Long-term priorities and quick wins: can they be harmonized?

This and much more became the subject of discussion at the meeting of the Public Council of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Invited speakers included Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Parliament Zhakip Asanov, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan Katarzyna Wawiernia and Head of the Office for Results-Based Management at the Agency for Strategic Reforms under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Aziza Umarova.

Opening the meeting Chairman of the Public Council Alikhan Baimenov noted that achieving a reasonable balance between long-term priorities and quick wins is a significant challenge for governments worldwide. "Today's meeting of the Public Council includes professionals from various organizations who can share diverse perspectives on the topic, which we believe will be valuable for the Agency and other authorized bodies" - he said.

According to the head of ASPR Zhandos Shaimardanov, the harmonization and balance between long-term strategic goals and quick wins are crucial. "The long-term development goals of the country are defined within the framework of the National Development Plan of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2029. For its successful implementation, we must strictly and consistently follow the approved priorities while maintaining a coherent agenda and focus on achieving results" - added the Chairman.

During the discussions, experts shared their perspectives, including a global outlook. UNDP Resident Representative Katarzyna Wawiernia spoke about the agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Furthermore, Director General of the Applied Economics Research Center Zhanybek Aigazin, presented a retrospective view of Kazakhstan’s strategic and budgetary planning.

On behalf of ASPR, the Director of the Strategic Planning and Reform Monitoring Department Mukhtar Abutalip presented the approaches to reform prioritization based on the "Action Priority Matrix."

In conclusion, Aziza Umarova shared her experience in tracking results and assessing the effectiveness of strategic priority implementation, as well as examples of quick wins in social policy realized in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Closing the meeting, members of the Public Council agreed to continue discussions on pressing issues in a new format, involving experts, including those with international experience.