DFAT Peace and Stability Team in Manila Increase coordination of BASIC partners. Agree, noting that each partner has its own comparative advantage and relationships to manage. Attempts by DFAT to ‘drive’ coordination could be counter-productive and would need to be managed in close consultation with partners. Increasing coordination also increases the management burden on Australia and our partners. DFAT will investigate options with partners to improve coordination. Focus BASIC partners on areas of core comparative advantage. Agree. A competitive and selection process will be conducted to allocate grants for the next phase of bilateral support. Find opportunities to raise the profile of promising conflict management tools. Agree DFAT will investigate options with partners and relevant levels of government in Muslim Mindanao. Embed a stronger approach across BASIC. Agree. DFAT will draw on appropriate expertise to improve this aspect of BASIC and its successor program. Deliver more targeted gender-inclusive programming under BASIC. Agree. DFAT will draw on appropriate expertise to improve this aspect of BASIC and its successor program. Recommendation Response Actions Responsibility For future programming Strengthen Australian Government alignment. DFAT will develop a whole of government strategy that articulates our objectives for investments in Mindanao and peace and stability, how we will achieve those objectives, which partners we will work with, and how progress will be measured. DFAT Canberra will manage development of this strategy with close engagement with DFAT Peace and Stability team in Manila. DFAT Peace
and Stability Team in Manila and DFAT Canberra Strengthen inclusivity and gender-sensitivity of DFAT programming. Agree. DFAT will draw on appropriate expertise to improve this aspect of our peace and stability interventions. Further strengthen conflict and gender-sensitivity in the PATHWAYS program. Agree in principle. DFAT teams will assess how this can best be achieved. The flexible nature of PATHWAYS will enable it to respond to changes in the operating environment and associated opportunities throughout implementation. Its M&E framework will be designed and updated as needed to appropriately measure the effects of the program and to capture broader outcomes. DFAT Manila Promote continuity of existing support mechanisms, while uncertainty over peace road map architecture is being resolved. Agree, noting that the Philippines government is advancing its peace and development roadmap and developing a multi-partner financing facility. DFAT will remain engaged with the GPH and development partners to establish the most appropriate modality for supporting the peace process. DFAT Peace and Stability Team in Manila Continue to work flexibly at multiple levels of the peace process. Agree. Advocate for centralized GPH (OPAPP) coordination of donors. Agree, noting that the OPAPP of the new government has already reconstituted the main donor coordination body. DFAT is participating in the GPH-led Mindanao Working Group. Widen technical assistance to both MILF and other Moro Agree, noting that TA could be mobilised through the multi-partner facility. DFAT is planning to contribute to the GPH multi-partner financing facility under development. Start shifting multi-donor funds engaged in community-driven development from confidence building measures to inclusive socio-economic development. Agree, consistent with GPH policy and good development practice.