Proposals for Accelerating the Implementation of the Agenda

For Action on Social Development in the ESCAP Region:

National Action on Policy and Programme

Development, and Administration

MEETING PAPER NO 4

INTRODUCTION

The Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference in Preparation for the World Summit for Social Development, held in Manila in October 1994, adopted the Manila Declaration and the Agenda for Action on Social Development in the ESCAP Region (henceforth referred to as the Agenda for Action). The World Summit for Social Development, held in Copenhagen in March 1995, adopted the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action on Social Development (henceforth referred to as the Programme of Action). Both the regional and global agreements reflect the commitment of governments to priority social development and goals and targets.

In both the Agenda for Action and the Programme of Action, governments recognized that the task of social development is a national responsibility to be supported by regional and international initiatives, as appropriate. The mechanisms and processes through which the countries aim to achieve the goals and targets agreed therein are a national decision.

A substantial congruence is evident between the issues and actions identified in the Agenda for Action and those in the Programme of Action, as the formulation of the latter took into consideration the former. The Agenda for Action had incorporated specific time-bound goals and targets of priority concern to the governments in the Asian and Pacific region. It also identified ten major social issues (population, health, education, employment, shelter, environment, disasters, crime, social protection and family) on which action is required to alleviate poverty, expand productive employment and promote social integration, the three core social development goals.

To help to guide countries, the Agenda for Action presents the following means for governments to pursue, within their differing national circumstances, to achieve the targets and strengthen their national mechanisms: (a) planning and target setting, including the incorporation of these in national development policies and plans; (b) mobilizing enablers, including the State and its agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), employers and workers, and local communities in formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating social development policies and programmes; (c) mobilizing the resources for financing social development, both from domestic and from external sources; (d) upgrading the professional capabilities of national personnel engaged in the planning and implementation of social development policies and programmes; and (e) monitoring and evaluating the progress and impact of social development policies and programmes.

To invigorate national action towards attaining the goals and targets, ESCAP convened a Regional Workshop on Guidelines for Implementation of the Agenda for Action on Social Development in the ESCAP Region at Bangkok in March 1996. Based on the Workshop, a comprehensive set of guidelines was published and distributed to strengthen the initiatives of planners and programme managers involved in implementation of the Agenda in various sectors. An expert group meeting on the implementation of the Agenda for Action was also held in June 1997, which adopted a set of recommendations for further implementation of the Agenda. The guidelines and recommendations adopted at those regional meetings and the findings from the survey on progress made in implementing the Agenda for Action sent to ESCAP member and associate member governments provide a basis for the proposals on national action to accelerate the implementation of the Agenda. The proposals are presented below for consideration and adoption by the Ministerial Conference.

I. PLANNING AND TARGET SETTING

A. Assessing poverty alleviation, employment expansion and social integration

The three primary goals of the Agenda, poverty alleviation, employment expansion and social integration, are not mutually exclusive or separately attainable but interlinked and mutually reinforcing. These goals are related to achievements in the ten major social issues identified in the Agenda. The relative weight given to each of the goals may vary from country to country, depending on their respective economic structures, social situations and priorities. To attain these goals, proper assessment of the situation and action modalities is needed.

Assessing the extent, distribution and nature of the core social problems of poverty, unemployment, social tensions and social exclusion is the first step in the process of planning. It has been found that data on the incidence of income poverty based on national and changing poverty lines make it difficult to compare the poverty situation among countries and to determine the poverty trends over time.

Regional and international agencies have been collecting data on the incidence of poverty using different indicators and measures. The World Bank has been one of the principal agencies compiling and publishing data on income poverty and other social and economic indicators. The World Bank estimates on poverty often have the widest coverage and are based on a uniform absolute poverty line of US$ 1 per capita per day at 1985 purchasing power parity (PPP). Time-series (point) estimates are available covering a period of six to seven years (1987 to 1993). These estimates are considered robust and they are most often used in international comparisons.

Recommendation 1

Towards better identification and targeting of the absolute poor, it is recommended that countries and areas in the ESCAP region utilize the US$ 1 per capita per day at 1985 PPP as the basis for estimating and reporting on the incidence of absolute poverty.

Concerns continue on the definition and coverage in reporting on unemployment estimates. The International Labour Organization has prepared guidelines for estimating unemployment. Further, as underemployment is a more significant problem than open unemployment in many of the low-income countries in the region, the unemployment estimates grossly understate the magnitude of the problem.

Recommendation 2

Further concerted efforts should be made, particularly by low-income countries, to estimate the magnitude and distribution of unemployment and underemployment. Research should be undertaken to sharpen the methodologies for estimation of the underemployment and unemployment situation.

