Harare, Zimbabwe, 15 March 2013 (ACBF):  The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) today opened its workshop titled the Strategic Planning Workshop for ACBF supported projects.  The three day workshop will focus on how to speed up implementation of capacity development projects on the continent. 

With 127 projects in 49 African countries ACBF interventions are premised on four key principles:

• Centrality of capacity to the development processes in Africa
• The critical role of a partnership and demand driven approach in tackling capacity challenges
• African ownership and leadership on the capacity development process
• A systematic, sequenced and coordinated approach to the capacity development process

The workshop will focus on enhancing strategy and work planning processes of capacity development programs funded under ACBF’s third Strategic Medium Term Plan (SMTP III – 2012-2016).  The effort at the workshop is intended to bring a shift in ACBF interventions that not only require further innovation in approach, but also a deepened focus on monitoring and evaluation and results of those interventions.  SMTP III (2012 – 2016) has three strategic pillars of enhancing critical capacities to promote political and social stability for transformational change; enhancing capacity to engage and regulate the productive sector; and enhancing capacity to track policy impact.

These pillars now form the basis of ACBF support to interventions that lead to the achievement of effective governance for real poverty reduction, by working to improve the capacity of the country and regional organizations that are primarily responsible for development. This approach has demanded adjustment by ACBF processes and those of the projects it supports, to emerging country specific and regional contexts.  Such adjustments are intended to introduce flexibility in response to capacity needs and improve effectiveness and further develop capabilities to tackle new areas.

Opening the workshop, ACBF Executive Secretary, Dr. Frannie Léautier stated, “We embarked on this new strategy in January 2012 and this workshop is looking for the lessons that would allow mid-course adjustment, particularly from experience sharing between more mature projects and those that are new and are tackling the new themes under SMTP III. Secondly, the strategy called for working in different ways, with new business models that build on past experiences and the experiences of others, so we are looking for examples where specialization could be cost-effective and for models for utilizing capacity that has been built through one grantee offering support to another.  Thirdly, because SMTP III puts a lot of emphasis on learning, adjusting and adapting to conditions on the ground, we want to learn from our partners, particularly on how we can support areas that have brought about challenges in implementation and how they can be solved in systemic ways”

ACBF supports programs in 49 countries, through grants and technical assistance for research, policy and capacity building work of 39 Think Tanks in 23 countries, university partnerships that reach 96 universities, as well as support to regional institutions (RECs), civil society organizations, and private sector associations, amongst others.  Focus on monitoring and evaluation is given special attention to ensure results are achieved, as is attention to fiduciary and governance matters. 

Total investment by ACBF in capacity development interventions exceeds USD 500 million over 20 years. Over the past 20 years ACBF has been associated with a number of successes. One of the successes has been its investment in training programmes.  The revitilisation of higher education, training and research institutions in sub-Saharan Africa has been one of ACBF largest investment in capacity development. Since 1992, ACBF has viewed such institutions as hubs of Africa’s economic growth.  All training programmes are designed to address specific capacity needs in the area of individual skills and institutional strengthening to advance development management at national and regional levels. Today ACBF through its programmes has managed to maintain its partnership with 96 universities.

ACBF Success Stories available:  http://www.acbfpact.org/Data/Sites/1/docs/success_story/finaljourneytosuccess.pdf

Dr. Frannie Léautier, Executive Secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), today officially opened the regional training workshop entitled, “Improving skills and competencies in project results management”. The workshop will run from 23-27 July 2012.  A total of 75 participants from 29 ACBF supported projects in 17 countries from Central and West Africa are participating in the workshop.  Attending the opening was Ms. Marie Laure Akin-Olugbade, AfDB Resident Representative, Ghana.

The workshop which is jointly organised with the World Bank will address three key issues related to the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of ACBF supported projects and programmes. These issue are: (i) improving the knowledge and understanding on key concepts, tools and procedures for monitoring project results; (ii) enhancing the participants’ skills and competencies in the development and operationalisation of the Project Results Measurement Framework (RMF) and M&E Plan in line with the ACBF’s results-based monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements and (iii)  developing and testing data collection instruments for  tracking and reporting project performance to demonstrate results in line with the new funding instrument agreed between ACBF and the World Bank.

Welcoming participants at the workshop Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) highlighted the importance of monitoring and evaluation in meeting the commitments made in Busan for achieving development results through country systems.  "It is time to build strong M&E systems at the regional and country level, to enable African countries to pursue development results vigorously" he added.   

