UNDP Bhutan Development Newsletter Bhutan INsIDe Development Newsletter Vol

UNDP Bhutan Development Newsletter Bhutan INsIDe Development Newsletter Vol. I l Issue I l Autumn 2006 l Fighting Corruption is a Collective Responsibility Page 2 Preparations for 2008: Elections Underway Page 3 Increasing Rural People’s Participation in Local Decision Making Page 4 Good Governance Page 5 Responding to Emerging Needs: MDG Needs Assessment and Costing in Bhutan Page 6 Improved Service Delivery: Lessons from Around the World Page 8 The United Nations Development Assistance Framework Page 10 Media and Public Culture in Bhutan Page 10 Performance Based Budget Allocation: Providing Incentives for Performance Improvement Page 11 Helping Bhutan Strengthen Local Governance through Decentralisation Page 13 Projects in Support of Good Governance Page 15 New Publications Useful Links Page 20 Parliamentary Democracy Bhutan Moves Towards l l l l l l l In 2008, Bhutan will adopt the first Written Constitution, ushering in an era of democratic political parties and greater political participation. Unparalleled political and administrative reforms have established a strong foundation for the development of a system of governance that upholds the principles of democracy. Three new constitutional bodies - the Election Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of the Attorney General - have been established to ensure a smooth transition. Democratic Governance constitutes one of the thrusts of UNDP’s support to the people and the Royal Government of Bhutan. Broadly, the support falls within the areas of Decentralization and Local Governance, Policy Support for Democratic Governance, and E-governance and Access to Information. It is against this backdrop that this first issue of the Development Newsletter is devoted to the dramatic developments taking place in Bhutan in the area of governance. Through various articles and other contributions, this Newsletter attempts not only to delve into key issues like anti-corruption and election but also touches upon many related issues, thus throwing fresh angles, perspectives and reflections on the changes sweeping the country. We hope you find the Newsletter interesting. A woman representative speaks in the National Assembly l l l l l Development Newsletter UNDP Bhutan Fighting Corruption is a Collective Responsibility In pursuance of the political reforms, His Majesty on December 31, 2005, decreed that it is imperative to establish the Office of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) before the adoption of the Constitution and to build a strong foundation for the Commission to effectively carry out its functions and responsibilities. In pursuance of the Royal Decree, the Office of the Anti-Corruption Commission was established in January 4, 2006. The Commission has three members and is supported by a secretariat, Anti-corruption training to forge synergy among stakeholders currently staffed by only nine officers. Recruitment and capacity development of the The ACC in its modest way has adopted a comprehensive office are ACC’s priorities. anti-corruption strategy, i.e. prevention, public education and advocacy, and investigation. It accords Corruption undermines the rule of law and erodes the priority to prevention through the correction of systemic institutional capacity of the government as procedures problems that breed corruption and the education of are disregarded, resources siphoned off, and officials the public on the ills and costs of corruption. Its modus promoted without regard to performance. It profits operandi is collaboration, cooperation and partnership. only a small number of people but burdens the nation It will be ACC’s endeavour to establish an institution that and its citizens, financially and otherwise. It is a silent is founded on people’s trust, justice and expediency. white-collar crime that takes refuge in human and organizational weaknesses. The ACC has also started working closely with government organizations, private sector and media, The Anti-Corruption Act was passed by the 85th Session and it has been receiving good support from all. In of the National Assembly. The Act defines “corruption”, collaboration with some organizations, it is currently and vests in ACC the powers of law enforcement carrying out systemic studies in land transaction, agencies under the Civil and Criminal Procedure Code forestry services, and issuance and renewal of driving of Bhutan and ensures its independence. The penalties licenses, with an emphasis on service delivery standards, are generally in accordance with the Penal Code of public grievance redressal mechanism, and application Bhutan. It reiterates the constitutional duty of citizens to of IT. The ultimate objective of such a study is to make uphold justice and act against corruption. Any person service delivery to people efficient, transparent and or entity that refuses to entertain the lawful demand of fair. It will also be addressing problems in construction, the Commission shall be an offence of obstruction. procurement, printing and customs. Public education is another important strategy to make people aware of forms and the extent and costs of corruption. Equally important is invoking the sense of responsibility and emphasis on collective responsibility. Besides the advocacy programme on TV and radio, sensitization meetings have been conducted in 13 districts Page  • Autumn 006 UNDP Bhutan for students, civil servants, business community, and National Assembly and DYT members. ACC plans to work closely with institutions such as the monastic body, Ministry of Education and institutions and active civil societies to reach out to the people, who ultimately have to be the voice against corruption. Other activities in the pipeline are the asset declaration and corruption perception survey, which will be launched in end 2006/early 2007. As an outcome of the survey, organizations may be ranked as per the degree of corruption prevalent in organizations as perceived by the people. The ACC also receives complaints, largely anonymous and electronically. It considers all the information important. Complaints are reviewed by the Complaints Development Newsletter Management Committee on a weekly basis under normal circumstances and are pursued by them as per its criteria. Curbing corruption is about changing attitudes, changing negative habits and behaviour. It ultimately has to do with ethical and moral values. Such values, implanted at a young age can lead to sustained anti-corruption efforts. ACC will work together with important stakeholders in building the future of the country, leaders and society. However, it will depend on the will of the public and the government, laws, and the credibility of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. If there is no distinction between right and wrong, there will be no justice and without justice there will be no happiness! ACC acknowledges the support provided by UNDP Thimphu under the project “Institutional and Human CapacityBuilding of the Anti-Corruption Commission” at the early and crucial stage of its establishment. ACC looks forward to similar collaboration with other development partners. Office of the Anti-Corruption Commission Royal Government of Bhutan Thimphu, Post Box 1113 Phone: +975-2-334863/64/66/67/68/69/70 Fax: +975-2-334865 Email: anticorruption@druknet.bt http://www.anti-corruption.org.bt “ Fighting corruption is a collective responsibility. People have a vested interest, since most corruption involves two principle players: the government and the private sector, with common people as the major victim. Preparations for 2008: Elections Underway The Election Commission of Bhutan is in the midst of preparing for the country’s first parliamentary elections in 2008. Inaugurated on the auspicious day of 16th January 2006 under a Royal Decree, the main objective of the Election Commission is to conduct free and fair elections and referendums. Around 400,000 voters are estimated to be eligible to cast their votes for the first parliamentary elections to be held in accordance with the Constitution of the Kingdom. The Commission holds direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for all elections