The Experience of Mozambique Development Observatory&Poverty Regional Observatory in SADC. Ministry of Development and Planning (Mozambique), Dr. Alfredo Salvador Mutombene.

1. The Experience of Mozambique
Development Observatory
&
Poverty Regional Observatory in
SADC
Regional Conference on “Institutional Frameworks for social equity
monitoring and improving the effectiveness of public polices in promoting
equity” Algiers, 15-16 December 2014.

2. PRESENTATION POINTS
1. CONTEXT
2. MISSION AND OBJECTIVES
3. FUNCTION/STRUCTURE OF THE OD
4. RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FOR THE
SESSIONS
5. INFLUENCE MECHANISM
6. CHALLENGES

3. Development Observatory (DO)
The Experience of Mozambique

4. 1. CONTEXT
• The Poverty Observatory was created in the
context of the implementation and monitoring
of the first Mozambican Poverty Reduction
Strategy Paper (PARPA) in 2003.
• Aware that the set of proposed actions aim for
the socio-economic development of the
country, the Government and its Partners
decided, in 2007, to name this consultative
forum the Development Observatory (OD).

5. 1. CONTEXT
…this open forum has became a fundamental
mechanism in the planning, monitoring and
evaluation process…in order to promote the
active participation of the population and the
communities at all levels, with the aim to unite,
coordinate and harmonize efforts in the
development process of fighting poverty.

6. 1. CONTEXT
DEFINITION:
The Development Observatory (OD) is a consultative
and participatory forum between the Government
and the National and International Partners to
promote sustainable socio-economic development,
with regards to planning, monitoring and evaluation
of the Government planning instruments, as well as
in the reflection and sharing of experiences related to
the fight against poverty.

7. 2. MISSION AND OBJECTIVES
MISSION:
The OD aims at strengthening partnerships and creating synergies between
all relevant stakeholders in the development process and the fight against
poverty …based on the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of the public
planning instruments:
• Long-term (the 2025 Agenda),
• Medium term [the Government Five-Year Programme (QGP) and the
Action Plan for the Reduction of Poverty (PARP)],
• Short term instruments [Economic and Social Plan (PES) and the State
Budget (OE)],
among others, recommending measures to enable continuous improvement
of public policies in support of the sustainable growth and development of
Mozambique.

8. 2. MISSION AND OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVES:
• Create conditions for an effective process of dialogue and consultation
between the Government and (national and international) partners, as
well as raising the level of accountability of all stakeholders;
• Review and improve the strategic and operational planning documents,
both at central and provincial level;
• Contribute to the collection of data and information related to strategic
indicators, as well as conduct analyses to obtain indications for its
improvement;
• Produce documents containing comments and recommendations related
to the implementation and monitoring of the actions of the Government
in the framework of development.

9. 3. STRUCTURE/PERIODICITY
The OD integrates two bodies, namely:
a) The Plenary: chaired by the Minister in charge of Planning and Development and
the Governor of the Province, at central and provincial levels, respectively.
b) The Technical Secretariat: a permanent body of technical and logistical support to
the Plenary, is coordinated by the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD)
and the Provincial Directorate of Planning and Finance (DPPF), at its central or
provincial levels.
The (Central and Provincial) ODs should be held with bi-annual periodicity, at least two
(2) times a year, the first plenary session to undertake Monitoring and Evaluation of the
Performance of the previous year (n-1) and the second for the evaluation of the current
year (year n) and the Planning of the following year (n + 1).
Extraordinary plenary sessions of the OD may be held to present matters of common
interest of the OD stakeholders (government and national and international partners).

10. 4. RELEVANT DOCUMENTS
• The institution responsible for the coordination and organization of the
Preparatory Sessions (MPD or DPPFs) shall make the public planning
documents available to the stakeholders (participants) in a timely
manner, at least two (2) weeks prior to the Plenary Session…
• The following are public documents:
• Sectorial Strategic Plans,
• Provincial Budget Economic and Social Plan (PESOP),
• Medium Term Expenditure Framework (CFMP),
• Poverty Reduction Strategy (PARP, including the Strategic Matrices, etc.),
THE MOST IMPORTANT ARE THE OPERATIONAL DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS:
• Economic and Social Plan and his Report
• Budget Execution Report (REO)

11. 6. INFLUENCE MECHANISM
• THE Civil Society (CS) representing by G20 – a Civil Society Platform to
participate in the DO created in 2004 – participates in all session
presenting their DOCUMENT POSITION in many ways:
• THE CS CONTRIBUTION TO THE PRSP;
• THE CS CONTRIBUTION FOR BUDGET ALLOCATION TO REDUCE INEQUALITY
AND REGIONAL DISPARITIES;
• THE CS ADOCACY ON THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PLAN and HIS BALANCE
REPORT.
• THE CS POVERTY ANNUAL REPORT (this one was presenting only on 2004, 2005
and 2007).