Dr. Léautier noted that it is not only important to focus on results in the project cycle, but also to track policies and their intended results that lead to impact and change in people’s lives for the better. “Very often, monitoring and evaluation can be seen as an excluded effort, when in fact it is central to gauging the overall performance of a project. M&E is the enabler that allows for realistic goal-setting and flexibility in the project implementation cycle as the operating environments shift. ACBF, through its experience, has learnt that capacity development interventions need to adopt differentiated approaches to country and regional interventions in order to ensure relevance and effectiveness.  The ability to track, get results and measure impact leads to learning and innovation.”

More than 40 African nationalities are represented in Africa 2.0, a pan-African civil society organisation that gathers together young emerging leaders from Africa and the Diaspora, who share a collective vision for Africa. With diverse backgrounds ranging from the private sector, government and civil society, Africa 2.0 aims to effect thoughtful change in Africa by enabling a broad-based, inclusive and innovative social contract that involves various thinkers and actors who are committed to developing and implementing practical and creative strategies nationally and internationally that will produce positive outcomes across the continent. A coalition for sustained transformation, members of Africa 2.0 implement solutions together to accelerate development of the continent. By constructing a growth model that is adapted to African realities, the group aims to leverage the most innovative global practices and African success stories.

Establishing a knowledge-based society, where empowered citizens draft a new social contract that mobilises key actors leaders to achieve the vision of a new Africa, has been identified as a key prerequisite and catalyst in promoting the emergence of a prosperous and inspiring Africa. The mission of Africa 2.0 is to consistently, actively and passionately support the implementation of a new vision for Africa through knowledge dissemination and social engagement.

Speaking on the topic ‘ A coalition for sustained transformation’, ACBF Executive Secretary, Dr Frannie Léautier, who launched the Africa 2.0 Manifesto together with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Addis Ababa earlier this year, highlighted that the reference guide book of the young representatives provides a common base for joint continental efforts to build a better Africa for all. The Manifesto gathers insights on best practices, lessons learned, key development priorities and the role of civil society. It also emphasises making decision makers accountable, a pan - African co-ordination mechanism, knowledge and experience sharing and addressing execution challenges.

As a Special Guest, Dr Léautier delivered a presentation on ‘Leapfrogging Africa Towards a Knowledge Society’ as part of a session on developing and retaining human capital.  In her address, Dr Léautier provided an overview of ACBF’s continental approach to uplifting Africans through capacity development, migration and capacity utilisation, while promoting inclusive growth, entrepreneurship and adopting cluster strategies in order to unleash Africa’s potential.

Referring to the three essential ingredients missing in Africa's toolkit, Dr Léautier said that Africa has all the resources it needs to propel economic growth, but three essential inputs are missing: a critical mass of inspirational leaders, skills to compete in a globalised sphere and an environment that is supportive of going to scale in terms of legal, finance and policy issues.

Dr Léautier said: “With a twenty-year history of capacity development experience in Africa, ACBF has developed a niche in supporting policy units and think tanks throughout the region, carrying out the analysis, design and assessment of the policies that are most appropriate for regional integration. We invest in skills and competence building in order to generate a critical mass of people through university partnerships and support regional training institutions in strengthening their own capacity. ACBF also works in partnership with the Regional Economic Communities, the African Union Commission and NEPAD to ensure that support goes to priority areas, including implementation capacity for large scale infrastructure investments in strategic corridors. In addition, we seek effective partnerships with a variety of entities such as the e-Institute of the World Bank Institute in order to bring the needed content for customisation and use at the country and sub-regional level, and partner and support entities involved in policies and implementation in the agricultural sector (productivity, food security, transformation potential) across key value chains that stretch multiple countries.”

She added: “Because of the important role of women we partner with GIMAC and especially its dynamic leader Ms Bineta Diop to ensure effective capacity is built for women to participate in the economy. By helping countries to develop strategies and programs to effectively manage the interface between capacity development and capacity utilisation, we are able to prioritise areas to speed up capacity development in order to meet national and regional capacity needs (country capacity strategies). Our targeted research, on specific value chains invests in needed data, and develops the partnerships necessary to improve performance. Partnerships, such as the one we share with Africa 2.0, are essential for sustainable capacity development.”

