The African Development Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved a total of USD 13.95 million (UA 9.00 million ) through a grant mechanism on 16 May 2012. The grant will enable the African Community of Practice for Managing for Development Results (AfCoP) to mainstream Managing for Development Results (MfDR) into the policies and strategies of RMCs and RECs.
The AfCoP is a virtual network of MfDR practitioners created in response to the call made by the Second High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in Paris in March 2005 for stronger country ownership and leadership to support national efforts to implement the Paris Declaration principles. Its current 2,000 members from 43 countries are civil servants, parliamentarians, representatives of civil society, private sector, academia, media and local donors.
AfCoP's main goal is to support Africa's transformation Agenda through mutual learning and knowledge sharing on MfDR to effect transformational and sustainable change in African institutions. It is considered as a primary source of good practice on MfDR in Africa and is instrumental to improving national development processes.
The total project cost is estimated at UA 9.98 million and will be financed jointly by an African Development Fund grant of UA 9 million; an AfDB in-kind contribution of UA 0.42 million and the RMCs and RECs contribution of UA 0.56.million. It was designed with four components: (i) Knowledge sharing on MfDR; (ii) Linking MfDR knowledge to Regional processes and (iii) Synergies between Regional and National processes and (iv) Project Management.
The project will help ensure integration as well as coherence of policies and programs at regional and national levels. It will enable better access to knowledge and good practices on MfDR and policy convergence issues in Africa and all over the world through ICT-enhanced knowledge sharing.
The direct beneficiaries of the project will be the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) as well as their 17 member states. It is expected that 15 000 people will be trained on MfDR principles of which, at least one-third will be women and 10 percent young people. The indirect beneficiaries will comprise 26 other countries with AfCoP membership.
The project will be implemented in three years. The two strategic outcomes are: increased effectiveness in implementing regional policies in WAEMU and COMESA member states; and strengthened MfDR capacity in WAEMU and COMESA and their member states.
The project will assist in promoting South-South cooperation, development effectiveness and capacity development. It will also enhance regional integration, thus leading to improved competiveness, increased cross-border and intra-African trade and more investment. This will, in turn, lead to stronger and more inclusive economic growth, which will improve the people's living conditions.
Contacts
Boukary Savadogo
