The African Development Bank and the Government of Mozambique have concluded a training workshop aimed at equipping participants with the knowledge and skills to apply the Bank's updated Integrated Safeguards System (ISS) to the implementation of Bank-financed projects.
Over 80 participants from project implementation units, national environmental authorities, sectoral ministries, the private sector, and executing agencies attended the five-day training workshop.
The updated ISS, approved by the Bank Group Board of Directors in April 2023, incorporates comprehensive environmental and social policies and safeguards, risk assessment, and impact management into all Bank operations to advance sustainability and long-term development across Africa. Anchored on three key pillars--environmental sustainability, social inclusivity, and transparency and accountability--it went into effect in 2024, superseding the version approved initially in 2013.
This training, designed in line with the mandate of the Bank's Environmental and Social Safeguards and Compliance Department to strengthen the capacity of regional member countries in the application of the updated Integrated Safeguards System, also directly responds to the findings of the recent Country Portfolio Performance Review (CPPR), aiming to raise the quality of the Bank-funded projects in the country.
During the opening session, Patrícia Baptista, Country Program Officer of the African Development Bank's Country Office in Mozambique, underscored the event's importance for the sustainability of investments.
She said the workshop was "a practical response to the findings of the Country Portfolio Performance Review and the actions foreseen in the Country Portfolio Improvement Plan, to support technical teams to integrate the Bank's and the national framework's environmental and social management requirements from design to implementation".
The National Director of the Directorate of Public Debt at the Ministry of Finance, Chamila Aly, reinforced the Government's commitment to sound public management and project quality. She said the African Development Bank's updated ISS "now gives us practical references and clearer expectations about roles, responsibilities, and good practices for project units, environmental authorities, and the sectors involved."
Bank specialists and Mozambican government officials covered crucial topics during the training. These include national and Bank Group requirements for the preparation and implementation of safeguard instruments such as Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, Environmental and Social Management Plans, Resettlement Action Plans, and Stakeholder Engagement Plans, among others.
Modeste Kinane, the African Development Bank Group's Lead Environmental and Social Safeguards and Compliance Officer, urged participants to put the newly acquired knowledge into practice. He noted that the workshop also provides an opportunity to share experiences, clarify doubts, learn from one another, and strengthen relationships.
The workshop highlights the interest in and need for more in-depth training in Mozambique to support the sustainability of investments and the achievement of the goals outlined in plans such as the Bank's Project Portfolio Performance Improvement Plan.
