The Mid-Year Review of the Bank Group Capacity Development Strategy approved on 13 January 2010 was submitted to the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, on Wednesday, 18 September 2013 in Tunis, for its due consideration and appreciation.

Making the presentation to the Board, the director of the African Development Institute (EADI), Mr. Victor Murinde, observed that during the period 2010-2012, EADI and the partner departments in the Bank were jointly engaged in getting the necessary structures and systems in place. These according to him included creating strategic partnerships with local universities, regional capacity development institutions such as the African Capacity Building Foundation, the African Economic Research Consortium, as well as working with relevant multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, and World Trade Organization. Mr. Murinde highlighted the following five main achievements under the Capacity Development Strategy:

The establishment of the African Development Institute (ADI) in January 2011, as a full-fledged department and the bank's focal point for Capacity Development (CD) activities, with Mr Murinde himself as its first Director.

The adoption of a thematic approach to ensure a broader selectivity that aligns CD activities with the critical needs of the bank and RMCs. In this regard, Mr. Murinde gave as examples, the training of trainers among bank staff and project officials, which has helped enhance the performance of the bank's portfolio in RMCs. These training of trainers' activities have been systematically carried out by EADI with departments such as ORPF, OPSM and ONRI, not to mention corresponding training of RMC officials of which 14 African think tanks are currently programmed for engagement in policy dialogue.

Fruitful collaboration of key stakeholders led by CHRM and EADI in the design and launch of the bank's first Knowledge and Learning Management System. The system is available to all staff, and in almost all RMCs, and it is universally accessible 24/7.

The establishment of an integrated CD system to share knowledge among bank departments, driven by innovations in e-learning and the Knowledge and Virtual Resources Centre (KVRC), facilitated through EADI's collaboration with CIMM, PECOD, and CHRM.

A Bank-wide Capacity Development Network has been launched, to scale up the coordination of CD activities in the Bank.

"Given that the Capacity Development strategy cuts across two bank strategies, namely the mid- term strategy (MTS) and the 10 Year strategy (TYS), we request the board to take note that, going forward, the Capacity Development strategy will be re-aligned with the Ten Year strategy for full implementation until end of 2014, in order to capture lessons learned, which will be reported in the Final Review Report in December 2014," Mr. Murinde concluded. The Board took note that a new Capacity Development strategy will be designed, in 2014 drawing on the TYS.

Director Murinde was accompanied by the Bank's Capacity Building Team comprising Mrs. Bernadette Kamgnia Manager EADI.2, Mrs. Awuese Oku Chief Learning Officer CHRM as well as Messrs Oliver Chinganya Manager (ESTA) and Boukary Savadogo Manager (OSHD.1) .