New Zealand – Vanuatu
Joint Commitment for Development
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The Joint Commitment for Development between the Governments of New Zealand
and Vanuatu establishes a shared vision for achieving long-term development
outcomes for the people of Vanuatu, including achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals.
Mutual Commitments
New Zealand will:
•
work to agree mutual commitments to support an increasing proportion of its aid
spending through programme based approaches such as sector-wide
approaches and direct on-budget financing at a sectoral and/or general budget
level
•
deliver efficient and tangible projects that support economic development
objectives
•
provide long-term and predictable assistance to the focal sectors identified in
this Commitment as more fully described in Annex Two
•
increasingly work through Vanuatu’s finance and procurement systems, where
such systems have been independently reviewed and found to be robust and
transparent
•
work at a sector level with other donors and where possible pool resources or
align projects into a broader sector programme
•
meet the sectoral commitments outlined in Annex Two.
Vanuatu will:
•
ensure that coherent, long term, well prioritised sector plans are developed,
maintained and reflected in national planning and budgeting processes
•
co-ordinate development partner assistance in sectors via regular sectoral
working group discussions
•
work actively towards strengthening its planning, budgeting and reporting
systems, and improve public financial management, including procurement,
expenditure controls and audits
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•
provide clear guidance on areas that it wishes New Zealand to invest in and
maximise the ability for New Zealand to work with other donors
•
meet the sectoral commitments described in Annex Two.
Priority Sectors
The majority of New Zealand’s development cooperation programme in Vanuatu
will focus on the following sectors and outcomes, as more fully described in
Annex Two:
Private Sector Development
•
A sustainable and growing tourism sector with increased employment and
other benefits.
•
Increased employment opportunities promoted and supported through private
sector development, including in rural areas.
Shipping and Other Infrastructure
•
Improved infrastructure, including safe and reliable domestic shipping, to
support sustainable economic development.
Basic Education and Workforce Training
•
Improved literacy and numeracy of students leaving the formal education
system.
•
Increased economic development through a better trained workforce.
Strengthening Governance
•
Increased public confidence in the Vanuatu Correctional Service and
increased effectiveness of the justice system.
•
Improved community services, particularly to youth and women, and greater
community participation in decision-making at all levels.
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ANNEX ONE: CONTEXT AND MONITORING RESULTS
Context
New Zealand and Vanuatu jointly decide that the focal areas for New Zealand’s
assistance, and how we work together, will be informed by:
•
Vanuatu’s national development plan (Priorities and Action Agenda 2006-2015)
and budget priorities
•
New Zealand’s aid policy
¾
The policy is “to support sustainable development in developing countries, in
order to reduce poverty and to contribute to a more secure, equitable, and
prosperous world.” Within this, the core focus will be sustainable economic
development.
¾
The policy also has a focus on supporting the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs); close cooperation with other donors,
particularly Australia; the pursuit of gender, environment and human rights
as cross-cutting issues to ensure good outcomes; strengthened mutual
accountability; and efficient and value for money aid practices and
approaches
•
the Cairns Compact on development coordination and the Paris Principles of
Aid Effectiveness
¾
New Zealand and Vanuatu are committed to improving the effectiveness of
development assistance and coordination efforts. Vanuatu is responsible for
donor coordination and for ensuring a division of labour that makes most
effective use of donors’ resources and expertise.
•
a shared responsibility for the management of financial resources provided
under the New Zealand Aid Programme.
Profile of Assistance
A total aid flow profile for Vanuatu will be updated annually. This will outline all
resources under the Vanuatu bilateral allocation, and additional sectoral, multi-
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country, NZ state sector partnerships and non-government organisations (NGOs)
funding.
The majority of New Zealand’s assistance will be through the Vanuatu bilateral
allocation in a number of defined sectors outlined in this Commitment in Annex 2.
The objective is to improve focus, reduce dispersal and focus on larger, longer term
investments.
From time to time, New Zealand and Vanuatu may agree a partnership in a sector
that will be in addition to the bilateral programme. This is likely to be in one of the
sustainable economic development sectors of agriculture, tourism, fisheries,
energy, transport or infrastructure which are a core focus for the New Zealand Aid
Programme.
Initiatives managed by NZ State sector or NZ non-government agencies, or multicountry initiatives, may be funded from time to time that involve Vanuatu.
New Zealand will also assist with humanitarian and disaster relief contributions
where requested.
The understandings between New Zealand and Vanuatu in this Joint Commitment
are made with best endeavours in the spirit of partnership and mutual
accountability.
