DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN THE OECS COUNTRIES : THE EXPERIENCE OF THE UNDP

Drawing on projects in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, this article distills lessons on planning and public-sector management in small island economies. It explains how limited human resources, vulnerability to external shocks and fragmented markets shape the design of national development plans. The paper reviews UNDP-supported initiatives in economic management, statistics, and public administration, highlighting successes in budget reform and training, alongside persistent bottlenecks in procurement and maintenance. It argues that compact states benefit from modular, interoperable systems and regional pooling of specialized services. The experience also shows that donor coordination and locally anchored monitoring are essential to avoid reform fatigue and to translate plans into timely execution.

The body begins with the macro context of the OECS—openness, tourism dependence and exposure to hurricanes—and links these to volatility in revenues and capital spending. A second section analyzes institution building: establishing medium-term fiscal frameworks, strengthening treasuries, and digitizing customs and tax processes. A third section evaluates program delivery, contrasting quick wins in payroll and accounting modernization with slower progress in procurement and asset management. The fourth section discusses regional solutions—shared regulators, joint training academies and common IT platforms—that create economies of scale. A final section offers a design template: focus on core systems first, use open standards, embed change management, and pair external expertise with local ownership to sustain reforms beyond project cycles.