Ministries and agencies will need to take ownership of the National Development Strategy 2011–2016, develop their own operational plans and accept accountability for delivery. The Strategy will have to influence processes that drive decisions on how resources are used and provide operational tools for assessing individual projects and policy proposals in an integrated way.
Qatar’s political leaders will drive the changes foreshadowed in the Strategy. They will demand information on progress. Individual ministries and government agencies will be accountable for implementing the elements of the Strategy that fall within their mandates. This accountability will need to be matched by commensurate delegated authority and empowerment across and within agencies.
Increasingly, implementing agencies must take a sector wide view of their activities and coordinate with other actors on strategy, planning, budget and operations. Coordinating mechanisms at the centre of government, including new budget processes, will support this new orientation.
The concepts and targets identified in the National Development Strategy 2011–2016 will need to be transformed into detailed project blueprints focused on achievable results that reflect the strategic directions. To the extent possible, there should be a focus on “quick wins” – projects that will have a significant impact and do not create complex implementation challenges.
To implement the National Development Strategy 2011–2016, ministries and agencies will need competent project management functions. Where these do not exist, establishing them must be a priority. Where they do exist, they may need strengthening. While staff redeployments might address some gaps, qualified and experienced people are vital for effective project management functions.
Successful implementation will require closing information gaps. There are data gaps in virtually all sectors. Indicators need to be developed that measure Qatar’s progress in achieving the targets of the National Development Strategy 2011–2016.
Support for some elements of the Strategy will demand consistently implemented and clearly communicated advocacy campaigns conducted by people with specialized knowledge of communications for behaviour change, social marketing and opinion research tools.
At a project level, continuous ministry and agency tracking of milestones using built-in systems for monitoring process (outputs) and results can strengthen accountability for delivering agreed outcomes and can provide critical information on performance.
All projects under the National Development Strategy 2011–2016 will be evaluated at completion to reinforce a culture of accountability for delivering results, and to incorporate lessons learned into the next National Development Strategy.
A mid-term assessment of the National Development Strategy 2011–2016 at a project, sector and national level in the second half of 2013 will inform future refinements of strategic directions.
