Examens de l'OCDE sur la gouvernance publique : Haïti - Renforcer l'administration publique pour une gouvernance résiliente et durable

OECD Public Governance Reviews HAITI STRENGTHENING PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FOR RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE OECD Public Governance Reviews: Haiti STRENGTHENING PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FOR RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. Please cite this publication as: OECD (2021), OECD Public Governance Reviews: Haiti: Strengthening Public Administration for Resilient and Sustainable Governance, OECD Public Governance Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/dfd5f806-en. ISBN 978-92-64-76449-1 (print) ISBN 978-92-64-36214-7 (pdf) OECD Public Governance Reviews ISSN 2219-0406 (print) ISSN 2219-0414 (online) Photo credits: Cover © ContentForAll/Shutterstock.com. Corrigenda to publications may be found on line at: www.oecd.org/about/publishing/corrigenda.htm. © OECD 2021 The use of this work, whether digital or print, is governed by the Terms and Conditions to be found at http://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions. | 3 Foreword The Republic of Haiti faces complex and multidimensional environmental, political, as well as social and economic developmental challenges, which hinder the proper functioning of public governance and the achievement of Haitian administration’s objectives. In response to these challenges, and in the face of acute and persistent regional disparities, the Haitian administration is pursuing a broad and inclusive reform agenda that includes the Strategic Plan for the Development of Haiti (Plan Stratégique de Développement d’Haïti - PSDH), the State Modernisation Programme 2018-2023 (Programme de Modernisation de l’État 2018-2023 - PME-2023), and the Public Finance Reform Strategy (Stratégie de Réforme des Finances Publiques - SRFP). These documents reflect the government's determination to pursue a strong public governance reform agenda and to achieve clear and ambitious social and economic development goals. The objectives of these reforms are to bring the country closer to emerging economy status, strengthen the rule of law, foster a more cohesive and inclusive society and renovate and modernise public governance. It is in this context that the OECD is collaborating with the Haitian administration by producing a Public Governance Review (hereinafter "the Review"), which aims to present a holistic account of public governance in Haiti. The review is structured around public governance issues identified in collaboration with the government and is accompanied by recommendations to help the country achieve its priority reform objectives. Anchored in a desire for continuity and coherence with existing initiatives, it thus represents an exceptional opportunity to consolidate past reforms and propose new initiatives, enabling Haiti to achieve its long-term strategic vision of promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth for all its citizens. The recommendations proposed by the OECD are also intended to provide the government with guidance and analytical tools for the selection, coordination and evaluation of projects proposed for international support. In this regard, the Review recommends that Haiti pursue a comprehensive public governance reform programme, in line with the targets of the PME-2023 and Haiti's Strategic Development Plan, to make decision-making more strategic across government and to strengthen the capacity of the public administration and the centre of government in the following areas: centre of government-led coordination; evidence-based decision making; multi-level governance; strategic management of the public service; and open government and strategic management of public communication. In addition, the Review proposes a series of recommendations, the implementation of which depends in part on the national political will and the stability of political and socio-economic conditions. The Review thus makes recommendations that need to be integrated into a regular and ongoing process of reform across Haitian government and administration. In addition, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as current security and political events, the Review recommends extending the implementation period of the State Modernisation Plan beyond 2023, in order to ensure the success of public governance reforms. This report is part of a series of public governance reviews conducted by the OECD in member and non member countries. It was conducted under the auspices of the OECD Public Governance Committee, with support from the Public Governance Reviews and Partnerships Division. The review was conducted in collaboration with the Office of Human Resources Management, a strategic body of the Office of the Prime OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 4 | Minister of the Republic of Haiti. It is based on evidence provided by the Government of the Republic of Haiti, including documented responses to a project-specific OECD questionnaire; two background reports produced by local experts; two fact-finding missions and a finalisation mission conducted remotely due to health and safety conditions, which brought together government and non-government stakeholders; and peer reviewers from France, Morocco, Senegal, the European Evaluation Society and Tunisia. This report is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. The drafting of this report and the related fact-finding activities were carried out from February 2019 to June 2021. The report was approved and declassified by the Public Governance Committee by written procedure on 8 July 2021. It has been prepared for publication by the Secretariat. OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 | 5 Acknowledgements The OECD's Public Governance Reviews are conducted by the Governance Reviews and Partnerships Division, headed by Martin Forst, Head of Division, in the Public Governance Directorate, under the responsibility of Elsa Pilichowski. The mission