Bhutan

Past Assistance to Democratic Governance

Support for Parliamentary Democracy

In 2003 UNDP signed a project with the Royal Government to Strengthen Capacity of Legislative through the oversight Institutions. Through this one-year project implemented by the National Assembly Secretariat, support was provided to the National Assembly Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretariat in order to strengthen the capacity of the two institutions. 

As a result of the project a draft rules and Procedures of the National Assembly was finalized, and a communication strategy for the National Assembly Secretariat developed and initiated. In addition local leaders were trained on their roles and responsibilities and especially on how to link with and represent their constituencies. 

Public Administration Reform and Capacity

In this area UNDP has assisted the Royal Government in strengthening the management capacities of key public sector institutions. 

Through the Human Resource Development and Management Project assistance was provided to strengthen the capacity of the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSR) to carry out its responsibilities for human resource management and development. In addition, assistance was provided to enhance the capacity of the Royal Institute of Management (RIM) to become a premier management institute. As a result, for the first time a Civil Service Human Resource Development Master Plan 2002-2007 was drawn up for the public sector. In addition, also a revised Civil Service Rules and Regulations 2002 was produced, and with this the creation of a new Position Classification System and a performance based management system replacing the previous Cadre system in the Bhutanese civil service. 

Another key institution that has benefited from the support has been the Royal Court of Justice. Through the project titled Strengthening the Bhutanese Legal Framework, support has been given to develop a coherent legal framework with the Royal Court of Justice as the main partner.

Preparing Bhutan for Decentralisation

Prior to the DSP, UNDP together with UNCDF supported the Royal Government of Bhutan through the Strengthening Capacities for Development Management and Decentralisation Project. Through this project transfers of capital grants was piloted and subsequently, fiscal transfers from centre to blocks were mainstreamed through Letter of Credit Accounts to respective individual blocks. Support was also given to block development committees to help them identify and address their communities’ development needs. For more information about this project as well as previous initiatives in support of decentralisation click on the two following links: Supporting Grassroots based planning in Bhutan and Preparing Bhutan for decentralisation.

E-Governance and Access to Information

Through the Pilot Public Access to Information and Services Project , UNDP supported the women and men’s access to information through the publishing online of laws, rules, reports and applications forms, mainly on the government portal www.bhutan.gov.bt. The same project is piloting a system to allow citizens to post or fax application forms. Also the project has established three pilot remote access points in remote areas from which places women and men can access information and process applications online.

With Japanese funding, UNDP has supported the GNH Commission Secretariat in the development of a Planning Information Network to coordinate and share information and to enable district planners to share local data that is crucial for the national as well as decentralized planning process. The network is also aimed to help the Royal Government address the challenges of monitoring poverty and working towards the achievement of its development targets.