Country Assistance Strategy
MOZAMBIQUE

1 National context

1.1 Socio-economic and humanitarian evaluation

After sixteen years of war, peace was restored in Mozambique in 1992. Since then, the country has been struggling with reconstruction and development. The political situation is stable, but may be affected by the parliamentary and presidential elections in 1999. Inflation has been brought under control and the annual GNP growth rate is among the highest in Africa, but the country is heavily dependent upon external aid and has to cope with a growing debt service burden.

As a result of the rapid introduction of structural adjustment there is growing socio-economic polarization. Mozambique is still one of the 10 poorest countries in the world and faces daunting development challenges. The annual per capita GDP is approximately US$ 240. Almost 70% of the population live in absolute poverty and the number of street children is growing. Mozambique rates as no. 166 out of 174 countries in UNDP’s Human Development Index (1998). Average life expectancy is 46 years and over 60% of the population is illiterate, most of whom are female. A fragile human resource base constitutes one of the most critical problems in Mozambique. Being one of the world’s poorest countries with 70% of the population living in extreme poverty Mozambique is extremely vulnerable to disasters, and the capacity of communities and the government is very limited as well. Unemployment rates are very high.

The government is working to build a sustainable economy and to support health and educational services, whilst promoting decentralization and management capacities. Government expenditure on social services (education, health, water and income subsidies for vulnerable groups) is estimated to have increased from a quarter of total expenditure in 1994 to one third in 1998, but access to health and social services is still far from adequate and both rural and urban vulnerability are high. Percentages of the population without access to drinking water, health services and sanitation are 37, 61 and 46 respectively.

Additional basic health indicators for Mozambique:

Infant mortality rate 127,7

Gross mortality rate 18.3

Mortality rate for children under 5 283

Low birth weight rate 12.1

Underweight children under 5 27

The principal causes of death are malaria, communicable diseases, epidemics, deliveries and maternal mortality, malnutrition and diarrhoeal diseases. It is estimated that 1.2 million people are HIV positive and numbers are increasing, especially in the Nacala, Tete, Beira and Maputo corridors to Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa . The incidence rate in the corridors is 20%, twice the national average. The government’s 5 year plan prioritizes poverty alleviation and the social sectors, and the national policy on public administration modernization stresses the importance of decentralization and development of local management and professional skills.

1.2 Vulnerability analysis

Mozambique is a disaster-prone country affected by drought, floods, cyclones and epidemics.

Serious flooding affected Mozambique in 1997 and 1999, and there was a severe drought in 1992.

It is estimated that there are still 2 million anti-personnel mines in Mozambique, and that it will take 160 years to clear them at the present rate, during which time human beings will continue to be killed and maimed.

Since August 1997 Mozambique has been affected by cholera epidemics and it is anticipated that there will be once again a need for disaster prevention and cholera response with the advent of the rainy season. The MRCS Health programme 2000-2001 has as one of its objectives the provision of health education and treatment to people affected by cholera. The incidence of HIV infection is still on the increase.

1.3 Analysis of the funding and assistance / cooperation environment

According to the most recent Report (1995-97 UNDP Development Cooperation Report) aid flows fell by approximately 25% over this period. Humanitarian aid fell from 17 to 2 % and food aid from 10 to 4%, while the social sectors rose from 15 to 19%. Bilateral aid focus varies according to the donors’ preferences regarding sector support to the government and geographically (provincial focus). The most important multilateral agencies were the EU, WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR and UNDP.

In the health sector, the government’s objectives since the late 80’s have been development of primary health care, technical and management capacity and improved conditions for health workers. 17 bilateral and multilateral agencies, as well as NGOs provide assistance in the health sector.

Since the MRCS collaborates closely with the government, ministries and departments in the health, social welfare and disaster areas, the NS has contacts with the various agencies providing funding and technical assistance to Mozambique. However, very little monetary assistance indeed is received from representations in Mozambique. The main reason being the fact that support is extended to the government while NGOs in general are funded from abroad. Nonetheless, there is scope for improvement. Increased national revenue and diversification of the funding mix are among the main goals of the MRCS Finance Resource Development Programme (2000-2003) proposal.

2 National Society priorities

Over the last few years, the MRCS has grown heavily dependent on funding from a core group of PNS. The MRCS now faces the challenge of taking steps towards financial sustainability.

Most PNS have primarily supported the MRCS health programmes. But other programmes such as the institutional development and street children programmes are and have been supported. More recently, a programme to raise awareness about mines and mines victims is being funded. The well-functioning of the latter programmes once again emphasizes the importance of high quality planning, monitoring and staff. An organisational assessment has been included in the Financial Resource Development Programme for the year 2000.

The MRCS has completed the downsizing process it began in the mid 90s, but the process of organizational change will continue, as well as decentralization. Financial management and administration will also be strengthened at branch level. The MRCS plans that these needs are taken into account, and a comprehensive Financial Resource Development Programme proposal (2000-2003) has been drafted.

The Mozambique Red Cross Society’s Strategic Plan 1999-2001 specifies that the general objective of the society is to strengthen the capacity of the most vulnerable population groups, particularly in the fields of health and social welfare.

MRCS priorities for this period have been defined as follows:

The MRCS has planned projects for 2000. in the following areas: Health, Social Welfare (including mines awareness and street children projects), and institutional and resource development (including disaster preparedness, and information and dissemination).

