UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME REVIEW OF UNDP’S PARTNERSHIP WITH LITHUANIA (1992-2005) 2005 December UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME REVIEW OF UNDP’S PARTNERSHIP WITH LITHUANIA (1992-2005) © UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Gostauto str. 40A, LT-2001, Vilnius Lithuania www.undp.lt ISBN 9986-639-30-1 Mr. Arnoldas Puikis has done the layout, and cover. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Review of UNDP’s Partnership with Lithuania (1992-2005) was prepared by: Mr. Michael Reynolds, International Independent Development Consultant. The Preparion Phase for the Review was carried by: BDA Lietuva and the Bradley Dunbar Group. The Review has benefited from a contentful input by Ms. Cihan Sultanoglu, United Nations Resident Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative and UNFPA Representative. Contributions were provided by national counterparts and project partners. UNDP Country Office team facilitated the Review preparation process. Ms. Ruta Svarinskaite, Programme Officer, was the focal point for the Review. UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms and Abbreviations 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE REVIEW 13 1.1 Overview of the UNDP Presence in Lithuania 14 1.2 Objectives and Scope 15 1.3 Methodology and Process 16 CHAPTER 2 NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT (1992-2005) 19 2.1 The Enabling Environment for Human Development 20 2.2 The State of Human Development 21 2.3 The EU Accession Process 22 CHAPTER 3 undp’s sTRATEGIC pOsITIOnInG 25 3.1 The Evolution of the UNDP Country Programme 26 3.2 UNDP and the EU Accession Process 31 3.3 Development of Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation 33 3.4 Programming and Implementation Approaches 37 3.5 UNDP on the Eve of Closing its Country Office 40 CHAPTER 4 undp’s COnTRIBuTIOn TO nATIOnAL dEVELOpMEnT REsuLTs 43 4.1 Poverty Reduction 44 4.2 Governance 48 4.3 Environment 52 4.4 Cross Cutting Issues 57 4.5 Emerging Issues 61 CHAPTER 5 FIndInGs And COnCLusIOns 67 CHAPTER 6 LESSONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS 73 6.1 Lessons Learned 73 6.2 Recommendations 74 4 REVIEW OF UNDP’S PARTNERSHIP WITH LITHUANIA (1992-2005) ANNEXES 1. Terms of Reference 77 2. Persons Interviewed 86 3. Documentation Reviewed 88 4. UNDP Programme Resources by Theme 89 5. UNDP Programme Resources (1993-2005) 90 6. Map of Lithuania 92 7. Lithuania Basic Indicators 93 8. Overview of Official Aid (1992-2005) 94 9. Lithuania as an Emerging Donor 95 10. UNDP Projects (1992-2005) 96 11. UNDP Supported Reports (1992-2005) 99 12. UNDP Staff Members (1992-2005) 102 LIsT OF TABLEs 1.1 UNDP Country Programmes in Lithuania (1993-2005) 14 2.1 Evolution of Lithuania’s HDI ranking (Human Development Reports 1995-2005) 23 3.1 Basic Resource Mobilisation Indicators 35 3.2 Resource Mobilisation (1993-2005) 35 3.3 Recognition of UNDP’s MDG Advertisements (percentage of total) 39 3.4 Some Key Results from the 2004 UNDP Partners Survey 40 4.1 TI Perception of Corruption Index 49 4.2 Participation of Lithuania in Key Environmental Conventions 54 4.3 GEF SGP Projects by Theme 55 LIsT OF BOXEs 1.1 Triangulation 17 2.1 Membership of Major International Organizations (1991-2003) 22 3.1 UNDP Cooperation Frameworks 26 3.2 Examples of Inter-agency Partnerships 34 3.3 Key Partner – the Global Environmental Facility 35 3.4 Key Partner – The UNDP Baltic Trust Fund 35 3.5 Partnership with Microsoft 36 3.6 National Strategies, Programmes and Action Plans developed with UNDP Support 37 3.7 Millennium Development Goals 38 3.8 MDGs Awareness Campaign in 2003 39 4.1 Some of the Key Outputs of UNDP’s Support to Poverty Reduction Planning and Policy 44 4.2 Other GEF Interventions 53 4.3 Broad partnership in the SGP 55 4.4 Lithuanian Human Development Reports 57 4.5 Bridges without Barriers 62 4.6 The UN Global Compact 64 LIST OF CHARTS 3.1 Thematic Allocation CP-1 (1993-96) 27 3.2 Thematic Allocation CP-2 (1997-2000) 28 3.3 Thematic Allocation CP-3 (2001-2003) 30 3.4 Thematic Allocation CP-4 (2004-2005) 30 5 UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ACP Africa, Caribbean, Pacific NAPs/incl National Action Plan on Social Inclusion ADR Assessment of Development Results NPRS National Poverty Reduction Strategy BTF Baltic Trust Fund OA Official Aid BWI Bretton Woods institution ODA Official Development Assistance CBO Community Based Organisation OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation CCA Common Country Assessment and Development CCF Country Cooperation Framework OHCHR Office of the United Nations High CIDA Canadian International Development Agency Commissioner for Human Rights CO Country Office OSCE Organization for Security and CP County Programme Cooperation in Europe CPD Country Programme Document POP Persistent Organic Pollutant CPI Corruption Perceptions Index