and is responsible for conducting elections at the parliamentary and local government levels. Its work entails the institutionalizing of the electoral management body. In essence, the electoral process deals with issues related to strategic planning, funding, and organization of core activities, clarity of operational plans, staff training, voter education and a fair and widely publicized system for dealing with complaints. An important aspect of the Commission’s work in preparation for the upcoming elections is voter education. Additionally, the training of election staff officers is particularly crucial, as the success of the election in 2008 depends on the competence of the electoral officers on conducting elections. The Election Commission introduced the training of trainers (TOT) workshops as per Bhutan Electoral Education and Training Strategy (BEETS) in order to train various stakeholders like the Dzongrabs, Administrative Officers and Tsodrungs. They ” Autumn 006 • Page  Development Newsletter have been introduced to the new political system and a work plan has been developed to ensure efficient voter training in the Dzongkhags. The Delimitation Commission has been established to demarcate electoral boundaries in order to create constituencies for elective offices in line with the provision of the draft Constitution and the Election Bill. Through the delimitation process, the Geog and Dzongkhag boundaries across the country are being carved out for elections to ensure that all electoral constituencies have equal weight and representation in the National Assembly. As Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, the Chief Election Commissioner of Bhutan, explains, “each vote and each area in principle will get the same number of representation at the Parliament and the local governments to the extent possible and be equal in terms of population, size of area, representativeness and other relevant factors”. A mock election has been conducted successfully by the Election Commission at the National College of Education in Paro and a documentary film on the election process for nationwide telecast on BBS TV and Cable television has been made. The objective of the mock election was to introduce the new political system and the post-2008 election process to teachers, lecturers and students. Furthermore, it was an opportunity for the Election Commission to test run the election procedures before the dry run in April 2007. Various Acts, Rules, Regulations, Guides and Guidelines which are fundamental for a smooth election process UNDP Bhutan have been drafted. For example, the Rules for Formation of Political Parties have been drafted and have been submitted to the Royal Government for its comments. Ultimately, when the draft is adopted by the Election Commission, the official registration and formation of political parties can begin. Similarly, the drafting of the Election Bill was initiated. Over the years the Bill was reviewed by many experts. Currently, the Bill is now in its final stage and only remains to be enacted by Mock election at the National College of Education in Paro the Parliament of Bhutan. In addition, the preparation of the draft electoral roll is also underway. The challenges for the new Election Commission are immense, but its members are giving their best to ensure free and fair elections and a smooth transition to democracy. For more information please visit the Election Commission’s website at www.election-bhutan.org.bt. Daniela Werner Governance Unit, UNDP Participation in Local Decision Making Increasing rural people’s participation in local decision making is a challenge extending beyond votes and elections of local and national leaders. Experiences from around the world show that to make democracy work, people’s participation is essential. Voting and elections are necessary, but not sufficient conditions for democratic governance. Historically, at the village level people participated in their own governance through the institution of the zomdu or village meeting. All decisions affecting the village were made in the village meeting where all the households participated. At the village level there is a need to amend the existing Increasing Rural People’s Page  • Autumn 006 UNDP Bhutan legislation such as the GYT Act, 2002 to make Geog leaders feel more accountable to their constituencies. While decision-making in the villages is already democratic to a certain extent through the indigenous institution of the zomdu, more formal systems could be introduced to strengthen this. Currently, the salaries of Gups and Chimis are paid by the government and they feel more accountable to the government than downward to their constituencies. The salaries of Gups and Chimis perhaps could be paid from locally collected rural taxes; and allowing village zomdus to determine the remuneration amount may make local leaders more accountable. The other scenario could be a local leaders’ salary fund, similar to the Public Election Fund, managed by the Election Commission. There is also a need to look at legitimizing decisions of the village zomdus which the GYTs will need to implement. The single most influential action the state can take in democratizing decision making is to legally recognize the village zomdu as a legitimate institution. Most significantly, this would give villages direct financial control over annual development budgets allocated for them, rather than vesting such authority in the headman as the GYT Act of 2002 does. An emerging challenge then is the devolution of power beyond the Gup and GYT down to the rural masses. The Development Newsletter A village meeting in progress simple answer would be to utilize the wealth of social capital that exists in the villages such as the informal village zomdu. The village zomdu should be allowed to act as the decision-making body for matters affecting the village. The GYT (soon to be renamed the Geog Tshogde) should be required to respect and implement the decisions of the village zomdu. What is needed, then, is an amendment of the GYT Act and the forthcoming Local Governance Act whereby decisions made at the village zomdus can be formalized and passed onto the Geog administration for compliance. Tashi Wangchuk Senior Policy Adviser, UNDP Good Governance As Bhutan prepares for the introduction of parliamentary democracy in 2008, the country has been reorienting its institutions and laws in line with the draft Constitution. The coming Constitutional change will have positive impacts on good governance. The salient features of good governance include: (1) fair and representative elections; (2) competent, honest and transparent government; (3) fair and equal laws; (4) active and knowledgeable citizens; (5) shared belief in the public good; (6) reasonable equality in wealth and power; and (7) evaluation, innovation and change. These have been incorporated in the country’s first written Constitution, which will be adopted in 2008. The progress in these areas should indicate progress in good governance. On fair and representative elections, the draft Constitution has specified a bicameral legislative structure comprising of a 75-member party-based National Assembly and a smaller, party-less, 25-member National Council. The electoral system will have tworounds of elections for the National Assembly so as to ensure government stability and limit coalition related instabilities stemming from fractionalisation and feckless pluralism. In the first round, any party can participate whereas the two highest vote winners will participate in the second round. All political parties will receive state funding to ensure that big money and lobby finance do not undermine enlightened motives and competence. Government competence and honesty are needed to formulate and implement just policies or decisions. Aspects of competence and honesty include efficient management of budget and public expenditures, capable and responsive civil service, and building social consensus on policies. Honesty of a democratic government implies providing impartial information to the public, obtaining public feedback on alternatives to a decision, and involving people in decision-making. The draft Constitution has laid out a vision