Both qualitative and quantitative information on social tensions and social exclusion are scanty and scattered in various government agencies. In some cases, access to the available information is restricted. Further, available information often focuses on the symptoms rather than the causes of social tensions or unrest, and this should be remedied.

Recommendation 3

Planners should identify more systematically the disadvantaged and socially excluded groups, and the causes contributing to their disadvantages and exclusion in the changing social, economic and political environments.

Recommendation 4

Given the linkages between poverty, unemployment and social exclusion, data should be compiled on the distribution of poverty among various population groups; the socio-economic, cultural and ethnic characteristics of the groups; their needs, demands, priorities and capacities; their production and sharing arrangements; the social, political and economic institutions and structures that support the groups; and the factors contributing to their poverty in evolving strategies to address the problem. Similar data should be compiled on unemployment and underemployment. As unemployment and underemployment are likely to be significant causes of poverty, there may be a substantial overlap between the groups covered under the two categories. Further, the overlap between the disadvantaged, vulnerable and socially excluded groups and the poor is also likely to be high. The data compilation and target groups identification processes should ideally focus on all three dimensions simultaneously to capture the commonalities and linkages.

B. Assessing the impact of policies on social development

Systematic analysis and review of the impact of macroeconomic, microeconomic and social policies on poverty reduction, employment expansion, social integration and social development have been, at best, limited in the Asian and Pacific region. Traditionally, many of the policies have been designed to deal with a particular facet and achieve specific economic targets in that area, with minimal attention being paid to analysis and review of their impact in other areas. In fact, macroeconomic policies have focused on the economic impact, but ignored the social impact, primarily due to a belief that adverse impacts are a price that need to be paid in the short and medium term to achieve growth and prosperity in the long term.

Many governments have yet to analyse as a matter of routine the impact of macroeconomic, microeconomic and sectoral policies on social development goals and targets. The social development aspects are often perceived as secondary issues to be tackled through remedial, relief and rehabilitation measures. Only a few countries have formulated comprehensive social development strategies, although virtually every country has, at one time or another, enunciated policies and programmes on a specific facet, often in response to a crisis in that area or lobbying by interest groups.

Even in cases where the impact of policies on poverty, employment and social integration was analysed, this was often couched in macroeconomic terms with minimal examination of the characteristics and capacities of the affected groups and the impact on their well-being. Thus, in an analysis of the impact of policies on foreign exchange rate, taxes and subsidies on the terms of trade for agriculture, it is unlikely that the impact on the small farmers and landless labourers will be considered.

Recommendation 5

A more systematic analysis of the impact of macroeconomic, microeconomic and sectoral policies on poverty, employment, social integration and social development should be adopted as a routine practice. The choice of policies should be based on giving full weight to the social and environmental impact, in addition to the economic impact, to ensure equitable and sustained development. Social development should be seen not as a collection of relief delivery programmes, but as a productive development process that involves all the people, builds a stake and ownership for all by empowering them, and enhances their contributions to the overall sustainable development of the country.

Recommendation 6

The analysis of the impact of macroeconomic, microeconomic and sectoral policies should not only be undertaken by central planning and finance ministries and economists within these ministries, but include other social scientists, including sociologists and social anthropologists. Simultaneously, cooperation between line ministries in the social sectors and the planning and finance ministries is also important in carrying out such analyses and deciding upon policy options.

C. Formulating plans and targets

The Agenda for Action and the Programme of Action recommended the formulation of national plans for social development by all countries. Most countries and areas in the ESCAP region have formulated and adopted strategies and programmes for poverty alleviation, expanding productive employment and enhancing social integration. Few seem to have formulated comprehensive national social development action which integrates all aspects.

Recommendation 7

Governments should formulate integrated, multisectoral comprehensive national social development plans keeping in view the prevailing political processes and the economic imperatives. A social development plan should include the identification of a series of interrelated actions aimed at achieving a set of clearly defined objectives and targets. It should also contain estimates of requirements for personnel resources, technology, physical facilities, material resources, supplies and finances. The plan should include a schedule for the mobilization of necessary human, material and financial resources, an action timetable, and coordination and implementation arrangements.

Specific action plans should be formulated to achieve the respective goals and targets in the Agenda for Action. Many of those targets have long time-frames set for their achievement because of the levels prevailing in the region in the early 1990s. For example, in a country in which the incidence of absolute poverty was 30 per cent in 1994, the intermediate targets could be to reduce it to 20 per cent by 2000, 10 per cent by 2005 and eradicate it by 2010.