Monitoring Results
New Zealand and Vanuatu will hold annual joint reviews of performance, focusing
on achievements, constraints, and the extent to which planned outputs have
contributed to results in each priority area described above.
There will also be regular Ministerial dialogues to review results and consider any
emerging priorities, while being mindful of the need to maintain focus and avoid
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excessive dispersal of the aid programme. Any amendment to focal areas will be
mutually determined in writing.
A Results Framework will be finalised in the initial stages of the Joint Commitment,
which will assist in the annual joint review process.
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ANNEX TWO: PRIORITY SECTORS AND COMMITMENTS
Vanuatu and New Zealand jointly decide that the majority of New Zealand’s development
cooperation programme will focus on the following sectors.
1) LIFTING ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
OUTCOME
A sustainable and growing local private sector with increased
employment and other benefits, including in rural areas.
JOINT
COMMITMENT
New Zealand will:
- Work with Government of Vanuatu and private sector stakeholders to
develop a large, multi-year programme to support tourism development in
Vanuatu.
- Develop and implement a programme of support to Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) in the productive or agri-business sector
- provide business mentoring support to a range of businesses under the
regional Pacific Business Mentoring Programme
Vanuatu will:
- coordinate the Vanuatu tourism support programme, including establishing
a Programme Management Committee or sector coordination mechanism
to oversee support to the sector and undertake monitoring and evaluation
- undertake an independent review of the Ministry of Tourism’s capacity and
structure, and implement recommendations that improve service delivery.
- ensure that an increased proportion of business licence fees is allocated
to support private sector development nationwide.
- develop and implement private sector policy with the aim of further
improving Vanuatu’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ ratings
- consult the private sector on all major policy and regulatory issues and
new legislation with the potential to affect businesses
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RESULTS
- Increased number of new businesses and jobs created, including in rural
areas
- Increased business survival rate and profitability of existing SMEs
- In the medium term, improved quality of tourism information,
accommodation standards, local tourism products, service delivery by
tourism SMEs and destination marketing.
- In the long term, increased participation in the sector by ni-Vanuatu,
increased public and private incomes from tourism, improved ability to
manage growth in the sector and better distribution of benefits of tourism.
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LIFTING ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
SHIPPING AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE
OUTCOME
JOINT
COMMITMENT
Improved infrastructure, including safe and reliable domestic shipping
services, to support sustainable economic development.
New Zealand will:
- invest $17 million over five years into improvements to inter-island
shipping infrastructure, governance and services
- consider funding further priority infrastructure investments in coordination
with other donors, with a particular focus on infrastructure critical to
supporting sustainable economic development.
Vanuatu will:
- implement recommended reforms to policy, legal, regulatory and
institutional arrangements required for efficient and effective administration
of the shipping services and other essential infrastructure
- allocate sufficient recurrent budget for infrastructure, maintenance and
oversight of shipping services.
RESULTS
- New or rehabilitated wharves completed in Port Vila and seven other
island locations by 2016.
- More reliable and better-utilised shipping services for outer islands.
- Maritime safety improved and port revenue increased through more
efficient management and financial systems
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2) IMPROVING EDUCATION OUTCOMES
BASIC EDUCATION
OUTCOME
Improved literacy and numeracy of students leaving the formal
education system
JOINT
New Zealand will:
COMMITMENT
- invest $8 million for basic education over 2011-12 (joint programme with
Australia and UNICEF) and negotiate a contribution level beyond that.
Areas supported include provision of infrastructure and textbooks;
teacher training; curriculum development; information management
system; and school leadership and management.
Vanuatu will:
- maintain the Ministry of Education’s budget to at least 2010 levels
- strengthen linkages between Ministry of Education (MOE) and other
central agencies such as Finance, Audit and Planning.
- achieve a better balance of expenditure between teacher costs and
other operational costs, aiming to reduce the proportional spend on
teacher salaries and expenses
- support improvements to major policy initiatives such as the school
grants scheme and teacher review
- increase funding to schools to allow NZ (and Australia and UNICEF) to
gradually reduce their contribution to offsetting school fees
- improve the efficiency and effectiveness of procurement within the MOE.
RESULTS
- Improved quality of teachers and teaching (through increasing training
and qualifications of in-service teachers).
- Integrated
curriculum
and
assessment
system
developed
and
implemented.
- Improved literacy and numeracy rates over the medium term, as shown
by an increased percentage of students meeting national standards.
- Sufficient, quality, school facilities to accommodate the increasing
number of students.