of the OECD's Governance Directorate is to help governments at all levels design and implement innovative, evidence-based strategies to strengthen public governance, respond effectively to diverse and disruptive economic, social and environmental challenges and achieve their stated targets, including public governance reforms. This review of public governance in Haiti was led by Adam Ostry, Head of the Public Governance Reviews Unit and Senior Project Manager, and coordinated by Emma Phillips, Policy Analyst in the same unit. Meghan Hennessy, Events Coordinator, Public Governance Review Unit, and Patricia Marcelino, Research Officer, Public Governance Review Unit, provided valuable administrative assistance to the project coordination team. Editorial work and quality control was provided by Ciara Muller, Communication Coordinator, Public Governance Review Unit, who also prepared the manuscript for final publication. Chapter 1, which presents the contextual factors influencing public governance reform in Haiti, was written by Marion Tolboom, with the assistance of Arnault Pretet, Analyst, Public Governance Reviews Unit, under the direction of Emma Phillips and Adam Ostry. Chapter 2, on coordination by the centre of government in Haiti, was written by Emma Phillips under the direction of Adam Ostry. Chapter 3, which discusses the link between strategic planning, the use of evidence and budgeting, was written by Claire Salama, Analyst, Performance and Results Unit, Public Management and Budgeting Division, and Alexandre Leroy, Analyst, Financial Management Reporting Unit, Public Management and Budgeting Division. Emma Phillips wrote Chapter 4 on multi-level governance with advice from Adam Ostry. Donal Mulligan, Analyst, Public Employment and Management Unit, Public Management and Budgeting Division, and François Villeneuve, Analyst, Public Employment and Management Unit, Public Management and Budgeting Division, wrote Chapter 5 on strategic human resource management. Carla Musi, Analyst, Open Government and Civic Space Unit, Open and Innovative Government Division, Emilie Cazenave, Analyst, Open Government and Civic Space Unit, Open and Innovative Government Division and Emma Cantera, Analyst, Open Government and Civic Space Unit, Open and Innovative Government Division, wrote Chapter 6 on Open Government and Government Communication. This review also reflects the contributions and assistance of a number of participants from across the Haitian government, without whom this review would not have been possible and to whom the team is grateful. Special thanks to: ∙ Mr. Jean Roudy Aly, General Coordinator, Office of Management and Human Resources, Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Haiti, and his predecessor Mr. Josué Pierre Louis; ∙ Mr. Élie Jean-Philippe, Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat, Office of Management and Human Resources, Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Haiti; ∙ Mr. Henri Boucicaut, Coordinator, Office of Management and Human Resources, Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Haiti; OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 6 | ∙ Mr. Pierre-Eugène Géraldy, Coordinator, Office of Management and Human Resources, Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Haiti; ∙ Mr. Thomas Wisner, Coordinator, Office of Management and Human Resources, Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Haiti; ∙ Mr. Georges Garnier, Coordinator, Unit for the Coordination of Delegations and Vice-Delegations, Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Collectivities, Republic of Haiti; ∙ Mr. Ricardo Germain, Head of Department, Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, Republic of Haiti; ∙ Mrs. Léonne Prophète, Director of Economic and Social Planning, Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, Republic of Haiti. The OECD team would like to thank the seven peer reviewers who contributed to this review through their extensive knowledge and experience of public governance: ∙ Mr. Jean-Marc Chneider, Head of the Office of European and International Foresight and Expertise, Directorate-General for Administration and the Civil Service, France; ∙ Mr. Ahmed Khalid Benomar, Coordinator of the unit in charge of economic policy and investment, Head of Government Office, Kingdom of Morocco; ∙ Ms. Sarah Lamrani, Director of Studies, Communication and Cooperation, Department of Administration Reform, Kingdom of Morocco; ∙ Mr. Djiby Diagne, Deputy Director General, Operational Monitoring Office,Republic of Senegal; and ∙ Mr. Baye Gueye, Operational Monitoring Office, Republic of Senegal. ∙ Mr. Mondher Bousnina, President of the Body for Foresight and Support of the Decentralisation Process, Republic of Tunisia; ∙ Ms. Danièle Lamarque, President of the European Evaluation Society. The review team would also like to thank the local OECD coordinator, Mr. David Alexandre, as well as Mr. Kesner Pharel, CEO of Group Croissance and his team, for their support during the fact-finding missions and the sounding board mission. The OECD also thanks Mr. Tony Cantave for sharing his knowledge with the project team through a background report. The review has received ongoing support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), led in Haiti by Mr. Chris Cushing, USAID's head of mission in Haiti. In this regard, the review team would like to extend special thanks to Mrs. Régine Dupuy, Senior Governance Advisor, USAID Haiti, and her team for their active contribution to the Public Governance Review process in Haiti. Finally, the OECD would like to thank her predecessor, Mr. Alphonse Nkunzimana, former Senior Governance Advisor, USAID Haiti, for his support in the definition and implementation of the project. OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 | 7 Table of contents Foreword 3 Acknowledgements 5 Abbreviations and acronyms 11 Executive Summary 14 Diagnostics & recommendations 16 Towards better whole-of-government coordination by strengthening the centre of government 16 Making decisions based on relevant facts and