Recommendation 8

In order to monitor progress on achieving the overall goals and targets in the Agenda for Action, intermediate short-term time-bound targets, may be incorporated in the action plans. The targets and action plans need to be integrated with and incorporated in the overall development plans and programmes of the countries.

Given the resource constraints, it may not be possible, especially for the low-income countries, to address simultaneously the formidable array of social issues confronting them. Rather than diluting the impact by spreading the available resources too thinly, a critical assessment of the "adequacy" and "equity" of current service coverage will help to identify priority areas and the population groups that need attention. Universal coverage of relevant population groups may be ideal from the perspective of equity. However, where it is not possible to cover all the population groups because of resource constraints, it is desirable to accord priority to "adequacy" to serve a few groups effectively with the available resources. Thus, adequacy may be considered over equity in resource allocation and utilization. Further, the nature and level of interventions should form a critical mass to enable optimal impact from the resource use and achieve desired outcomes.

Integration of social strategies, policies, targets and plans into the national development policies and plans should be followed by the integration of social development action programmes in the national budgets and operational programmes of the various line ministries and departments and local government agencies. In this regard, full account should be taken of the level of societal support for social development and by sectors such as education, health, agriculture, food, water resources, environmental protection, housing, industry, public works and communications. In some low-income countries, there appears to be a significant disjuncture between the social development targets in the plans, the capacities of different government agencies to undertake the programmes to achieve the targets, and the resource allocations. This should be avoided by adopting more realistic targets that are consonant with the programme formulation and implementation capacities of the agencies and the adequacy of their funding.

Recommendation 9

Where resource constraints are severe and public sector capacities limited, more realistic social development targets should be adopted. To address these targets, priority social development actions and target population groups should be identified. Adequately serving the needs and priorities of the target groups should take precedence over considerations of universal coverage. The focal agencies for action on specific targets should have adequate organizational technical and funding capacity to undertake the tasks.

Recommendation 10

(a) With specific reference to accelerating progress to attain the goal of poverty alleviation, governments should give particular attention, among other factors, to (i) prioritizing programmes to empower the "hard-core" poor through access to necessary resources such as credit, technology, improving leadership and entrepreneurial capacities and legislative support to promote their full participation and livelihood; (ii) formulating pro-poor policies to address rural poverty through appropriate fiscal policies, commodity pricing and improving wage or self-employment in both agricultural and non-agricultural-based activities; (iii) strengthening social protection schemes for the poor which extend beyond income support to building human productive capacity.

(b) With specific reference to programmes for employment expansion, particular attention should be given among other factors, to (i) ensuring that in the climate of growing globalization, growth-oriented macroeconomic policies and structural adjustment programmes, employment and labour welfare are promoted; (ii) improving socio-economic and working conditions involving migrant labour, women and children; (iii) improving human resource development through skills upgrading to cater to the changing labour demand in the context of the new and emerging technology and to reduce the mismatch between employment, education and training; (iv) providing and strengthening social security and safety nets, especially in the transitional economies; (v) supporting the growth of the informal sector of the economy through incentives and a regulatory framework to stimulate enterprise formation, improving access to credit and improved technologies, and fostering linkages between the informal and formal sectors.

(c) With regard to programmes for social integration, particular attention should be given, among other factors, to (i) addressing the needs of the traditional and new groups who tend to be excluded such as women, disabled persons, older persons, ethnic minorities, victims of HIV/AIDS, other socially stigmatizing diseases and conflict situations, migrant workers, groups affected by economic adjustment programmes, and the urban poor; (ii) increasing budgetary allocation for infrastructure and social services to reach remote and isolated areas and deprived population groups; (iii) pro-active monitoring and analysis of the national development situation to anticipate and address potentially destabilizing situations.

II. MOBILIZING ENABLERS AND INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

A. Government agencies and structures

Government agencies at all levels should be active participants in the various stages of planning, design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of social development programmes. Increasing the efficiency and coordination between the ministries and departments at the centre, and between central and local governments, and among the institutions at the respective levels is important. Enabling environments and institutional mechanisms should be created to address appropriately the ten identified major social issues within the programming and operational processes of all relevant agencies and local government units.

Recommendation 11

Governments which have not done so should designate a focal point such as the national planning body and strengthen its role to devise plans for, coordinate and oversee the implementation of the Agenda for Action. It should seek to harmonize and monitor not only the activities of government agencies but those of other actors or stakeholders, including the private sector, NGOs and the communities. Representatives of the concerned groups should be included in the coordinating and monitoring committees at the national and subnational levels. These coordinating (focal) committees should be multisectoral and have the capacity and authority to perform effectively the required functions.

