Moldova David S
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Evaluation Report United Nations Development Assistance Framework - Moldova David S. Bassiouni (Team Leader), Mathew Varghese, Thomas Otter, Lilit Melikyan, Andrea Esser, Camelia Gheorghe and Ion Osoian June 2011 Table of Contents ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................................... 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 1 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 3 2. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT ......................................................................... 3 2.1 POLITICAL 3 2.2 ECONOMY 4 2.3 MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS 4 2.4 POVERTY 5 2.5 EUROPEAN INTEGRATION 5 2.6 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 6 2.7 DECENTRALIZATION 6 2.8 TRANSNISTRIA FROZEN CONFLICT 7 2.9 ENVIRONMENT 8 3. NATIONAL STRATEGIES .............................................................................................. 8 4. THE UNDAF IN MOLDOVA .......................................................................................... 9 5. UNDAF AND PLACE OF UNITED NATIONS IN CONTEXT OF MOLDOVA’S NATIONAL PRIORITIES .............................................................................................................. 10 6. OBJECTIVES, SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE EVALUATION ................................... 11 6.1 OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE 11 6.2 LIMITATIONS 12 7. THE HARMONIZED UNDAF/ADR EVALAUTION ......................................................... 12 7.1 GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE UNDAF/ADR HARMONIZATION AND ALIGNMENT 12 7.2 THE HARMONIZED EVALUATION PLAN FOR UNDAF/ADR 12 7.3 PREPARATION AND DESIGN 13 7.4 RELEVANCE, EFFECTIVENESS, EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABLITY OF UNDAF TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES 13 8. ANALYSIS OF UNDAF RESULTS ................................................................................. 14 8.1 OUTCOME 1 14 8.2 OUTCOME 2 18 8.3 OUTCOME 3 22 8.4 CROSS-CUTTING THEMES: HUMAN RIGHTS AND GENDER 26 9. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................. 32 9.1 OUTCOME 1 32 9.2 OUTCOME 2 34 9.3 OUTCOME 3 35 9.4 CROSS-CUTTING THEMES: HUMAN RIGHTS AND GENDER 36 10. CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................... 38 11. RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................. 39 11.1 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CURRENT UNDAF (2007-2012) 39 11.2 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT UNDAF (2013-2017) 40 12. ANNEXES .................................................................................................................... i ANNEX I: TOR OF THE UNDAF EVALUAtion ii ANNEX II: HARMONIZED EVALUATION PLAN xiv ANNEX III: MAP OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA xxx ANNEX IV: ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONRIBUTIONS OF UN AGENCIES IN MOLDOVA TO NATIONAL PRIORITIES xxxi ANNEX V: UN CONTRIBUTION TO HUMAN RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA, 2007-2011 liii ANNEX VI: INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY FOR GENDER MAINSTREAMING-PPP FRAMEWORK lviii ANNEX VII: EVALUATION TEAM lxvi ANNEX VIII: PERSONS AND INSTITUTIONS CONSULTED lxvii ANNEX IX: DOCUMENTS REVIEWED lxxvi ANNEX X: CASE STUDIES AND SITE VISITS lxxxii ACRONYMS ADR Assessment of Development Results CEC Central Electoral Commission CCA Common Country Assessment CPA Central Public Administration/Authority CBO Community Based Organisation CBM Confidence Building Measure CPAP Country Programme Action Plan CPO Country Programme Output CPS Country Programme Strategy CSO Civil Society Organization CFCs Chlorofluorocarbons CFS Child Friendly School CSR Corporate Social Responsibility ECD Early Childhood Development ECOSOC UN Economic and Social Council EFA Education For All ENP European Neighbourhood Policy FTI Fast Track Initiative GDP Gross Domestic Product GE Gender Equality GM Gender Mainstreaming GMS Gender Mainstreaming Strategy GRB Gender Responsive Budgeting GoM Government of Moldova GRB Gender Responsive Budgeting HRJG Human Rights, Justice and Gender Theme Group IMF International Monetary Fund IMCI Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses JILDP Joint Integrated Local Development Programme LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender LPA Local Public Administration/Authority M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MDGs Millennium Development Goals MHC Maternal Health Care MLSPF Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family NBS National Bureau of Statistics NDS National Development Strategy NEA National Employment Agency NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NRS