data 18 Adopting a coherent and strategic approach to local development through more effective decentralisation and deconcentration and better multi-level governance 20 Promoting strategic public service management to meet the needs of citizens 22 Promoting more open, transparent and inclusive government to ensure that public policy reflects the needs of the population 24 1 Contextualising public governance in Haiti 26 Introduction 27 Understanding the economic and political history of Haiti to better comprehend current issues of public governance 28 Haiti today: political, economic and social challenges 31 Public governance in Haiti, a vision for the future and future challenges 35 Conclusion 37 References 38 Notes 40 2 Whole-of-government coordination led by the centre of government in Haiti 41 Introduction 42 Achieving the Haitian government's goals depends on increased coordination by the centre of government 43 The role of technical and financial partners in decision-making in Haiti 51 Conclusion and recommendations 59 References 64 Notes 67 3 Use of evidence in strategic planning and budgeting in Haiti 68 Introduction 69 OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 8 | Haiti has set ambitious development goals, formalised in a multi-level strategic planning framework, which has methodological limitations 69 The Haitian government is working to implement performance-based budgeting, prior to which some fundamentals need to be put in place 75 Establish a robust system of monitoring and evaluation of public policies to improve public intervention and increase transparency 84 Conclusion and recommendations 96 References 100 Notes 103 Multi-level governance in Haiti 104 Introduction: a country marked by strong regional inequalities 105 Competences and resources of local authorities: between principles and realities 107 Creation of a strategic framework for multi-level governance in Haiti 120 Conclusion and recommendations 129 References 134 Notes 136 5 Strategic management of the public service in Haiti 138 Introduction 139 Haiti's senior public service must be strengthened and supported to improve its performance 144 Strengthen the recruitment system and improve career management in Haiti 148 Clarify institutional responsibilities for human resources management 153 Conclusion and recommendations 158 References 160 6 Open government and strategic management of public communication in Haiti 163 Introduction 164 Open government: transparency, accountability and participation 164 Strategic management of public communication 180 Conclusion and recommendations 194 References 199 Notes 203 Tables Table 2.1 Haiti, dependence on aid: 2017-2019 53 Table 3.1 The budget calendar in Haiti 79 Table 3.2 Comparing the evaluation and monitoring of public policies 85 Table 4.1 Risks related to decentralisation 106 Table 4.2 Organisation and legally established powers of local governments in Haiti 109 Table 4.3 Deconcentrated administration in Haiti 111 Table 4.4 Establishment of the decentralised territorial institutions provided for in the Constitution 113 Table 4.5 Which intergovernmental transfers for which goals? 118 Table 4.6. Departmental sectoral tables 124 Figures Figure 2.1 Official development assistance to Haiti: 2002 - 2019 52 Figure 2.2 Financial flows to Haiti by type (FDI, remittances, ODA): 2002-2019 53 Figure 3.1 Countries with a formal definition of evaluation 87 OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 | 9 Figure 3.2 An institution within the executive branch with governmental competences in the field of public policy evaluation 92 Figure 5.1. OECD Recommendation on Public Service Leadership and Capability 140 Figure 5.2 Officials and other central government employees, 2018 141 Figure 5.3 Existence of a law or document setting out in detail the managerial responsibilities of senior government officials 146 Figure 5.4 Differences between the management of positions for senior officials and other public servants 147 Figure 5.5. Talent management in the public service 149 Figure 5.6 Determining selection criteria in OECD countries 151 Figure 5.7 Body responsible for the promotion, coordination and administration of learning in the core public administration 156 Figure 6.1 Confidence in the national government in Haiti (2006-2018) 167 Figure 6.2 Main goals of public communication in four Haitian administrations 182 Figure 6.3. Measures to address misinformation and disinformation 193 Boxes Box 2.1 What is the centre of government? 43 Box 2.2 Functional reviews to limit overlapping mandates in Kazakhstan 48 Box 2.3 Fragility according to the OECD 51 Box 2.4 Aid coordination mechanisms in Rwanda 58 Box 3.1 Comparative approaches to long-term strategic planning 71 Box 3.2 Haiti's Strategic Development Plan (Plan Stratégique de Développement d’Haïti –PSDH) to 2030 72 Box 3.3 The benefits of a theory of change and a logical model 74 Box 3.4 The 2015 OECD Recommendation on Budgetary Governance 76 Box 3.5 Three organisational models of medium-term budgeting: the examples of Thailand, South Korea and Romania 82 Box 3.6 Integration of the budget into medium-term planning in East Timor 83 Box 3.7 The rationale for developing a public policy system 85 Box 3.8 Study and programming units (UEPs) in Haiti 88 Box 3.9 The legal framework for the evaluation of public policies in France 89 Box 3.10 The policy framework for evaluation in Benin 90 Box 3.11 The three pillars of a strong policy evaluation system 91 Box 3.12 Monitoring of the Emerging Senegal Plan (Plan Sénégal émergent - PSE) by the Operational Monitoring Office 94 Box 3.13 The Benin opendataafrica platform 95 Box 4.1 Why decentralise water management? 