Vertical integration of the planning, programming, implementation and monitoring of the actions should be encouraged within the departments and ministries. This would require not only the flow of information, and guidelines from the central to the local agencies, but also a reverse flow to ensure that the perspectives, priorities and experiences on the ground reach the central policy makers. This is particularly important in dealing effectively with the largely area- and group-specific character of social problems and their resolution. Information collected at the local level is more likely to be relevant and accurate. As local government agencies are in the front line, they can respond better to local concerns and service delivery needs more efficiently and should be involved in problem identification, planning, programme formulation, implementation and monitoring at the local level.

 

Recommendation 12

Political, administrative and decision-making functions, together with the necessary resources, should be decentralized and strengthened at the local levels to facilitate improved response to local social development priorities and demands, and promote the participation of the target groups and democratic processes. This would enhance the transparency and accountability of local government agencies. Central governments should strengthen the capability of local authorities to plan social development programmes, mobilize resources and align their priorities with social development goals. Local governments can be assisted through operating guidelines and training in those aspects.

B. Private sector

Traditionally, governments have paid little attention to the role of the private sector in social development. With the acceleration of economic liberalization and increasing integration with global markets, the role of the private sector is increasing in importance. By the next century, it is likely that, in most countries, the private sector will become a major employer. On the one hand, there is increasing recognition on the part of some of the private sector actors of the importance of social responsibility in conducting their operations. On the other hand, competition at home and abroad, improved access by consumers to information, their heightened awareness of social issues, and production and labour concerns are forcing companies to put emphasis on retaining market shares and consumer loyalty and increasing labour productivity through greater involvement in social development initiatives. Social responsibility is being seen as good for the long-term sustainability of their business operations and the well-being of the communities in which they operate.

Recommendation 13

With increased globalization and influence, the private sector should be fully mobilized and encouraged to contribute to social development through appropriate awareness and incentive schemes, preferably through such bodies as chambers of commerce or trade associations. The private sector should ensure that wage rates, working conditions, hiring practices, training, and other facilities and benefits, including those of migrant workers, are safe, adequate and equitable. Government can encourage the adoption of proper practices through regulations, tax and other incentives and build partnerships through encouraging the development and operation of technical and vocational development institutes, housing, child care and other schemes. It could also promote fair trade practices by the private sector in dealing with each other and with consumers.

The private sector has played a significant role in the Asian and Pacific region in the provision of health and education services, including hospitals, schools and universities, through private philanthropy or on a full or partial cost-recovery basis. Increasingly, many enterprises have initiated housing and health care schemes, day-care centres and other services for their employees and communities in which they operate or are located. The corporate sector has also been involved in rural and community development activities, such as the Philippine Business for Social Progress and the Thai Business Initiative for Rural Development.

Recommendation 14

Expansion of the role of the private sector in service delivery, either for profit or on full or partial cost-recovery or cost-sharing basis should be encouraged. Further, private sector grants to charitable foundations and programmes should be encouraged through appropriate incentives.

Recommendation 15

Organized labour should be mobilized both as an advocate and as a partner in the social development efforts. They may promote work safety and environmental concerns, conduct employment, health, family life information and education programmes for their membership, strengthen the participation of women and disadvantaged groups in leadership and decision-making processes of these organizations, and increase sensitivity to their needs. They could also participate with the poor and the disadvantaged in negotiating social contracts for sustainable development. Governments should facilitate such participation.

C. Non-governmental organizations

NGOs are defined to include voluntary organizations, civil society organizations, community-based organizations, religious organizations, non-profit research and training institutions, including universities, and private philanthropic organizations. They play advocacy, intermediation and development roles. Generally, they have closer contact with the communities and groups that they serve and often involve their clients in decision-making. They bring novel and innovative perspectives and approaches to addressing social, economic and environmental problems. Increasingly, they are becoming a major force in the development efforts of some countries and areas in the Asian and Pacific region.

Working with people's organizations in planning and implementation of programmes would help to instil a sense of ownership of the programmes by the intended beneficiaries. This would also probably help to mobilize the resources of the organizations and communities for sharing costs of the programmes or for financing the maintenance and continued operation of common facilities. Participation of the groups in the monitoring process would improve the efficacy of the programmes on the ground.

Government collaboration with NGOs is an important step in bringing their work into the mainstream of social development. Much dialogue, understanding and tolerance on both sides is required to facilitate an enabling environment and positive engagement towards promoting social development and improving their accountability to the public. In fact, a number of NGOs have been instrumental in bringing to light inefficiencies, inequities and corruption in public programmes and in enlisting support for remedial actions in both government and NGO sectors.

