Joint Strategy Meeting Report 2014

Transcription

1 Joint Strategy Meeting Report 2014 Introduction The JSM is a high level forum between the and the United Nations which seeks to provide an oversight to the implementation and monitoring of the United Nations work in the country. The JSM comprises the Heads of UN Agencies and Senior Government officials from key line Ministries and is chaired by the Chief Secretary, with the UN Resident Coordinator as co-chair. This year s Joint Strategy Meeting provided an opportunity for the and the UN to review joint progress and to identfy areas and opprtunities for further engagement and collaboration. The JSM for 2014 took place on the 27 th February, 2014 at Ufulu Gardens, Lilongwe and the agenda for the meeting was as follows: Time Activity Responsible Welcoming Remarks RC Opening remarks Chief Secretary Presentation UN Overview of UN in Malawi Progress Report Way Forward Questions and Answers Tea-break Discussion on Cross-Cutting Issues and Government/UN priorities for 2014 and identification of areas of enhanced support. Chaired by Chief Secretary and RC Discussion topics: National Planning Process Results and Real-time monitoring Development Cooperation Strategy Resilience Conclusion of Discussion RC Closing Remarks Chief Secretary Lunch

2 1. Welcoming Remarks The UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Mia Seppo, on behalf of the United Nations Country Team, thanked the for their attendance at the meeting and stressed that the JSM is a unique opportunity for engagement between the Government and the UN. The JSM is not the time to focus on the financial crisis which has affected Malawi. However, it is worth noting that the UN s interest in this crisis is to ensure that spending priorities are managed in a way that protects the social sector, reduces hardship to Malawians and ensures that progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is maintained while at the same time utilising the focus on financial management as an opportunity for creating real systemic change and improving governance systems by strengthening transparency and accountability. It was also stressed that the UN is a unique partner to the. As a member state of the UN, the UNCT is here to support the Government to achieve national priorities and can provide a voice and experience to that work. It was also noted that globally there is a greater push towards results with strong emphasis on building strong monitoring and evaluation systems. The JSM is an opportunity to discuss results to date and identify opportunities to become more results focussed going forward. With this in mind, four discussion topics were prepared by the Government as follows: National Planning Process and Post 2015, the Development Cooperation Strategy, Managing for Results and Real Time Monitoring, and Resilience. It was noted that Malawi has been recognised as a successful self-starter in UN reform. However, there is still more work to be done, particularly around communicating what UN reform means, particularly for the Government. Finally the RC thanked the participants again for their attendance. 2. Opening Remarks The meeting was opened by the Chief Secretary, Ms Hawa Ndilowe who stated she was honoured to preside over the JSM and emphasised what an important meeting it was. She thanked the Government and UN colleagues for their presence. The objective of the meeting was to reflect on the achievements of and plan for This meeting is critical in providing oversight to the implementation of the UN s programme and to determining what effect it is having on the wellbeing of Malawians. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on the MDGs, evaluate our progress and try to better understand what the challenges have been in MDG achievement. We should embrace this opportunity and with this in mind, a separate meeting on the Post 2015 agenda should be held. This JSM comes at a critical time, with Malawi celebrating 50 year of independence and the UN also marking 50 years in Malawi. This provides an opportunity to critically reflect on our progress, identify what has not been achieved and think about what we need to do in the next 50 years. Finally, the Chief Secretary requested that Performance Accountability be added to the list of items for discussion as it is critical for the successful delivery of development programmes. The Chief Secretary also stressed the need to focus on implementation and results, not process. The Chief Secretary again thanked participants for their presence and stressed the importance of national ownership.