Dr Léautier concluded that Africa requires an investor-friendly and sound policy environment that supports domestic, regional and multinational firms, an enabling environment, supported and characterised by good governance, well-negotiated and executed infrastructure contracts. Promoting regional champions and accelerating and consolidating regional integration is also critical for policy predictability.  This is why we support Africa 2.0 and their dynamic platform for transformation, she ended.

Conference Moderators included Mr William Wallis, Africa Editor of the Financial Times; Mr Vladimir Duthiers, CNN Lagos Correspondent and Ms Julie Gichuru, Television Anchor for Citizen TV.

The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) today signed five grants totaling USD 13 050 000 for projects in Zimbabwe and South Sudan. Two regional and two national projects based in Zimbabwe received a total of USD 10 800 000 placing the total investment in Zimbabwe since 1992 at USD 26 400 000.  South Sudan received a grant of USD 2 250 000 for the South Sudan Capacity Building Project (SSCBP). 

This is ACBF’s first grant to South Sudan and timely as the new nation begins to build up its human and institutional capacities.  The SSCBP Project in South Sudan is aimed at strengthening macroeconomic and public financial management through improving the skills and competencies to support Public Financial Management and Fiduciary institutions; and strengthening systems in public institutions involved in core fiduciary management. Speaking at the signing ACBF Executive Secretary, Dr. Frannie Léautier stated: “We realize that South Sudan has immense untapped potential to emerge as an economic powerhouse, given the oil deposits, crop production on the vast arable land covering 80% of the country, livestock, fishery and forestry. As a new nation, the country is faced with the challenge of transforming this potential to a vibrant economy that sufficiently delivers basic needs to its citizens including education, health, basic infrastructure, food and water. Central to this ability to transform existing potential is the capacity of the state to plan and manage the development process and the ability of public institutions to deliver results to the average citizen.”

The two regional programs in Zimbabwe are the Women’s University in Africa (WUA) with a second phase grant of USD 3 million, focusing on raising women’s capacity and ability to exploit their full potential in Africa’s development process  and the Project of Lectures and Workshops in Peace, Leadership and Governance in Africa by Eminent Persons (PEARL) with a grant USD 800 000,  focusing on analysis of topical issues in the areas of peace building, conflict transformation, leadership development and responsive governance. This project is based at the Africa University in Mutare. The two national projects are the Capacity Development Program for the Ministry of Regional Integration and International Cooperation in Zimbabwe (MORIIC) with a grant of USD 2 million,  focussing on strengthening the ministry’s internal efficiency and effectiveness in  delivering its mandate and the Zimbabwe Capacity Development Program (ZCDP) with a grant of USD 5 million, focusing on strengthening the economic management capabilities of the Government of Zimbabwe to successfully implement the goals expressed in its Medium Term Plan (MTP).

With over 20 years in the business of capacity development, ACBF, under its Third Strategic Medium Term Plan 2012 -2016 (SMTP III), is calling for Africa’s capacity development agenda to move beyond the comfort zone as the continent faces emerging challenges. The SMTP III underscores the need to adopt a differentiated approach to country and regional interventions, based on the diversity of environments, as well as a better integration in national coordination frameworks and country systems in order to achieve greater impact. The new interventions SSCBP, PEARL, ZCDP and MORIIC have been designed and conceptualized with novel instruments, lessons learnt and pioneering approaches that allow for effective measurements that show results and impact. The major underpinning element in all the projects is learning by doing through innovation which allows flexibility in approach.   Under SMTP III, ACBF is clearly stating that Africa is entering into new leadership roles on a continental level and chartering new waters that require holistic approaches to capacity needs for the continent to become a global growth pole. The Phase II grant to WUA is based on the further need to invest in capacity development interventions that have shown results and need to be scaled up.  The grant to WUA also aims to propel the University forward for further innovative approaches and creativity in implementation approaches. Overall, through its project portfolio and institutional strategy, ACBF recognizes that the overall responsiveness of African institutions in the management of risks and uncertainties will need to improve considerably, as would national capabilities to develop resilient strategies and policies to address both the challenges and opportunities facing the continent.

Concluding her speech at the ceremony, Dr. Frannie Léautier emphasized that, “As we build capacity across the continent, let us remember that the combination requires people and institutions that are efficient and effective. ACBF will continue to support capacity development where it sees innovation, results and building individual skills that enable the development of effective policies and institutions that will long serve the future generations of Africa.”