In recent years, the number of NGOs has been increasing in some countries in the region with improvements in the democratization processes. Also, many well-established NGOs have built up their capacities and networks to serve large numbers of the poor and vulnerable groups in such areas as provision of credit and mobilization of savings, primary education, basic health services, including family planning, and livelihood activities.

Recommendation 16

The government should create the enabling environment for cooperation with NGOs in implementing the Agenda for Action. They should solicit the direct participation of NGOs in planning and implementing social development programmes and projects at both national and local levels. At the same time, the independence of NGOs should be recognized and respected by the government, and NGOs should be allowed to evolve their own perspectives and positions and express them freely.

Recommendation 17

Participation of NGOs in policy formulation and priority setting at the national level should be encouraged. Dialogue and cooperation from the early stages of policy making and planning would facilitate the full consideration and incorporation of the different perspectives. A number of advocacy NGOs in the region have built up capacities and constituencies on social and environmental issues that are relevant for sustainable development. In a number of situations, they seem to be the only channels for voicing the concerns and priorities of the poor and the vulnerable.

Recommendation 18

Governments should support NGOs through co-financing of social programmes in those areas in which the latter have demonstrated comparative advantage. Given their rapport in working with the target groups, NGOs would also be important sources of information, expertise and best practices that may be drawn upon and replicated by government agencies and other NGOs.

Recommendation 19

Umbrella organizations of NGOs should be established to collate and channel NGO concerns and positions on different issues and liaise with other groups, including the government, if such bodies do not already exist. These bodies may be also instrumental in drawing up codes of conduct and self-regulation of NGOs. Particular attention may be necessary in transitional economies, including the Central Asian republics, to stimulate NGO participation and their capacities through technical assistance, training, organization of the poor and vulnerable into self-help groups, the introduction of organizational and management systems, preparation of strategic plans, and financial and accounting procedures. NGOs would also need to strengthen their network of collaborators focusing on meeting needs in rural remote communities and other target localities with dire needs.

D. General public

The general public, including community and civic leaders, and individuals play a catalytic role in mobilizing support for social development policies and approaches. They can help to promote social development goals and targets and their processes to the general public. This is particularly important in situations where the interests of the more powerful (non-poor) compete with the needs and demands of the poor. Participation of the beneficiary groups, stakeholders and the general public in the decision-making processes and programmes for their own and others' well-being instils confidence, builds a sense of ownership and ensures sustainability. Mobilization of the individual capacities and groups’ own resources to help themselves is likely further to strengthen their self-reliance. It promotes accountability and is likely to foster a democratic process which, in turn, contributes to social development.

Recommendation 20

The participation of civic leaders and the public in general should be essential components in the mobilization of enablers towards promoting attainment of the social development goals and targets in the Agenda for Action. Consultation with and participation of community members, the poor and disadvantaged groups and the concerned public in the identification of constraints and opportunities, in the choice of interventions and the implementation modalities should be promoted. In this regard, the active implementation of public information and social development awareness programmes, and engagement of the media, would be vital.

III. MOBILIZING RESOURCES

Tangible results on social development can be attained only if adequate resources are made available to implement the Agenda for Action. Official financial resources alone may not be adequate to support social development efforts. Financial participation and support of other actors, including the private sector, NGOs, donor governments and multilateral funding institutions, are necessary to fill the financing gaps. In this regard, the Agenda for Action indicates the need (a) to review and revise budgetary priorities, (b) to find new and innovative sources of financing, (c) to encourage private business, financial institutions, NGOs, local governments and communities to contribute their resources, and (d) to strengthen the ability of local governments to mobilize financial resources.

A. Government

Benchmarks for assessing the magnitude of resources to be devoted to social development need to be worked out based on the national social economic and political situation and the specific intermediate social development targets set to reach those in the Agenda for Action.

A sizeable proportion of the government budget is allotted to social sectors, though comparisons across countries are difficult. There are considerable variations in the items included in social services sector and those included in the overall government budget. Thus, the proportion of government budget allocations to social services has been reported to range from 27 per cent in Bangladesh (1995/96), to 31 per cent in the Philippines (1996) and 67 per cent in China (1991). Data on the breakdown of the expenditure on basic social services are not available for most countries. To help in this direction, a joint effort by several United Nations agencies, including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has been under way to help to ascertain the amount of specific government expenditure on basic social services. Such an exercise has been completed for Nepal and is under way or planned in the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. The results should provide a basis to build benchmarks for social expenditure in these countries.

