| |
| A)
PROJECTS & PROGRAMS |
|
| Total
No. of Interventions since inception |
113 |
a. Total
operations, Dec. 2002
|
99 |
b. Approvals
in 2003
|
14 |
| Amount
so far committed to capacity building: |
US$
197 million |
| Amount
Disbursed by 31 Dec. 2003 |
US$
107 million |
|
Current size of
active portfolio:
|
|
a. Projects & Programs
|
80 |
b. National
Focal Points (NFPs)
|
26 |
c. Secretariat
Approved Funding Window Facility
(SAFEWIND) Projects
|
21 |
| Country
and Regional Coverage |
|
a. Number
of Countries
|
37 |
b. Regions
|
All
Regions |
| Portfolio
by Core Competencies: |
|
a. Economic
Policy Analysis & Mgt.
|
50 |
b. Financial
Mgt. & Accountability
|
3 |
c. Public
Adm. & Mgt.
|
2 |
d. National
Statistics
|
3 |
e. National
Parliaments
|
3 |
f. Professionalization
of Voices
|
19 |
| Portfolio
by Linguistic Groups |
|
a. Anglophone
|
|
- projects and
programs
|
42 |
- SAFEWIND projects
|
15 |
b. Francophone
|
|
- projects and
programs
|
30 |
- SAFEWIND projects
|
6 |
c. Bi-Lingual
Africa
|
|
- projects and
programs
|
5 |
- SAFEWIND projects
|
0 |
d. Lusophone
|
|
- projects and
programs
|
2 |
- SAFEWIND projects
|
0 |
e. Arabophone
|
|
- projects and
programs
|
1 |
- SAFEWIND projects
|
0 |
| Portfolio
by Regions/Operations Zones |
|
a. West
and North Africa
|
|
- projects and
programs
|
28 |
- SAFEWIND projects
|
5 |
b. Central
and Horn of Africa
|
|
- projects and
programs
|
23 |
- SAFEWIND projects
|
3 |
c. Eastern
and Southern Africa
|
|
- projects and
programs
|
28 |
- SAFEWIND projects
|
13 |
|
ACBF - A SUMMARY
OF OUTPUTS AND VALUE ADDED IN CAPACITY
BUILDING
OUTPUTS
The outputs produced
by the institutions supported by
the Foundation have grown significantly
over the years, 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 the Collaborative Master's Program
in Economics by the African Economic
Research Consortium and Programme
de Troisiéme cycle Inter Universitaire,
the Economic Policy Management Programs,
and the University of Namibia Master's
Program in Public Policy and Administration.
With the addition of the CESAG Banking
and Finance program, the Institut
d'Economie et de Finances' specialized
training for government financial
agencies and the Southern African
Regional Institute for Policy Studies
program, training for skills development
are being stepped up considerably.
In the area of knowledge generation
and sharing, the Foundation's contributions
are gradually being felt.
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' socio-political
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
|
| IMPACT
It is worthy of note
that 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
succeeded in putting in place:
- The policy unit
concept in the building of macroeconomic
policy analysis capacity and
the recognition by African governments
and other national stakeholders
of the importance of policy analytical
information and research-based
evidence in informing the policy
debate and the design and evaluation
of public policies and programs.
- National and regional
training programs to provide
sustainable high-quality post-graduate
economics training programs through
the Collaborative Master's and
Ph.D. programs at the AERC and
PTCI, as well as the EPM programs
(economic policy management training
programs through universities
in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon
and Uganda). There are also specialized
training programs (e.g., through
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, macroeconomic management
and banking through BCEAO/BEAC,
CESAG, MEFMI and WAIFEM, which
are today emergent centers of
excellence.
- Institutional
frameworks to foster dialogue
among development stakeholders
as evidenced by the Pan African
Capacity Building Forum of October
2001 and the regional NFP workshops
of June 2000 held in Libreville,
Gabon and 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 contribution 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's development assistance
strategy (Tanzania)
- Research and
consultative support for drafting
and review of poverty reduction
strategies and programs, including
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 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,
Ghana, 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 contribution of 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 economic development 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 NGOCC, Zambia; NGO Council,
Kenya; PRIESP, Mali; PSCGT, Kenya;
SANGOCO, South Africa; and 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 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 WTO (e.g.
PASU, Africa Union).
- Contribution to
the strengthening of regional
integration and trade negotiation
capacity [e.g. ECOWAS, CEMAC].
|
| IMPLEMENTATION
OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
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 continuous improvement
in its operations, the sharing
of best practices in the capacity
building process and to the emergence
of knowledge-based economies in
Africa. ACBF's orientation is guided
by a knowledge management strategy.
To spearhead its transition into
a knowledge-based institution,
the Foundation has established
a knowledge management and program
support department. The knowledge
management strategy focuses on
the generation, storage, dissemination
and utilization of both explicit
and tacit knowledge in capacity
building and the management of
economic and social policies and
programs in the development process.
ACBF Knowledge management
program focuses on knowledge generated
by the Foundation itself, institutions
it supports, development managers,
its partner institutions and development
networks. It provides links to
knowledge sources of partner institutions
and the knowledge warehouses of
other development organizations,
which are relevant to the focus
of its mandate and operations.
The knowledge management
system has already begun to bear
some fruits. Internal project and
program operations are benefiting
from synthesized best practices
from country experiences, as well
as experiences from outside the
continent. The Foundation is establishing
knowledge sharing platforms through
its Technical Advisory Panels and
Networks (TAP-NETs) and the Country
Level Knowledge Networks (CLKNETs)
program; best practice studies
to document, as well as share ideas
on policies, programs and capacity
building strategies that have worked
or that should be avoided; reflections
by senior policymakers, which otherwise
would end up as tacit knowledge;
publications (recently comprised
a book on "Better Governance
and Public Policy", Occasional
Papers on "Africa's Major
Development Challenges and their
Capacity Building Dimensions" and
the "Role of Institutions
in Economic, Administrative and
Corporate Governance") that
provide vital capacity-building
and knowledge-based information;
and web sites and portals that
offer links to knowledge sites
and resources.
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