PRSIP Lithuanian Republic Poverty Reduction Strategy Implementation Programme EEA European Economic Area for 2002-2004 EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction RBEC Regional Bureau for Europe and and Development Commonwealth of Independent States EO Evaluation Office RBM Results-based Management EOO Equal Opportunities Ombudsman RC Resident Coordinator EU European Union RR Resident Representative GCF Global Cooperation Framework RCF Regional Cooperation Framework GDP Gross Domestic Product SGP Small Grants Programme GBV Gender Based Violence SHD Sustainable Human Development GEF Global Environment Facility ToR Terms of Reference GLOC Government Contribution UNAIDS The Joint United Nations Programme to Local Office Costs on HIV/AIDS GNI Gross National Income UNCT United Nations Country team HDI Human Development Index UNDESA United Nations Department for Economic HDR Human Development Report and Social Affairs HRAP Human Rights Action Plan UNDP United Nations Development Programme HURIST Human Rights Strengthening UNEG United Nations Evaluation Group ICTD Information and Communication UNEP United Nations Environment Programme Technologies for Development UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific ILO International Labour Organisation and Cultural Organisation IT Information Technology UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention LEO Law on Equal Opportunities on Climate Change LHDR Lithuanian Human Development Report UNFPA United Nations Population Fund LOGIN Local Government Information Network UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner MDG Millennium Development Goals for Refugees NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund NEX National Execution UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime NGO Non-Governmental Organisation UNTG UN Theme Group NHDR National Human Development Report WHO World Health Organisation NISC NGO Information and Support Centre YFSL Youth-friendly Services in Lithuania 6 REVIEW OF UNDP’S PARTNERSHIP WITH LITHUANIA (1992-2005) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OVERVIEW OF UNDP’S PARTNERSHIP WITH LITHUANIA THE PARTNERSHIP 1992-2005 REVIEW Since regaining independence in 1990 Lithuania The main purpose of this review is to examine the has made remarkable progress in terms of both its experience of UNDP in Lithuania. Specifically, it has transformation to a democratic market economy and three objectives: (a) First, as a retrospective study, to its advancement towards greater human development. identify lessons learned to be used not only at national, External assistance to Lithuania’s transformation has at UNDP corporate levels but also in the frame of been limited but important, especially in the early years development cooperation (b) Second, a forward-looking of the transition process. In the run-up to European perspective in the sense that it establishes solid Union (EU) accession, it is not surprising that the EU reasoning for the discussions on the added-value for became by far the most important donor and most Lithuania of continued activities of UNDP beyond 2005 external assistance agencies closed their offices and (c) Finally, the review will also act as a record of UNDP’s ended their programmes in Lithuania. The United presence in Lithuania since opening an office in Vilnius Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been in 1992. Regarding the scope of the review, it will cover supporting this process since 1992, but will close its the following: representative office at the end of 2005 coinciding with Lithuania’s transition from a recipient of aid to Strategic Positioning: An analysis of how UNDP has a donor in its own right and its membership of the positioned itself strategically to bring added value EU since 1 May 2004. From a UNDP perspective, the to the development process and respond effectively country has reached a high level of Human Development to national development needs and priorities as well with a ranking of 39 in the 2005 UNDP Human as to changes in the national development situation. Development Report. Problems remain, however, most notably the issues of rural poverty and inequality, Development Results: An overall assessment low life expectancy and high rates of suicide. Other of the results achieved through UNDP support problems are still emerging, such as HIV/AIDS. and in partnership with other key development actors during 1992-2005 with specific in-depth Since 1992 UNDP has responded to Lithuania’s priority assessments within poverty, governance and needs with four country programmes as illustrated environment taking into account cross-cutting by the table below. Each of these has been financed issues such as gender equality and Information by a combination of core UNDP resources, third party and Communication Technologies for Development cost-sharing and a variety of trust fund