Increasingly complex and evolving policy challenges demand greater capacity from governments seeking to effectively deliver on policy outcomes. Focusing on improving public governance, and in particular the openness and effectiveness of public institutions to deliver better policies, is therefore critical to rebuilding trust in public institutions.

This report assesses the capacity of Honduras’ public sector, and in particular the centre of government (CoG), to define and steer strategic priorities across government in order to achieve more inclusive and sustainable development. It looks in particular at four areas of public governance: policy co-ordination at the CoG, results-based management, policy monitoring and evaluation, and open government. This review is based on an assessment carried out at the end-2021. While the structure of the CoG institutions has changed with the 2022-2026 administration, the review’s recommendations on public governance functions, mechanisms and practices can nonetheless help strengthen efficient and inclusive public governance in the new institutional setting.

This chapter provides a broad overview of Honduras’ public sector and assesses its effectiveness across several, intertwined dimensions. First, it lays out how structural challenges have beencompounded by multiple shocks, impeding the country’s sustainable development. Second, it assesses the quality and quantity of public spending against policy objectives and development outcomes. Third, it analyses the capacity of the public administration to deliver inclusive and quality services to all by examining public employment and public sector digitalisation. Finally, it attempts to gauge effects of corruption and limited transparency. The chapter points to several areas for policy reform and provides the context for the topics covered in the following chapters: policy co-ordination, results-based management, monitoring and evaluation, and open government.

This chapter assesses the capacity of the centre of government (CoG) to lead whole-of-government co-ordination in Honduras. The chapter discusses the role of CoG institutions responsible for cross-government co-ordination; the value of the planning framework in aligning entities towards shared objectives; the work of the sectoral cabinets as forums for inter-ministerial consultations and decision making; and the mechanisms for multi-level co-ordination with subnational governments. The chapter highlights the progress achieved in establishing a formal framework for improved co-ordination, as well as the limitations in its practical implementation.

This chapter analyses the Results-Based Management (RBM) framework developed in Honduras. It focuses on two pillars of this framework: Strategic Planning, and Budgeting for Results. For each pillar, the chapter describes the functions, processes, roles and responsibilities of the framework and assesses how they have operated in practice. The chapter documents significant progress in formally establishing an RBM framework and creating an institution responsible for its overall co-ordination, but it also highlights the significant challenges faced in its implementation.

This chapter provides an analysis of the monitoring and evaluation system in Honduras in relation to OECD good practices. It analyses the legal framework for monitoring and evaluation; the mandates of different institutional actors and their competencies; the availability and quality of data; communication and dissemination strategy; and the impact of these on decision and policy making within and beyond the executive. The chapter concludes with policy recommendations for improving the quality and impact of monitoring and evaluation of policies in Honduras.

This chapter analyses the open government agenda in Honduras within the broader context of ongoing public sector reforms, placing special emphasis on the government’s ambition to increase public sector transparency. The chapter finds that Honduras has made important progress in establishing rules, governance and implementation frameworks. Notably, the country has been implementing Open Government Partnership (OGP) action plans for many years and its ambition to build an open state has been expressed through the adoption of an Open State Declaration. However, Honduras faces several challenges with regard to open government delivering its promise of a more transparent, accountable and participatory government, in particular relating to a lack of proper implementation and evaluation.