OECD Development Co-operation Peer Reviews: Czech Republic 2023

Annex A. Progress since the 2016 DAC peer review recommendations

Towards a comprehensive Czech development effort

 

2016 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
Czechia’s national strategic Framework for Agenda 2030, its target setting and annual monitoring should address the global dimensions of the SDGs.	Implemented The Strategic Framework Czech Republic 2030 and the Implementation of Agenda 2030 in the Czech Republic address the global dimension of the SDGs.
To help it deliver policies that are coherent with the aspirations of developing countries, Czechia should draw more on its national expertise for policy analysis and to increase awareness of the impact of Czech policies on developing countries.	Partially implemented Principles for policy coherence for sustainable development have been included in the Strategic Framework Czech Republic 2030 and in the Development Co-operation Strategy 2018-2030, but mechanisms to measure or discuss the impact of Czech policies on developing countries have yet to be put in place, as a tender for preparatory work is on its way.
Czechia should define a private sector partnership strategy that helps Czech businesses understand the potential of investing in sustainable development as partners rather than as aid contractors.	Partially implemented There is a section on private sector within the 2018-2030 Strategy but no clear strategy on why and how to engage with the private sector based on past results. A guarantee has been set up to promote investments for sustainable development but is not operational yet.

Vision and policies for development co-operation

 

2016 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
Czechia should integrate development co‑operation into its national plan for delivering on Agenda 2030, and into the domestic debate and institutional set-up on sustainable development.	Partially implemented A more effective interface between the sustainable development and foreign development co‑operation councils would help raise development considerations within the 2030 Agenda across government.
To continue to increase the quality and impact of its aid, Czechia should focus on fewer partner countries or territories and themes, deliver on its comparative advantage and maximise synergies for greater impact.	Partially implemented Programmes administered by CzDA are focused on six countries, with a maximum of three sectors per country. The integrated approach is creating synergies between small-sized projects. Alignment with EU joint programming and multilateral priorities further increase synergies on Czech added value. However, 37% of bilateral ODA, excluding humanitarian assistance. remains allocated to countries and territories that are neither priority nor specific partners and thematic concentration is not salient in ODA allocations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) should provide clear objectives and policy guidance for delivering on strategic priorities such as poverty reduction, social and economic transition, and cross-cutting issues.	Partially implemented Cross-cutting priorities are clearly stated in the 2018-2030 Strategy and bilateral development co-operation programmes, but there is limited capacity within CzDA and MFA to meaningfully monitor implementing partners on these priorities. Guidelines are under preparation.

Aid volume and allocation

 

2016 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
Building on the momentum created by the recent increase in ODA towards 0.17% ODA/GNI by 2020, Czechia should have a more ambitious plan and timeline for reaching the target of 0.33% ODA/GNI.	Partially implemented Before 2022, Czechia had not been on track to reach the 0.33% ODA/GNI target with ODA representing 0.13% to 0.15% of GNI between 2016-21. The target was exceeded in 2022 only, due to additional cost of hosting Ukrainian refugees in Czechia.
Czechia should use its increase in bilateral aid to achieve a critical mass, broader scale and impact in partner countries or territories, including by taking a more programmatic approach.	Partially implemented The integrated approach is supporting increased impact but country programmes remain fragmented in multiple projects.

Organisation and management

 

2016 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
Czechia should identify ways to have appropriate human resource capacity in the right place across the development co-operation system and to ensure staff have the skills and expertise needed to deliver the programme efficiently and effectively.	Partially implemented Both the MFA and CzDA were restructured, but capacities remain stretched, with limited technical expertise and limitations for posting staff in partner countries and territories. Development co‑operation is now part of the trainings of development diplomats, but such trainings are not extended to agency staff and project co‑ordinators.
Decentralisation to the field should be backed by appropriate authority for embassy and agency staff, as well as clear roles and responsibilities.	Not implemented There is no delegation of authority and agency staff cannot be posted in partner countries and territories if not working on EU delegated co‑operation projects.

Development co-operation delivery and partnerships

 

2016 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
Czechia should have a vision and policy for strategic partnerships with civil society for development co-operation and develop an appropriate mix of funding mechanisms.	Partially implemented Civil society organisations are identified as key partners in the 2018-2030 Strategy, but funding instruments remain limited to calls for proposals. Core support to CSOs is limited to the platform and amounts available are limited, as is direct funding to local CSOs.
Czechia should update its rules and procedures so that it can untie aid, use partner systems and contribute to harmonised funding arrangements in line with Busan commitments.	Partially implemented Share of untied aid has increased. There are legal restrictions that mean ODA grants must be channelled to partner countries or territories through entities registered in Czechia.

Results and accountability

 

2016 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
Czechia should develop a more comprehensive approach to managing for results at the strategic, programme and project levels aligning with the SDGs and partner country or territory results frameworks.	Partially implemented Bilateral co-operation programmes and project documents have clear target outputs and outcomes that are linked to specific SDGs. However, there is limited capacity to measure baseline indicators and set targets and results are not used systematically to adjust projects and inform programming.
Czechia should ensure it has adequate capacity for managing evaluations, guarantee their independence and use them for evidence-based decisions and accountability.	Implemented Czechia has mobilised evaluations to redesign some of its instruments (scholarships, B2B). All reports are publicly available with a summary in English.

Humanitarian assistance

 

2016 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
Czechia should focus on its comparative advantage in humanitarian assistance by further developing its niche approach; this would help maximise its effectiveness and influence while increasing its scope for co-operation with other donors.	Implemented Czechia has focused its humanitarian assistance and development co‑operation on disaster risk reduction and climate security, integrating the Humanitarian-Development Nexus into its development co‑operation.
Czechia should focus its humanitarian funding on fewer crises and rationalise its funding calendar to better match its administrative capacity.	Implemented The limit for a single humanitarian response approved by the Minister of Foreign Affairs was doubled in 2017. Geographic and thematic priorities were streamlined. A framework agreement for multi-year co‑operation has been offered to several humanitarian international and domestic implementing partners (NGOs, as well as international organisations). The funding calendar was followed.