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WHEN WAS ACBF ESTABLISHED?
The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) was established in February
1991. It was the outcome of collaboration between African governments
and the international donor community. The major sponsoring agencies
of the Foundation are the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank.
WHAT IS ACBF’S MANDATE?
The initial mandate, which provided the focus of activities over the
period 1991-1996 in the evolution of the Foundation, was to build Policy
Analysis and Development Management Capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.
This mandate was broadened in 1999 following the approval of ACBF Board
of Governors to integrate the initiative of African Governors of the
World Bank called Partnership for Capacity Building in Africa (PACT)
into the Foundation. As a result of this integration, ACBF’s present
mandate is to build capacity in the core public sector, in interface
areas with the private sector and civil society, in training and research
institutions and in regional organizations in sub-Saharan Africa.
WHO ARE THE MEMBERS
OF THE FOUNDATION?
Membership of ACBF is open to all African countries as well as donor
countries and organizations that contribute to the Foundation’s trust
fund. The current membership comprises the three sponsoring agencies
(AfDB, UNDP and the World Bank), the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
which joined the Foundation in April 2002, as well as 33 African and
non-African countries namely, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Canada, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark,
Finland, France, Gabon, Ghana, India, Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania,
Mauritius, The Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Rwanda, Senegal,
Sweden, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, Zambia
and Zimbabwe. Countries and organizations that are about to complete
legal and administrative formalities for membership include Djibouti,
Ethiopia, the European Union and Guinea-Conakry.
WHAT IS ACBF STAFF STRENGTH?
ACBF Secretariat as at June 2005 had a complement of 55 staff, excluding
the Executive Secretary. This is made up of 35 professional and 20
support staff. All staff of the Foundation are Africans.
WHAT ARE THE MECHANISMS
FOR ENSURING EFFECTIVE FIDUCIARY CONTROL BY
ACBF?
Barring special arrangements that may be agreed to between the Foundation
and a donor agency or country, all funds contributed to ACBF are managed
by the World Bank, which serves as the trustee to the Foundation. The
funds are held in a Trust Fund and made available to the Secretariat
in line with its annual Business Plan that is vetted and approved by
the Foundation’s Executive Board. All requests for funds from the Trust
Fund by the Secretariat are supported by required documentation and adequately
justified.
The World Bank audits the Trust
Fund annually. At the level of the Secretariat,
the use of funds is strictly in line with the
budget approved by the Executive Board and the
authority to incur expenditures is subjected
to rigorous financial and administrative procedures
that are clearly spelt out in the Foundation’s
financial and administrative procedures manual.
An audit and management firm with impeccable
international reputation audits the Foundation’s
accounts annually. The Executive Board, which
is made up of representatives of the three sponsoring
agencies, 4 African and 4 non-African professionals
appointed by the Board of Governors of the Foundation,
select the auditors. The Secretariat maintains
strong fiduciary oversight over the use of grant
proceeds by projects. This involves regular field
supervision missions by program and disbursement
officers. External auditors with international
standing audit all project accounts annually.
HOW WERE ACBF’s CORE
COMPETENCIES DETERMINED?
ACBF’s six core competence areas are
as follows:
- Economic Policy Analysis and Management.
- Financial Management and Accountability.
- Strengthening and Monitoring of National
Statistics.
- Public Administration and Management.
- Strengthening of the Policy Analysis Capacity
of National Parliaments.
- Professionalization of the Voices of the
Private Sector and Civil Society.
The six core areas of competency
were generated by region-wide capacity needs
assessment missions that were undertaken in 2000
during the integration of PACT into ACBF. The
needs assessment missions were undertaken to
African countries and regional organizations
and provided feedback on priority areas of needs.
The outcomes of the needs assessment missions
were aggregated and reclassified into broad categories
of areas of interventions. The classification
gave rise to the six areas of core capacity needs.
The six areas of needs are therefore the direct
result of the demand expressed by countries and
regional organizations in response to the PACT
initiative. Accordingly, they represent expressed
demand for capacity in sub- Saharan Africa.
ARE THE CORE AREAS OF
COMPETENCE NOT TOO MANY?
The six core areas of competence that will guide the Foundation’s project
development and knowledge management activities over the period of the
Strategic Medium-Term Plan, 2002-2006 provide an optimal combination
of areas of intervention in which capacity needs in sub-Saharan Africa
are greatest. All six areas may not necessarily form the basis of a program
in all countries. Country conditions differ. For each country only a
combination of some of the six areas may be required to address the core
capacity needs.