of a society, Autumn 006 • Page  Development Newsletter free of oppression and discrimination. For those who cannot afford it, the draft Constitution stipulated legal aid to secure justice. Bhutan’s obligations under international law, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are fully enshrined and all acceded international treaties will be fully honoured. After the draft Constitution is enacted, all laws inconsistent with the Constitution will be invalid, and a fresh beginning will be made. Engaged citizenship is seen as absolutely necessary for democracies to function, including that of Bhutan. Low literacy and income of the citizens will be a constraint in this respect for some time. Accountability will be fostered by the opposition party as well as by the flow of unbiased information to the public. In an attempt to diversify media, licenses were recently given to bidders to establish two private newspapers. The draft Constitution enshrined the public good as the main purpose of government. Consequently, it UNDP Bhutan contained explicit normative values with reference to the pursuit of Gross National Happiness, inclusiveness and a compassionate society. Although Bhutan has largely been an egalitarian society, income inequality has grown rather starkly between rural and urban groups in recent decades. Promoting equitable distribution of public facilities among people regardless of where they live was enshrined in the draft Constitution and formed an important priority of the Tenth FiveYear Plan (2008-2012). As is the current practice, the draft Constitution extends free education for all children up to the tenth standard and free access to basic public health services. As a new departure, it guarantees security in the event of sickness and disability, or lack of adequate means of livelihood for reasons beyond one’s control. The ability to innovate and reform is a characteristic of good governance. The unintended and unexpected changes in the society and the environment could result from social and technical innovations as Bhutan transforms itself politically and economically. For example, Bhutan’s membership to the World Trade Organization (WTO) would bring shifts in both economic and cultural spheres, where new technologies could impact the sensitive ecologies and TV and Internet could bring new urges and expectations. Together with Bhutan’s development partners, who are the repository of goodwill and affection for the Bhutanese people, the country has chances to overcome these challenges. The development partners are urged to continue supporting Bhutan in creating a society where its citizens are free, happy, healthy, capable and engaged. Karma Ura Director, Centre for Bhutan Studies “ Honesty of a democratic government implies providing impartial information to the public, obtaining public feedback on alternatives to a decision, and involving people in decision-making. Page 6 • Autumn 006 ” UNDP Bhutan Development Newsletter MDG Needs Assessment and Costing in Bhutan Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is a top priority for Bhutan, and the Government has shown sustained commitment and progress to realizing the achievement of the Goals. The MDGs are already an important consideration in development planning and resource allocation and will continue to be the thrust of Bhutan’s national development goals in the coming years. highlight its resource requirements in order to sustain the development towards achieving the MDGs during the 10th FYP period. In order to avoid Bhutan being ‘penalized’ for its success, the MDG NA and Costing will be carried out to identify the interventions needed for Bhutan to meet the MDGs, cost the interventions and estimate their macro economic implications in the Bhutanese context. To initiate the MDG NA and Costing exercise, a Joint UN Scoping Mission comprising of experts from the Integrated Package of Services (IPS) team at UNDP Regional Centre in Colombo accompanied by other experts from UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok, UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO was fielded in June, 2006. The mission report addressed the specific constraints to meeting the MDGs in Bhutan and made recommendations on the institutional arrangements and timeline for the exercise. As part of the Scoping Mission, an MDG NA and Costing Workshop was held by the Planning Commission to present and facilitate initial discussions with multistakeholders on the details of the assessment’s objectives and the priorities for costing, and also to define roles and responsibilities of relevant stakeholders. The Secretary of the Planning Commission, Mr. Lam Dorji highlighted that the MDG NA and Costing in Bhutan is being conducted at an opportune time as the Government prepares its 10th FYP. He added that the objectives for the exercise are aligned with Bhutan’s 10th FYP which will be resultsbased. Mr. Dorji reiterated that while the Government is fully committed to achieving the MDGs by 2015, Responding to Emerging Needs: “ In order to avoid Bhutan being ‘penalized’ for its success, the MDG NA and Costing will be carried out to identify the interventions needed for Bhutan to meet the MDGs, cost the interventions and estimate their macro economic implications in the Bhutanese context. With an objective to further enhance the alignment of the country’s long-term planning objectives with the MDGs, the Planning Commission, in collaboration with the UNDP and the UN Country Team (UNCT) is undertaking a MDG Needs Assessment (NA) and Costing to inform national development planning, including the ongoing preparation of the 10th Five Year Plan (FYP). Bhutan has made remarkable progress in recent decades as measured by various human development and economic indicators. This strong economic performance is set to continue, especially with the increasing hydropower exports to India. However, Bhutan still faces a situation where development assistance is needed to support public investment efforts. Expansion of basic services to cover pockets of the yet unreached segments of the population is an exceptional challenge due to high incremental costs for providing these services. This, combined with increasing institutional capacity needs that pertain to the democratization process necessitates Bhutan to ” MDG Needs Assessment & Costing Consolidation Workshop in Paro Autumn 006 • Page  Development Newsletter the main challenge would be to have the adequate resources to attain them. Following the completion of the Scoping Mission, work on the ground commenced with the institutional arrangements as the Planning Commission in collaboration with UNCT initiated a multi-stakeholder dialogue that resulted in an agreement on the composition of the Thematic Task Forces (TTFs) that would carry out the bulk of the work in the coming months. The multisectoral TTFs comprised relevant line ministries and other key stakeholders including UNCT, covering main clusters of rural development, infrastructure, macroeconomics, health, education, environment and crosscutting issues such as gender and governance. Keeping in mind the ongoing preparation of the 10th FYP and its deadline, the Government stressed the timely completion of the MDG NA and Costing exercise to assure its use as an important input for the 10th FYP. As a response to this request, the exercise has been tailored to meet the national needs, although it means a tighter timeframe in comparison to other countries where IPS is being rolled-out. Due to this time constraint the MDG NA and Costing has been a demanding but also a rewarding exercise that would not have been possible without effective coordination by the Planning Commission throughout the process. Starting with the training program for the UNDP Bhutan Workshop on MDG Needs Assessment & Costing in Thimphu TTFs on the costing methodology, which was supported by the IPS team with other resource persons from UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF, the TTFs have been engaged in the multi-sectoral costing work that has enabled them to identify and cost interventions in a collaborative and innovative manner within the different clusters. This work culminated in a week long consolidation workshop in