3 3. Presentation A presentation was made by the UN. The presentation was structured into three parts as follows: 1. Overview of UN in Malawi 2. Progress Report 3. Way Forward The full presentation can be found in Annex A. 3.1 Comments and Feedback Coordination The UNDAF covers a wide range of sectors and as such there is a lot of fragmentation. The issue of fragmentation has been coming up for a number of years. There is a need to isolate key priority areas and focus on these. It should be linked to how we are achieving targets of MGDS II One cause of fragmentation is that development partners have their own focus sectors. There is a need for a division of labour across all partners based on their respective comparative advantages. The process of formulation of the MGDS and the UNDAF are very similar. We may need to revise the national planning process to make if more focused with fewer priorities. It appears that we lose focus at implementation level by trying to do too many activities. UN The UNDAF is the UN s response to national priorities and provides a focussed response to the overall national plan. The UN has undergone a period of reflection, reducing the focus on process and increasing the focus on results. This has resulted in a more streamlined coordination structure and more simplified and responsive UNDAF, with the number Outcome reducing from 17 to 14. There is a need to be more strategic with our activities and only implement those key activities that are going to ensure we achieve our goal Financial Management Development partners have shown that they are not afraid to withdraw support. There is a need to reflect on what has happened and use the opportunity to address issues The Government has made tough decisions and development partners should reward the Government s courage in dealing with the issues rather than punishing it. Malawi perception internationally has been tainted There is a need to address the issues in order to get funding back UN The UN is committed to supporting the Government. However, it is also important that we work closely with all other Development Partners to ensure a consistent and coherent approach.

4 3.1.3 Gender There has been a lot focus on Gender in recent years but the progress has been slow. Women s participation in politics is still very low and this needs to be addressed. We need to improve performance accountability with respect to gender. UN The UN has reflected on fragmentation of Gender interventions and as attempted to be more integrated in their approach with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare. The MDG Acceleration Framework (MAF) was developed last year and identified gender equality, and specifically the girl child, as a key entry point to accelerating MDG progress. There is a need for a more integrated approach to achieving Gender Equality We need to address key gender issues such as low participation of women in politics. There are no easy solutions and we need to think of this as a long-term ongoing project, not just centred on elections State Party Reports Malawi is not fulfilling all of its State Party Reporting obligations and the UN has a key role to play in ensuring that these reports are submitted Decentralisation There is a feeling that development partners are withdrawing their support for local Governance. More civic education is required so that people are aware of the difference between local councillors and MPs. The UN needs to be clearer in terms of what support it is going to provide for decentralisation.

5 4. Discussion Topics Each of the discussion topics were presented by the Government as follows: Ted Sitimawina, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning and Development - National Planning Process and Post 2015 Cliff Chiunda, Principal Secretary, Office of the President and Cabinet - Managing for Results and Real Time Monitoring Betty Ngoma, Assistant Director, Ministry of Finance Development Cooperation Strategy Jefrey Kanynji, Principal Secretary, Disaster of Disaster Management Affairs - Resilience Briefing documents on each of the discussion topics were prepared and shared with participants. These can be found in full in Appendix B. 4.1 National Planning Process and Post Introduction Ted Sitimawina, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning and Development In July, Malawi will celebrate 50 years of independence. During this period, there have been many changes but we need to consider are we where we want to be? In 2000, Malawi developed the long term strategy Vision 2020 with the goal of Malawi becoming a middle income country. Vision 2020 was to be achieved through serious of medium term (5 years) strategies which have included the poverty reduction strategy, MGDS I and the current MGDS II. MGDS II will end in With the MDG deadline approaching, Malawi is on track to achieve four out of eight MDGs. Malawi undertook a comprehensive consultation process with respect to Post 2015 and 12 priorities were identified. A national Human Development Report will be produced in Key Discussion Points We need to analyse MGDS II and reflect on progress towards Vision A decision needs to be made as to whether to conduct a mid-term review of MGDS II or delay slightly. Either way, additional international technical expertise will be required to conduct the evaluation. Too often, the medium term strategies change once a new Government comes in. There is a need for one plan that is accepted by all and hence has a commitment from all. The High Level Development Council was set up to address this issue. There is a need to make sure that the High Level Development Council is inclusive and consultative. The Sector Working Groups (SWGs) have a key role to play in the national planning process. They are a key part of effective implementation of strategies and policy review to ensure coherence. However, not all SWGs are functioning which poses a challenge (8 active, 8 not active). One major challenge is a lack of funding. The Government did previously try to mainstream the costs of running SWG s, but this was unsuccessful. OPC is now providing support to the SWGs. There is a need for a review of the SWGs under DEAP and to develop specific guidelines to ensure that they function correctly. Many policies have been developed but these are not coherent and often contradict each other.

