National Poverty Elimination Strategy and Action Plan (NPESAP) 2009-2013.

This National Poverty Elimination Strategy and Action Plan (NPESAP) represents the measures to be undertaken toward eliminating poverty during the 2009 to 2013 period. It builds on the findings of various consultations and studies undertaken during the period 2005 to 2007, on the strategies and policies endorsed through the results of the 2008 general elections, and on stakeholder consultations undertaken during its preparation in early 2009.
The NPESAP is organized along five strategic thrusts: 1. Economic Policies for Enable Growth; 2. Effective Planning and Transparent and Accountable Governance for Growth; 3. Investment for Human Capital Development; 4. Infrastructure for Economic Growth; 5. Strategic Support for Equity and Development. Every attempt is made to incorporate the elements of a comprehensive development plan. To achieve this end, the NPESAP is guided by the analytical frame recommended through the World Bank publication ‘A Sourcebook on Poverty Reduction Strategies’. The NPESAP therefore sets out issues and measures in the macro-structural, human development and infrastructure areas, and simultaneously targets urban and rural poverty and the cross cutting issues of governance, gender and environment. The structure of the monitoring and evaluation framework designed to support effective implementation of the NPESAP reinforces another important cross-cutting issue, that of participation. Another constraint indicated—that of inadequate levels of improvement in grassroots productivity, life skills and entrepreneurship—is addressed through provisions such as those at Strategy 5.3 and 5.4.
The NPESAP also takes account of Belize’s macroeconomic environment, especially in terms of the importance of the natural resource base to economic activities and to the livelihoods of a significant proportion of the persons assessed as poor who either live near areas of significant biodiversity or areas where the resource have been somewhat depleted. In addition, it seeks to address various aspects of poverty highlighted by the 2002 CPA such as the higher level of rural (than urban) poverty and the variation in the incidence of poverty across districts and ethnic groups. Activities are articulated to support measures for reducing poverty amongst the elderly, the working poor, children and youth. The activities at Strategy 5.3 and 5.4 are complemented by initiatives under Activity iii of Strategy 5.2 which provide for improvement in gender equity. A particular initiative recommended for replication here is the “Safe Schools Programme” that provides life skills and gender role training to youths. The programme is implemented jointly by the Department of Human Development and NGO partners, and targets upper class primary school students.
4.2.3. The results of a study to evaluate existing poverty elimination initiatives completed in June 2005, as well as participants’ views expressed at focus group and public consultations on the 2007-2011 NPESAP, emphasize a number of constraints to achieving poverty elimination. Measures to address these constraints permeate the Action Plan. Notably, these strategies and activities demonstrate the interdependent role of the various actors involved in the Action Plan since the ongoing and suggested initiatives have private-public participation or are led by the private sector.
The NPESAP is vulnerable to five serious threats to implementation: (i). Failure to achieve and maintain national consensus on the NPESAP goals. (ii). Inadequate implementation capacity. (iii) Inadequate external resources. (iv) Impact of global economic factors. (v) Impact of natural disasters.