Finding 1. In the social sector, UNDP supported key ministries and public agencies to strengthen institutional and organizational capacities for improved access and quality of services. UNDP provided qualified technical support that often did not exist in the institutions.
The portfolio comprised the largest area of work in the country programme, accounting for some 53 percent of total expenditure. While the social development pillar has been the largest in terms of expenditure ($78.1 million, equivalent to 42 percent of the overall country programme expenditure, Table 2), the budget of the inclusive growth pillar has been increasing since 2019 (reaching $40.4 million in December 2020). This follows the inauguration of the new government, which prioritized entrepreneurship, trade and the private sector as the main drivers of economic development.
In the area of health, one of the initiatives reviewed was the collaboration66 with ANVISA (the National Health Regulatory Agency), aiming to strengthen the surveillance and monitoring of health products and services. This effort has become even more relevant with the onset of COVID-19. The regulations, technologies and real-time information systems that were developed to track health products and services are now being leveraged for COVID-19 vaccine surveillance. These outputs will speed up the authorization and licensing of new health products and services and transform ANVISA’s pre-emptive surveillance capabilities. The wide partnership networks that were forged with laboratories, academic and research institutions, as well as the capacity development of ANVISA and the other institutions augers well for sustainability.
As noted, UNDP-supported interventions in this portfolio provided implementation support (see Table 3). UNDP partnered with key ministries and public agencies, aiming to contribute to strengthened institutional and organizational capacities. The portfolio consisted of 74 projects, including 23 projects65 focusing on SSC. The evaluation conducted an in-depth review of 24 projects. The portfolio’s projects were mostly implemented at the federal level, but many addressed nationwide initiatives.
FIGURE 2. Evolution of expenditure and budget, inclusive socio-economic development portfolio, 2017-2020 OUTCOME: Inclusive economic growth
$45
100% 90%
$40 $35 $30 $25 $20
75%
73%
$33.7 $25.2
$15
69% $26.6
80% $33.8 49%
$22.5 $16.5
$18.3
$18.1
$10 $5 $0
2017
2018
2019
2020 Budget
65 66
18
Million US$
Million US$
OUTCOME: Social development
70%
$45
100%
$40
90%
$35
80%
$30
60%
$25
50%
$20
40%
70%
60%
60%
52%
50%
45% 36%
$15
30% 20%
$10
10%
$5
0%
$0
Expenditure
$14.2 $6.8 $3.0 2017
$8.1 $4.8
$7.4
2018
2019
40% 30%
$11.3 $4.0 2020
20% 10% 0%
Execution Rate
Includes Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth projects. It had an initial duration of 2010-2014 but was extended until 2020.
INDEPENDENT COUNTRY PROGRAMME EVALUATION: BRAZIL
