Evaluation Team

This report has been prepared by a team comprising Messrs Joseph MOUANDA, Evaluation Officer, and Mourad LABIDI, Consultant, under the supervision of Mr. Mohamed Hedi MANAÏ, Manager, Projects and Programmes Evaluation Division, following their mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo, from 19 to 29 October 2009. Further enquiries should be addressed to Mr. M.H. MANAÏ (m.manai@afdb.org)or Mr. J.MOUANDA (j.mouanda@afdb.org)

Main Lessons

• The success of capacity-building projects depends on clear objectives that are based on a sound analysis of the baseline situation and the country’s needs and targeting the right institutions and systems to be strengthened.

• The involvement of the beneficiary structures from project inception, particularly in the identification of needs, encourages ownership, coverage of recurrent expenditure and continuity of capacity building activities beyond the project.

• An effective programme for building capacity in the public administration must form part of a long-term vision based on the reorganisation of an effective and results-oriented administration that takes into account the needs of decentralisation and is underpinned by measures to increase public officials’ awareness of their responsibilities, institution of accountability and a culture of monitoring/ evaluation of results and performance

• In fragile states, public administration capacity building cannot be limited solely to training and the transfer of skills and equipment. It will require putting in place incentive structures and the motivation needed to bring about behaviour change among key actors to support the rehabilitation potential of the administrative structure

• The establishment of a national capacity building coordination agency, through budget support and an integrated ODA programming platform is a major asset for undertaking the restructuring of the public services of a fragile State

Main Recommendations

Recommendation(s) to the Borrower:

• Develop a long-term vision for building capacity in the public administration, which should be run using a results-based approach, fully taking into consideration the decentralisation enshrined in the Constitution, which PRONAREC will be part of

• Spur modernisation of the public administration, by focusing on computerization and setting up data transmission networks as part of a national strategy for ICT development, which can be prepared and implemented with Bank support

• Move forward with decentralisation and strengthen local capacity while taking due account of the considerable weakness in local resources, especially in areas such as statistics, studies, planning, computerization and communication networks. In this regard, it is important to develop more national training programmes in the area of capacity building in coordination and macroeconomic management to support local administrations

• Promote the coordination, ownership, alignment and harmonisation of development partners’ capacity building interventions, and establish an integrated ODA programming platform, with appropriate leadership

• Ensure the institutional viability of SENAREC as a national capacity building coordination structure in order to implement the ambitious national public administration modernisation programme, PRONAREC, which is being finalised.

Recommendation(s) to the Bank:

• Support the Government’s decentralisation efforts, particularly in building local capacity in statistics, studies and planning as well as in access to IT networks.

• In keeping with the FSF26 objectives regarding knowledge building and management, use the resources of the Targeted Support Window to conduct Economic and Sector Work (ESW) on the various dimensions of the DRC’s fragility, reconstruction and development. 

• Support modernisation of the public administration by providing assistance for computerization support for preparation and implementation by the Government of an ICT development strategy. 

• Support the Government in providing, at the national and local levels, training in management and planning to assist local institutions whose role has been strengthened as part of decentralisation.