This note presents an overview of the results of various background work undertaken as part of the Technical Assistance for Public Expenditure Management (TAPEM) provided to the Government by the World Bank. This note focuses on the first pillar of the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS): growth for jobs and exports. As a result, technical efficiency issues covered in this note focus on the education (skills development), agriculture and infrastructure sectors. The note addresses issues of both effectiveness and efficiency. Technical issues are discussed in the context of sector specific constraints and effectiveness is tied to broader issues related to reducing inequality and improving the distributional impact of public spending. The rest of the note proceeds as follows: section three outlines the macro-fiscal context and the key factors impacting on sustained growth and poverty reduction. Section four presents an overview of completed Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms and identifies areas in need of reform looking forward. Section five discusses issues pertaining to efficiency in three key sectors linked to the first pillar of the EDPRS (growth for jobs and exports): education, agriculture and infrastructure. Section six discusses the issue of evidence based planning and budgeting and the role of institutionalized Public Expenditure Review (PERs).