107 Box 4.2 Legal responsibilities of local authorities in public water management 110 Box 4.3 Public water management in practice: the preponderance of central power 112 Box 4.4 Clarifying responsibilities between levels of government: the OECD criteria 114 Box 4.5 Local government funding in Sweden: significant financial autonomy 116 Box 4.6 Overview of Equalisation Systems in OECD Countries 118 Box 4.7 Fragmentation of the institutional landscape of water management: overlaps, gaps and duplications 122 Box 4.8 Good practices in intergovernmental coordination at the OECD 125 Box 4.9 Intercommunity of the Palmes region in Haiti 127 Box 5.1 Responsibilities of the Office of Management and Human Resources 142 Box 5.2 Merit in the public service 143 Box 5.3 Towards a high public service system in Brazil 145 Box 5.4 Executive Recruitment Mission in France 147 Box 5.5 Support the identification and training of senior officials 148 Box 5.6 Renewal of competitions in France and Spain 150 Box 5.7 Supporting the human resources function in public administrations 155 Box 5.8 Making Decentralisation Work: a Handbook for Decision Makers 157 Box 6.1 Definition of open government principles 164 Box 6.2 Summary of the provisions of the OECD Recommendation on Open Government 166 Box 6.3 Ombudsmen's collaborative initiatives with stakeholders 168 Box 6.4 High-level political commitment to open government in Tunisia 170 Box 6.5 Institutional framework for stakeholder participation in Benin 172 OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 10 | Box 6.6 Provisions of access to information legislation 173 Box 6.7 Process of drafting the law on access to information in Morocco 174 Box 6.8 Encouraging citizens through budget transparency in Cameroon 176 Box 6.9 Considerations for a stakeholder consultation initiative 178 Box 6.10 States General and national consensus of Beninese civil society organisations 179 Box 6.11 The UK government's communication strategy 183 Box 6.12 The Communications Careers Inventory for the Public Service in Canada and France 186 Box 6.13 Examples of training courses for national public communicators in the Netherlands 187 Box 6.14 The guide to public communication in Morocco 187 Box 6.15 The online consultation platform MonOpinion in Belgium 190 Box 6.17 How to combat online misinformation in the UK 193 Box 6.16 Training in digital communication tools in Canada 192 Follow OECD Publications on: http://twitter.com/OECD_Pubs http://www.facebook.com/OECDPublications http://www.linkedin.com/groups/OECD-Publications-4645871 http://www.youtube.com/oecdilibrary http://www.oecd.org/oecddirect/ Alerts OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 | 11 Abbreviations and acronyms AFD French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement) AfDB African Development Bank ANMF National Association of Border Mayors (Association nationale des maires frontaliers) ASEC Municipal Section Assembly (Assemblée des sections communales) CAB Budget Affairs Unit (Cellule des affaires budgétaires) CAED Coordination Framework for External Development Assistance (Cadre de coordination de l’aide externe au développement) AFD Water committees (Comités d’approvisionnement en eau potable) AfDB Administrative Council of the Municipal Section (Conseil d’administration de la section communale) ANMF Rural Administration Councils (Conseil d’administration des sections rurales) ASEC Interim Cooperation Framework (Cadre de coopération intérimaire) CAB Public Policy Coordination and Monitoring Unit (Cellule de coordination et de suivi des politiques publiques) CAED Economic and Social Development Council (Conseil de développement économique et social) CAEP French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement) CASEC African Development Bank CASER National Association of Border Mayors (Association nationale des maires frontaliers) CCI Municipal Section Assembly (Assemblée des sections communales) CCSPP Budget Affairs Unit (Cellule des affaires budgétaires) CDES Coordination Framework for External Development Assistance (Cadre de coordination de l’aide externe au développement) CEA Aid Effectiveness Committee (Comité d’efficacité de l’aide) CEP Provisional Electoral Council (Conseil Électoral Provisoire) CFPB Property tax on built-up areas (Contribution foncière des propriétés bâties) CFT Territorial financial controllers (Contrôleurs financiers territoriaux) CGR/FPT Regional Management Centres of the Territorial Public service (Centres de gestion régionaux de la fonction publique territoriale) CIAT Inter-ministerial Committee on Land Use Planning (Comité interministériel d’aménagement du territoire) CIRH Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (Commission intérimaire pour la reconstruction d’Haïti) CMRA Ministerial Committees for Administrative Reform (Comités ministériels de la réforme administrative) CMRP Communauté des municipalités de la région de Palmes CNFPT National Centre for the Regional public service (Centre national de la fonction publique territoriale) CNMP National Public Procurement Commission (Commission Nationale des Marchés Publics) CoG Centre of government CRPP-GE Commission for the Reform of Public Finance and Economic Governance (Commission de réforme des finances publiques et de la gouvernance économique) OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 12 | CSAFP Higher Council for the Administration of the Public Service (Conseil supérieur de l’administration de la fonction publique) CSCCA Higher Court of Accounts and Administrative Disputes (Cour supérieure des comptes et du contentieux administratif) CSFPT Higher Council of the Territorial Public service (Conseil supérieur de la fonction publique territoriale) CSOs Civil Society Organisations DAC Development Assistance Committee DCT Directorate of Territorial Collectivities (Direction des collectivités territoriales) DGI General Taxation Directorate (Direction générale des impôts) DINEPA National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (Direction nationale de l’eau potable et de l’assainissement) DSNCRP Document de stratégie nationale pour la croissance et la réduction de la pauvreté EG General Asssembly (États Généraux) FAES Economic and Social Assistance Fund (Fonds d’assistance économique et sociale) FDI Foreign Direct Investment FENACA National Federation of CASECs (Fédération nationale des CASEC) FENAFEMH National Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti (Fédération nationale des femmes maires