To restrict the Foundation’s
mandate to a sub-set of the six areas will unnecessarily
exclude a number of countries whose capacity
needs may not fall within the sub-set that is
selected. Thus, for each country there is a distinct
sub-set that will generate optimal intervention
in its core capacity needs. The six core competency
areas are therefore not too many. The challenge
is that of building internal capacity within
ACBF to ensure effective intervention in all
areas. This challenge is being taken up through
in-house skills development programs to facilitate
or strengthen specialization by professional
staff in one or more core competency areas and
the establishment of technical advisory panels
and networks to broaden the Foundation’s access
to a wider pool of expertise regionally and internationally.
WHAT CRITERIA DOES ACBF
USE IN SELECTING COUNTRIES FOR CAPACITY-BUILDING
INTERVENTIONS?
All countries in sub-Saharan Africa are eligible for support by ACBF.
The eligibility criteria therefore apply largely to projects and programs.
Projects and programs seeking to access funding support are required
to satisfy a combination of the criteria listed below:
- Consistence with ACBF mandate and core areas
of competency
- Relevance to country or region’s core capacity
needs
- Evidence that project will support a participatory
process in capacity building and/or development
management and make some contribution to poverty
reduction programs in the country or region
- Demonstrated commitment to the sustainability
of the proposed project or program
- Conduciveness of the project environment,
especially with respect to commitment to sociopolitical,
economic and institutional reforms; commitment
to the coordination of capacitybuilding activities;
and country’s participation in ACBF’s activities
- Contribution of the project or program to
the enhancement of geographical balance of
the Foundation’s projects and programs portfolio.
These criteria are applied equally and rigorously
irrespective of the country or region from which
the project originates. For a country to qualify
for a Full Intervention Program a few more criteria
need to be met. These are:
- Existence of strongly felt capacity needs
- Availability of country capacity profile
and/or a national capacity building strategy
and plan
- Availability of an institutional framework
for, or commitment to, coordination of capacity-
building activities
- Commitment to, or the existence of, verifiable
evidence of plan/progress in the implementation
of institutional, economic and socio-political
reforms
- Existence of sound, transparent and accountable
budgetary and financial management systems
and processes
- Evidence of elements of good governance
practice, especially participatory development
process and commitment to institutional process
for addressing corruption in the public sector
- Commitment to, or progress in, the preparation
of an effective program for poverty reduction
- In the case of post-conflict countries,
evidence of complete cessation of hostility
in the geographical area in which the program
would be implemented and commitment to a program
for transition to democratic/participatory
governance
WHAT IS THE SIZE OF
ACBF PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS PORTFOLIO? WHAT
IS THE EXTENT OF COUNTRY COVERAGE?
Since 1991, ACBF has approved
a total of 101 grants. Some of the projects supported
by these grants have usefully come to the end
of their implementation phases. In May 2005,
the ACBF Executive Board approved new funding
amounting to US$7.975 million to support five
national and two regional projects in sub-saharan
Africa.
The total number of on-going
projects and programs at the moment is 80. In
addition to the projects and programs, there
are 26 National Focal Points for coordinating
capacity building activities at the country level.
The current portfolio comprises the following:
- Public Sector Operation
- Economic Policy Analysis and Management
- Public Sector Economic and Financial Management
Training Programs
- Financial Management and Accountability
- Strengthening Policy Analysis Capacity of
National Parliaments
- Regional Organizations Public Sector-Private
Sector Interface Operations
- National Institutions
- Regional Institutions
Special Interventions
National Focal Points
Country-level Knowledge Networks
The present coverage is 39 countries in sub-Saharan
Africa and five sub-regions – West, Central,
the Horn of Africa, East and Southern Africa.
WHAT IS ACBF’S AVERAGE
GRANT SIZE?
The average grant size is about US$ 2.0 million for projects and programs.
However, with the introduction of Full and Targeted-Intervention country
programs under the Strategic Medium Term Plan, 2002-2006, the average
grant size will vary depending on the type of intervention. For Full
Interventions, the average grant size is US$12.0 million, while for Targeted
interventions, the average amounts to about US$2.5 million.
HOW IS PERFORMANCE MEASURED
WITH RESPECT TO THE FOUNDATION’S OPERATIONS?
