Governance, Public Administration Reform & Decentralized Service Delivery Project (GPAR) Saravane Province Lao Peoples Democratic Republic Final Report of the Mid Term Review Submitted to the United Nations Capital Development Fund 1st April 2009 1 ACRONYMS AND LAOTIAN TERMS .................................................................. 5 DISCLAIMER ....................................................................................................... 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................... 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................... 8 1. Aim of Mid Term Review .................................................................................. 8 2. Project profile ................................................................................................... 8 3. Project hypothesis ............................................................................................ 9 4. Project logical framework ................................................................................. 9 5. Intervention strategy ......................................................................................... 9 6. Fiscal status and performance ......................................................................... 9 7. Principal findings ............................................................................................ 10 7.1 Achievements ........................................................................................... 10 7.2 Challenges ................................................................................................ 11 8. Recommendations ......................................................................................... 12 8.1 For Saravane province and districts ......................................................... 12 8.2 For the national level ................................................................................ 12 A. PROJECT SUMMARY ................................................................................... 14 B. PURPOSE OF EVALUATION ....................................................................... 15 1. Purpose of the mid term review .................................................................. 15 2. Project cycle ............................................................................................... 15 C. METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................... 16 1. Methodology and tools ............................................................................... 16 2. People with whom the team interacted ...................................................... 17 3. Team composition ...................................................................................... 17 4. Workplan ..................................................................................................... 18 D. PROJECT PROFILE...................................................................................... 19 1. Project background ..................................................................................... 19 2. Country context and status of decentralisation .......................................... 19 3. Project management arrangements ........................................................... 20 4. Project logical framework ........................................................................... 21 5. Intervention strategy ................................................................................... 23 6. Fiscal status and performance ................................................................... 24 E. EVALUATION ................................................................................................ 27 1. PROJECT DESIGN ........................................................................................ 27 2. FINANCING AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ............................................ 30 2.1 Objectives ................................................................................................. 30 2.2 Achievements ........................................................................................... 30 2.3 Challenges ................................................................................................ 33 2.4 Critical factors affecting results achievement ........................................... 33 2.5 Sustainability of results ............................................................................. 34 2.6 Lessons .................................................................................................... 34 2.7 Recommendations .................................................................................... 35 3. PLANNING AND BUDGETING ...................................................................... 36 3.1 Objectives ................................................................................................. 36 3.2 Achievements ........................................................................................... 36 3.4 Challenges ................................................................................................ 37 3.5 Critical factors affecting results achievement ........................................... 39 2 3.6 Sustainability of results ............................................................................. 39 3.7 Lessons .................................................................................................... 40 3.8 Recommendations .................................................................................... 40 4. ADMINISTRATIVE RE-ORGANISATION ...................................................... 42 4.1 Objectives ................................................................................................. 42 4.2 Achievements ........................................................................................... 42 4.3 Challenges ................................................................................................ 43 4.4 Critical factors ........................................................................................... 43 4.5 Sustainability ............................................................................................. 44 4.6 Lessons .................................................................................................... 44 4.7 Recommendations .................................................................................... 45 5. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT .......................................................... 46 5.1 Objectives ................................................................................................. 46 5.2 Results achievement & remaining challenges ......................................... 46 5.3 Critical factors affecting results achievement ........................................... 49 5.4 Sustainability of results ............................................................................. 49 5.5 Lessons .................................................................................................... 50 5.6 Recommendations .................................................................................... 50 6. IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES ............................................................. 51 6.1 Objectives ................................................................................................. 51 6.2 Results achievement & remaining challenges ......................................... 51 6.3 Critical factors affecting results achievement ........................................... 57 6.4 Sustainability of results ............................................................................. 57 6.5 Lessons .................................................................................................... 57 6.6 Recommendations .................................................................................... 58 7. NATIONAL POLICY REFORM AND REPLICATION .................................... 59 7.1 Objectives ................................................................................................. 59 7.2 Achievements ........................................................................................... 60 7.3 Challenges ................................................................................................ 62 7.4 Lessons .................................................................................................... 64 7.5 Recommendations .................................................................................... 64 9. MONITORING AND EVALUATION ............................................................... 65 9.1 Objectives ................................................................................................. 65 9.2 Results achievement and remaining challenges ...................................... 65 9.3 Critical factors affecting results achievement ........................................... 67 9.4 Sustainability of results ............................................................................. 68 9.5 Lessons .................................................................................................... 68 9.6 Recommendations .................................................................................... 68 10. OVERALL FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................... 69 10.1 Overall findings and recommendations .................................................