3 Priorities and objectives for Federation assistance

The Mozambique delegation currently consists of a development delegate/Federation representative and two local staff. A finance development delegate is being recruited. Delegation support over the last 4 years has primarily been in institutional development. In 1997, the result of a countrywide baseline survey of provincial delegations was presented and subsequently formed the basis of the restructuring process. In addition to this, support has been given to planning and reporting, managerial and administrative systems and procedures. Due to capacity problems there is still room for progress in these fields at all levels of the society.

During the current period of consolidation, Federation assistance will be channelled through the country delegation to support capacity building of the MRCS, especially within the fields of institutional and financial resource development. Direct technical support will be provided by a development and a finance delegate, complemented by the Regional Delegation in Harare, e.g. in the fields of Disaster Preparedness, Health, and Water and Sanitation, in additional to occasional Secretariat consultancies.

The core objectives will be to support the development of the MRCS from crisis management to proactive quality programme intervention by means of

4 Priority programmes for Federation assistance

The Federation proposes to assist the MRCS in the core areas mentioned below. In both disaster preparedness, health, institutional development and mines programmes the MRCS will be reducing the number of target districts to one only in each province in view of capacity constraints resulting from down sizing and to augment impact which will also benefit from closer collaboration between the various departments. Decentralization will be carried out by the appointment of three zonal RD/ID officers (South, Centre, North). External funding of their salaries will be phased out in 4 years (2000-2003). Community involvement will be the basis of all new endeavours.

4.1 Disaster response

Planning of an MRCS Disaster Response project in collaboration with the regional DP delegate is pending. The MRCS has drafted a cholera DR and DP project which is available from the Society.

4.2 Disaster Preparedness

The objectives of the Disaster Preparedness Project (2000-2001) are to provide Federation assistance:

4.3 Health education and services

The objectives of the Community Based Health Programme (2000-2001) are to support the MRCS:

4.4 Promotion of humanitarian values

Activities planned in connection with the Millennium will include promotion of RC values.

Currently a mines awareness programme supported by Swedish Red Cross through the Federation is being implemented. Canadian Red Cross are planning a project to assist mines victims with the MRCS. The objectives are

4.5 Institutional and resource development

One on the main areas of assistance by the Federation to the National Society will be is the area of Financial Resource Development. The objectives of the Financial Resource Development Programme (2000, 2001-2003) are:

5 National Society activities currently supported by donors, particularly those within the Movement

Of the above-mentioned priority areas for Federation assistance the first two, Disaster Response and Preparedness, are currently only being supported in connection with specific appeals such as the Cholera Relief Appeal in 1998. However, a strategy for the upgrading of integrated disaster preparedness and response has been drafted, and two pilot projects (floods and drought) have been planned. This area will definitely be prioritized by both the MRCS and Federation assistance in the period covered by this country strategy.

The MRCS Health and Water and Sanitation programmes have been foci of Federation assistance, not least from British and Finnish RC. Bilateral support is also received from Norwegian Red Cross and Danish Red Cross. The latter are initiating a pilot community health project in the province of Inhambane which will serve as a model for a bilateral Icelandic (RC and government) community health project expected to commence in 2000.

Icelandic Red Cross also supports two centres for Street Children managed by the Social Welfare Programme whose Youth Officer is involved in a Swedish Red Cross (Federation) Mines Awareness Project (1999-2000). Efforts in this area are also supported by Canadian RC and non-Movement donors.

The promotion of humanitarian values has been and is still supported by the ICRC.

Institutional development is still primarily funded (bilaterally) by Norwegian RC, but several RCs provide direct or indirect funding through capacity building and administrative charges. The development delegate is sponsored by Danish RC.

table 1: overview of the programmes for strategy implementation

6 Resource mobilization strategy

The principal current sources of funding for Federation supported programmes are:

The most important funding strategy is the drafting of a MRCS Finance Resource Development Programme Proposal for 2000-2003, one aim of which is to improve the current funding mix. Collaboration with the cooperation environment in Mozambique will be strengthened, and e.g. opportunities for service delivery implemented. The comprehensive plan and thorough approach is expected to attract donor attention, as the need for financial sustainability is being repeatedly emphasized by everyone.

At the end of 1999 a working group meeting will be held to present MRCS plans for 2000. It is hoped that long-term commitments will be the result of this and other donor meetings. The SAPRCS meeting in November in Harare with PNS participation will serve as an opportunity to follow up.

The new team at the Southern Africa desk is very active and with their support more resources should be mobilised.

7 Criteria and process for evaluating the assistance strategy and assessing possible risks

The programmes included in the Country Assistance Strategy proposals will be measured in relation to baseline assessments stipulated in the programmes, e.g. in the new target communities. Similarly a complete survey of MRCS assets, fundraising and revenue generation projects will take place at the beginning of the year 2000. The programme documents provide details on targets, indicators and monitoring, reviews and evaluations.

As is already customary, MRCS programmes assisted by the Federation will be reported on with reference to measurable outputs specified in the programme/project plans. The MRCS elaborates quarterly narrative reports which are distributed by them directly. Monthly financial reports are forwarded to the Regional Delegation in Harare and subsequently the Secretariat in Geneva. The Federation Representative produces quarterly progress and evaluation reports which are forwarded to the PNS by the Federation.

The annual planning process is based on a joint informal evaluation of the previous year before by the MRCS and the Federation, which is reflected in adjustments in emphasis, goals and methodology. Additional, formal evaluations are carried out in accordance with stipulations in MoU/PMNs.

8 Budget overview (please see annex)