October, which also enabled all the UN agencies to work together with relevant TTFs by providing technical inputs where necessary. Individual TTF Reports are to be completed and consolidated by the end of November and the final Report, once approved by the Government in December, is to constitute a critical input into the 10th FYP. To follow the progress of the exercise, please visit the Planning Commission website at www.pc.gov.bt/mdg Aki Hakanen, Programme Officer, UNDP Lessons from Around the World A delegation from Bhutan led by the Home Secretary visited Vietnam, from 11th to 23rd April, 2006, to study decentralization initiatives. The participants visited, among others, the UNDP supported programme on Public Administration through which several initiatives strengthening local governance in Vietnam are piloted. Some of these are described in this article. The study tour was funded by SNV through the Decentralisation Support Programme. rapidly over the continent and is now rooted in many countries. Thimphu is also home to a multi-service OSS, be it a modest one: the one stop payment centre, where telephone and electricity bills can be paid. More “equivalents” may be possible and wished for. The Good Governance Plus document supports the establishment of such centres in order to enhance standards and quality of services. Hereunder we describe the successful example of Vietnam. From a bureaucratic and slow-working administration with considerable “red-tape” in the 1990s, Vietnam turned its service delivery into an efficient and client-oriented one that sets a good example for others. Improved Service Delivery One-Stop-Shops (OSS) One-Stop-Shops (OSS) have been established in the region since the late 1980s. The idea has spread Page  • Autumn 006 UNDP Bhutan Development Newsletter What is required to build a successful OSS? A number of conditions need to be met for a successful implementation of this model: multi-sectoral and multifunctional teams need to be available at the centre to allow coordination and reduce time delays; further, procedures between and within organizations have to be clear and streamlined; well trained and clientoriented staff and use of IT applications are decisive as well. Experience from Vietnam Since 1996 the OSS model has been piloted in Vietnam (82 million people, 80% in rural areas) in a number of cities and districts. The support by the public for this model has led to national introduction: all major cities, provinces, districts and even some communes (equivalent to Geogs) have their own OSS. The one-stop-shops were introduced as a measure to deal with wide-scale public dissatisfaction about public service delivery. Applications for constructing a new house, opening a small business, transferring land, etc., took several months, if not years to complete. Furthermore, “unaware” applicants had to visit various offices at different locations to collect and submit forms, pay fees, etc. All these different “layers” created a great deal of opportunities for red-tape, or, informal payments to go through the procedures a little quicker. With the introduction of OSS, efficiency and effectiveness of the service delivery have improved, as well as transparency and accountability. Moreover, the procedure, timing and fees for the service are clearly stipulated so that applicants know exactly what to expect. The OSS knows various forms and the latest one is a “window” where applications are submitted and returned. At an adjacent service centre a number of professionals from various agencies work on the incoming applications. Through IT applications, the manager has an overview of the workload of each staff member and timely interventions can be made to avoid delays. The status of the applications can be checked by the client through telephone or in the OSS itself. Two targets with one shot The model hits to targets in one shot: more satisfied clients on one hand, and a more efficient administrative system, on the other. This model of service delivery is worth considering, since it increases the quality of the service delivery as well as its transparency and accountability. Citizen Reporting Card System - a practical device for public feedback The Citizen Reporting Card System (CRCS) is a methodology to identify the public’s satisfaction with regards to public agencies in a structured and scientific way. A citizen report card is a practical device to improve the accountability. It is premised on the understanding that citizens are the users of public services and can provide authentic feedback on their perceptions of quality, efficiency and adequacy of the services and the problems they face in their interactions with the service providers. While citizens may not be able to comment on the technical features and standards of the services, they are well-placed to assess whether the service meets their needs, and whether the agency is responsive, corrupt or reliable. So far, most internal accountability measures for public service delivery agencies tend to focus on inputs such as the number of personnel, facilities, and expenditures. The importance of this kind of feedback from users is reinforced by the decentralization process, which demands greater accountability and transparency within service delivery agencies. The decentralized agencies are more and more responsible for the service, and thus the quality thereof. What are the benefits? The CRCS attempts to capture feedback from the perspective of citizens. It usually aims at: An example of a multi-service One-Stop-Shop in Vietnam Autumn 006 • Page  Development Newsletter l UNDP Bhutan l l l l Providing public service delivery agencies and municipalities with an analytical tool for selfassessment, by generating specific citizen/user feedback on their services/performance; Converting widespread individual problems into collective issues; Facilitating comparison of performance of service delivering agencies (for same service); Initiating dialogue between service provider and citizen in order to “reduce” public resentments; or put in another way “discussing and counting instead of shouting”; and finally, Accommodating practical problem-solving in service delivery. Where has it been used, and is it something new? The CRCS is a relatively new concept, which is gaining popularity in developed as well as developing countries. It all started in Bangalore, India, in 1993 where ordinary citizens decided to assess the delivery of services, as a reaction of a major underperformance of public service agencies. Within a few years this methodology became popular in major cities in India, and in other countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Ukraine, Peru, Ghana, USA, Canada, Denmark, UK, Albania and the Netherlands. The ultimate goal is to improve the adequacy and efficiency of public services and to improve agencies’ transparency, responsiveness and accountability in service delivery. Maurits Servaas Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor Decentralisation Support Programme SNV Bhutan The United Nations Development Assistance Framework As part of the broader UN reform agenda initiated by the UN Secretary-General, the UN Development Group has developed a set of strategic programming tools intended to facilitate a more coherent and unified response to national development priorities. The two main tools are the Common Country Assessment (CCA) and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). The CCA provides a situation analysis of current development issues in the country and identifies challenges. Building on the analysis contained in the CCA, the UNDAF identifies a specific set of development issues aligned with the national five-year plan. The UNDAF specifies development outcomes that are most appropriate to the areas of focus and expertise of the UN agencies, and emphasizes joint programmatic efforts to maximize the collective impact of the United Nations. The UNDAF provides a collective, coherent and integrated United Nations response to national priorities within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Millennium Declaration, and the various international summits, conventions and human rights instruments of the United Nations and its member states. UNDAF