12. 6. INFLUENCE MECHANISM
• At the end of each session the document from the SC is submitted the to
government institution that coordinates the planning process (Ministry Of
planning) with the session synthesis;
• The Secretariat has the task of DO to organize the recommendations and
suggestions present in each document in the SC matrix to be monitored in the
next session;
• Each session starts with the situation of the recommendations and suggestions
outlined last session (if they have been accepted or not and the degree of
implementation);
The “problem” here is that the recommendations are not of mandatory character
because the OD is a consultative forum.

13. 7. CHALLENGES
CREATE A LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OD:
• In this moment the OD is integrated in the national planning cycle and
functions based on the IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OBSERVATORY;
• The forum is institutionalized in the Government but still doesn't have a
legislation framework
• So: as an influence mechanism on public policies the OD is not very strong but
as a participative monitoring mechanism of the economic and social plan and
public policies, it has played a big role

14. Poverty Regional Observatory (RPO)
On
Southern Africa Development Community
(SADC)

15. • THE RPO IS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF
ESTABLISHING ITSELF; NOT FUNCTIONING
YET.
• …BUT MANY THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE

16. 1. CONTEXT
• Poverty is one of the major challenges facing the SADC region where a
significant section of the population, about 40 per cent, lives in abject
poverty.
• It is in view of the foregoing, that SADC Heads of State and
Governments held an International Conference on Poverty and
Development in Mauritius in April 2008.
• The aim of the Conference was to reflect on and adopt innovative
approaches to the region’s poverty eradication strategies towards the
attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
• The Summit Conference adopted a Declaration on Poverty Eradication
and Sustainable Development which, among other things, mandated
the SADC Secretariat to establish a SADC Regional Poverty
Observatory.

17. 1. CONTEXT
The proposal to establish the SADC Regional Poverty
Observatory was approved by the Council and endorsed by the
Summit in August 2008 in Sandton, South Africa.
The RPO is established to provide an institutional framework
within the SADC Secretariat that will facilitate the
establishment of a statistics database on poverty indicators and
trends in the SADC region.
The RPO Proposal was approved by the Council and endorsed
by the Summit in August 2010.

18. 2. MISSION AND OBJECTIVES
According to the RPO framework adopted by Council, the SADC
Regional Poverty Observatory will:
• Provide a coordinated approach and common standards to data
gathering, systematic analysis and dissemination of data; and
monitoring of poverty-related issues at the national level;
• Evaluate the effectiveness of individual and common strategies,
policies and programmes on poverty reduction;
• Create a database for assessing Member States’ poverty profiles;

19. 2. MISSION AND OBJECTIVES
• Develop mechanisms for effective monitoring of living conditions and
poverty at country level within the context of Poverty Reduction
Strategies and National Development Plans;
• Serve as a research and documentation centre for analyzing the nature,
dynamics and impact of poverty in the region;
• Encourage broad-based stakeholder participation and help stimulate
debate on poverty-related policies through dissemination of
information and advocacy; and guide Member States in effective
implementation of poverty reduction strategies through dissemination
of best practices in the region and beyond.

20. 3. STRUCTURE/PERIODICITY
The RPO is made of two main structures being:
a) A Stakeholder Forum made of all stakeholders who will be meeting every
two years to deliberate on trends on poverty and development in the
region; and
b) A Steering Committee that will provide direction with regard to the
delivery of the SADC Regional Poverty Observatory.
• The Steering Committee will meet at least once every year. It is made of
one senior official from each Member State; five representatives from
regional civil society apex organizations and private sector
organizations; three experts on poverty and development issues drawn
from the SADC region and two representatives of development partners
in an advisory capacity. The Steering Committee will report to the
Council.

21. DEFINITION
The SADC RPO is conceptualized as an inclusive
regional forum where government, civil society,
business and international cooperation partners will
work together to promote the economic and social
development of the region.
The work of the RPO will be guided by the RISDP, the
strategic intervention areas in the Regional Poverty
Reduction Framework (RPRF) and the clusters in
poverty reduction strategies formulated by Member
States.

22. WHAT ALREADY HAPPENED UNTIL NOW
• The Steering Committee which reports to the SADC Council of Ministers
was created and his Terms of Reference were approved.
• They had 3 meetings to discuss about the RPO Documents (The National
Poverty Report in Members States);
• …About when the 1st Session will take place
• …which indicators will be integrated in the Poverty Indicators Matrix.
• The last meeting was in 2013.
• The Poverty Indicators Matrix was approved this year;
• The next Steering Committee will be held on 2014 to organize the 1st
Session of Regional Poverty observatory.

23. Thank You for Your attention