The United Nations Development Assessment Framework (UNDAF), in collaboration with the government of The Gambia and national stakeholders held their first joint annual review for the period 2007-2011 held at the Atlantic Hotel in Banjul on Wednesday.
This is the first joint annual review conducted between the government of The Gambia and the United Nations country team to review their requirements, performance and achievements in both the challenges and successes in the period.
In her speech the UNDAF resident country coordinator Madam Chinwe Dike said, “the decision to conduct this joint annual review is as a result of the commitment of the United Nations system in country to deliver as one in accordance, with the requirements of the Paris declaration on aid,” she revealed
The country coordinator disclosed that it’s crucial in these days of decreasing development funding for the UN to focus on results in its work and to be able to measure results and achievements in the implementation of its programme in collaboration with the government.
She went on; “the periodic assessment are very important and afford, the opportunity for introspection among national stakeholders thereby hopefully strengthening accountability.”  She added that to be able to archive aid effectiveness and to support the nation in improving development performance, it’s important to manage transaction costs for all.
She continued that, it is important to reduce duplication and increase planning and good coordination of development assistance. “These clearly are some of the lessons we have learned in this past UNDAF cycle. Our work must be more demand driven with focus on national ownership.”
The UNDAF resident country coordinator related to the gathering that she is assured that the lessons learnt and best practices would be share and also enable them to see how they can better plan and coordinate their work with national stakeholders.