6 UN There is a need to establish sustainable systems that can adapt to changes in the internal and external environment and deliver results. Social services are not being delivered and we need to address this. We need to identify and address the key bottlenecks to achieving goals set out in plans such as energy and transport. Current priorities are focussed on identified growth areas. However, more investment in these priority areas is required in order for them to really grow. It is also worth noting that Human Development is not just about GDP, but also quality of life. To achieve its goal set out in the Vision 2020 of becoming a middle income country, Malawi needs to ensure that along with economic growth, the focus is placed on equitable and affordable access to education and health services. An educated population and good infrastructure is key to improving human development indicators. It was noted that Malawi is not achieving when it comes to quality and retention in Education, and the quality of public services in general needs to improve. Any national planning should also be linked to what is happening at the regional level, in particular the SADC and African Union processes. 4.2 Managing for Results and Real Time Monitoring Introduction Cliff Chiunda, Principal Secretary, Office of the President and Cabinet - Managing for Results and Real Time Monitoring The commitment of the around evidence-based policy and programming and the recent National Strategic Statistic System Plan (NSSSP) launched in late 2013 provide a clear framework for a more results focus. The UN is a key partner and is committed to the implementation of the NSSSP together with the NSO and sectorial ministries. At the same time, with two years left to accelerate and demonstrate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, the Executive Boards of a number of UN agencies are encouraging UN Country Teams to jointly identify innovative ways to support monitoring of results, particularly in real time. This requires a shift of focus from planning processes to the delivery of results and their monitoring, and engagement of relevant stakeholders with the capacity to deliver to work together in order to achieve common results. There needs to be a strong emphasis on results and monitoring, in particular through the use of a joint approach to monitor development bottlenecks to accelerate results, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized population groups. With this in mind, the UNCT is committed to adopt a more innovative and effective approach to monitoring, bringing information and results in real time and thus allowing for adaptation and revision of interventions throughout implementation Key Discussion Points As mentioned previously, SWGs have a key role in the planning process. However, they also a key role in monitoring performance and increasing the focus on results. This includes defining SMART indicators, identifying data sources and tracking progress. There is also a need to identify indicators suitable in the MDGS II that can be measured more frequently, ideally quarterly.

7 UN Real Time Monitoring (RTM) is the future and provides many opportunities for improving programme delivery and sharpening a focus on results. However, RTM is only effective if we have systems and processes that can adapt and adjust quickly. This is not always the case and as such, we need to be strategic in terms of where we can use RTM. We need to work together to identify key areas to focus on together. UNICEF is doing a number of interventions and we should leverage this as much as possible. We need to also look at the capacity of ministries to produce reliable and accurate data. The MDG Endline Survey is currently underway and will provide very useful data. 4.3 Development Cooperation Strategy Introduction Betty Ngoma, Assistant Director, Ministry of Finance Malawi is now in the process of developing a new Development Cooperation Strategy, as a successor to the previous Development Assistance Strategy, which will be the main instrument to move forward on the implementation of the Busan agenda at country level. As a country-led and country-owned strategic document, the new Development Cooperation Strategy champions the principles of ownership, focus on results, inclusive development partnerships, and transparency and accountability as embodied in the Busan partnership agreement. The advanced draft provides a solid country-level framework to guide development cooperation in line with country s development goals and internationally agreed principles in Paris, Accra and Busan, including principles of ownership, focus on results, inclusive development partnerships, and transparency. The strategy proposes establishing a dialogue structure with a Development Cooperation Group and a High Level Forum at the centre of the development effectiveness and policy discussions. The new strategy has been more inclusive and engages CSOs and the private sector. It has been country-led, focusses on results and promotes both domestic and mutual accountability Key Discussion Points The aid architecture continues to change and the government needs support to adapt to these changes. We should focus on building capacity of the Government so that they can lead and direct the aid agenda, thereby reducing fragmentation. The UN can support on reducing fragmentation by being more focussed. The Government needs to be clearer on what support they want. We have to agree on priorities and be accountable for results (positive or negative). A division of labour with development partners should be conducted based on their respective comparative advantages. Furthermore, it is important for donors to work with the Government to manage risk, not just avoid it. The Aid Management Platform (AMP) developed with the support of the UN is a very useful tool. However, more work is required, both in terms of linking to other systems and building staff capacity. The linking to other systems is planned for This will also include expanding it to include resilience. The UN is not reporting under AMP when it should be a leader in this area. The DCS has 2 results frameworks, MGDS II and Mutual Accountability. This will enhance the focus on results. UN The Government has done some very good work with the DCS and deserves credit for developing it in such a way that is expanding dialogue and is more inclusive.

