In the late 1990s, the new decentralization and regional autonomy scheme adopted by Parliament created new possibilities for the proliferation of regions, and Gorontalo was one of the first new provinces formed through the splitting of larger former provinces. Gorontalo is one of the most progressive provinces and has achieved substantial progress in the last five years concerning development indicators. The Provincial government leadership has allowed Gorontalo to be a pioneer in local cooperation.

Since the establishment of the province in 2001, Gorotanlo’s economy has forged ahead, but its HDI are still lagging behind other provinces. It has also made significant progress in the last five years in reducing infant and maternal mortality, but it still exceeds those found in other provinces in Indonesia and with the current trends the MDG targets are unlikely to be achieved unless additional strategic efforts are made.

Although there is an undoubted progress in terms of development indicators, these still need to translate into long-lasting improvements in general living conditions and development opportunities for local communities, which continue to be within the poorest in the country. The Programme will build on this momentum of progress, to further strengthen the provincial administration actions by coordinating these with the lower layers of decentralization, regencies/cities, and to help involving the private sector and CSOs.

Consolidation of the Programme

► Inauguration of AGI’s office in Gorontalo (February 2009) thanks to the contribution of the Provincial Government. ► Establishment of the Provincial Working Group (PWG) and the District Working Groups (DWG) integral part of the planning and implementation of AGI’s activities. ► Consolidation of AGI’s team in the Province through the recruitment of the Area Manager and one Development Officer. ► Organization of 6 workshops for the PWG and DWGs on the roles and functions of the Working Groups, the integrated inter-sectoral approaches and the local planning cycles (January 2009). ► Organization of a workshop aimed at strengthening the PWG’s capacities, skills and knowledge on ART instruments and methodologies (June-July 2009). ► Active participation of the Working Groups in the elaboration of the Provincial Development Guidelines, completed in November 2009 (BAPPEDA). ► Strengthening of the coordination between the Provincial Working Groups and District Working Groups and the Provincial Development Agency BAPPEDA.

South – South Cooperation

►Organization of a South-South cooperation mission (June 2009) focused on Agriculture between Gorontalo and Sri Lanka’s Southern Province, as a follow up of the previous missions held in August and December 2008. A team of agriculture experts visited Gorontalo and the Province donated 7 kg of seeds to be planted in Sri-Lanka. A mission by agriculture experts from Gorontalo will be organized during harvest season in 2010, to oversee the quality of the production and to provide expertise.

Decentralized Cooperation Partnerships

► Establishment of a cooperation agreement (February 2009) between the University of Bicocca (Milano) and the State University of Gorontalo on ecotourism and marine boilogy. AGI is facilitating the elboration of the document detailing the nature of this partnership and the concrete activities. ► Organization of a preliminary mission of the National Association of Hospital Assistants (ANAAO, from Italy) and definition of the tentative proposals which revolve around carrying out a global programme in support of the Health System in Gorontalo (expected to begin in 2010).

Strategic Impact Projects

► Creation of additional classrooms in Pohuwato’s school, officially inaugurated in June 2009 by local government officials, teachers, the school committee and UNDP representatives. ► Identification of other strategic projects currently in the pipeline and expected to start in Q1/2 – 2010.

Province of NTT

NTT is one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia, according to some estimates using local indicators almost 58% of the population can be considered as poor. In the education sector, NTT has one of the lowest junior secondary and primary enrolment rates, the highest repetition rate in the country and one of the lowest literacy rates (84%). In terms of health indicators, 46% of the population still has no access to clean water, while 32% do not have access to health facilities. There are also significant differences between districts in their development levels.

Although NTT has experienced a steady growth rate that reached 6.13% in 2004, it has only had a marginal impact on the unemployment rate and the provincial GDP. Agriculture and services continue to contribute significantly (97%) to the regional GDP, while industries account for less than 3%.

NTT has defined a development vision for the province that aspires to promote economy, human rights, and human development with underlying principles of improving accessibility to basic services and transforming public bureaucracy.

Consolidation of the Programme

► Establishment of the Provincial Working Group (August 2009) and setting up of AGI’s office in compounds ceded by the Provincial Government (December 2009). ► Identification of the three districts where AGI will be operational: TTS district in the Timor Island, Flores Barat in Flores Island, and Sabu Island and establishment of the District Working Groups. ► Consolidation of AGI’s team in the Province through the recruitment of one Development Officer. ► Provision of technical support and training by an ART’s international consultant to the Development Officer and the Provincial Working Group on ART methodology and instruments, for the development the Provincial Development Guidelines and the identification of Strategic Impact Projects to be carried out in 2010. ► Strengthening of the coordination between the Provincial Working Groups, the District Working Groups and the Provincial Development Agency BAPPEDA. ► Identification of strategic projects to be carried out in 2010.