d’Haïti) FENAMH National Federation of Mayors of Haiti (Fédération nationale des maires d’Haïti) FENASEC National Federation of ASECs (Fédération nationale des ASEC) FGDCT Local Government Management and Development Fund (Fonds de gestion et de développement des collectivités territoriales) GAC General Administration of Customs GDP Gross Domestic Product GNI Gross National Income HR Human Resources HRD Human Resource Director HRM Human resources management IGF Inspectorate General of Finance (Inspection générale des finances) IHSI Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics (Institut haïtien de statistique et d’informatique) IMF International Monetary Fund INAT National Institute of Territorial Administration (Institut national de l’administration territoriale) INET National Institute for Regional Studies (Institut national des études territoriales) M&E Monitoring and evaluation MARNDR Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Ressources naturelles et du développement rural) MCI Ministry of Trade and Industry (Ministère du Commerce et de l’Industrie) MDE Ministry of Environment (Ministère de l’Environnement) MEF Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministère de l’Économie et des Finances) MGAE External Assistance Management Module (Module de gestion de l’aide externe) MICT Ministry of the Interior and Local government (Ministère de l’Intérieur et des Collectivités territoriales) MPCE The Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (Ministère de la Planification et de la Coopération Externe) MSPP Ministry of Public Health and Population (Ministère de la Santé publique et de la Population) MTEF Medium-term expenditure framework MTPTC Ministry of Public Works, Transports and Communications (Ministère des Travaux publics, Transports et communications) NGO Non-governmental organisation ODA Official Development assistance OGP Open Government Partnership OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 | 13 OMRH Office of Management and Human Resources (Office de management et des ressources humaines) OPC Office for the Protection of the Citizen (Office pour la protections du citoyen) OREPA Regional drinking water and sanitation boards (Offices régionaux d’eau potable et d’assainissement) PARDH Action Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of Haiti (Plan d'action pour le relèvement et le développement d'Haïti) PCD Municipal development plans (Plans communaux de développement) PCRE I / II State Reform Framework Programme I / II (Programme cadre de réforme de l’État I / II) PEFA Public expenditures and financial accountability PIP Programmes d’investissements publics PME - 2023 State Modernisation Programme 2018-2023 (Programme de modernisation de l’État 2018-2023) MPCE National Deconcentration Policy (Politique Nationale de Déconcentration) MSPP Procedural Manual for the Implementation of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Monitoring and Evaluation (Procédure de mise en œuvre de la chaîne de planification, de programmation, de budgétisation et de suivi-évaluation) MTEF Strategic Development Plan for Haiti (Plan stratégique de développement d’Haïti) MTPTC Three-year investment programmes (Programmes triennaux d’investissement) NGO Growth and Poverty Reduction Service (Service pour la croissance et la lutte contre la pauvreté) ODA Small Island Developing States OGP National land use plan (Schéma national d’aménagement du territoire) OMRH National Water Resources Service (Service national des ressources en eau) OPC CIAT technical secretariat (Secrétariat technique du CIAT) OREPA Technical Implementation Unit PARDH Technical and Financial Partners PCD Programming and Study Units (Unités d’études et de programmation) PCRE I / II United Nations Development Programme PEFA National Deconcentration Policy (Politique Nationale de Déconcentration) PIP Procedural Manual for the Implementation of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Monitoring and Evaluation (Procédure de mise en œuvre de la chaîne de planification, de programmation, de budgétisation et de suivi-évaluation) PME - 2023 Strategic Development Plan for Haiti (Plan stratégique de développement d’Haïti) PND Three-year investment programmes (Programmes triennaux d’investissement) PPBSE Growth and Poverty Reduction Service (Service pour la croissance et la lutte contre la pauvreté) PSDH Small Island Developing States PTI National land use plan (Schéma national d’aménagement du territoire) SCLP National Water Resources Service (Service national des ressources en eau) SIDS CIAT technical secretariat (Secrétariat technique du CIAT) SNAT Technical Implementation Unit SNRE Technical and Financial Partners ST-CIAT Programming and Study Units (Unités d’études et de programmation) TEU United Nations Development Programme TFP National Deconcentration Policy (Politique Nationale de Déconcentration) UEP Procedural Manual for the Implementation of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Monitoring and Evaluation (Procédure de mise en œuvre de la chaîne de planification, de programmation, de budgétisation et de suivi-évaluation) UNDP Strategic Development Plan for Haiti (Plan stratégique de développement d’Haïti) Note: The acronyms of Haitian national institutions (ministries, units, committees, councils…) and of official national documents and programmes have been kept in French. OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 14 | Executive Summary In response to the political, socio-economic and environmental challenges facing Haiti today, the government has embarked on a path of public governance reform, notably with the 2018-2023 Modernisation Programme (Programme de Modernisation de l’État 2018 -2023 - PME-2023) and the 2012- 2030 Strategic Development Plan for Haiti (Plan Stratégique de Développement d’Haïti - PSDH). It is in this spirit that the OECD is presenting this Public Governance Review of Haiti conducted on behalf of the Office of Human Resources Management (Office de management et des ressources humaines - OMRH). Building on the government's framework documents, it