8 The UN is also trying to improve its coordination through joint programming, reducing transaction costs and enhancing effectiveness. The Government can improve coordination by channelling requests through the Resident Coordinator (RC) who can then distribute to the relevant agencies. Within the UN, there are lead agencies on specific issues based on their respective mandates, for example UNICEF on education, WHO on health etc. However, lead agencies are not always known by the Government, in which case the RC can support. Similarly, when approaching the UN with broad and/or cross-cutting issues, the government should go through the RC. 4.4 Resilience Introduction Jefrey Kanynji, Principal Secretary, Disaster of Disaster Management Affairs The 2012 joint UN and Government resilience strategy indicates that there is a need to help build community resilience to food insecurity and to enhance their capacity to function well while under stress, to successfully adapt to a changing climate and to be self-reliant. This would involve mitigating against, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters that have consequences for food security in an timely manner. For the second consecutive year, Malawi has around 2 million people (12% of its population) in need of food assistance, and for the first time in many years, the humanitarian response had to extend to the northern districts which are traditionally a food surplus region. This year, the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) reported a total of 1,855,183 people from 24 districts across the country who would have a food gap and would require emergency food assistance. Food insecurity while present in 16 districts last year has expanded to districts which had never been reported as food insecure in the past, showing a general erosion of people s ability to withstand shocks, and exacerbating under nutrition among children Key Discussion Points We need a greater understanding of climate change adaption. There is diversity in Malawi but it is not being utilised. MVAC methodology should be reviewed. District led evaluations could be more effective. Data from ministries need to be improved so that it is consistent and reliable and can then be shared across ministries. There is a need to also consider the urban poor. There is a need to have a spate discussion on Resilience. UN There needs to be strong convergence of multi-sector interventions to reduce vulnerability. Resilience provides an opportunity to link programmes across agencies and sectors. For example, it includes WFP (school feeding, nutrition), UNICEF (social protection, nutrition), FAO (agriculture production) and UNDP (climate change and disaster risk management). The response should be linked to ongoing activities as it is a more efficient and effective use of resources and would help build resilience of communities. There is a wide range of vulnerabilities that communities face. Over the last 2 years, the scale and scope of responses have increased dramatically. There is a need to more fully understand why this is and then link this with ongoing programmes. It s not just about production, but also people s access to food. In addition, consumption needs be balanced and nutritional.

9 WFP conducted a study on urban poor in 2013 and it was found that there are pockets of vulnerable communities. However, there are challenges around mobilising support for these communities. 4.5 Other Discussion Points Public Sector Reform Work is ongoing in this area, with a focus on improving transparency, accountability and financial prudence in the public service. In The 2014 work plan, it is proposed to review the conditions of service for all staff. However, there is still a need to focus on how we are going to deliver. Downsizing of the public service should be considered if it makes sense but additional support will be required in this regard. 5. Summary and Closing Mia Seppo, UN Resident Coordinator 2014 is a very important year and it provides an opportunity for reflection. It is clear that there is a need for followup discussion, particularly around Post 2015 and Resilience. There is a general acceptance that we need to focus more on results and ensuring that the advancement of the MDGs continues. As a trusted partner, the UN is committed to sharing both the successes and the failures with the Government. We have good alignment at the higher level between the MGDS II and the UNDAF but more work is required at the implementation level to ensure we are coherent and focussed. A more integrated and focussed implementation approach is required, with a particular focus on the girl child, climate change and resilience. On national planning processes, we need to link all activities, both nationally and regionally, and improve the quality of data that we use for these processes. There was a request for external support to review the MGDS II which the UN has agreed to in principle. For Real Time Monitoring (RTM), it was acknowledged that SWGs are critical in terms of identifying indicators and monitoring those indicators. More frequent collection of some indicators in MGDS II is required (quarterly as opposed to annual). Finally, we need to agree what areas RTM can really make a difference in relation to are ability to adapt activities to changes. With respect to the DCS, the new strategy is inclusive, country led and includes domestic and mutual accountability. What is needed now is to implement it and make it real. AMP requires more work and more training. A defined plan for mutual accountability is required. Both the UN and the Government have agreed to be more coordinated in the interactions with each other. There should be a dedicated discussion on Resilience and urban populations should be included in the discussion. The response needs to be linked to ongoing activities. For Public Sector Reform, the UN can be trusted to support the Government. However, this can only be done if it is well coordinated and there is sufficient investment including from Government and other Development Partners. The 2014 work plan will support training on ethics and integrity for civil servants at various levels, to create a shared understanding of the issues and how to address them through the design of a more comprehensive reform package.