The Foundation measures its performance by means of performance indicators.
These indicators provide measures for administrative and operational
effectiveness and efficiency. The indicators are applied at both the
level of the ACBF Secretariat and that of its projects, and their development
isa continuing process.
HOW EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT
ARE THE FOUNDATION’S OPERATIONS?
The Foundation is effective, as it has consistently met its operational
targets quantitatively and qualitatively with resources approved by the
Executive Board each year. It is efficient because it is achieving the
same targets in each successive year with an increasing quality of output
at a declining administrative cost. The cost of servicing a US$1 grant
has consistently declined from US$0.20 to US$0.15 since 1998. There are
therefore increasing returns to capacity-building resources channeled
through the Foundation.
WHY SHOULD DONORS CHANNEL
THEIR SUPPORT FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN AFRICA
THROUGH THE FOUNDATION RATHER THAN GOING DIRECTLY
TO THE COUNTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS TO BE SUPPORTED?
The reasons are numerous. A
few of them are listed here. They are as follows:
- The Foundation is a specialized institution
in capacity building with competent African
professionals who understand the needs of
the African Continent much better than an
external donor working through a consultant.
- The Foundation has well-established institutional
structures, systems, processes, procedures
and practices, which guide its intervention
in capacity building. The development of
these structures, systems, processes and
procedures requires considerable investment
on the part of a single donor who intends
to intervene in capacity building. Such an
investment by a single donor who focuses
on only a few countries in a few areas of
interventions will amount to an inefficient
use of resources.
- Intervention through ACBF is very efficient,
as it allows for economies of scale in the
capacity-building process. Scale economies
result from a declining overhead cost as
the number of interventions rises
- The Foundation’s capacity-building process
allows for the collation, documentation and
sharing of experiences and best practices
in capacity-building strategies and development
management across countries and regions.
The building of capacity is therefore not
an end in itself for the Foundation. The
process and the impact of the interventions
are inputs in a knowledge databank, which
is invaluable for Africa’s development. Direct
interventions by donor agencies do not provide
for learning and experience sharing. The
knowledge and skills from donor-led interventions
reside in consultants as tacit knowledge
and are hardly shared. Other donors or countries
seeking to benefit from such knowledge do
not have access to it.
- Skills and experiences acquired by ACBF
in the capacity-building process enable the
Foundation to avoid pitfalls and get value
for its investment.
- The Foundation spends US$0.15 to service
a US$1 grant in capacity building, which
amounts to about 95% efficiency in the use
of resources.
Donors who finance their capacity-building
support through the Foundation spend only a very
small faction of their resources on administrative
cost since such cost is spread over numerous
donors and supports a small but highly effective
secretariat with full-time staff that deal with
all aspects of the project development and management
process.
- The Foundation allows for continuity in
its processes and the ability to replicate
experiences. Consultants-driven processes
do not permit continuity as the consultants
may not always be available to replicate
their experiences elsewhere.
- The Foundation has easy access to African
stakeholders at very high levels and its
process in capacity building is highly consultative
and is fundamental to the building of a strong
sense of ownership. The monitoring of project
performance is very rigorous at all levels – in
the use of resources, operational activities
and utility of output
TO WHAT EXTENT IS ACBF
GENDER CONSCIOUS?
ACBF is a gender conscious institution. At the level of its Secretariat,
female professionals account for about 40% of professional staff, while
at the support staff level they account for 55%. At the level of the
Executive Board the figure is about 27%. The Foundation ensures that
all institutions benefiting from its support target women through training,
fellowships, scholarships, and exchange programs, among others, in the
capacity building process. The Foundation’s portfolio includes projects
that are geared towards strengthening women’s participation in the decision-making
process at the national level. A good example is the NGO Coordinating
Committee project in Zambia.
WHAT VALUE HAS ACBF
INTERVENTION ADDED TO CAPACITY BUILDING AND
DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT?
The outputs produced by the institutions supported by the Foundation
have grown significantly over the years, both in quantity, quality and
utility. Policy studies commissioned through the institutions by governments,
the private sector, civil society organizations, the donor community,
and regional and international development agencies have risen considerably.
Courses, workshops, seminars and conferences organized by the institutions
have continued to benefit an increasing number of participants.