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IMPROVING EDUCATION OUTCOMES
WORKFORCE TRAINING
OUTCOME
Increased economic development through a better trained workforce
JOINT
New Zealand will:
COMMITMENT
- increase the number of regional and bilateral programme scholarships
to New Zealand institutions, and the level of short-term training awards
to NZ, in key sectors
- increase support to technical and vocational education in Vanuatu in key
sectors such as small business, teaching, tourism and agriculture
- explore the possibility of supporting increased skills within the public
service, particularly at senior levels, to improve stability and decisionmaking – particularly in relation to sectors NZ is supporting.
Vanuatu will:
- build links between private sector and education institutions to ensure
skills training meets market needs
- develop a human resource development strategy and revise the
selection criteria for scholarships and study awards in accordance with
identified needs
- build links with Australia and New Zealand institutions to ensure local
qualifications are competency-based and internationally recognised
- improve the skills and effectiveness of Directors-General and other
senior Public Servants and reduce staffing gaps in the public service
RESULTS
- Merit-based academic, technical and vocational education and training
system aligned with national priorities.
- Improved access to, and availability of, quality skills-based training in
key sectors.
- Improved public service efficiency and effectiveness through better skills
and leadership by Directors-General and other senior Public Servants.
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3) STRENGTHENING GOVERNANCE
LAW AND JUSTICE
OUTCOME
Increased public confidence in the Vanuatu Correctional Service and
increased effectiveness of the justice system
JOINT
New Zealand will:
COMMITMENT
- provide up to $9 million over 2011-13 to improve the effectiveness of
the Vanuatu Department of Corrections, including $6 million for
completion of a new prison near Port Vila
- continue to provide a judge for the Vanuatu Supreme Court in the short
term
- work with stakeholders to improve the efficiency of the Vanuatu court
system so that an increased number of cases is completed, promptly.
- continue its support for domestic violence prevention and develop a
new community policing initiative to supplement Australia’s work in the
sector.
- invest $6 million over 3 years in the customary land tribunal and
supporting land information system to reduce conflict over land
ownership and user rights, and provide a stable base for sustainable
economic development (jointly with AusAID)
Vanuatu will:
- provide a site with access and services for the new prison by June
2013.
- ensure sufficient budget is allocated for minimum staffing establishment
and operation and maintenance of new prison
- work to improve the efficiency of the Vanuatu court system and develop
local magistrates’ skills in preparation for promotion
- ensure that the land tribunal and associated agencies are adequately
staffed and allowed to operate independently and without political
influence
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RESULTS
- Secure and humane containment of prisoners, effective rehabilitation of
offenders and an effective probation system for low-risk and juvenile
offenders.
- Increased rate of resolved cases through the Vanuatu courts, as
reported to parliament by the Ministry of Justice.
- Improvements to land tribunal processes and information systems
prevent disputes or enable them to be resolved quickly and with
certainty.
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STRENGTHENING GOVERNANCE
CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION
OUTCOMES
Improved community services, particularly to youth and women, and
greater community participation in decision-making at all levels
JOINT
New Zealand will:
COMMITMENT
- support reputable non-government organisations to provide community
services and/or increase participation in decision-making
- support community projects to meet immediate needs through the Small
Projects Scheme and Head of Mission Fund.
Vanuatu will:
- encourage and facilitate participation in decision-making by nongovernment organisations, chiefs, churches and community members
- work with NGOs/civil society organisations to improve service delivery to
rural and disadvantaged areas.
RESULTS
- Increased skills of young people and women to participate in economic
and social development.
- Increased cooperation between Government of Vanuatu and civil
society for the delivery of community services.
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4) NEW ZEALAND PARTNERSHIPS
‘NZ Inc’ Support
OUTCOME
Partnerships that leverage NZ expertise and resources for the benefit
of Vanuatu
JOINT
New Zealand will:
COMMITMENT
- Provide an annual Profile of Assistance that outlines the total aid flows
for Vanuatu, including aid funding for regional activities
- Explore and facilitate expertise and resources from New Zealand
Government agencies, Crown Research Institutes, NGOs, private sector
expertise and other organisations to add value to in-country activities
- Provide emergency disaster relief and reconstruction assistance as
requested by Vanuatu
Vanuatu will:
- Support NZ counterpart agencies and organisation and provide in-kind
assistance where possible
- Facilitate discussions between NZ counterpart agencies and
organisations to ensure coherence with Vanuatu’s priorities and
strategies.
RESULTS
- Key results to be shared and discussed at regular high level
consultations.
- Streamlined and coordinated system in place to promote partnership
arrangements.