10 Going forward, we should focus more on results and less on process, ensuring we are working in a more coordinated manner that delivers results for the people of Malawi. Ted Sitimawina, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning and Development On behalf of the Government, the PS also thanked the participants for their involvement in this important meeting. He stated there was good discussion around some key issues and we need to carry this forward. There is a need for an additional discussion on Resilience. In general, he said he looked forward to continued cooperation between the Government and the UN, with an increased focus on results rather than process.

11 The full UN JSM Presentation can be found here: Appendix A: UN Presentation

12 Appendix B: Briefing Note on Discussion Point 1. National Planning Process Introduction Malawi Growth and Development Strategy II The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy II (MGDS II) is the second medium term national development strategy formulated to attain the country s long term development aspirations. It represents a decisive and strategic single reference document to be followed by all stakeholders to achieve the goal of wealth creation through sustainable economic growth and infrastructure development. The fundamentals of the MGDS II are based on the nation s development aspirations and build on the gains, lessons and best practices achieved during the implementation of the predecessor strategy. The MGDSII will expire in The year 2014 is a special year for Malawi in that the country will celebrate its 50 th year of independence also forms the mid-point of the MGDS II implementation. The year also coincides with the establishment of the High Level Development Council, the tripartite elections, the PAC conference, and completion of the Malawi Post 2015 development consultations and the National Human Development Report (NHDR). These developments will exert strong influence on the next and successor medium term strategy, MGDSIII and the ongoing dialogue on Malawi 50 year vision (Vision 2067) which will also be aligned to the Africa Union Agenda and the Malawi contribution to that. Post 2015 and other on-going processes With 2015 fast approaching, and with a view to identifying what development priorities Malawi should focus on beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in August 2012 the (GoM) through the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development (MEPD), in collaboration with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), initiated the process of planning its national level consultations and identification of key issues for the women and men, boys and girls of Malawi. The process involved a series of national and grassroots consultation to allow Malawians to voice their vision and agenda after The process was participatory and inclusive focusing on key groups often excluded by mainstreaming processes such as children, youth and women. The process was concluded with the production of the Malawi Post 2015 Development agenda report in May 2013 with key priorities for the Malawi We Want emerging from the national and district consultations as follows: 1. Strengthened governance and increased accountability 2. Improved infrastructure development 3. Improved agricultural development and food security 4. Improved access to and quality of education 5. Improved health service delivery 6. Increased private sector development 7. Better management of the environment, natural resources and climate change 8. Greater focus on science, technology and communication 9. Reduction of HIV and AIDS related deaths 10. Increased capacity development 11. Improve gender equality and women s empowerment 12. Address population dynamics and development

13 The national review of the MDGs is on going and NSO is currently undertaking the MDGs end line survey supported by various development partners including the UN. This, coupled with the national review process of the Bejing Platform for Action 20 years after the Beijing Conference, will provide a very strategic entry point for national development updates and prioritisation process. The African Union common position on post 2015 development agenda, currently being finalized, should also guide the national strategic discussions is the AU Year for Agriculture and Food Security and this should also guide specific prioritization and targets. Questions and Discussion Points: What are the plans for the national planning process? How is the Government planning to link the on-going process and ensure that MGDSII mid term review, MDGs end line, post 2015 and Beijing + 20 are incorporated into the process and provide a clear strategic direction? How can the UN best support the overall national planning process? Poverty data has an important role to play in the national planning process. How can the Government and the UN ensure that the data available is reliable and accurate.

