UNDP DPG DAG 2019 - 2024

Output 1: Decisions making - Stratetic, Multi-year priorities delivered on a DPG-wide basis The Ministry of Planning & Development prepared a 3-year Public Investment Plan to attain the national development goals by strengthening the countrys planning, budgeting, and programming capabilities. In the first quarter MPD prepared and shared Public Investment Plan (PIP) guidelines outlining its purpose, scope, and importance with all sectors to start identifying their respective 3-year public investment plan. It is envisaged that the public investment plan will strengthen coordination between development partners' and GoE to implement the 10-year development plan. Later, MPD held an intensive working session internally to develop the mid-term targets with the ten-year development plan and the investment requirements with the macroeconomic fiscal framework for the next three years. DPG co-chairs met with H.E. Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance and agreed to reactivate the Effective Development Cooperation Taskforce (EDCTF) and the High-Level Forum (HLF) at Ambassadorial level together with heads of development cooperation agencies. In preparation for the forum, DPG ExCom created a high-level taskforce that provided strategic guidance to the process. DPG Secretariat drafted a concept note, and the HL taskforce prepared an agenda and a draft joint communique to be agreed upon between Development Partners and GoE.This high level forum was held in March 2024. The DPG project contributed to strengthening the national ownership, reinforcing national systems and alignment of development cooperation to ensure accountability and transparency for optimum level of results. Output 2: Decisions' implemetation - a more effective and efficient DPG structure established, aligned with strategic priorities During the year DPG meetings were mainly focused on macro-economic, humanitarian and security situation in Ethiopia; gender equality and women empowerment; strategic communication; risk management and food aid diversion; economic reform, as well as Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) and Resilient, Recovery and Reconstruction (3RF) among others. A new website was developed for the DPG as well as an online collaborative platform. The website includes the activities and achievements of the DPG and allow DPG members to improve online interaction, coordination, and work processes. As a follow-up of the 100-day Joint Plan of Action (JPA), the Ministry of Finance re-established the Effective Development Cooperation Task Force after six years to promote effective dialogue and enhance collaboration between development partners and the Government. EDCTF aims to improve the overall functioning and coherence of the DPG framework, harmonizing working procedures and strengthening accountability and focus on results. Although it was planned to hold monthly EDCTF during the implementation of the 100-day plan and quarterly afterwards, EDCTF met twice during the 100-day period. DPG Heads of Agencies held biannual consultations with the Humanitarian Country Team. The first was conducted in May 2023 and the second in November 2023. The joint DPG-HCT group work in partnership with the Government of Ethiopia, particularly with the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC) and other humanitarian, development, and peace actors. The purpose was to strengthen linkages between humanitarian and development systems through biannual meetings where different actors and stakeholders meet twice a year to review progress and agree on way forward. A field mission to Borena, Southern Oromia was organized as part of the proposed framework to advance the implementation of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus joint DPG-HCT field visits. The mission was organized by UN OCHA, which brought together a limited number of DPG Heads of Agencies, senior members of the Humanitarian Country Team, H.E. Ambassador to from Japan, and the Government of Ethiopia, including H.E. State Minister of Finance Semereta Sewasew. Ouptput 3: Monitoring and evaluation: A system for mutual accountability established between GoE and Development Partners The Ministry of Planning & Development (MPD) shifted its Digital Monitoring and Reporting System (DMRS) to a Digital Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation System (DPMS) to develop a comprehensive project management tool. This upgrade was driven by the goal of creating a more flexible and adaptable system that can be deployed at the woreda level. An Official Development Assistance (ODA) project mapping exercise was initiated by DPG co-chairs and MoF to gather and update data of development interventions funded by development partners in Ethiopia. The tools developed by the Ministry of Finance to carry out the ODA mapping exercise include an excel sheet (editable online) with ODA project & programme data already available in the AMP database, and an online survey to enter project data on sector & subsector (using the OECD classification), geographic focus (up to regional and zonal level), contact details of funders and implementers, and markers. A number of DPG agencies have engaged very positively in this initiative and reported information of their contribution to the development of the country, however, more intensive engagement is needed from several agencies. Challenges: - Conflicts throughout the country hinder implementation of the national development plan. - The macro-economic situation in the country is challenging and affects development and recovery prospects. - Given that humanitarian and developmental needs are on the rise and that ODA flows are not expected to increase substantially, there is the need to explore and diversify sources of finance for peace and resilience building and development. - There is space to improve the aid information management practice in Ethiopia, gather better data and use if for evidence-based decision making. Process and systems are being reviewed and GoE and DPG members should agree on how to improve this practice. - Limited technical capacity, particularly in the area of results-based management, affected the quality of reports received from Implementing Partners. Lessons Learned: - Capacity development and system strengthening support to the Ministry of Finance as well as to the Ministry of Planning and Development are some of the DPGs core activities which contribute to effective development cooperation and decision making. - Training in the areas of project management, gender mainstreaming as well as monitoring and evaluation is required. - Streamlining of SWGs and linking analytical work of technical/sector working groups to decision-making is crucial to strengthen the strategic focus of the dialogue between GoE and DPG. - Regular refresher and new-user trainings for development partners AMP focal points ensures timely entry of quality data in the system for a reliable ODA information. The DPG Secretariat team closely works with Implementing Partners staff to resolve problems in time and make corrective measures as necessary.

The DPG (Development Partner Group) (previously the "Development Assistant Group") has about 30 bilateral and multilateral members supporting the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) in executing national development plans in accordance with the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The "DPG Structure" includes the DPG Advisory Committee (former DAG Executive Committee (Ex-Com), the DPG Heads of Agency (HOA) (consisting of 30 members), five Technical Working Groups, 12 Sector Working Groups, and a Secretariat. The DPG structure conducts and coordinates joint dialogue with the Government of Ethiopia. The Secretariat is hosted by the UNDP country office and provides support to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Planning and Development Commission (PDC) in the context of the DPG Pooled Funds support to national development priority plans. It also provides technical assistance and policy advisory services, and facilitates support to the various sector and technical working groups, the DPG Advisory Committee and the DPG Heads of Agency. The Secretariat follows up on ongoing agendas as well as new initiatives that are launched by the DPG and facilitates policy level events between the GoE and DPs, such as the Annual Progress Review (APR), the HLF and ad hoc events. The technical working groups that operate directly under the umbrella of the DPG include: (i) the Macro-economic discussion forum and Public Financial Management sub-groups; (ii) Governance Technical Working Group GTWG, which consists of Civil Society and the Justice, Safety and Conflict sub-groups; (iii) Donor Group on Gender Equality (DGGE); and (iv) Health, Population and Nutrition, consisting of sub-groups on Nutrition and HIV/AIDS and Basic Service Delivery. In addition, the architecture includes twelve Sector Working Groups with 10 sub sector working groups that fall under the auspices of the MoF.