The SEIS encountered difficulties to obtain full information on hydrology, hydrochemistry, etc. from both Moldovan and Ukrainian institutions. UNDP changed the study provider and facilitated access to existing information and data owned by national bodies, as well as from Ukraine on daily water flows of the Dniester HPC. As an alternative solution to baseline data sets, the initial technical/ project documentation of Dniester HPC produced in 1987 and held by a Russian Institute was effectively used. SEIS data collection was being finalized as the evaluation was carried out, and delays were encountered in the development of one of the sub-studies, the Dniester Socioeconomic Impact Assessment, and more specifically on water flow quantity downstream of the Dniester HPC. Government stakeholders noted that the impact assessment sub-studies produced with available data sets partially met their expectations, and additional quality checks of the study deliverables were planned.127
2.4 Overall programme implementation Finding 11. UNDP is well-positioned as a reliable, responsive and trusted provider of development services to the Government in pursuing its diverse priorities, including the SDGs and EU accession. It is widely appreciated by the Government for its role in supporting changes in politically-sensitive areas such as elections, justice reform, support in Transnistria and specialized technical support in areas such as the environment, where institutional expertise is limited. Political will, government absorption capacity and sometimes national ownership prospects remained inconsistent and limited throughout the CPD cycle. Despite the frequently changing political landscape in the country and limited operating space for long-term systemic reform, UNDP has made important contributions in addressing governance, human rights, local development and confidence-building in Transnistria, and advanced digital and green innovations.128 UNDP engagement in policy advice and advocacy was targeted, with measurable improvements in critical areas such as the NIAS.129 However, to some extent, UNDP was limited in expanding the policy areas for support or promoting consistent policy implementation by an unpredictable political environment. UNDP interventions over 2018–2021 were highly relevant to the national context and guided by the National Development Strategy “Moldova 2030”, the SDGs and the broad parameters of the Moldova Association Agreement with the European Union.130 UNDP proved to be a trusted partner, and has contributed effectively to national development priorities while enhancing Moldova’s compliance with international norms and standards of CEDAW and UNCRPD, with a focus on vulnerable groups.131 While the current CPD has been spread across many intervention areas, UNDP maintained its long-term focus on strategic priority areas and further strengthened its capacity and comparative advantage to produce results in confidence-building in
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UNDP Moldova (2020) ROAR. These limitations include an unstable political climate, strong interest groups, as well as limited Government’s commitment to systemic reforms. In addition to political-economic factors, government capacity remains constrained by poorly trained and often unmotivated public servants, limited technical expertise, low salaries, and a limited willingness to take ownership of ambitious initiatives. UNDP provided extensive expert support to NAC in drafting and implementing the NIAS for 2017-2020. UNDP promoted a focus on results and supported a nationwide survey to assess the effectiveness of implementation of the Strategy, by capturing corruption perception and experience of the population, business community and public institutions. NIAS Impact Monitoring Surveys conducted in 2017 and 2019 were widely circulated to increase public awareness and advocate for further advancement of anticorruption work. National Development Strategy Moldova 2030: https://www.climate-laws.org/geographies/moldova/policies/nationaldevelopment-strategy-moldova-2030#:~:text=The%20National%20Development%20Strategy%20%22Moldova,following%20 four%20pillars%20of%20sustainable. Ratification of the Istanbul Convention of gender violence is still pending. For additional information, see: Moldova Urged to Ratify Istanbul Convention ‘Without Delay: https://balkaninsight.com/2020/06/25/moldova-urged-to-ratify-istanbul-convention-without-delay.
Chapter 2. Findings
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