14 2. Managing for Results and Real Time Monitoring Introduction The commitment of the around evidence-based policy and programming and the recent National Strategic Statistic System Plan (NSSSP) launched in late 2013 provides a clear framework for a more results focus. The UN is a key partner and is committed to the implementation of the NSSP together with the NSO and sectorial ministries. At the same time, with two years left to accelerate and demonstrate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, the Executive Boards of a number of UN agencies are encouraging UN Country Teams to jointly identify innovative ways to support monitoring of results, particularly in real time. This requires a shift of focus from planning processes to the delivery of results and their monitoring, and engagement of relevant stakeholders with the capacity to deliver to work together in order to achieve common results. There needs to be a strong emphasis on results and monitoring, in particular through the use of a joint approach to monitor development bottlenecks to accelerate results, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized population groups. More specifically, these initiatives could be instrumental to further support the NSSSP and in particular: i. improve the management of results; ii. sharpen focus of interventions on barriers and bottlenecks; iii. enhance understanding of the multi-dimensional nature of programmatic interventions; iv. ensure that programmatic interventions are adapted effectively responding to the development challenges through a dynamic monitoring system; and v. ensure timely course correction to humanitarian interventions. With this in mind, the UNCT is committed to adopt a more innovative and effective approach to monitoring, bringing information and results in real time and thus allowing for adaptation and revision of interventions throughout implementation. One example of this includes Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) of HIV through SMS. Blood samples are collected at the district and sent to a central hospital for diagnosis (as diagnosis of HIV in infants is difficult, special equipment is required for testing). Once the samples have been tested, they are then entered into a system which generates the results and sends these results directly to the district health centre. The health worker then sends a Remind Me SMS to the family to come to the health centre and discuss the results, and ensure that the child is immediately put on treatment. The EID system has reduced the turnaround time from diagnosis to treatment by over 40% (reduced from approximately 30 days to 15-17days) which can be critical in an infant s development. Questions and Discussion Points What opportunities currently exist for real-time monitoring across Government and/or Development Partner systems? How can this be linked to the ongoing implementation of the NSSSP? What are some of the key areas to be focused upon? What indicators could be measured?

15 3. Development Cooperation Strategy The commitment of the to development effectiveness and harmonization was outlined in the Development Assistance Strategy, which set out the strategy for putting the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness into practice in Malawi, for the period of 2006 to The review of the strategy concluded that the strategy had been an important tool which significantly improved the way in which the Government and development partners interact. However, the review also concluded that significant challenges still exist. Amongst the most important ones are the need for donors to align to Malawi s national systems and procedures, for development partners to harmonize their procedures, as well as the need for involvement of non-state actors in the implementation process. Other challenges include enhancing the functionality of Sector Working Groups, fostering mutual accountability for development results, establishing an effective division of labour, avoiding aid fragmentation, and strengthening monitoring & evaluation systems within government at national and district level as well as with civil society and NGOs. Malawi is now in the process of developing a new Development Cooperation Strategy, as a successor to the previous Development Assistance Strategy, which will be the main instrument to move forward on the implementation of the Busan agenda at country level. As a country-led and country-owned strategic document, the new Development Cooperation Strategy champions the principles of ownership, focus on results, inclusive development partnerships, and transparency and accountability as embodied in the Busan partnership agreement. The advanced draft provides a solid country-level framework to guide development cooperation in line with country s development goals and internationally agreed principles in Paris, Accra and Busan, including principles of ownership, focus on results, inclusive development partnerships, and transparency. The strategy proposes establishing a dialogue structure with a Development Cooperation Group and a High Level Forum at the centre of the development effectiveness and policy discussions. The strategy highlights the need for more focus on results and proposes that the primary focus of the dialogue under the strategy should be coordination, in order to achieve better development results with focus both at national and district level. The strategy also highlights the needs for clear linkages between the DCS dialogue and the Head of State. Questions and Discussions How can the UN support the to lead the coordination of development assistance more effectively? The Busan agreement talks of the transformative effect of aid, and the ability of the aid dollar to leverage private sector investment. What more can the government do, and the UN support, to ensure that the aid dollar is fully leveraged, with the end result being that aid is no longer necessary?

