AS WRITTEN

Delivering Results

by Dr. N. Ardito-Barle
Chairman & Director General IIA International Center for Economic Growth


 It is a significant privilege to speak in this forum... and on Women's 
Day. After listening to a group of illustrious and outstanding ladies, I 
complement the messages given here with some concepts about targeting and 
delivering results.

 I speak on behalf of 340 public Policy research institutes from 117 
countries from all continents. Those institutes (NGO's), affiliated in our 
international network, work efficiently in their countries to improve 
public policies for sustainable growth and human development. They know 
that to combat poverty, generate employment and improve social integration, 
we need both human development and economic growth. They have to be 
consistently defined and achieved through integral and coherent policies 
and active programs. They need the participation of the poor in an enabling 
environment.

 First we too highlight the fundamental role of women in development and 
social integration. In full equality with men, they can make the difference 
for integral development and poverty eradication in this and the next 
generation.

 In this outstanding World Summit we have gathered to raise awareness, to 
awaken the consciousness of humanity, to define a guideline for action, to 
set standards, to gather technical experience about what effectively works, 
to cement consensus and to unite international political will to address 
the problem everywhere. We do it because nothing short of the incorporation 
of the poor to development everywhere can secure lasting peace.

 The results of this Summit have to be carried to every corner of the 
earth, to every activity in every region of our countries. ICEG and the 
network of institutes have contributed to the outstanding work of 
Ambassador Somavia and the U.N. Preparatory Committee concrete information 
about programs that produce results in countries from every continent. The 
network of institutes will contribute further, communicating the results of 
the Summit through Seminars in their countries. We thank the Ford 
Foundation for their generous support of this effort.

 As we think and dialogue about our objectives, let's remember that the key 
to concrete results is the participation of the poor, in the empowerment of 
those people, in their communities, in their countries, with policies and 
programs that enable them to participate, responsibly, fully, gainfully and 
constructively.

 I highlight then two sets of issues:

 1. The production and evaluation of results.

 2 The basis for combating poverty, generating employment and improving 
social integration.

 1. Production and evaluation of Results.

 a) Programs need to be defined working together with the poor, where they 
are, who they are, what they need, to be empowered, to be incorporated

 b) Program execution need to be evaluated. Do they have sufficient budget, 
are they cost effective, are they competently staffed and organized, do 
they relate to the clients of the services, are they sufficiently 
decentralized, do both public and private entities participate in their 
implementation.

 c) Program results need to be evaluated. Indicators showing concrete 
improvements in the human condition need to be established and gathered 
periodically. They should be based on full samples of people served, 
differentiated and related to specific aspects of projects. The benefits 
and the cost need to be measured and recorded. 


 That work is needed in every country, for every program, and the 
international community can make a most effective contribution providing 
technical assistance, training and finance.

 2 The basics for action can be summarized in the following categories:

 Empowerment of people in an enabling environment that fosters 
participation in sustainable growth and development. That is,


a) Imbedding people with human capital. The young comprise the majority of 
human kind. Effective nutrition, health, water and sanitation, education 
and training, family and community, are the key to empowerment.

 b) Given that, then employment generation and support for production 
activities with credit, property rights, technical assistance, information 
are the key.

 c) Physical infrastructure, including feeder roads, housing, electricity, 
communications, are indispensable complements.

 d) strengthening of community values that foster mutuality of interest and 
human solidarity.

 e) But in many cases, outright temporary subsidies are critical, as long 
as they move people to empowerment and participation.

 f) Dynamic and sustainable economic growth that expands income and 
opportunity and that gives meaning to empowerment and participation.

 That requires the enabling environment of economic and social policies 
that provides the basic needs with the full participation of the poor, and 
that improves the quality of economic growth by estimulating the 
incorporation of the poor: growth that incorporates, not growth that 
isolates, the poor.

In a world moving toward more effective democratic political systems and 
dynamic market economies, there is no room for a struggle of the market Vs 
the state. All sides need to complement each other, in a consistent way 
that produces results for those that now participate gainfully and for 
those that are our central concern, today and tomorrow, the poor and the 
marginalized.

 Participation, empowering programs, enabling policy environment 
established by governments, dynamic growth and participation by the private 
market economy, implementation of programs by civil society (which by 
definition is non-public) and evaluation, is the structure and the agenda.

 It has to occur at the local level within the national culture. We can 
learn from each other's experiences internationally.

 The international community should set the standards, create the 
consensus, spread the word and stimulate political will.

 Let all people know that, with God's help and with strong moral values and 
shared convictions, it can truly be a win-win journey. Let's commit 
ourselves to that noblest of causes.

 Thank you.