OECD Development Co-operation Peer Reviews: Spain 2022

Annex A. Progress since the 2016 DAC peer review recommendations

Towards a comprehensive Spanish development effort

 

2016 recommendations	Progress
To ensure development concerns are taken into account in both domestic and foreign policies, Spain should select priority issues, and analyse, monitor and report the effect of their related policies on developing countries.	Partially implemented Work is in progress to develop an analytical framework that systematically measures the impact of new policies on the SDGs and to exploit links between foreign policy and development co-operation objectives.

Vision and policies for development co-operation

 

2016 recommendations	Progress
Re-assert Spain's political commitment to effective poverty-focused development co-operation, in line with international commitments and the 2030 Agenda.	Implemented Commitment in the Vth Master Plan, reactivation of annual communication with a focus on poverty and inequality, action plan for implementing the SDGs with a work programme dedicated to international co‑operation.
Clarify Spain’s thematic focus through analysis of its comparative advantage, and provide relevant guidance to operationalise priorities.	Partially implemented The Vth Master Plan addresses all SDGs but focuses on 29 sustainable development targets and 4 cross-cutting issues. Spain did not publish guidance to operationalise priorities.
Improve the coherence and consistency of its support for the multilateral system. Spain should reduce the number of government departments providing multilateral assistance, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation and beyond, and better co-ordinate support between them.	Partially implemented Numerous departments provide multilateral assistance, but three ministries provide 99% of the support. Strategic partnership frameworks are consulted with MAUC. Discussions in multilateral boards are not necessarily relayed to MAUC nor do they trickle down to embassies.

Aid volume and allocation

 

2016 recommendations	Progress
As the economy continues to recover, Spain should set out a clear path towards meeting its commitment to increasing ODA to 0.7% of GNI and its commitment to the least developed countries and countries most in need.	Not implemented The government committed to increase the ODA budget to 0.5% of GNI by 2023 with no road map. In 2020, ODA was equivalent to 0.23% of GNI.
To improve its focus, Spain should concentrate more of its ODA resources on its top recipients - i) its priority countries and territories, which includes increasing country programmable allocations in those countries and territories, and ii) its key strategic multilateral partners	Partly implemented Increased concentration on top 20 recipients but country programmable aid (21% of Spain’s gross bilateral ODA) remains lower than the DAC country average (48%) mainly due to in-donor refugee costs. Budget cuts forced concentration on fewer multilateral partners, driven by Spain’s geographic and thematic focus.
Spain should improve how it co-ordinates its financial instruments and reports to the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and the public on all official flows for development.	Partially implemented Spain is a strong advocate and user of TOSSD; but its reporting to the DAC on 2019 flows was rated “fair” due to inconsistencies with the initial data submission and quality of some categories.
In line with its commitment to mobilising additional resources for development, Spain should develop a strategy and design suitable instruments for engaging the private sector.	Not implemented Spain has not yet elaborated a framework for collaboration with the private sector and the execution of FONPRODE operations remains challenging.

Organisation and management

 

2016 recommendations	Progress
In contemplating institutional arrangements as a result of the 2015 legal changes, Spain should define clear governing principles and mandates for all institutions involved in Spanish development co-operation.	Partially implemented Clearer division of responsibility between SECI and AECID. Further improvement planned with the upcoming institutional reform.
Spain should review and refine the mandates of its whole-of-country co-ordinating bodies – at headquarters and in partner countries and territories – so that they contribute more effectively to policy and programming.	Implemented Co-ordination bodies are revitalised with clear mandates and have contributed effectively to the definition of shared positions – such as the joint Response Strategy from Spanish Cooperation to COVID-19 Crisis.
Spain should develop a medium-term human resources strategy in conjunction with its next Master Plan. The strategy should address: i) the skills and specialisms required to meet policy and operational objectives at headquarters and country offices; ii) the rotation and promotion of staff at all levels in the interests of organisational learning and staff motivation; iii) the deployment of locally employed staff for programme tasks to make better use of their knowledge and skills.	Not implemented This recommendation is part of the considerations driving the reform process. An in-depth review of AECID human resources framework will be conducted once the reform is finalised.

Development co-operation delivery and partnerships

 

2016 recommendations	Progress
Spain should develop guidance and procedures for risk analysis and risk management to improve programme delivery.	Partially implemented Steps taken to enhance the management of risks (including integrity and corruption risks) but operational guidance at headquarters level still lacking. AECID is currently reviewing its risk management system and developing new guidance.
Spain should – while including results reporting – simplify its reporting requirements for NGOs to reduce transaction costs and strike a balance between accountability and learning.	Not implemented No new measures have been taken but a new procedure is expected to be operational in 2022.

Results and accountability

 

2016 recommendations	Progress
To accelerate the shift towards results-based decision-making, Spain should develop appropriate tools to monitor and analyse results.	Partially implemented A set of indicators is being developed and the methodology to design and monitor country results frameworks has been reviewed. Results are yet to inform decisions.
Spain should guarantee the independence of the central unit for evaluation by giving it authority to plan and budget strategic evaluations.	Partially implemented The evaluation unit is organically part of DGPOLDES but functionally depends on the SECI. The unit does not have a dedicated budget.
To ensure learning, Spain should systematically follow up on management responses to evaluations and make sure their findings inform decision-making.	Not implemented No new measures have been taken. Spain plans to address this issue once the reform of the co-operation system is finalised.
To sustain strong public support for development, Spain should develop an actionable plan for development education.	Not implemented AECID foresees to develop a new action plan once the new law on co-operation is voted and the new Master Plan approved.

Humanitarian assistance

 

2016 recommendations	Progress
To ensure that partners are able to respond in a timely way and focus on delivering quality results, Spain needs to simplify its grants procedures for humanitarian NGOs. As recommended for development NGOs, Spain should also adjust its reporting requirements.	Partially implemented Spain has taken steps to increase its flexibility as its humanitarian budget increased. Decentralised co‑operation has streamlined procedures and reporting. Extending this agreement to all autonomous communities will further reduce some administrative burden for NGOs.