How does KOICA work in Guatemala
Poverty and inequity is high and deep in Guatemala. Lack of assets, lack of access to and lack of transparency of public services all contribute to vulnerability of Guatemalans to poverty and inequity. To tackle these challenges effectively and bring sustainable development to people in need requires coordinated actions from various development stakeholders: government, both central and local, civil society, business, people and international cooperation.
Bearing this in mind, KOICA tries to work, on its organizational operation level, within the following framework of international guidelines for development assistance drawn up in Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda for Action:
Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness
ü Ownership - Developing countries set their own strategies for poverty reduction, improve their institutions and tackle corruption.
ü Alignment - Donor countries align behind these objectives and use local systems.
ü Harmonization - Donor countries coordinate, simplify procedures and share information to avoid duplication.
ü Results - Developing countries and donors shift focus to development results and results get measured.
ü Mutual Accountability - Donors and partners are accountable for development results.
Accra Agenda for Action
ü Predictability – Donors will provide 3-5 year forward information on their planned aid to partner countries.
ü Country systems – Partner country systems will be used to deliver aid as the first option, rather than donor systems.
ü Conditionality – Donors will switch from reliance on prescriptive conditions about how and when aid money is spent to conditions based on the developing country’s own development objectives.
ü Untying – donors will relax restrictions that prevent developing countries from buying the goods and services they need from whomever and wherever they can get the best quality at the lowest price.
KOICA also intends to, on its program and project implementation level, execute its development programs, whenever possible, in a way that encourages people’s participation in identifying, designing, implementing and evaluating its development aid programs. This is because KOICA believes that participatory development is one of the best ways to secure the impact of its development programs lasting and sustainable.