Formulation Process in Bhutan The next UNDAF for Bhutan will cover the period 20082012, coinciding with Bhutan’s 10th Five-Year Plan. Preparation of the UNDAF is a consultative and participatory process, involving a wide range of stakeholders including the Royal Government, donor partners and civil society organisations. Following the completion of CCA in August this year, the UN Country Team organized a Strategic Planning Workshop in late August in Thimphu aimed at identifying priority areas of support. The workshop was attended by more than 90 people from the government, civil society organisations, donor partners and UN agencies. During the workshop five main areas of UN assistance were agreed upon. These were: Poverty Reduction, Health, Education, Good Governance and Environment and Disaster Management. Joint UN-Government working groups were set up to identify in more detail planned results and indicators for each focus area, and currently a detailed assistance framework is being formulated. The UNDAF formulation exercise is planned to be completed by early January 2007. Akiko Ueda Coordination Officer, UN System in Bhutan Page 10 • Autumn 006 UNDP Bhutan Development Newsletter Providing Incentives for Performance Improvement In the international development arena Results and Performance Based Planning (RBP) has been receiving a great deal of attention. Performance based budget, or block grant allocation for local governments, is a new branch on the development tree and it has been successful in various countries, such as Uganda, Kenya, Nepal, Vietnam, Tanzania and Bangladesh. RBP also forms the basis for the planning and monitoring in Bhutan’s next Five Year Plan. In Bhutan, the share of local revenues from the total development budget is limited. Most of the funding comes from the centre. Dzongkhags (districts) and Geogs (blocks) will be given about 30% of the total annual budget in the form of grants. If fiscal decentralisation is adequately designed, it will provide incentives to support the improvement of service delivery, accountability, transparency and even the achievement of (localised) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Below is an excerpt of an interview with Maurits Servaas (SNV), Monitoring & Evaluation Advisor for the Department of Local Governance (DLG) at the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs. In this position, Maurits worked on ways to improve and measure performance of the public sector in the context of decentralisation. Performance Based Budget Allocation: UNDP: What is “Performance Based Block Grant Allocation”? M. S.: Performance Based Block Grant allocation, sometimes also referred to as Performance Based Grant System (PGS), is a way to provide incentives through grants. The incentives are linked to improved performance. The better the performance, the higher the annual grant. As many countries are in the process of decentralisation - including financial decentralisation where funds are to be used at the discretion of local governments - the PGS provides an opportunity to link budget allocation with performance. UNDP: In what circumstances is a PGS useful? M. S.: For a PGS to be successful, a number of preconditions must be met. Firstly, the introduction of the PGS is worthwhile only if the size of the performance-based annual grant is important to the local government. If the amount is too small it will fail as an incentive to improve performance. Secondly, the government has to ensure clarity about the expected performance. Moreover, it is difficult to ask local governments to enhance transparency, accountability and responsiveness if these areas are still underdeveloped at the national level. Thirdly, unless the central government establishes appropriate institutions and incentive frameworks — such as clear assignment of responsibilities, matching resources to responsibilities, matching authority to responsibilities, local capacity and a certain level of local and national accountability — successful sub-national expenditure processes are unlikely to develop. “ Unless the central government establishes appropriate institutions and incentive frameworks – successful sub-national expenditure processes are unlikely to develop. UNDP: Is there a chance that in the context of Bhutan this implies that poorer and more remote Dzongkhags would receive less as they may not perform as well as larger, more developed ones? According to which factors will performance be measured? M. S.: That is indeed what one might expect. However, it depends very much on the indicators that are selected. Here, good performance is not understood as having the “highest economic growth rate” or “highest reduction in water borne diseases”. It may rather refer to informing citizens on planning and budgeting issues as well as to good and timely reporting (accountability), focusing on ” Autumn 006 • Page 11 Development Newsletter poverty and environmental sustainability in planning, etc. In some studies (Kenya and Uganda), it was found that the so-called “poor” districts were doing better than the “richer” ones. UNDP Bhutan UNDP: Are there already defined criteria for the determination of the size of annual block grants? M. S.: Yes, it is proposed that the annual grants for local governments be based on factors such as population size, income level, area, available infrastructure and the environment. However, these factors do not provide an incentive to improve performance. The two “systems” may co-exist; first, the size of the annual grant could be defined according to the above-mentioned factors and, secondly, it could be adjusted based on an annual performance assessment. “ After 2008 there is a possibility that budget allocations may be politicised. However, the question is whether this would not occur without the PGs. attention to pro-poor activities, health, education, gender and environment may be subjected to gradual budget cuts. ” UNDP: Who will assess the performance? Is there a chance that this system will be politicised? M. S.: After 2008, there is a possibility that budget allocations may be politicised; however, the question is whether this would not occur without the PGS. To come up with and agree on the assessment criteria will be a major task, if one wants to explore the opportunities of this system. The assessment framework can be kept simple. A private team of consultants – or, for instance, a team consisting of staff from the Planning Commission and the DLG – may carry out an annual assessment. With the Monitoring & Evaluation systems of both institutions in place, the assessment requires little additional work. UNDP: Two systems would mean more work - is it worth all the efforts? M. S.: The system has proved to be successful in countries where major steps towards decentralisation and good governance have been made. When decentralisation really takes off and decision-making power shifts to the local level, one has to find ways to “influence” local political outcomes. This sounds a little centralistic, but it is not as bad as it seems. For example, a significant part of the future development budget will be decided by local governments. They will identify their own priorities, investments, etc., which is very good. On the other hand, Bhutan has made a number of commitments including the attainment of the MDGs. To ensure that these international and national commitments are met, efforts have to be made by the central as well as the local governments. Dzongkhags that are working to achieve these goals may receive a bonus, whereas, the ones that pay less UNDP: What should be done next? M. S.: It would be good to study whether this system is suitable for Bhutan and to find out how the capacity-building programme for strengthening local governments can be linked to improved performance. The Decentralisation Support Programme (DSP) may act as a vehicle for doing so. Above all, it would be beneficial for a group of national and international experts to exchange experiences and views on how to improve the government’s performance at the local level. As the Royal Government of Bhutan has expressed its ambitions to promote professionalism, efficiency, and accountability, and to further develop funding through block grants, it is