Recommendation 21

Governments should undertake a review of budgetary expenditure for social sectors to obtain a better understanding of existing pattern of resource use and its efficacy, so as to establish benchmarks for such expenditure, especially on basic social services.

The means of resource mobilization by government for social development at the central level customarily include taxation and user fees and charges. The nature of indirect taxes on the poor and the vulnerable, and their capacity to bear the burden, has not been sufficiently assessed in imposing such taxes. Furthermore, implementation of reforms and economic stabilization measures in the past have often resulted in cuts in government budgetary allocations to social services in general, and basic social services in particular, in order to achieve agreed fiscal targets. These have been highly detrimental to the poor and the vulnerable in the short and medium term. While increasing attention is now being paid to maintaining social sector expenditure during the adjustment and stabilization process, user charges and cost-sharing arrangements are being introduced without adequate consideration of the ability of the poor to bear these burdens.

Recommendation 22

Governments need to assess more carefully the ability to pay, in introducing indirect taxes, user fees and other such measures for services and goods, including primary education and basic health care that are most used by the poor and the disadvantaged. On the other hand, charging user fees for public services from those who could pay and cross-subsidizing the services for those who are unable to pay would be a desirable approach.

Another means of increasing public resources for social development is through reallocation in government budgets from those activities that could be more readily undertaken and effectively performed by the private sector. Reform and adjustment programmes are aiming to move governments out of economic production and service delivery areas where the private sector could more effectively fulfil these tasks.

Recommendation 23

Governments should utilize more effectively the financial resources and competent management personnel released through increased privatization of production and service delivery for the implementation of those social development programmes that could be better delivered by the public sector. Augmentation of government resources for social development could also include the proceeds from privatization of state enterprises.

The increased involvement of local government agencies in social development through decentralization and devolution should be accompanied by adequate financial support from the central government.

Recommendation 24

Central governments should provide adequate funding for local government agencies through grants and revenue-sharing arrangements, among other measures. The devolution of authority to impose and collect taxes and fees and utilize the revenue for local development, including social development projects, should be pursued.

Overall, it seems that public social spending, particularly on basic social services in low-income countries and areas in the region, continues to be low relative to the needs. Increasing the allocations in government budgets for social development should receive higher priority if significant progress is to be made in reaching the goals and targets agreed to in the Agenda for Action. Resource mobilization and their efficient utilization should receive renewed emphasis. On a global level, UNICEF, UNDP and other United Nations agencies have suggested an allocation of 5 per cent of GNP for basic social services (including primary education, basic health care, safe water and sanitation) by low-income countries as a modest target. This is translated into 20 per cent of government expenditure as the average ratio of government expenditure to GNP in low-income countries is 1:4. This forms the basis for the proposal for the “20/20 compact” advanced at the World Summit for Social Development. The compact calls for 20 per cent each of donor government aid budgets and recipient government budgets to be committed to basic social services (see recommendation 27).

B. Private sector

The role of the private sector in promoting social development has been discussed. Private sector resources could continue to be mobilized to provide and expand services in such areas as secondary schools, colleges and universities, vocational training, hospitals and other curative medical services, especially in urban areas. Such activities supported by the private sector have been operating in the Asian and Pacific region on the basis of profit, cost-sharing or philanthropic reasons.

More recently, the private sector has been active in the provision of water supply and other physical infrastructure in urban areas. The activities are undertaken for profit and different funding and operational modalities have been tried, such as joint ventures, build-operate-transfer and build-own-operate arrangements. In a number of cases, privatization of urban water supply has directly benefited the poor, who hitherto did not have access to piped water and had to pay exorbitant prices to private vendors. Low income housing and electricity generation are other areas in which private sector involvement has been evident.

Recommendation 25

(a) Governments should provide incentives and remove constraints for expansion of social development activities funded by the private sector, taking into account the necessity for basic regulatory and standard setting requirements. These funding arrangements should be more actively pursued, especially by low-income countries where government resources are severely constrained.

(b) Initiatives for mobilization of private sector resources of employers and enterprises in providing social services, including health and child care services to their employees and their families through risk-pooling and cost-sharing arrangements, should be introduced, strengthened and expanded.

(c) Governments should encourage and support the philanthropic contributions of commercial enterprises as an important source of financing for social development activities by mobilizing the support of business leaders and associations, and through fiscal, tax and other incentives.

C. Non-governmental organizations

Historically, NGOs have operated with voluntary contributions from individuals and communities. They have been able to mobilize a significant volume of resources as gifts and grants from the public and other institutions. They have run innovative campaigns to raise funds that can be used effectively to raise additional funds for social development. They have also been active in mobilizing savings and other contributions in cash and in kind from their clientele to support microcredit and other social development programmes. International NGOs and individuals have also been important sources of funding assistance for social development, mostly through NGOs located in the recipient countries.