National Referral System on Trafficking in Human Beings NTP National Tuberculosis Program ODA Official Development Assistance OECD-DAC Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - Development Assistance Committee OSCE Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe PHC Primary Health Care PLHA People Living with HIV/AIDS PPIP Partnership Principles Implementation Plan PPP Public Private Partnership RC Resident Coordinator RH Reproductive Health SME Small and Medium Enterprise SRH Sexual and Reproductive Health STI Sexually Transmitted Infection TB Tuberculosis UNCT United Nations Country Team UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance Framework UNJT UN Joint Team on HIV/AIDS UN Agencies FAO Food and Agriculture Organization IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development ILO International Labour Organization IOM International Organization for Migration OHCHR Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV / AIDS UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNFPA United Nations Populations Fund UNHCR Office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UN Women United Nations Organization for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women WHO World Health Organization EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Since its declaration of independence in 1991, the Republic of Moldova has gone through a series of difficult transitions at enormous social cost. The first decade of the transitional period, which mainly saw changes in liberalization, privatization, and stabilization of the country’s economy, was also marked by political instability and a deep economic recession. 1 In 2011, Moldova is a country still in transition and in the midst of many reforms. Renewed economic growth in 2010 and potential opportunities emanating from the eventual prospect of European Union integration have created an environment conducive to modernization and positive change in Moldova The breakaway region of Transnistria continues to pose a silent threat to the stability of Moldova. European Union engagement with Moldova and the Transnistria conflict has increased over the past years, particularly with the 2004 negotiation of the European Union- Moldova Emerging Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan calling for shared responsibility in conflict prevention and resolution.2 Since 2007 the UN has contributed to development, health and social sector services. As confidence-building measures, these have accelerated the improvement of cooperation between Chisinau and Tiraspol. After 2000, Moldova achieved relatively high economic growth, averaging 7 percent gross domestic product from 2001 to 2005. 3 In 2005-2006, the country suffered external economic shocks such as export restrictions of major commodities like wine and fresh vegetables into the Russian market. There was also a significant increase in the price of imported gas. While growth exceeded 8 percent in 2008,4 this was owed primarily to remittances from Moldovan migrants abroad. The course has reversed once again since 2009, when the global financial crisis increased unemployment and decreased remittances. In 2011, sustained efforts are being made in agreement with the International Monetary Fund, and with external budgetary support, to reduce budget deficits and stabilize the economy.5 Moldova has adopted the Millennium Development Goals 6 and has remained committed to achieving these goals through various means, including intensifying collaboration with all relevant partners. 7 However, Moldova remains one of the least developed countries in the regions of Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States with a gross domestic product per capita of USD 2,986. 8 The Republic of Moldova’s 2010 human development index stood at 0.623, positioning the country at 99 out of 169. 1 The Republic of Moldova, ‘The Second Millennium Development Goals Report,’ September 2010. 2 The Plan also called for the establishment of the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine in 2005; and the appointment of a European Union Special Representative to Moldova in 2005. 3 National Bureau of Statistics Annual Report 2009 4The Republic of Moldova, National Bureau of Statistics. 5 International Monetary Fund and the Republic of Moldova, Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies, January 2010. 6The Republic of Moldova, Millennium Development Goals in the Republic of Moldova, The First National Report, June 2005. 7The Republic of Moldova, The Second Millennium Development Goals Report, September 2010. 8Gross Domestic Product per capita Purchasing Power Parity, National Human Development Report, 2009/2010. 1 The UNDAF is the strategic long term planning document for the United Nations Country Team in Moldova to ensure coordination, coherence, focus and direction of the UN support to