includes five areas of public governance reform that can promote sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development for all Haitians: government coordination, evidence-based decision making, multi-level governance, public service management and open government. Government-wide coordination of public policy is carried out by a number of institutions at the centre of government, whose functions are divided between the Presidency, the Office of the Prime Minister, the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers and various ministries. However, there are gaps and overlaps between the mandates and in the actual activities of these institutions. Given the important role of development aid in Haiti, Technical Financial Partners (TFPs) also play a crucial part in supporting and implementing reforms. In order to strengthen coordination and harmonise the strategic vision and implementation of reforms, the government could: ∙ Clarify the definition and mandates of the centre of government for policy development and implementation, strategic planning, decision making, monitoring and evaluation; ∙ Strengthen and better define mechanisms for institutional coordination and collaboration to improve decision-making and coherence of government action; ∙ Strengthen coordination with TFPs to ensure that projects advance national strategic priorities, that funding is aligned with national plans and that monitoring and evaluation frameworks link international support to government targets. The production and use of evidence is essential for strategic planning and budgeting. In this regard, Haiti's strategic plans have clear targets that can be measured by indicators, but they could be made more consistent with other planning instruments. In the area of public finance management, significant progress has been made in establishing a sound fiscal base, but important challenges remain. Finally, Haiti lacks a framework for monitoring and evaluation practices. The recommendation is therefore made to: ∙ Revise the PME-2023 to improve its internal structure and consistency with other planning instruments such as the budget and the PSDH; ∙ Better align the budget cycle with Haiti's strategic targets; ∙ Strengthen some of the fundamentals of public finance, such as the consolidation of a single treasury account or greater transparency in the budgetary process; ∙ Establish a strong institutional context for monitoring and evaluating public policies. OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 | 15 Since the 1987 Constitution, the government has been striving to give effect to decentralisation and deconcentration and to improve governance at several levels. Given the difficulties of the legislative context and its implementation and the lack of capacity of the local authorities, it remains essential for the government to create a strong and operational strategic governance framework, to strengthen territorial coordination mechanisms and to translate national strategic decisions into concrete policies at the territorial level. For this purpose, this review makes recommendations to: ∙ Clarify the current legal context for decentralisation and deconcentration and develop coordination mechanisms at multiple levels; ∙ Strengthen territorial coordination structures and implement the national deconcentration policy; ∙ Clarify and make more coherent the current territorial and administrative division. The PME-2023 has identified a number of critical issues in public sector development. Senior managers, in particular, have a key role to play and must be supported by specialist training and management practices. The principle of merit-based recruitment and career development must be continued. Haiti also needs to ensure effective cooperation between all players involved in human resources management, including by empowering and supporting Human Resources Managers (HRMs). This review thus stresses the need to: ∙ Support leaders by placing competencies at the heart of the appointment process for senior public servants and strengthen their accountability in public management; ∙ Strengthen the merit principle in recruitment and career management, in particular by publishing all public job offers and developing targeted measures for young candidates; ∙ Clarify responsibilities and facilitate cooperation between the OMRH and HRMs. The Haitian government recognises the importance of establishing a culture of governance that promotes the principles of open government and is implementing initiatives to achieve it. However, significant efforts are still needed to ensure access to public information, protect civic space and institutionalise stakeholder participation. In this sense, strategic management of public communication is essential to support open government reforms and contribute to increased citizen participation. As such, this review makes recommendations to: ∙ Create an enabling environment for open government reforms, e.g. by conducting awareness campaigns; ∙ Establish a governance framework for open government reforms that facilitates coordination and collaboration with stakeholders; ∙ Strengthen mechanisms for stakeholder participation by adopting a law on access to information in line with international best practice and by promoting citizen consultation initiatives; ∙ Ensure strategic governance of public communication and define a strategic approach to public communication; ∙ Consolidate functions and competencies for strategic and effective public communication; ∙ Institutionalise the strategic use of public communication to foster citizen participation in public life through physical channels and online interactions. OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 16 | Diagnostics & recommendations The socio-economic challenges confronting the Republic of Haiti are to some extent the result of structural weaknesses in the Haitian governance system, largely inherited from a history punctuated by environmental, economic and political crises, including: administrative and economic centralisation and concentration, the