74 (iii) Free health care for children aged less than 5 and for deliveries: During 2008, the arrears of 2007 and the bills submitted up to June 2008 were settled; the rest to be reimbursed in 2009. To deal with the delays on the part of the provincial health bureaux, measures were taken to prompt them to submit their bills more rapidly. Thus, the late bills were returned and a special dispensation was required for them to be processed. (iv) The introduction of Performance based Funding (FBP): At the national level, the objective was to realize the harmonization of FBP funding and the financing of the free provision of care. A regular monitoring of the results of the pilot projects in FBP supported by the NGOs, Health Net TPO in the Gitega Province (Kibuye District) and Cordaid in the Bubanza and Cankuzo Provinces had been carried out. Likewise, the setting up and implementation of new FBP based support projects in the Ruyigi, Cankuzo Karusi and Rutana Provinces by Health Plus and in the Provinces of Mwaro, Kayanza, Bururi (Bururi and Matana Districts) and Gitega (Gitega, Mutaho and Ryansoro Districts) by RSS GAVI were subjected to stronger coordination. Resources had been made available to assist the Provinces which had not yet benefitted from external partner support and to guarantee the fair geographical distribution of the funds. The results of the FBP approach in the pilot Provinces are highly positive, as shown by the evaluation carried out by Cordaid in comparing two pilot Provinces with two model Provinces and taking into account the initial disparities between them. It appeared that out of the 27 indicators retained for the study 22 were in favour of the FBP system, but none were significantly in favour of the traditional system by « input ». The Government therefore decided to adopt this policy at the national level and to guarantee a harmonization of the various interventions in the Provinces with the support of the sectorial partners. It had been possible to strengthen the Sectorial Coordination whereas the MSP had continued to play a central role in the sectorial dialogue in the area of health, so as to make progress in the SWAP process (sectorial approach) and to arrive at the signature of a Compact, the objective of which was to enable the country to accelerate the attainment of the MDGs by increasing aid efficiency through enhanced partnership between the Government and the partners within the context of the IHP+ (International Health Partnership initiative, an initiative which brings together several high level partners, including DFID, the World Bank, the WHO and the United Nations and the Governments of 6 pilot countries including Burundi). The annual holding of joint missions between the Government and its partners was a first step in this respect.