Sajjad Zohir and Lay Chhan

Assessment of UNDP Projects:
Capacity Development of Poverty Monitoring and Assessment
Capacity Development of National Statistical System

The report has been in public domain by the sponsoring agency. It reveals common experiences that many developing countries face with eroding values within the government agencies, often for reasons beyond individual control. Traditional practices in the ‘aid regime’ often contribute towards worsening the situation. The exercise ledme to better insights into the working of country’s national statistical agency and the planning departments.

The evaluation/assessment study commissioned by the UNDP, Cambodia, was undertaken to take stocks of the experiences from implementing two UNDP projects with the Ministry of Planning, Royal Government of Cambodia, and to identify strategic areas of UNDP future support within the framework of draft Ministry of Planning Strategic Plan (July 2007). The two projects are, (i) PMA-Project: Capacity Development for Poverty Monitoring and Analysis (# 0011821); and (ii) NSS-Project: Capacity Development for National Statistical System (# 0011851). The study was undertaken during 16 August – 24 September 2007. The team comprised an international consultant and a national counterpart, who had undertaken desk review of reports and documents, consultations with various stakeholders in Phnom Penh and at province levels, and cross-checking with records maintained by the UNDP country office. Initial findings of the study were shared with four different groups; GDoP staffs, NIS staffs, EDPs associated with TWG-PPR, and with the senior management of the UNDP. The present report tries to put together the findings of the study upon incorporating the additional information and comments provided by the various stakeholders.