The AfDB Annual Meetings provided a timely opportunity to mobilise Africa’s policy makers and development partners on the importance of adopting innovative solutions to the challenges facing Africa. The 2012 ACIR,  was earlier unveiled to a global audience in London, UK and Washington, USA, in collaboration with the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and the World Bank Institute, respectively.

Since its inception, the ACIR has aimed to measure and empirically assess capacity in relation to the development agenda in African countries. It also highlights key determinants and components of capacity for development and how they can be measured. While there is increasing optimism about Africa's development prospects – there still are remaining pockets of challenges that need addressing. Understanding the root causes, impediments, and enablers of Africa's development requires timely and evidence-based data and analysis. Transcending physical achievement to also gauge achievement in final outcomes requires indicators that can measure progress in quantitative and qualitative ways.

The launch event in Arusha presented a platform to not only further highlight the findings of the 2012 Report, but also to share experiences and best practice on policies that work to enhance agriculture transformation and food security. It also helped to increase awareness of the various dimensions of the problem of food insecurity on the continent.

Speaking at the ACIR launch in Arusha, ACBF Executive Secretary, Dr Frannie Léautier, highlighted the main objectives of the roundtable discussion, moderated by Professor Korbla P. Puplampu, Chair of the Department of Sociology at Grant Mac Ewan University in Canada. Joining the Executive Secretary on the panel were Mr Willard Manungo, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance representing Hon. Tendai Biti, Minister of Finance, Republic of Zimbabwe and Professor Newman Kusi, Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance, Republic of Ghana.

“The aim of this panel”, said Dr Léautier “has been to provide a platform for discussion and exchange of information, knowledge and experiences on capacity development for agricultural development and food security in Africa. ACIR comes at a time when there is high demand for good data on assessing capacity. - whether it is the capacity to implement complex infrastructure programs, the capacity to attract private sector, investment, or even the capacity to generate jobs and utilise the talents of young people.  This report focuses on capacity to transform agriculture and it is our hope that the outcomes will improve the overall design and implementation of policies to improve development outcomes and results”.

The panel focussed primarily on increasing the awareness of state and non-state actors of the various dimensions of agricultural transformation and food security, in order for them to be fully considered in the design of policies. The gathering brought together experts and decision makers concerned with the problem of agricultural change and food security to facilitate exchange of lessons and experiences.

By fostering a shared vision on capacity for the continent and improving understanding of the state of capacity development in Africa, ACBF aims to enhance understanding about these important issues, thereby increasing the ownership and buy-in by key stakeholders on the findings  of the report and computed indices.

“The overall goal is ultimately to develop and strengthen strategic partnerships to support initiatives in this area”, Dr Léautier concluded, adding that ACBF expected participants to put into good use the acquired information and knowledge to develop better solutions to the problem of agricultural transformation and food security on the African continent.

Click to view Video on Africa Capacity Indicators Report 2012 launch in Washington DC

ARUSHA, TANZANIA: May 31, 2012. The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the African Export and Import Bank (AfrExim Bank) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding, aimed at strengthening their collaboration on various capacity building initiatives in Africa. The Agreement recognises the common areas interest in fostering sustainable capacity for African countries.

In signing this MoU, the two institutions agree to join efforts in supporting inter-African trade, by strengthening institutional capacity for export development, building capacity for research, policy formulation and implementation of think tanks. Private sector organisations in the targeted countries will also be included in the focus areas, in order to uncover innovation in effective economic integration, inter-African trade and export development.

ACBF has extensive experience working on Africa’s developmental challenges and has an established regional network of partners that are able to carry out capacity development programs in a sustainable manner. On its part, AfrExim Bank is an African regional institution that provides trade finance facilities to promote intra-African trade and to encourage African countries to trade internationally. By partnering to mitigate country risks in Africa, the two institutions will create synergies, through joint support for economic policy analysis and management and other capacity development initiatives.

ACBF and AfrExim Bank are complementary in contributing to the mitigation of country risks, as the Bank provides Country Risk Guarantees to enhance the credit of African borrowers, whereas ACBF contributes to better economic policy formulation and management on the continent.

Speaking at the MoU signing, held on the fringes of the AfDB annual Meetings in Arusha, Tanzania, ACBF Executive Secretary, Dr Frannie Léautier highlighted that ACBF would make its current portfolio, as well as its pipeline of capacity development initiatives in Africa available to AfrExim Bank in order for the Bank to consider co-financing programmes and projects of mutual interests.

