EU Delegation Head Highlights Jamaica’s Results-Based Approach To Achieving SDGs

Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Jamaica, Ambassador Marianne Van Steen, says Jamaica’s results-based approach to achieving the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aligns with that of the EU.

The EU implements the use of a results framework that tracks their contribution to the progress of partner countries towards achieving the SDGs.

Addressing the EU-GOJ virtual conference on results-based management and people-centred development, held on March 30, Ambassador Van Steen cited the similarity in how both groups approach the SDGs.

“The framework enhances accountability and transparency of the European Union’s international cooperation activities. It informs management decisions; promotes learning at all levels; and serves as the basis for our results reporting exercises. And, as Jamaica’s results framework is also aligned with the SDGs, there is coherence between Jamaica and the European Union’s approach to managing the results,” she said.

Jamaica’s thrust for results-based management and people-centred development goals has been spearheaded by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), to advance Jamaica’s National Development Plan – Vision 2030.

The Ambassador  pointed out that the EU, in recognising the alignment, did not hesitate to provide support to the country, once the development strategy was created.

“When Jamaica established a specific strategy for developing poor and vulnerable communities, the European Union was the first on board to support the related correlation mechanism. We provided support for the development of a multi-tier strategic implementation plan, a monitoring and evaluation framework as well as a related database, through our Poverty Reduction Programme,” she added.

Through the Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP), being managed by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), many persons and communities have benefitted from the contribution of the EU. Most recently, through the PRP, capacity needs assessments were carried out for 64 community-based organisations, comprising 142 persons, in poor and vulnerable communities.

Ambassador Van Steen shared that based on the results of the assessments, tailored training was provided in the areas of resource mobilisation and proposal writing; financial management; administration and human resource management; project design and management; governance; communication; violence prevention; communication; networking and advocacy.

Several of the community-based organisations were also assisted with grant funding to implement and manage initiatives for the benefit of the communities. This, the EU Delegation Head said, will leave a lasting impact in those communities.

“Importantly, the experience gained through this process equipped these community groups with the skills to access other sources of funding and other types of funding from within and from outside the community borders. At the end of the day, creating meaningful impact on people’s lives and livelihoods is the main aim of our collaboration with Jamaica,” the Ambassador said.

“I am particularly pleased that, along with all the people who have benefitted from the PRP, we will leave a lasting legacy in terms of the programme’s contribution to Jamaica’s national coordination mechanism for the most vulnerable,” she added.

The Ambassador also expressed her excitement at the launch of Jamaica’s Community Renewal Index (CRI), noting that it will be a “promising instrument in Jamaica’s toolkit.”

The PIOJ, on March 30, launched the CRI, which is a ranking tool to help communities place their level of renewal in relation to each other and aid in the allocation of resources and inform more targeted interventions across Jamaica.