Evaluation Summary - Budget support operation for decentralization in the Philippines

In the Philippines, the budget support operation for decentralization was subject to an evaluation in July 2016.

Due to a lack of regulatory framework and of local government unit capacities, the extension of public service delivery in these units was limited, despite the reform of 1991. The AFD budget support aimed at helping the government of the Philippines improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its decentralization process.

The evaluated budget support fully responded to the government of the Philippines’ needs and priorities, in respect of the AFD’s decentralization priorities. Significant progress was made in public finance management, both at national and local scales. Governance of the local government units was improved. The joint approach of the four national departments and agencies involved was fruitful. The program, altogether well designed, was however mainly process-oriented. In the future, further attention should be paid to impact monitoring at different scales, especially to the measurement of the effects of the programs on poverty alleviation.