“By working together to enhance capacity in African Trade Finance, this collaboration will not only improve the management of trade finance, but there will also be a knowledge management aspect to the partnership, through the joint organisation of seminars, workshops and other knowledge sharing events for public sector and among umbrella private sector organisations. A key output will be the publication of a Journal of Trade.”

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Jean-Louis Ekra, President and Chairman of the Board of AfrExim Bank said that the agreement underpins the Bank’s strategic focus on leveraging partnerships, in order to complement and supplement ongoing efforts at addressing human resource capacity gaps on the continent. He highlighted that “through strategic partnerships and collaboration, our two institutions will be able to create the necessary synergies for the creation of the requisite human and institutional capabilities to support economic growth and development in Africa, by leveraging and pooling our individual technical expertise.”

ACBF has a continental mandate to develop capacity in Africa across a spectrum of areas, including financial management and accountability through good governance.  As such, the AGO working principles are anchored in forging a common continental agenda, pooling resources, establishing synergies, and leveraging each partner’s strengths.

Speaking at a side event, organised as part of the AfDB’s  Annual Meeting, ACBF Executive Secretary, Dr Frannie Léautier shared that the AGO flagship report is aimed at providing a robust knowledge base to assess and help improve the quality of financial governance in Africa. The AGO provides a broad overview of financial governance at the continent level and a deeper understanding of the underlying reasons for the state and trend of public financial management at the country level, as well as a framework for analysing the contextual factors that shape financial governance in a particular country.

Contributing to the discussions at the Side Event, Dr Léautier noted that ACBF’s involvement in the AGO bears strategic linkage with the work of the Foundation. She recalled that that as a Foundation, ACBF has over the years shied away from engaging in upstream political governance, but rather supported activities at the lower end of governance, such as accountability, transparency and inclusiveness issues. “We support capacity development activities in these downstream areas,” she said, “knowing very well that the real essence of governance entails active participation of the citizenry in decision making processes, as well as effective use of the state’s resources for the benefit of all. In order to be able to respond effectively to the strategic outlines of our new strategy, ACBF has adopted and rolled out a number of tools and instruments in our operations. Among these are the Foundation’s seminal cross-cutting capacity needs assessment study – the Africa Capacity Indicators Reports (ACIR) as well as Country Generic Profiles produced internally to gauge and identify entry points for capacity interventions. In addition to various studies and publications commissioned by the Foundation on the all-embracing topic of good governance, we have also been involved in knowledge products which foster and shed light on leadership issues. These include the Development Memoir and the Brown Bag series”.

She concluded: “Our involvement in the AGO resonates deeply with the Foundation’s continuing commitment to contributing to the discourse on governance in Africa and we recognise the need to work in close collaboration with institutions that are already at the forefront of governance assessments. This is why we are particularly excited about the Declaration on Good Financial Governance in Africa, which was launched in Arusha yesterday by AfDB President, Dr Donald Kaberuka and the Finance Ministers of South Africa and Uganda.

It is clear that African countries have achieved significant progress in improving governance practices, however considerable challenges remain to anchor good governance and tackle corruption. The AGO report aims to promote evidence-based policy dialogue on the trajectory of change by identifying constraints and recommending reform options.

Through this meeting, it is hoped that greater awareness will be established and a consensus developed on the strategy, focus and direction of the AGO initiative and implementation plan, taking into consideration the capacity building dimensions of the project and agreeing a strategic partnership to provide a collective voice for financial governance in Africa.  

The AGO is being implemented in a two-step approach, involving a test run in 10 pilot countries with the aim of testing and fine-tuning the implementation framework, while the second step has involved an implementation phase, building on the experience of the pilot exercise. Countries covered include Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ethiopia, Senegal and Uganda. In Nigeria, a test run is being undertaken at State level.

In addition to a presentation on the general findings of the pilot studies from selected countries, the consultative meeting also discusses AGO’s strategic framework, its institutional architecture, collaborative arrangements and implementation roadmap, and capacity building dimensions. The dialogue was attended by a large number of regional and international stakeholders involved in governance work in Africa. These included development agencies involved in compiling and disseminating governance assessment tools and diagnostic instruments; institutions using governance data in research and policy dialogue; and those providing financial and technical assistance to build capacity in regional member countries.