Recommendation 26

Governments should remove obstacles and provide a facilitating framework to encourage NGOs to mobilize funds for social development. At the same time, NGOs should be held accountable for their use of funds and their decision-making systems should be transparent. Area-, group- and issue-focused approaches utilized in fund-raising could be used more widely to mobilize additional external resources for social development.

D. Official and multilateral development assistance

Development assistance, both official and multilateral, plays a significant role in funding development efforts, particularly of low-income countries in the region such as Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal. The Agenda for Action and the Programme of Action call for innovative sources of financing, including the establishment of an international fund for social development. As mentioned earlier, the 20/20 compact has also been proposed to fund basic social services.

Foreign direct investment is becoming an important source of external financing for infrastructure, industry and other activities in a number of countries in the region. In addition to direct productive employment generation, some of these projects also provide social services such as water supply. Also, increased flows of foreign direct investment release domestic resources which could be used to address social development needs more adequately. By contributing to overall economic growth, such investments also contribute to poverty reduction. The competition to attract foreign direct investment is high.

Recommendation 27

Governments may renew their call for the establishment of an international fund for development to make available additional resources for implementing the regional Agenda for Action within the framework of the Programme of Action. Interested donor and recipient countries should actively pursue partnerships within the framework of the 20/20 compact to raise additional resources for social development. They could as appropriate, conduct social service expenditure and budgetary reviews and devise feasible modalities for realizing the compact. The low-income countries should make further efforts to create more favourable conditions to attract foreign direct investment towards early attainment of social development goals and targets.

IV. CAPACITY-BUILDING

Building and strengthening the capacities of government entities, other stakeholder and people's organizations, the communities and the public at large to undertake social development are key aspects in the implementation of the Agenda for Action. The capacity-building should encompass such areas as the orientation and training of personnel, strengthening of institutions, rationalization and improvement of laws, regulations and practices, and the introduction of technologies and processes that improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the operations and enhance participation and sustainability. The following measures are highlighted for attention towards early implementation of the Agenda for Action.

A. Government

As discussed, one of the most important roles of the government is to create the enabling environment for social development. This might require adjustment in laws and regulations and devolution of functions from central government to local governments on the one hand, and from government to private sector and civil society on the other. It might also entail affirmative actions and other government interventions to create the opportunities for the poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable groups to participate in mainstream development.

Some countries may need to set up new structures to spearhead the overall implementation of the Agenda, while others may need to reorganize and strengthen existing institutions to perform the related tasks more effectively. It will be necessary to establish high-level oversight multisectoral committees, as well as issue- or sector- specific coordinating committees and focal points. Modalities for translating the goals and targets in the Agenda for Action into country-specific short-term intermediate targets and to incorporate them into national development plans, programmes and budgets should be strengthened.

At the subnational (for example, region or province), district and community levels, it will also be necessary to form focal bodies that oversee social development. Such bodies should be set up and strengthened through appropriate training and support facilities.

Recommendation 28

(a) Governments, especially in low-income countries, should pay particular attention to strengthening the technical capabilities for assessment of the social situation, problem-solving analyses and development of viable options for action. Furthermore, suitable mechanisms, institutions, training needs of staff, procedures and operational guidelines, including for the management of resources for implementing the Agenda, will need to be identified and established.

(b) Training of personnel should aim at increasing their knowledge of social issues and providing the analytical and technical skills necessary to diagnose social development problems, and evolve policy and programme measures through increased understanding of the linkages between the economic and social sectors, and the three major interacting goals of the Agenda for Action. The knowledge and skills of front-line functionaries in social development such as teachers, health workers and community organizers should also be upgraded. Personnel in local government agencies should also be strengthened in such areas as planning, programme formulation and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and mobilization and management of financial resources. They should also receive training in facilitating participatory development, including the participation of the poor and vulnerable groups.

(c) Establishment of mechanisms for information-sharing using new information technologies should be undertaken. Information on social development and training materials on the various social development goals and targets, national situations and emerging issues and plans for addressing them should be prepared and shared with the various actors involved, including the concerned public.

Recommendation 29

Support should be given to research and academic organizations to enable them to undertake independent analysis of social development problems and recommend appropriate approaches to deal with them. These should also be geared to capability-building through curriculum-building and training of social development planners, programme managers and implementers for effective roles in the government and NGO sectors.