an opportune time to consider the use of PGS. The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of DLG or SNV. Interview conducted by: Nathalie Meyer Governance Unit, UNDP “ Page 1 It would be good to study whether this system is suitable for Bhutan and to find out how the capacity-building programme for strengthening local governments can be linked to improved performance. • Autumn 006 ” UNDP Bhutan Development Newsletter Local Governance through Decentralisation People have always been at the centre of Bhutan’s development policies. In the Ninth Five-Year Plan, the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) took an important step in devolving power to the people by officially launching Geog (block) planning. To support the RGoB with the implementation of decentralisation activities as enshrined in the Vision 2020 – which calls for a system to build real autonomy at the Dzongkhag (district) and Geog levels and maintaining administrative efficiency, transparency and accountability – the UNDP together with the UNCDF and SNV have helped strengthen the capacities particularly at the local level through the Decentralisation Support Programme (DSP) 2003-2007. The Programme which is supporting three levels of governance in Bhutan – the centre, the Dzongkhag and the Geog – is implemented by the Department of Local Governance (DLG), under the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs (MoHCA), and is based on parallel financing through the co-ordination of the Department of Aid and Debt Management (DADM), Ministry of Finance. Through the programme, UNDP is providing assistance in the areas of policy advocacy, capacity-building, programme management and capital investment. UNCDF is providing capital investment resources and technical backstopping services. SNV is primarily providing technical assistance, but also provides financial support to some aspects of the programme’s capacity building activities. In addition, associated with the programme, DANIDA is supporting the institutional capacity-building of MoHCA as part of its Good Governance Programme. Helping Bhutan Strengthen Recommendations of the Decentralisation Outcome Evaluation In November 2005, an outcome evaluation of the decentralisation process in Bhutan was undertaken by UNDP in cooperation with DLG, DADM, Helvetas, JICA, Danida, SNV, UNCDF and UNDP (SDC and the World Bank). The following are some of the main recommendations which are intended to provide further practical ideas for consolidating and strengthening the on-going decentralisation process. Strategic Recommendations: l l l l l l l Move towards a “programme support” model of assistance with clear programme objectives as distinct from budget support. Assist the alternative planning framework (APF) mentioned in the Good Governance Plus review to move towards the concept of discretionary block grants in a phased manner. Eligibility for such discretionary grants should be linked to performance criteria. Poorer geogs should be targeted for additional capacity development measures to help them meet specified performance targets. Establish a simple fiscal formula with weighted criteria to reflect the significance of respective variables. Increase own-revenue mobilisation for rural taxes. Consider a uniform 3 year rolling framework. Support the establishment of a Local Government Association. A copy of the Outcome Evaluation Report can be downloaded from www.undp.org.bt/publications.htm Lily Wangchhuk Head, Governance Unit UNDP Autumn 006 • Page 1 Development Newsletter UNDP Bhutan Media and Public Culture in Bhutan The Centre for Bhutan Studies organized the Second International Seminar on Bhutan Studies at the Royal Banquet Hall in Thimphu from 26 to 28 June, 2006. Unlike the first one that was conducted in August 2003, the second one was organized with major focus on the role of media in promoting public culture in Bhutan. With the theme of “Media and Public Culture in Bhutan”, a wide range of papers have been presented and discussed during the three-day seminar. The following are some of the papers that were presented: Providing Space for Public Knowledge, Dialogue and Aspirations: The role of Bhutanese Print and Media in Culture Maintenance and Promotions Mr. Dorji Thinley - The Role of Media in the Changing Political Situations in Bhutan Mr. N. Balasabranian and Mr. Jigme Nidup - Contribution of Democracy and the Media to a Sustainable Society: Current Situations and Future Prospects Mr. Tim Bodt In his closing remarks, Mr. Kinley Dorji, Editor In-Chief and the Managing Director of Kuensel Corporation, reminded the seminar participants that media plays a responsible role towards promoting the culture, happiness, liberty, spirituality and even the survival of society. Media is not a distant, neutral phenomenon. It is not just technology. When we talk about Bhutanese media, we talk about ourselves and we are expressing values all the time. Media is performing a public function. It must help society to understand change and, in the process, define and promote the right values, including public values. We have to understand media in the context of Gross National Happiness (GNH). GNH requires that the people make important decisions. The role of media is to give them the information and to empower them to make those decisions that affect their day to day lives. Some of the papers that were presented in the seminar have been published in the Journal of Bhutan Studies (Volume 14) with a special focus on media and can be obtained from: Center for Bhutan Studies www.bhutanstudies.org.bt - The Microsoft Unlimited Potential Community E-centers: Using ICT for Development Ms. Lektsho Yangden Dorji - The Impact of ICT on Bhutanese Culture Mr. Kinley Gyeltshen - Gross National Happiness through ICTs for Development: A Case Study of Jakar Community Multimedia Center Dr. Seema Murugan - Media in the New Political Order Mr. Dorji Wangchuk UN Resource Centre To cater to the needs of researchers, journalists and students, a UN Resource Centre has been set up in the UN House. The Centre has a good variety of books on development and thematic issues. The centre is open on all working days. Page 1 • Autumn 006 UNDP Bhutan Development Newsletter Projects in Support of Good Governance RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT PROGRAMME The objective of the project is to support the Department of Urban Development and Engineering Services (DUDES) in its mandate to deliver sustainable rural infrastructure. Implementation of rural infrastructure, as prioritised and approved by the DYTs and GYTs, is primarily the responsibility of the respective Dzongkhag Engineering Sector (DES). These units, each staffed by 10 to 20 engineers and technicians, have taken over from specialist sector led units under the recent decentralisation arrangements. The challenge is now to ensure these units have the skills and resources to deliver the balance of the 9th five year plan activities and the 10th five year plan to the required quality and quantity. DUDES was appointed as the parent department of the sNV DES in 2005, and with the support of SNV has embarked on a three year capacity strengthening programme, which commenced in April 2006. This programme draws on the experience of the previous SNV support to RGoB under the Environmental Friendly Road Construction (EFRC) programme. Major Achievements: • • • Pilot studies and capacity assessments completed. Comprehensive organisation development studies commenced in 12 Dzongkhags and DUDES HQ. Support given to Ministry of Agriculture Farm Road programmes on EFRC approaches. Duration: April 006 – March 00 l Budget: US$ 0,6* ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION The objective of the project is to support the AntiCorruption Commission in establishing an effective system that promotes transparency, efficiency and accountability with respect to management of public resources. UNDP provided support in finalizing the Anti-Corruption Act and formulating the Master Plan and Strategy Paper on Anti-Corruption. Technical support was also provided in formulating Rules and Procedures for operationalizing the Commission and in conducting the review and analysis of systemic problems and recommending