policy capture and political fragmentation. These problems have hindered the implementation of effective and efficient public governance for the benefit of all Haitians and undermined the country’s ability to achieve its ambitious development goals. Thus, to help Haiti effectively address these challenges, this Review is structured around five key themes of public governance and offers recommendations to help the country achieve its priority reform objectives. Motivated by a strong desire for continuity and consistency with existing initiatives, the OECD is proposing a series of recommendations to the Haitian government in the fields of: ∙ Whole-of-government coordination, ∙ Fact and data-driven decision-making, ∙ Multi-level governance, ∙ The strategic management of the civil service, and ∙ Open government. These themes are in line with Haiti's framework documents, including the 2018-2023 State Modernisation Programme (Programme de Modernisation de l’État 2018-2023 - PME-2023) and Haiti's Strategic Development Plan (Plan Stratégique de Développement d’Haïti - PSDH), and are intended to support their implementation and contribute to the achievement of the government's economic and social development ambitions. Considering and implementing the OECD's recommendations represents a crucial opportunity to consolidate the reforms of the past and launch new initiatives that could help make Haiti an emerging economy by 2030. This report has been produced with the support and financial assistance of the United States Agency for International Development, USAID. Towards better whole-of-government coordination by strengthening the centre of government Centres of government are the backbone of public governance systems, particularly in the coordination, decision-making and priority-setting functions. In a governance context punctuated by socio-economic, political, environmental and humanitarian crises, the development of strategic policies and political leadership alongside better coordination of government policies and actions in Haiti is critical to achieving its objectives. The Haitian government has legally mandated institutions to perform the key functions of the centre of government, notably coordination. The framework established by the decree of 17 May 2005 on the organisation of the central administration of the State, and the establishment in 2006 of certain institutions such as the Office of Management and Human Resources (Office de Management et des ressources humaines - OMRH) demonstrate the desire to modernise public administration and strengthen the coordination capacities of the State. Nevertheless, the legal construct of the centre of government is OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 | 17 shaped by an anachronistic legal framework, with gaps and overlapping mandates that in practice impede the design, coordination and implementation of cross-cutting policies. These weaknesses are visible among the institutions of the centre of government and within such specific institutions as the Prime Minister's Office. Clarifying the mandate of the Haitian centre of government and its various players would help to overcome this fragmentation to better respond to multidimensional challenges. In addition, coordination in Haiti is hampered by inadequate levels of institutional collaboration and inherent weaknesses in the planning system. In particular, many councils or bodies, such as the Directors General Forum, seldom or never meet, and a number of networks of officials useful to participants have been allowed to lapse. Moreover, there is a lack of mechanisms for collaboration and communication between some key institutions, such as OMRH and the Ministry of Finance (Ministère de l’Économie et des Finances – MEF). On one hand, the large number of sectoral and thematic tables has made it possible to address a wide range of public policy issues, but tends to make coordination and decision-making more complex. Finally, the national planning system is characterised by a lack of coherence between sectoral strategic documents and central national strategies, which undermines the coordination of government action. The Haitian centre of government faces an additional complicating factor in its decision-making. The weight of development support requires an increased level of coordination to share information and ensure that projects advance national strategic priorities, that funding is aligned with national plans and that monitoring and evaluation frameworks can directly link development support to national strategic impact and results. Summary of recommendations 1. Clarify the mandate of the Haitian centre of government and its various players in order to overcome its fragmentation and better respond to multidimensional challenges. ∙ Conduct a review of all laws, rules, decrees and regulations governing the organisation and operation of the institutions of the centre of government. ∙ Implement regular functional reviews of centre of government institutions to strengthen monitoring and evaluation and promote an effective and efficient public sector. ∙ Formulate a definition which formalises the mandate distinction between line ministries and the coordinating institutions of the centre of government. ∙ Communicate across government on the coordination role of the centre of government. ∙ Clarify and strengthen the mandate of the OMRH as a player in public governance reform in Haiti. 