Related Article

• Africa to focus on financial governance 

The objective of the new Financial Governance and Transparency Strengthening Project is to improve financial governance, through upscaling  audit and control functions in the public sector, with the aim of enhancing the capacity of public institutions to provide reliable and transparent services that are responsive to economic growth and also the needs of the people   In Djibouti’s national context, the project falls under the fourth pillar of the Initiative Nationale pour le Developpement Social (INDS 2008 -2011), designed to  promote good governance and capacity development. The project will provide a framework that brings together public institutions involved in audit and control and it will also lay the foundation for a systematic approach to control challenge by integrating audit offices in line ministries. There are currently five specific project activities that are interrelated in addressing the human and institutional gaps identified. These include, (i) building human capacity to improve the professionalism of auditors, MPs and Parliament’s Staff; (ii) strengthening the legal environment and improving systems and processes; (iii) improving communication and outreach activities; (iv) fostering research and dissemination on audit best practices; (v) and strengthening the institutional capacity of involved entities.

Speaking at the signing of the grant agreement in Djibouti, ACBF Executive Secretary, Dr. Frannie Léautier reiterated ACBF’s full support for the project, emphasizing its evolution and progression, since 2004.  “Today we sign this grant agreement with the Government of Djibouti with the full confidence that the public institutions, dedicated to serving the people of Djibouti will work tirelessly towards tackling the identified financial accountability challenges.  Between 2004 and 2009 we have seen the dynamic growth and transformational capabilities of the National Audit Office and the Office of the State Inspector General. Both institutions have become viable public institutions that today provide leadership and a deep understanding of the capacity challenges of the public sector in this country. With the new grant, we envisage an even more professionalized public sector in Djibouti, where decisions are informed by timely and relevant research, which in turn will translate into poverty reduction through sound economic growth and better access to and management of resources.”

ACBF’s total investment in Djibouti to date is USD 5.4 million.

Djibouti, République de Djibouti, 12 mai 2012 (ACBF)

La Fondation pour le renforcement des capacités en Afrique (ACBF) a signé aujourd'hui un don de 2,7 millions de dollars américains avec la République de Djibouti en vue de la mise en œuvre du « Projet de renforcement de la gouvernance financière et de la transparence ». Ce don pour une période de quatre ans portera spécifiquement sur les capacités de leadership et la gouvernance responsable ainsi que sur quatre bureaux nationaux comprenant le Bureau de l'Inspecteur Général d'État, le Bureau de l'audit national, le Parlement, le Bureau de l'inspecteur général des finances, le Bureau de l'Inspecteur Général de la Santé. Le nouveau projet met à l'échelle une intervention antérieure de l'ACBF à Djibouti dans le cadre du programme renforcement des capacités de gouvernance financière et de contrôle (2004-2009). Le premier projet visait à renforcer les capacités institutionnelles et humaines de l'Inspection Générale d'État (IGE), la Commission des Finances de l'Assemblée Nationale et la Cour Suprême.

L'objectif du nouveau projet de renforcement de la gouvernance financière et la transparence est d'améliorer la gouvernance financière en mettant à niveau les fonctions d'audit et de contrôle dans le secteur public en vue d'améliorer la capacité des institutions publiques à offrir des services fiables et transparents, adaptés non seulement à la croissance économique mais également aux besoins des populations. Dans le contexte du pays, le projet entre dans le cadre du quatrième pilier de l'Initiative nationale pour le développement social (INDS 2008-2011), destiné à encourager la bonne gouvernance et le renforcement des capacités. Le projet servira de cadre aux institutions publiques prenant part à l'audit et au contrôle et jettera également les bases d'une approche systématique du contrôle en associant les bureaux d'audit aux ministères responsables. Cinq activités spécifiques interdépendantes du projet sont actuellement menées en vue de s'attaquer aux déficits humains et institutionnels identifiés. Elles comprennent : (i) le renforcement des capacités humaines afin d'améliorer le professionnalisme des vérificateurs, des parlementaires et du personnel du Parlement, (ii) le renforcement de l'environnement juridique et l'amélioration des systèmes et des processus, (iii) l'amélioration de la communication et activités connexes, (iv) encourager la recherche et la diffusion des bonnes pratiques d'audit et (v) le renforcement de la capacité institutionnelle des entités concernées.