In the area of postgraduate economics training, more candidates continue
to benefit from Collaborative Master’s Program in Economics by the African
Economic Research Consortium (AERC) and the “Programme de Troisième
Cycle Interuniversitaire” (PTCI), the Economic Policy Management Programs
(EPMs) and the University of Namibia Master’s Program in Public Policy
and Administration. Training for skills development are being stepped
up considerably with the addition in 2000 of the Centre Africain d’Etudes
Supérieures en Gestion (CESAG) Banking and Finance program in
Senegal, the Institut d’Economie et de Finances specialized training
for government financial agencies in Gabon, and the Southern African
Regional Institute for Policy Studies program in Zimbabwe.
Thus far, the fruits of the
Foundation’s intervention have shown that there
is a growing African ownership and leadership
of the capacity-building process as well as a
growing African ownership of an increasing quality
of development policies and programs as a result
of the emphasis on the building and utilization
of indigenous capacity. The Foundation is an
African organization that is staffed by African
professionals and its interventions have added
value to capacity building, development management,
good governance and poverty reduction through:
- The creation of economies of scale in
the capacity-building process due to cost
effective national and regional projects
and programs.
- The enhancement of strategies, processes
and programs as well as ACBF’s presence in
countries and regions in sub-Saharan Africa,
thus contributing to a declining transaction
cost for new interventions in capacity building.
- Adherence to an operational principle
of neutrality with respect to countries’ sociopolitical
and economic dispensation - an orientation
that has strengthened the trust of development
stakeholders in the Foundation’s activities.
- ACBF’s emerging role as a mechanism for
fostering consultation, constructive dialogue
and understanding among development stakeholders
(the public sector, the private sector and
civil society through interface projects)
and between the donor community and African
stakeholders on the channelling of resources
in the building of economic policy analysis
and development management capacity in sub-Saharan
Africa.
HOW DOES ACBF ENSURE
OWNERSHIP OF PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS?
For ACBF, country or stakeholder ownership of project or program is a
fundamental principle in its capacity-building strategy. Ownership is
critical for sustainability of intervention. The Foundation ensures ownership
by requiring project promoters to take responsibility for the identification
and development of their project proposals. It also promotes a strong
sense of ownership through counterpart funding or co-financing by project
stakeholders and their participation in the project performance monitoring
and evaluation process.
HOW DOES ACBF INTEND
TO IMPLEMENT COUNTRY PROGRAMS UNDER ITS STRATEGIC
MEDIUM TERM PLAN?
In developing country programs, the Foundation will be mindful of the
need to intervene in countries where capacity needs are greatest, but
which also provide intervention-friendly environment. While it will not
necessarily constrain countries to meet specific conditions for intervention,
it would encourage those that are committed to developing, reviewing
and updating country capacity profiles to enable the Foundation to track
evolving capacity needs and the responsiveness of such needs to ongoing
interventions; institutional, economic and socio-political reforms, which
provide a conducive environment for effective intervention in the capacity
building process; sound, transparent and accountable budgetary processes
and financial management practices; good governance that is built on
participation by development stakeholders at the national level; and
growth with effective programs for poverty reduction.
These, however, will by no means constitute
preconditions for intervention. As regards strategy,
the Foundation will adopt a two-pronged approach
in the development of Full Intervention programs.
First, it will have as an option the development
of a single integrated country program based
on a suitable combination of components of the
core competency areas, which reflect the affected
country’s most pressing capacity needs. Thus,
a Full Intervention program may not necessarily
comprise all six core competencies and commit
the maximum projected funding provided for in
the SMTP. Second, the Secretariat would explore
an incremental or project-by-project approach,
but ensure that a strong synergy exists across
all the project components. Whatever strategy
is used will depend on a country’s circumstances
with respect to donor support, commitment of
stakeholders, and the nature of the environment,
among numerous otherfactors.
Both for Full and Targeted Interventions, any
of the existing projects and programs in the
Foundation’s portfolio, which provides a good
fit for an expected project component may constitute
an integral part of the emerging country program.
Thus, any existing projects that qualify for
refinancing and which fall within the core areas
of competency may form components of the emerging
country programs. A country program may be developed
as an entirely new intervention. It could also
be built around an on-going intervention by the
Foundation or an existing project by another
donor operating within the core competencies.
WHAT IMPACT IS ACBF
MAKING IN CAPACITY BUILDING?
The decision by African governments and their development partners to
integrate PACT into ACBF is a strong indication of the importance attached
to the Foundation and its credibility. The attributes that generated
this confidence level and thus, the decision are a function of performance
and impact of ACBF.
