularly the Opinion Leaders in Business Community and the Larger Civil Society to recognize that as long as they fail to Demand adequate levels of Transformations within National Development Cooperation and International Development Cooperation from their own Governments, they are in reality increasing the impact of Globalization as Force for Evil; that is in reality hurting themselves and people they love.