Decentralized Cooperation Partnerships

► Organization of a formulation mission by the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia Region (Italy), in collaboration with the Centro Studi Fegato in Trieste in December 2009, aimed at identifying possible actions in the health sector for the year 2010. Concrete proposals, expected to begin in 2010, on capacity development for medical personnel both in NTT and Jakarta were put forward.

Results and Activities at the National Level

The national level represents the policy component of the Programme and is therefore essential in view of aligning the overall activities with the Government goals (as defined in the Development Plan), the UNDAF and UNDP’s Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP), ensuring the sustainability of benefits and innovations introduced and proposing a pattern of interaction between the national, provincial, and local levels. This model can be used as a framework applying to international cooperation activities that can be replicated in other areas and/or eventually assumed as a useful tool by the Government of Indonesia. Successful models at the Provincial level can be eventually adopted at the National Level

At national level, there will be a mutual benefit in terms of impact, by coordinating activities between AGI and the Provincial Governance Strengthening Programme (PGSP), whose main activities at this level will concentrate on identifying and proposing reforms of laws and procedures (i.e. Civil Service, Decentralization, coordination between sub-national and national levels, etc). Close coordination between the two projects will also be useful to benefit from the lessons learned at the provincial/local levels from AGI, so that PGSP can use these to strengthen policies on decentralization at the national level.

Consolidation of the Programme

► Establishment of the basis for the creation of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) in early 2010. The NCC’s by-law members will be BAPPENAS as Chairs / executive, UNDP and project donors as Senior Suppliers, the Programme's CTA as Executive Secretary, and the Ministry of Home Affairs as Senior Beneficiary. Depending on the agenda of each meeting, additional governmental directorates may be invited (e.g. Ministry of SMEs and Cooperative Development, Ministry of Health, Education, etc.). ► Reinforcement of the Programme’s Central Office in Jakarta with the recruitment of a UNV as Project Officer, a Communications Officer, an Administrative and Finance Assistant and a Liaison Officer (UNDP / BAPPENAS).

Endorsement of the Programme’s Documents

► Constant negotiation with the Government of Indonesia, with the various tiers and Ministries involved for the final endorsement of AGI’s Programme Document, made in December 2009. ► Organization throughout the year of more than two dozen high level meetings and two retreats involving UNDP Senior Management and officers, BAPPENAS and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) senior officials and others, on the substance of AGI’s Programme Document, UNDP ART approach, Management Arrangements and Fund Channelling Mechanisms, among others.► Definition together with BAPPENAS of the agenda for 2010, related to AGI’s contribution to BAPPENAS’ Seminars on Decentralization, Policy Formulation and Regional Development, as well as its support to the elaboration of the National Medium Term Development Plan, one of the main national development instruments and a crucial step that determines how national development will be addressed in the following 5 years period. ► Endorsement by the National Government of AGI’s 2010 Operational Plan which contemplates several activities at the National Level, among which: the participation in National Conferences on Decentralization and Regional Development, the organization of a workshop in Jakarta to present AGI consolidated work plan, organization of visits to the Provinces by the Government to familiarize themselves with Working Groups structures and replicate AGI’s best practices, where possible.

Level of Ownership

► To be evaluated in 2010, as the project has officially just begun, with the signature of the Project Document on 29 December 2009.

Results and Activities at the International Level

► Organization of a mission to Barcelona and Malaga (Spain) aiming at launching the Programme, fostering partnerships with ART’s international network of decentralized cooperation partners in Spain and mobilizing resources for the Programme. ► Participation of an Indonesian delegation, consisted of senior officials from BAPPEDA, the Ministry of Home Affairs, UNDP, the Governor of NTT and the two Provincial Working Groups Coordinators, to ART International Forum in Seville (November 200).

The Programme's Challenges for 2010

The main Country Programme challenges for the year 2010 will be to effectively start the Programme under the National Implementation Modality (NIM), having identified the proper Fund Channelling Mechanisms from the National level to the Provincial Level. As well as identifying additional Decentralized Cooperation partnerships for both Gorontalo and NTT and securing additional financial resources by following up on the November Spain mission, with the support of the HUB for Innovative partnerships in Geneva. To initiate Local Economic Development activities after formulation and training missions are carried out and to organize at least one additional South-South cooperation mission, with a special focus on the Agriculture sector, and as a follow up of the mission conducted in June 2009.

At local level the main challenges for the Programme will be to consolidate the established Provincial Working Groups and District Working Groups, while providing continuous training on ART methodologies and instruments. As well as identifying and implementing Strategic Impact Projects in NTT, to facilitate the consolidation of the Programme in the Province.

Contacts

Mr. Benlamlih El-Mostafa, UNDP Resident Representative, UN Resident Coordinator: el-mostafa.benlamlih@undp.org