The Foundation has put in place:
- The policy unit concept in the building
of macroeconomic policy analysis capacity
- National and sub-regional training programs
to provide sustainable high-quality postgraduate
economics training programs through AERC
and PTCI, economic policy management training
through universities in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana,
Cameroon and Uganda. There are also specialized
training programs through National Centre
for Economic Management and Administration
(NCEMA), and in-service training programs
based on short courses, internships, exchange
programs and study visits, etc, all of which
have had enormous impact on core capacity
needs in the public sector. Regional training
programs in the area of debt, reserves and
macroeconomic management through Banque Centrale
des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest/ Banque
des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale (BCEAO/BEAC),
Macroeconomic and Financial Management Institute
(MEFMI) and the West African Institute for
Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM).
- The concept of National Focal Points (NFPs)
for capacity building.
- Institutional frameworks to foster dialogue
among development stakeholders as evidenced
by the Pan-African Capacity Building Forum
held in Bamako, Mali in October 2001 and
the regional NFP workshops held in May 2000
in Libreville, Gabon and in June 2000 in
Lusaka, Zambia. On average, more than 80%
of the beneficiaries of ACBF interventions
are from the core public sector. The retention
rate for beneficiaries of all forms of capacity
building activities by the Foundation is
about 90%. A partial listing of the impact
of the Foundation’s interventions consists
of the following:
- At macroeconomic and sectoral policy levels,
ACBF’s established and supported policy centres,
training institutions, policy implementation
programs and other skills and institution
building programs are providing a strong
basis for policy reforms, design, implementation
and monitoring as exemplified by their contributions
to:
- Rural development
and agricultural
policy reforms
(e.g., Tanzania,
Kenya).
- Public expenditure
review and
reform of tax
policy and
budgetary processes
(e.g., Benin,
Ghana, Senegal
and Tanzania).
- Efficacy
of economic
forecasting
and enhancement
of macro and
sectoral policy
analysis and
planning through
efficient macro
and sectoral
policy planning
models in areas
such as agriculture,
industry, education,
infrastructure,
health, small
and micro-enterprises,
tourism, etc
(e.g., Cote
d’Ivoire, Kenya,
Nigeria and
South Africa).
- Preparation
of national
development
plans and vision
documents (e.g.
Botswana, Kenya,
Namibia, Zambia).
- Design and
implementation
of country
development
assistance
strategy (Tanzania).
- Research
and consultative
support for,
drafting and
review of poverty
reduction strategies
and programs,
including Poverty
Reduction Strategy
Papers (PRSPs)
and the consultative
process involved
(e.g., Benin,
Burundi, Kenya,
Mali, Namibia,
Tanzania, Zambia).
For instance,
the Namibian
Economic Policy
Research Unit
led the preparation
of Namibia’s
national poverty
reduction action
plan, while
the Directorate
of Macroeconomic
Policy Analysis
(DMPA), Zambia
has continued
to serve as
the secretariat
for the consultative
process and
the preparation
of Zambia’s
PRSP.
- Fostering
understanding
of the dimensions
and implications
of the new
EU-ACP Cotonou
agreement and
challenges
for African
countries (e.g.
Benin, Cote
d’Ivoire).
- Sensitization of governments to the need
for improvement in economic policies.
Other areas where ACBF, through
its institutions, is making an impact include:
- Secondment of core professionals to economic
ministries and agencies to help strengthen
capacity for policy analysis and assist in
the implementation of specific development
policies and programs (e.g., Botswana, Kenya,
Senegal and Zambia).
- Participation of ACBF-supported policy
centres in national delegations to regional
and international meetings and conferences,
including WTO conferences to help inform
policy dialogue and assist countries to stand
sensibly on several policy issues (e.g. Botswana,
Kenya and Zambia).
- Participation of ACBF-supported institutions
in inter-ministerial task forces and committees
for policy analysis, review, reform and/or
monitoring, and contributing vital inputs
in the design and implementation of policy
and institutional reforms as well as in development
policies and programs (e.g. Kenya, Namibia
and Zambia). For instance, DMPA represents
the Ministry of Finance and EconomicDevelopment
in various working groups and was involved
in the negotiation of the 2001 economic reform
program with the IMF. It coordinated the
review of the program in June 2001.
