Detailed description of project Back
The EDF 8-funded Poverty Reduction Budgetary Support Programme (PRBSP) allocates a maximum of € 17 million in budget support to Lesotho in the period 2002-04. An innovative feature of the PRBSP is the reorientation from an “input” approach to one that is associated with “outcome achievements” as measured through performance indicators and benchmarks associated with social sector performance and public finance management. It is expected that the present PRBSP will be followed by an EDF-9 funded budget support programme, the details of which are currently under discussion.
The purpose of the mission is to assess the credibility of the social sector indicators proposed for an EDF 9-funded budget support programme in Lesotho and to suggest strengthening measures or alternative indicators as required.
The expected results fall into three separate categories:
- An analysis of poverty related indicators in the areas of health, education and water and sanitation, with particular reference to their timeliness and credibility;
- The identification of both performance and monitoring indicators for assessing the efficacy of government’s poverty reduction measures in the social sectors. The indicators selected will be suitable for the purpose of monitoring both the short- and medium term performance of government service-delivery in the areas of primary health and education and in the provision of clean water and sanitation;
- Recommendations for measures needed for strengthening the accuracy and timeliness of indicators in the social sectors in general, with particular attention to and detailed recommendations for the performance indicators recommended by the consultancy for use in an EDF 9-funded budget support programme.
Type of services provided
- Assessment of the PRSP and establishing linkages between policy objectives and methods for assessing the extent to which the policies and associated measures contribute to poverty reduction;
- Inventory of all current and proposed government or donor supported measures for the improvement of poverty monitoring;
- Assessment of the status of poverty-related statistical data gathering/analysis, review ofthe bodies and agencies involved (both public, private and non-governmental) and appraisal of their capacities;
- Recommendations for correcting weaknesses in the processes involved in the collection, analysis and dissemination of poverty-related data, andproposals for remedial measures;
- Identification of a number of performance indicators and or benchmark measures;
- Recommendations for further studies and or programmes of support in capacity building (financed either from the PRBSP project or from through the 9th EDF), including terms of reference, estimated costs and draft action plans.
PROMAN HQ provided the expertise of 2 senior experts and was responsible for the backstopping of the mission and overall quality assurance.