16 4. Resilience Introduction The 2012 joint UN and Government resilience strategy indicates that the UN needs to help build community resilience to food insecurity and to enhance their capacity to function well while under stress, to successfully adapt to a changing climate and to be self-reliant. This would involve mitigating against, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters that have consequences for food security in an timely manner. There needs to be strong convergence of multi-sector interventions in order to build resilience while decreasing vulnerabilities. Since 2012 however, vulnerabilities particularly for the poor have increased following the combination of devaluation and inflation, removal of fuel and electricity subsidies, implementation challenges of FISP, weather conditions that led to floods and droughts, abnormally high maize prices in 2013, etc. For the second consecutive year, Malawi has around 2 million people (12% of its population) in need of food assistance, and for the first time in many years, the humanitarian response had to extend to the northern districts which are traditionally a food surplus region. This year, the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) reported a total of 1,855,183 people from 24 districts across the country who would have a food gap and would require emergency food assistance. Food insecurity while present in 16 districts last year has expanded to districts which had never been reported as food insecure in the past, showing a general erosion of people s ability to withstand shocks, and exacerbating under nutrition among children. In addition to the MVAC response, other recovery and resilience building interventions are being implemented in the country: improving nutrition while enhancing human and social capital, crop and livestock diversification using agricultural good practices such as agro-forestry and conservation agriculture methods, and food assistance for asset creation programmes using food cash or vouchers transfers which can result in immediate gains in food security and simultaneously reduce risks from drought, floods and other hazards while also contributing to long term environmental and livelihood benefits that increase resilience. However, these interventions are scattered across the country, carried out by many stakeholders and coordination is often a challenge in order to address the underlying causes of the vulnerabilities and food insecurity. Realising resilience, using nutrition-sensitive programmes among others, hold great potential for boosting the scale, coverage and benefits of a range of current interventions mentioned above. While maintaining the capacity to respond to meet emergency needs, it is proposed to up-scale these successful pilot recovery/resilience building initiatives by bringing them together in an integrated approach, creating synergies in order to maximize their impact, ensure sustainability of results, and strengthen the government in implementing its policies and programmes. To this end, the UN will work to support the national and decentralized structures of the government to implement a comprehensive resilience building programme. This is expected to strengthen government implementation capacity in the targeted districts, showing first results after a two year period at both community and service provider levels. Questions and Discussions What more can the government and UN do in order to help Malawi move away from an annual humanitarian response to resilience? How could the government and UN work together more effectively to build linkages between the humanitarian response and development work to fight dependency and build resilience?

17 Appendix C: List of Attendees Name Institution Designation Address Justin A.K. Saidi Ministry of Youth and Sports Principal Secretary Esther Guluma UNICEF Representative Alice Shackelford UN Women Representative Yanira Mdumanuyama Ministry of Environment Climate Change Principal Secretary Management Clement Chintu-Phiri Office of the President and Cabinet Principal Secretary Sandram Maweru Ministry of Water Development and Principal Secretary Irrigation Betty Ngoma Ministry of Finance Assistant Director George Mkondiwa Ministry of Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Carol Flore UNDP Deputy Resident Representative (Programmes) George Kuchio UNHCR Representative C.K. Chiunda Office of the President and Cabinet Principal Secretary B. Chilabade Office of the President and Cabinet Principal Secretary C. Mwansambo Ministry of Health Chief of Health Services D. Kachingwe Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Chief Economist Dr. Rogaia Abdelrahim UNFPA Representative G. W. Rubiya MoHA Senior Deputy Director Koorosh Raffi UNICEF Chair UNDAF M&E TWG Ted Sitimawina Ministry of Economic Planning and Principal Secretary Development Chauncy Mtambo Ministry of Economic Planning and Economist Development V. C. Sandikowda Office of the President and Cabinet DS DNHA J. C. Kanynji DoDMA PS/COM S. Chirambo MoLGRD SE Musa Bullaleh UNAIDS Human Rights and Gender Advisor Maxwell S. Tsitsi Ministry of Energy Director of Administration Chimvano Thawani Ministry of Finance Debt and Aid Officer Herbert Kaludzu Ministry of Education Director