ACBF HOLDS WORKSHOP ON STRENGTHENING GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN ACBF-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS

Edwin N. Forlemu (Executive Secretary, a.i. of ACBF) meeting with Tertius Zongo (Prime Minister of Burkina Faso)

On 18-19 December 2008, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) held a dissemination workshop on the Guidelines for the Implementation of ACBF No-Objection Procedures for ACBF-supported institutions in Francophone countries. The theme of the workshop was Strengthening Governance and Management Systems for Enhanced Ownership, Accountability, Transparency, Effectiveness and Efficiency.

The objectives of the workshop were to:

• Clarify the activities that require ex-ante No-Objection clearance for which the relevant expenditure is to be charged to ACBF grant resources;
• Explain the procedures, processes and arrangements to be followed in implementing the Guidelines; and
• Highlight the roles to be played by governance organs in the implementation of the Guidelines.

Addressing the participants, Edwin N. Forlemu, Executive Secretary a.i of ACBF, stated that the events were the result of a collaborative effort between the Foundation and its partners and thanked the Government of Burkina Faso for its hospitality and warm welcome. Daniel Bambara, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Government of Burkina Faso, officially launched the Guidelines.

Group photograph of the participants at the workshop

Participants at the workshop came from the French-speaking countries in which ACBF is supporting capacity-building interventions. These countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sao Tomé and Principe and Senegal.

During the same mission the ACBF team comprising Edwin N. Forlemu, Executive Secretary a.i.; Jacques Katuala, Manager; and Claude Sinzogan, Senior Program Officer met with Roch Marc Christian Kabore, Speaker of Parliament; Tertius Zongo, Prime Minister; and Soungalo Ouattara, Minister of Public Service.