- Contributions to reform of policy institutions
and preparation of briefing papers for governments
on aspects of development policy issues (e.g.
review of the President’s Economic Advisory
Council and land reform program in Namibia,
briefing papers in Namibia, Senegal and Zambia).
- Contributions to the Foundation’s evolving
program in knowledge management and strengthening
of dialogue among development stakeholders
through the flow of economic information
from books published, research reports produced,
working papers, occasional papers, economic
reviews, policy briefs, policy analysis series,
journals, monthly macroeconomic indicators,
economic reports, among others, thus heightening
awareness of development issues and enhancing
understanding of policy options.
- Strengthening of the platform for consultation
and dialogue among development stakeholders
at the national level, especially through
the activities of interface projects such
as: Nongovernmental Organization Coordinating
Committee (NGOCC), Zambia; Nongovernmental
Organization (NGO) Council, Kenya; Projet
de Renforcement de l’Interface entre l’Etat
et le Secteur Privé (PRIESP), Mali;
Private Sector Corporate Governance Trust
(PSCGT), Kenya; South African Nongovernmental
Organization Coalition (SANGOCO), South Africa;
and Civil Service Department (CSD-PSF), Tanzania.
- Provision of technical and analytical
support at the regional level for the design
of convergence criteria for the harmonization
of economic policies in Union Economique
et Monétaire de l’Afrique de l’Ouest
(UEMOA) states, strengthening of the capacity
of HIPC countries on the Continent on issues
relating to debt relief and poverty reduction,
serving as part of regional organization/government
delegations to conferences, roundtables and
negotiations geared towards addressing issues
in various aspects of integration and interregional
relations, including World Trade Organization
(WTO) (e.g. Policy Analysis Support Union
(PASU), Africa Union).
HOW DOES ACBF INTEND
TO STAND IN THE AREA OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT?
One of the significant elements of the Foundation’s Strategic Medium-Term
Plan, 2002-2006 is the strategic repositioning of ACBF to emerge as a
knowledge-based organization by the end of the Plan. This orientation
is vital for the Foundation to contribute effectively to the emergence
of knowledge-based economies in Africa. ACBF’s orientation will be guided
by a knowledge management strategy, which is being designed as part of
a change management process. To spearhead its transition into a knowledge-based
institution, ACBF has established a Knowledge Management and Program
Support Department. The knowledge management strategy will focus on the
generation, storage, dissemination and utilization of both explicit and
tacit knowledge in capacity building and development management.
ACBF Knowledge management program will focus
on knowledge generated by ACBF itself, institutions
it supports, development managers and development
networks.
Knowledge from ACBF will relate to:
- Methodologies, Strategies and Instruments
in Capacity Building.
- Skills, practices and experiences in project
development and management.
- Ideas, information, strategies and experiences
in the promotion of ownership and sustainability
of interventions in capacity building and the
building of strategic partnership in the funding
of capacity-building interventions.
- Framework, strategies, techniques and tools
in the conduct of country capacity profiles
and capacity needs assessment surveys and in
the design and implementation of capacity-building
strategies and plans.
- Best practices in capacity building.
Knowledge from ACBF-supported institutions will
comprise:
- Frameworks, techniques and tools in policy
research and analysis.
- Country, regional and organizational skills,
practices, and experiences relating to:
- Implementation of capacity-building
programs.
- Support to government and other stakeholders
through policy research, specialized
training and work attachment programs.
- Management of internships and exchange
programs.
- Strengthening of local networks for
dissemination of policy research findings.
- Strategies in institutional sustainability.
Knowledge from Development Managers will consist
of:
- Knowledge of information sources offered
by development managers.
- Professional advice, insights, reflections
and ideas offered.
- Skills, processes and experiences in successful
management of given policies and programs.
- Case studies detailing skills, processes,
practices and experiences associated with specific
policies and programs that made measurable
impact either positively or negatively on growth.
- Advice, ideas, practices and lessons embedded
in memoirs and reflections of development practitioners.
- Design and implementation lessons gleaned
from survey and review of development policies
and programs, etc.
Knowledge from Development Management Networks
will include:
- Actionable recommendations from conference,
seminar and workshop proceedings.
- Shared information, ideas, best practices
and lessons of experience in development management.
ACBF knowledge management program will benefit
the following, among others:
- ACBF Secretariat, on-line library and management
information system.
- Public sector, private sector and civil
society organizations, development agencies
and partner institutions operating in the six
core areas of competency of the Foundation.
