Consolidated Programme of Support to the Ministry of Planning and Investment

The 11th High Level Round Table Meeting in Vientiane Lao PDR. Photo credit: UNDP Lao PDR/ Valter Ziantoni

What is the programme about?

Through comprehensive assistance to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, this programme is designed to increase attention to the achievement of equitable development, particularly by identifying key development focus areas during the Round Table Process.

The programme has four components:

Support to consultative planning, implementation, monitoring, assessment and reporting on the National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP)/Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
Support to strengthening effective monitoring and evaluation of progress towards goals of NSEDP/SDGs via LaoInfo
Support to the Round Table Process for achievement of NSEDP/SDGs
Support to advancing human development through policy-informing research on human development issues

The main objective of this consolidated programme is to provide support to help Lao PDR achieve the goals in the 8th NSEDP, the SDGs and to progress towards graduation from LDC status.

What have we accomplished?

Component 1: UNDP has assisted the Government in broadening the consultation process and enhancing the quality of the formulation and implementation of the 7th NSEDP (2011-15). UNDP also supported the mid-term review exercise of the plan which provided progress on the status of implementation of the 7th NSEDP and guided the policy adjustments needed and the foundation for the next five year plan (2016-20).

Component 2: The LaoInfo portal was successfully established to enhance data accessibility and promote evidence based planning. The website consolidates data on national social-economic indicators, and makes it readily available for planning, monitoring and advocacy purposes. The database contains over 500 indicators from a variety of data sources, including the 2nd MDG Progress Report, 2005 Census, Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey and the Lao Reproductive Health Survey and indicators from recent survey e.g. Lao Social Indicator Survey (LSIS). First statistical literacy guide for data users was developed to enhance data users ability to use statistical data effectively.

Component 3: A major achievement has been the increased quality of the Round Table Process management and its consultative scope. The 12th High Level Round Table Meeting in 2015 facilitated an open dialogue between the Government and development partners which led to better understanding of both sides on addressing key development issues as well as the adoption of the Vientiane Prtanership Declaration, a 10-year framework guiding development cooperation in Laos.

The establishment of a web-based Official Development Assistance (ODA) database - the Aid Management Platform - has helped to improve the availability and accessibility of ODA information, which has significantly strengthened coordination, management, monitoring, and reporting of ODA in Lao PDR. The ODA Public Portal has increased the accessibility of aid information for the public.

Component 4: To enhance the public’s understanding of human development (HD), particularly for policy makers and youth. A HD textbook is being developed and the HD course will be pilot at NUoL in academic year 2014/2015. The first national LDC graduation workshop was successfully organized in May 2012 to enhance policy makers’ understandings on the graduation criterion, and its implications.