English - UNDP

Lessons
learned and
recommendations
Citizen Report Cards have limited impact
in the centralized decision making system
The development of tailor-made citizen report cards as an
alternative and innovative tool to monitor access to, and quality
of, basic public services in Tajikistan was a key achievement of
the DGTTF. Initial activities showed for the first time how people
perceived services and service providers.
The citizen report cards method is currently the responsibility of
the Centre for Strategic Research. Progress in its implementation
is noticeable – it has spread to all districts – and it is becoming
an attractive tool for monitoring changes based on citizens’
perception.
However, the Tajikistan experience suggests that the real impact
of citizen report cards is limited by centralized planning and
decision-making. There is little evidence to suggest that local
authorities directly concerned with the results of the citizen
report cards are able to bring about change and invest in
service improvement.
Therefore, in order to ensure that citizen report cards improve
performance, they should be part of a broader decentralization
process. That should strengthen downward and upward
accountability within governance structures 30 .
Successful data-collection systems require
national leadership and ownership
The DGTTF projects supported improvement of the government’s
information systems for planning, monitoring, and evaluation
of public policy. This included strengthening the capacities of
regional and district authorities in data collection. This new
approach enabled the alignment of collected data from district
and regional levels with national level indicators (primarily,
indicators related to the national MDG targets, and National
Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy targets).
The project’s results established a basis for improving governance
practices, especially in evidence-based policy and decisionmaking,
and in monitoring and evaluation of public policies.
Unfortunately, this was utilized only to a limited degree, as
Tajikistan remains heavily centralized and the collected data
and information are not publicly available.
Therefore, development of a data collection system and a
sound mechanism for monitoring and evaluating public policies
have to be implemented in parallel with other activities aimed
at improving the transparency and accountability of public
institutions.
The involvement of the National Office for Statistics is needed
to ensure that the data collection methods and monitoring
and evaluation are properly integrated into the overall system
of statistics and reporting at all levels.
Engagement of all key stakeholders in
preparation of Methodology for district
development planning was crucial
The training provided through the DGTTF project support during
the preparation of district development plans strengthened the
abilities of the district development councils to embark on the
planning process. The inclusion of district council members in
training activities proved beneficial for their understanding of
the potential role of mid-term planning in local development
processes.
Engaging regional and national authorities proved crucial for the
success of the project, as it ensured that the critical views and
comments from the national and regional decision makers were
reflected. The proposed methodology was adopted as a standard
participatory planning approach compatible with the overall
system of planning and budgeting in Tajikistan. In this way, the
DGTTF project introduced an innovative and unique practice
in Tajikistan that differed from other similar district planning
initiatives. Currently, the Ministry of Economic Development
and Trade and the Ministry of Finance, in partnership with UNDP,
provide technical support to district development committees
in formulating their plans.
30
UNDP (2010): Fostering Social Accountability: from Principle to Practice. A Guidance
Note. Page 9.
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