B. Disadvantaged and vulnerable groups

Strengthening the capacities of the poor, the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and the public at large is an integral part of social development. The interventions should help to build the skills and capacities of the individuals, and strengthen their capabilities to organize and manage their affairs in groups and communities. The overall objective should be to empower the people and facilitate early achievement of the goals and targets in the Agenda for Action.

Recommendation 30

Governments should promote policies and programmes to strengthen the capabilities of youth, women, disabled persons, older persons, indigenous people, ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged groups to identify and articulate priorities, organize and undertake joint and individual activities and participate in the mainstream of development. Assistance may be necessary to strengthen their organizations and improve their effectiveness. Training, technical assistance and other forms of support will be required to help to build the capacity of these groups. This would require not only the delivery of goods and services, but also improving access to information, increasing awareness and putting in place processes that encourage and help the people to participate in decisions on the programmes and projects for social development.

C. Private sector and non-governmental organizations

The vital role of the private sector and NGOs has been emphasized. The proposals for strengthening their role and building their capacity are incorporated in recommendations 13-19 above.

V. MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The purpose of monitoring and evaluation is to inform planners, policy makers, implementers and the general public of ongoing success or shortfalls to enable them to adjust their efforts and to build a constituency for the country’s social development strategies. Monitoring and evaluation are particularly important for improving the effectiveness and impact of ongoing activities, for management decisions on these activities and for helping to ensure transparency and accountability. They are also an important input into summative final evaluations of the impact of the programmes. The results of the evaluations should be fed back to facilitate the adjustment of existing strategies, policies, programmes and projects, and for incorporation in the design of new ones.

Monitoring and evaluation should be an integral part of social development management information systems. Monitoring efforts should keep track of ongoing activities, milestones achieved, personnel matters, supplies and equipment, expenditure in relation to budgets, the nature and extent of participation of different stakeholders in various activities and the outputs of the programme. Information on these could be collected by the programme implementers. Based on the information, necessary adjustments in activities, including their scheduling, mechanism and processes to facilitate the participation of different actors, and resource allocations, should be made to improve the implementation of the programme.

Monitoring and evaluation efforts in many countries in the region are often scattered among the various ministries and departments, and are generally weak. While considerable resources are devoted to collecting information on ongoing activities, its analysis and feedback of the results to policy makers, planners, managers and implementers are inadequate in most instances. The results are seldom made public and are not easily accessible to NGOs and other interested stakeholders. Participation of communities and target beneficiary groups in monitoring is infrequent. Very few developing countries in the region have well-operating management information systems that integrate monitoring and evaluation into the systems.

Recommendation 31

(a) It is necessary to establish a social development management information system in supporting the monitoring of social development programmes, evaluating their implementation, efficiency and impact. A competent focal point for monitoring progress in implementing the Agenda for Action should be designated in each country. Such a focal point may or may not be the same as the focal body that plans, coordinates and implements the Agenda for Action. It is necessary regularly to collect data on key social parameters (for example, incidence of income poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and social exclusion) starting with baseline information, and to monitor changes in the conditions of the target groups. Periodic monitoring reports should incorporate not only programme inputs, but also indicators of outputs and processes of programme implementation, as well as efforts to achieve the related goals. Benchmarks, milestones, mid-period goals and intermediate targets should be incorporated in the monitoring and evaluation systems.

(b) Research efforts should be marshalled to undertake country-specific and comparative analyses of constraints in achieving the social development goals agreed to in the Agenda for Action. It is also necessary to support research at the country and regional levels to develop and refine comparable indicators of social development that could be used to monitor and assess progress within countries and in the region.

Recommendation 32

Dissemination of the results of monitoring and evaluation to policy makers, planners, implementers and the public should become the routine practice in all countries. Utilization of the feedback from monitoring and evaluation to improve ongoing operations and for incorporation in new programmes should be ensured. Publicizing the results should help to marshal political support, government commitment and public participation in the social development efforts.

VI. CONCLUSIONS

The adoption of the Agenda for Action at the Ministerial Conference in Manila in October 1994 and its endorsement by ESCAP at its fifty-first session in May 1995 were historic events in the social development of the Asian and Pacific region. Substantial action to implement the Agenda for Action has been initiated in virtually all the countries and significant progress has been evident in some countries and areas. However, the current pace of progress appears to be inadequate to achieve many of the time-bound goals and targets agreed to and incorporated in the Agenda for Action. More concerted national action is needed, particularly by the low-income countries, to accelerate the implementation of the Agenda. Some vital actions, such as those concerning prioritization, targeting, social indicators and resources for social development have been proposed in this paper for the consideration and endorsement of the Conference.

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