Amman — Jordan has achieved a full score on the National Development Planning Quality Index, according to the results of the 2023–2026 monitoring round conducted by the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC).
The results also showed that the share of new development cooperation projects and programs aligned with national priorities rose to 95%, compared with 71% in the 2018 monitoring round.
According to the report, Jordan scored 1 out of 1 on the National Development Planning Quality Index, reflecting the priorities, development targets and outcome indicators set out in the Economic Modernisation Vision for 2022–2033. The vision is also aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and includes cost estimates that help guide annual budgets and medium-term fiscal frameworks.
The report noted that the vision is publicly available online and that periodic reports are issued on implementation progress. Data from the national statistical system are available for more than half of the outcome indicators, with the report highlighting the data’s general accuracy, regular updating and relatively recent nature.
The report was issued by the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation, an international initiative aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of development cooperation in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
It is based on the results of the 2023–2026 monitoring round, which measures the extent to which governments and development partners adhere to the principles of country ownership, a focus on results, inclusive partnerships, transparency and mutual accountability.
For the monitoring exercise, Jordan used fiscal year 2024 to report a number of indicators related to public spending and budgeting. The report allows comparisons with the 2018 monitoring round where comparable data are available, helping track progress and challenges in managing development cooperation.
Meanwhile, the share of development partners using nationally owned results frameworks and planning tools when designing their interventions in Jordan rose to 76%, compared with 56% in the 2018 round.
The share of indicators used in new projects and programs that are derived from national results frameworks also increased to 74%, compared with 46% in the previous round. Meanwhile, 57% of indicators could be monitored using government monitoring systems and statistical data, compared with 50% in 2018.
According to the monitoring results, these indicators reflect improved alignment between development cooperation projects and the objectives established by national plans, both in defining targeted outcomes and selecting indicators to measure progress toward achieving them.
In the area of public financial management, the report, reviewed by Al-Ghad, showed an improvement in the overall quality of government systems when comparing the latest available assessments of public expenditure and financial accountability for 2017 and 2022, particularly in auditing and budget preparation.
The report also noted that Jordan continues to meet requirements related to having a system for tracking and publishing allocations aimed at gender equality and women’s empowerment. This includes reflecting these priorities in policies and programs, allocating resources accordingly and strengthening public financial management systems for gender-related objectives.
Regarding parliamentary oversight, Jordan scored 0.84 out of 1, which was classified as a high rating. Some 69% of development cooperation flows were recorded in the national budget and subjected to parliamentary oversight as part of the budget approval process.
According to the report, Jordan said it receives forward expenditure plans covering the following three years from all development partners. This indicator is linked to the government’s ability to anticipate financing flows and plan for their use.
In terms of transparency, Jordan scored 0.75 out of 1 for making development cooperation information available to the public. The national development strategy, implementation progress reports and development cooperation information are publicly available, while the results of mutual assessments on the achievement of targets are not publicly disclosed.
The report noted that all development partners provide the required data to the approved information management system used to track development cooperation. The system covers grants, concessional loans, technical cooperation and other official flows aimed at development.
Source: Al-Ghad