- National Focal Points for capacity building.
- Potential beneficiary organizations seeking
capacity building support from ACBF or other
donor agencies and countries.
- Development practitioners, scholars and
researchers seeking knowledge and information
on capacity building.
- Country and regional development policy
management institutions.
- Knowledge networks.
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN ACBF AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS
UNECA, AfDB, UNDP, THE WORLD BANK, AERC?
The AERC is one of ACBF-supported institutions. Through the AERC, like
PTCI, the Foundation is building economic analysis capacity through a
collaborative Master’s training program in economics for Anglophone Africa.
The AfDB, UNECA, UNDP and the World Bank are partner institutions to
ACBF. Three of these – AfDB, UNDP and the World Bank played a major role
in the establishment of ACBF as sponsoring agencies and are currently
major donors to the Foundation’s trust fund. ACBF, AfDB, UNECA, UNDP
and the World Bank are similar in one respect in that all these institutions
have full complement of in-house professional staff for designing, delivering
and monitoring their programs.
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN ACBF AND THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S
DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD)?
NEPAD is the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. It represents
a blueprint for the transformation of the African Continent.
- NEPAD is a call for a new partnership
between Africa, the international community,
based on mutual respect.
- It is a regional initiative with poverty
reduction as its main objective.
- It is an African strategy for achieving
sustainable development in the 21st century.
- It is premised on African governments
committing themselves to good governance,
democracy and human rights, while endeavoring
to prevent and resolve situations of conflicts
and instability on the Continent.
- Its strategic areas of focus consist of
the following:
- Creating conditions for sustainable
development by strengthening peace,
security, democracy and political governance;
enhancing economic and corporate governance;
and expanding the frontiers of sub-regional
and regional approaches to development
through the production of regional
public goods.
- Developing the following sectors
of Africa’s economy – infrastructure,
human resources, agriculture, environment,
culture and science and technology.
- Mobilizing resources for development
through the encouragement of greater
capital flows to Africa and market
access for Africa’s exports.
As a regional initiative, NEPAD
gives one voice to Africa. The voice is credible
because it represents Africa’s will through democratically
elected Heads of State and Government. The Foundation
is strongly favorably disposed to NEPAD, as it
is a critical intervention if Africa is to succeed
in effectively reducing poverty and achieving
sustainable growth in the first few decades of
the new millennium
It is a strong beacon of hope
for Africa, if the Continent is to achieve some
of the goals set by the UN in its millennium
declaration in September 2000. However, the programs
put forward by the initiative will need to be
properly prioritized to make for efficient use
of resources. NEPAD will need to work with existing
institutions to ensure the effective implementation
of its programs. The initiative will need to
demonstrate results very quickly in policies
and programs that apply in the regional sphere,
and those in other domains for which having a
united African voice is particularly important.
These include:
- Regional peace and security initiatives.
- Regional level infrastructure or environmental
investments.
- A united African position on international
financial architecture, WTO and debt relief.
- Pressing for global research on tropical
diseases, especially malaria and HIV/AIDS.
- Peer monitoring of, and pressure for,
good governance and observance of the rule
of law in African countries.
- Establishing and pushing for best-practice
standards in public administration and management.
- Serving as an umbrella organization to
assist in sensitizing the development community
and mobilizing resources for capacity building
and the activities of specialized organizations
in the various areas in which it does not
have comparative advantage.
WHAT CAN ACBF OFFER
NEPAD?
The Foundation is well equipped and is in a vantage position to offer
NEPAD support, which includes the following:
- Assistance in the development of capacity
building implementation plan for NEPAD programs
and working in partnership with NEPAD as
the organization implementing the capacity-building
programs of the initiative.
- Provision of capacity building support
for the establishment of NEPAD’s Secretariat
and assisting in the monitoring of the performance
of the initiative
- Access to ACBF database on Technical Advisory
Panels and Networks in the Foundation’s core
competence areas to strengthen NEPAD’s task
forces in various areas of the initiative’s
operation.
- Support for the establishment of institutional
networks, convening of experts’ meetings,
working committees, etc., to facilitate the
operation of the initiative.
- Serving in NEPAD’s technical and operational
committees, assisting in the initiative’s
task forces in the area of capacity building
and providing technical support to the initiative.
- Linking of NEPAD’s projects to ACBF-supported
institutions to strengthen partnership and
joint activities at national and regional
levels.
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