2. Strengthen, better define and communicate mechanisms for institutional coordination and collaboration to improve decision-making and the coherence of government action. ∙ Strengthen the Prime Minister's Office’s and/or the Council of Minister General Secretariat’s strategic role in supporting government policy options’ quality and harmonisation prior to submission to the Council of Ministers and the Council of Government, by reviewing the proposed agenda based on various criteria. ∙ Define and disseminate "rules of engagement", or a checklist, for collaboration between line ministries and the centre of government in Haiti to improve and sustain collaborative efforts within government. ∙ Formalise and strengthen the various coordination mechanisms aimed at harmonising overall State policy. OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 18 | The Official Development Assistance (ODA) architecture in Haiti is complex, not very transparent and difficult to manage, given the increasing number of players, instruments and funding modalities. To overcome these challenges, the government could consider strengthening the coordination and planning capacity of the Haitian State to improve the alignment of ODA with national priorities through the following initiatives: 3. Promote the alignment of Technical and Financial Partners (TFP) actions with national priorities: ∙ Develop and implement a national programme for international cooperation and management of external assistance in support of the national development strategy or policy. ∙ Establish a coordinating body between the various institutions that interact with TFPs to address the fragmentation of interlocutors on the Haitian side. The government could also designate a unit as the secretariat of this network or committee, which would serve as the main interface between the Haitian government and the TFPs. ∙ Strengthen the Directorate for the Coordination of NGO Activities (DCAONG) of the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (Ministère de la Planification et de la Coopération Externe - MPCE) to promote greater coherence between donor-funded NGO activities and national priorities, while preserving civic space. ∙ Define the framework for public-private partnerships in development programmes. 4. Create optimal conditions for increased use of state structures in the context of donor cooperation. Indeed, as this chapter suggests, the current practices of external players often continue to favour non-state structures. ∙ The centre of government, with the support of TFPs, could strengthen the state’s intrinsic capacities for strategic planning and developmental policy-making. ∙ Develop increased coordination of monitoring and evaluation tools for TFP activities and national strategic plans. ∙ Integrate and strengthen feedback mechanisms in the policy-making process at the national level and in the context of collaboration with donors, to ensure that evaluations and findings from monitoring reports are taken into account. 5. Consider extending the implementation period of the State Modernisation Programme 2020- 2023 in light of the global Covid-19 pandemic and issues related to political instability. Making decisions based on relevant facts and data The Haitian strategic plans, PME-2023 and PSDH, were built on the successes and failures of the previous strategic plans. Thus, many good practices can be seen in the PME-2023: clear public policy objectives that can be measured by indicators, as well as an explicit logic model, allow for clear monitoring. However, the PME-2023 has methodological limitations and lacks coherence with other planning instruments that could hamper the generation of evidence. This could limit their effectiveness as strategic planning instruments. OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE REVIEWS: HAITI © OECD 2021 | 19 In terms of public financial management, the ambitions of the Haitian government and administration are enshrined in the Public Financial Reform Strategy and the Law of 4 May 2016. Over the past twenty years, significant progress has been made in establishing a solid budgetary base. However, challenges remain in putting the fundamentals in place, which need to be well anchored before more ambitious reforms can be considered. Nevertheless, some reforms can be implemented in parallel to move towards multi-annual and performance-based budgeting. These reforms focus on the development of a medium-term budgetary framework and the budget preparation phase. In the area of monitoring and evaluation of public policies, it is essential to emphasise that the main challenge is to clarify the institutional framework of these two practices. The current system remains fragmented. There is no governmental framework for the practice of evaluation. There is also no explicit definition of evaluation that is shared by all players. A framework to structure and frame monitoring and evaluation practices is needed to promote the production and use of evidence. Summary of recommendations 1. The strategic planning framework The Haitian government would benefit from revising the 2018-2023 State Modernisation Programme to improve its internal structure and coherence with other planning instruments such as the budget and the PSDH. This revision could help to: ∙ Facilitate monitoring and a fortiori the implementation of the PME-2023 by defining indicators to measure the "intermediate" objectives of the PME-2023 and by supplementing all PME 2023indicators with elements for their proper interpretation. ∙ Strengthen and clarify the articulation of the PME-2023 and the PSDH. ∙ Operationalise the PME-2023 by implementing the ministerial action plans presented at the final seminar of the PME-2023 Phase II Operationalisation Mission held on 23 March 2021 and ensuring that these action plans clarify how the budgetary programmes and investments defined by the government will be used to achieve the PME-2023’s objectives. 2. The budget as a tool for implementing strategic objectives In the interests of better aligning the budgetary cycle with Haitian policy objectives: ∙ The preparation of the medium-term budgetary framework can be strengthened by carrying out macroeconomic and macro-budgetary forecasts prior to the formulation of the budget, and by strengthening the capacities of the study and programming Units. ∙ The budget preparation phase can be improved by breaking down the budget allocations of the management entities by sector, giving the management entities sufficient time to prepare their expenditure proposals, and by strengthening coordination and communication between MPCE and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF). However, the fundamentals of pu