Lors de la signature de la convention de don à Djibouti, la secrétaire exécutive de l'ACBF, Mme FrannieLéautier, a réitéré l'appui total de son institution au projet, en insistant sur son évolution et sa progression depuis 2004. « Nous signons aujourd'hui cette convention de don avec le gouvernement de Djibouti avec la confiance totale que les institutions publiques, au service des populations du pays, travailleront inlassablement à relever les défis de la responsabilité financière qui ont été identifiés. Entre 2004 et 2009, nous avons noté une croissance dynamique et les capacités de transformation du Bureau national d'audit et celui de l'Inspecteur Général d'État. Les deux institutions sont devenues des institutions publiques viables qui font preuve aujourd'hui de leadership et d'une profonde compréhension des défis des capacités du secteur public du pays. Grâce au nouveau don, nous entrevoyons un secteur public encore plus professionnel à Djibouti où les décisions sont éclairées par une recherche opportune et pertinente qui, à son tour, se traduira par la réduction de la pauvreté à travers une croissance économique solide et un meilleur accès et la gestion des ressources. »

Son Excellence Le Premier Ministre, Dileita Mohamed Dileita lors de la cérémonie de la signature du don entre le Gouvernement de Djibouti et l’ACBF  a précisé ce qui suit : « Je pense que l’ACBF est un Organisme que les Gouvernements doivent encouragés. Les travaux assignés au projet iront dans ce sens pour le changement des structures en place et promouvoir la bonne gouvernance. Notre ambition est  que le projet fonctionne en indépendance parfaite et totale.»

A ce jour, l'ACBF a investi à Djibouti un total de 5.4 millions de dollars.

FIN

A propos de la Fondation pour le renforcement des capacités en Afrique

L’ACBF a été créée en février 1991, fruit d’une collaboration entre les Etats africains et la communauté internationale des bailleurs de fonds. Elle a pour mission de renforcer durablement les capacités humaines et institutionnelles en vue de la croissance soutenue et la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique. Sa vision est que l'Afrique soit reconnue pour ses capacités socio-politiques et économiques ainsi que ses richesses-un continent doté d'institutions et de politiques efficaces acquises à travers un investissement soutenu dans les hommes et les institutions. La Fondation est un leader, un partenaire majeur et un centre d'excellence pour le renforcement des capacités en Afrique.

The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the Government of the Republic of Namibia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding confirming Namibia as the 37th African member to the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF).  The other 36 African members comprise  Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These member countries, are represented by their Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, make up the Board of Governors, the highest policymaking body of the ACBF, together with 4 multilateral agencies and 12 Bi-lateral partners. The ACBF has a strategic MoU with the African Union which currently serves as an Honorary Member.

As a member of the Foundation, Namibia joins the highest decision making body of the Foundation, the Board of Governors.  This body defines the main strategic orientation of the Foundation in terms of capacity development and also supports its resource mobilisation efforts.  ACBF currently has 127 active projects and programs in 45 African countries.  In Namibia, the Foundation has since 1994, invested more than USD13 million in national and regional projects and programs.  The projects include, the Namibia University of Namibia Master’s Program in Public Policy and Administration (UNAM-MPPA), Namibia Performance Management System Project (NPMSP), Namibia Economic Policy Research Unit (NEPRU), SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) and the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA).

Speaking in Windhoek, at the signing ceremony of the Agreement, Dr. Frannie Léautier, ACBF Executive Secretary emphasized how the membership agreement would scale up capacity development in Namibia and the areas that ACBF may assist the country in developing.  “ACBF as a pan African institution is an effective platform for African governments and non-state actors to convene to deal with a myriad of development challenges and opportunities Africa faces.  For Namibia, there are many capacity development prospects including that of developing leadership to nurture and sustain innovation, the repositioning of Higher Learning Institutions (HEIs) to contribute to the development of skilled people ready for the labour market, to organize implementation for the dynamic change that Namibia faces with the emerging challenges of climate change and other external shocks. Increase in the African membership is a sure sign that capacity is central to the discourse and strategy of poverty reduction on the continent and indeed an increase in ownership of ACBF.”

Signing on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Namibia, Honourable Tom Alweendo, Director General of the National Planning Commission stated that, “Capacity issues will continue to challenge us and we will always need to build capacity.  The signing of the Agreement goes back as far as Namibia’s independence and today is the formalising of the process.  Capacity development needs of Namibia are not only about money but by virtue are also about providing more room for networking and the ability to share lessons.  Therefore Namibia’s membership to the ACBF is an added benefit to think collectively as a continent and the country will fulfill its obligations towards being a member both on the strategic level and on the level of mobilising of resources.