preventive measures through Major Achievements: UNDP consultation and research. Other areas of support include advocacy and capacity-building. • • • The Anti-Corruption Bill was finalized and enacted by the National Assembly on 3 July 2006. The Master Plan and National Strategy on AntiCorruption were formulated. Development of institutional linkages and capacitybuilding of key officials. Duration: March 006 – February 00 l Budget: US$ 100,000 ICT FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE The ICT for Good Governance project assists the Royal Government of Bhutan in its pursuit of good governance through optimal utilizations of information and communication technology to promote transparency, efficiency and effectiveness in public service delivery. In order to achieve these, the project is supporting the following: UNDP • • • • Increasing access to information for rural women and men The National Data Standard has been developed. The development of e-signature and a national intranet are underway. The heads of the ICT units of all ministries were trained in IT management and relevant people have undergone training to manage tele-centres and are now posted in the tele-centres. Major Achievements: • • Establishment of key foundations for e-Governance initiatives in Bhutan Strengthening cooperation between the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) and the private sector on ICT based on the Bhutan ICT Policy and Strategies (BIPS) Duration: October 00 – March 00 l Budget: US$ 0,000 Autumn 006 • Page 1 Development Newsletter SUPPORT TO E-GOVERNANCE IN BHUTAN The objective of the project is to create a “Smart Government” model within the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), and thereafter deployed it in other government agencies. This was done through facilitating communication and collaboration among the various departments under the ministry and providing applications to manage certain processes in the organization in an efficient manner. Major Achievements: UNDP Bhutan Helvetas / sDC • • Established necessary hardware and software for developing e-governance applications, including application for document management. Increased efficiency and effectiveness of online communication between departments within the MoIC through the provision of hardware and consultancy requirement. Duration: April 00 – June 006 l Budget: US$ ,000 NATIONAL PENSION POLICY & FRAMEWORK The project supported the establishment of a National Pension Policy and Legal Framework for Bhutan. The National Pension Policy and Act are critical requirements to provide a legal and regulatory framework for any pension scheme in the country. Major Achievements: UNDP • The National Pension Policy and Legal Framework has been formulated and the Pension Act has been drafted Duration: July 00 – 006 l Budget: US$ 60,000 MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS This project is enhancing the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to deal with the increasing demands of the treaty process, as well as to improve its internal efficiency and services to women and men through the use of ICT. The project provided support in upgrading MoFA’s ICT usage and in improving citizens’ access to information and services through the development of a website which will provide public information as well as support future online services. Major Achievements: UNDP • • MoFA’s internal efficiency and effectiveness has been enhanced through the use of IT. Computers, servers, etc., were provided and officials have undergone training. A temporary website for passport and visa is operational (www.passport.gov.bt) and it will be integrated into the MoFA website. Duration: July 00 – December 006 l Budget: US$ 100,000 STRENGTHENING OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS SECRETARIAT Major Achievements: • An Organizational Development Strategy & Action Plan formulated along with a Handbook for the Members of the NA. Capacity development for National Assembly Secretariat staff supported. DANIDA • • Memorandum of Understanding signed (between Danish Parliament and National Assembly of Bhutan) & Parliamentary Twinning being implemented. Upgrading of National Assembly Hall and surrounding facilities to meet requirements of modern parliament under progress and office equipment and furniture purchased for Secretariat. • Duration: July 00 to March 00 and January 006 to March 00 l Budget/Donor: US$ 1,,6 Page 16 • Autumn 006 UNDP Bhutan Development Newsletter PERFORMANCE AUDITING The overall objective of the project is to help integrate Performance Auditing into the Royal Audit Authority’s (RAA) current auditing procedures wherever applicable and to contribute to the establishment of an institutional framework that promotes accountability and integrity in the public service. Major Achievements: UNDP • • • The Performance Auditing manual has been formulated, printed and translated into Dzongkha. Performance auditing is being integrated into RAA’s current auditing procedures. Key staff of the RAA has undergone training in Performance Auditing. Duration: February 00 – December 006 l Budget: US$ 16,00 (1,000 TTF, ,00 TRAC) LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND DECENTRALIZATION PROJECT Under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Technical Cooperation, the Local Governance and Decentralization Project has been signed between the Royal Government of Bhutan and JICA in March 2004. The Department of Local Governance under the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs (MoHCA) is the implementing organization. The main component of the project is the organizational and individual capacity-building at Central (Ministry), Dzongkhag (district) and Geog (Block) level, through training, material capacity development (Geog center construction and provision of equipment) and actual implementation of pilot projects with an average budget of USD 20,000 (1st cycle) and USD 7,000 (2nd cycle) each for all 25 geogs in the 3 districts of Haa, Major Achievements: JICA Bumthang and Trashigang aimed at the following outputs: • • In addition to the various trainings, workshops and conferences, 1st cycle pilot projects in each Geog and supply of equipment, 10 Geog centers have been completed. One of the main components in the 2nd year of the project will support the development of Integrated Capacity Building Plan (ICBP) which is done by RGoB’s initiative to ensure systematic and sustainable capacities among local representatives and administrations. Duration: March 00 – October 006 l Budget: US$  million DECENTRALISATION SUPPORT PROGRAMME The programme is supporting three levels of governance in Bhutan: the Centre, the Dzongkhag (district) and the Geog (block). The Decentralisation Support Programme (DSP) partnership strategy is based on parallel financing through the coordination of the Department of Aid and Debt Management (DADM), Ministry of Finance. UNDP is providing resources for technical assistance, capacity-building, programme management and capital investment. UNCDF is providing capital investment resources and technical backstopping services. SNV is primarily providing technical assistance, but also provides financial support to some aspects of the Programme’s capacity-building activities which has resulted in training delivered to Geogs and also the design of a Management Information System. In addition, associated with the programme, DANIDA is supporting the institutional capacity-building of MoHCA as part of its Good Governance Programme. Major Achievements: UNDP/UNCDF/sNV • • • • • The RGoB’s initiative to decentralise governance and promote people’s participation has been strengthened. The ability of Geog committees, elected representatives and Geog officials and populations to take on new responsibilities with decentralisation, including fiscal and financial matters has been strengthened. Development of the Regulatory Framework which will operationalise the Cooperatives Act. A stronger foundation and environment decentralisation has been created. for Policies and practices enhancing citizen participation in local planning, decision-making and implementation management have been institutionalised as a result of the successful implementation of the DSP. Duration: June 00 – December 006 l Budget: UNDP - US$ 1,6,00 / UNCDF - US$ 1,000,000 / SNV - US$ ,00 Autumn 006 • Page 1 Development Newsletter UNDP Bhutan GOOD GOVERNANCE/PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM PROGRAMME – PHASE II Development objective: Assist in strengthening the Bhutanese governance system in accordance with the national vision, retaining administrative efficiency, effectiveness and professionalism, respecting the rule of the law and enabling increased participation in the decision making processes. The programme builds on four components Component 1: Component 2: Component 3: Component 4: Support to Decentralization and Civil Service Strengthening Support to Legislation and Judiciary Support to Media Support to Core Fiscal Institutions DANIDA financial and inventory management completed. More than 1,606 district & Geog staff trained at RIM. Also supported long-term & short-term training in other agencies at national and local level. Achievements for component 2: Support to Legislation and Judiciary • • • • Computer configuration for Office of Attorney General (OAG) Capacity development for staff of OAG in Anticorruption, Legislative drafting and other areas. Media Act enacted Construction of Transposer completed, Business plan developed, Regional Bureaus established and Audience research completed. Achievements for component 1: Support to decentralization and civil service strengthening Achievements for component 3: Support to Media • • • Position classification system in operation since 2006 & familiarization with the new Bhutan Civil Service Rules for district and Human Resource Officers completed. Draft Civil Service Bill/Act completed, workshop conducted and translated in both English and Dzongkha versions. IT related functions: user training to pilot the Zhiyog completed, user manual published and Zhiyog system installed in all 20 Dzongkhags and computers and accessories supplied & computer configuration for RIM library installed. Capacity development for Ministry of Home & Cultural Affairs in local governance, project planning, Achievements for component 4: Support to core Fiscal Institutions • • • • Training for RAA and DRC supported in relevant areas, eg. income tax & construction audit, customs management & commercial fraud & clearance and audit awareness programme for public carried out. Pool vehicle for regional office of RAA purchased. IT networking HQ with regional offices completed with testing tools & equipments procured for RAA. Improved computerized system integrated into MIS for DRC and Revenue Management system developed and installed in all Regional offices. • Duration: March 00 – March. 00 l Budget: US$ ,6,0* HRD SUPPORT FOR THE NATIONAL FINANCE SERVICES (NFS) The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the NFS through the development of the required knowledge, ability and skills of the accountants of ministries, dzongkhags/geogs, and agencies for enhancing efficient and transparent public finance management, thereby fostering good governance. After strengthening the capacity of the Royal Audit Authority, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) supported long-term capacity development in budget and financial management and professional accounting as well as shorter-term certificate courses in accounting. Additionally, an activity Helvetas / sDC was included that was not envisaged at the beginning of the project - capacity development of Gups, Mangmis, clerks and, more recently, the Geog accountants. Major Achievements: • • Enhanced financial competency of the NFS through placement of over 600 trained personnel in various central ministries, agencies, and Dzongkhag administrations. Enhanced awareness and skills of over 500 Gups, Mangmis, clerks, and Geog accountants on Geog accounting and financial management. Duration: July 001 – December 006 l Budget: US$ 1,,6* Page 1 • Autumn 006 UNDP Bhutan Development Newsletter LOCAL GRANT AUTHORITY Under the Local Grant Authority, support is provided for Justice sector, Public sector, Public Financial sector management and Anti-Corruption Commission. DANIDA • • • Major Achievements: Four district courts constructed, judiciary website developed and ICT in the management of justice strengthened. Electronic budgeting, release and accounts operational in Thimphu. This is to be expanded to 16 more districts. Investigation capacity-building for ACC ongoing. Duation : Multiple starting dates and durations l Budget : US$ ,6,000 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY SNV SNV’s Good Governance team provides support to 9 RGoB Departments and bodies: Department of Local Governance; Planning Commission; Ministry of Works and Human Settlement: Department of Roads in partnership with WB), Department of Urban Development and Engineering Services. Department of Agriculture (which includes a programme in the East to improve agricultural marketing in partnership with IFAD); Construction Development Board; Ministry of Health – Public Health Engineering; Royal Civil Service Commission, Royal Institute of Management. Our support is provided through international and national technical assistance. sNV The mission of the SNV Good Governance team is to: • • Assist in the development of a responsive and accountable local governance system across Bhutan by building on and working in partnership with national policy makers and strengthening the capacity of local implementers in order to improve access to and quality of basic services.. Effectively contribute to the decentralization process in RGoB and strengthening its drive and focus towards timely poverty reduction, gender mainstreaming and achievement of MDGs. Duration: mainly needs based, open-ended programmes, re-negotiated on an annual/bi-annual basis with RGoB Budget: US$ ,* per annum * Budgets were converted to US$ according to the October 2006 UN exchange rate. Autumn 006 • Page 1 Development Newsletter UNDP Bhutan New Publications Annual Report 2005, UNDP Bhutan Asia-Pacific Human Development Report 2006 – Trade on Human Terms: Transforming Trade for Human Development in Asia and the Pacific, UNDP Bhutan National Human Development Report 2005 – The Challenges of Youth Employment, www.undp.org.bt/publications.htm Decentralisation Outcome Evaluation Report - Bhutan, UNDP, www.undp.org.bt/publications.htm Delivering the Goods – Building Local Government Capacity to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals. A practitioner’s guide from UNCDF experience in Least Developed Countries, January 2006, www.uncdf.org Democracy, Good Governance and Happiness, Some views from the Kingdom of Bhutan, Renata Dessallien, September 2005, www.undp.org.bt/publications.htm Governance for the Future: Democracy and Development in the Least Developed Countries, UN-OHRLLS and UNDP, May 2006 Macroeconomics of Poverty Reduction: The case study of Bhutan, UNDP Regional Centre in Colombo, April 2006 Millennium Development Goals Progress Report 2005 – Bhutan, www.undp.org.bt/publications.htm Poverty Outcome Evaluation, UNDP Bhutan, November 2005 Human Development Report 2006 – Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crises, UNDP, hdr.undp.org/hdr2006 Useful Links UN System in Bhutan: www.unct.org.bt Royal Government of Bhutan Portal: www.bhutan.gov.bt UNDP BHUTAN: www.undp.org.bt UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok: regionalcentrebangkok.undp.or.th UNDP Regional Centre in Colombo: www.undprcc.lk UNDP Oslo Governance Centre: www.undp.org/oslocentre Anti-Corruption Commission: www.anti-corruption.org.bt Election Commission of Bhutan: www.election-bhutan.org.bt National Assembly of Bhutan: www.nab.gov.bt Office of the Census Commissioner: www.bhutancensus.gov.bt ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The main objective behind the Development Newsletter is to create a forum to exchange information among development partners. We are particularly grateful to the Royal Government of Bhutan and development partners for their contributions. We welcome any comments, suggestions and articles for future editions. You can send your feedback or articles by email to fo.btn@undp.org or by post to UNDP, UN House, P.O. Box 162, Thimphu, Bhutan. Page 0 • Autumn 006