This Mid Term Review report is submitted by: 1. Mr. Philimon Majwa,

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1 FINAL REPORT MID-TERM REVIEW (MTR) OF THE 1ST PHASE, , OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IGAD DROUGHT DISASTER RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE (IDDRSI) STRATEGY 14 TH NOVEMBER 2016 i

2 This independent Mid Term Review of the implementation of the first Phase ( ) of the IDDRSI Strategy, is part of the commitment of IGAD Member States and Partners to generate solid evidence for the progress of the IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative Strategy ( ). This Mid Term Review report is submitted by: 1. Mr. Philimon Majwa, 2. Mr. James Allego 3. Mr. Michael Wekesa 4. Mr. Suji Omeno ii

3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The writing of this report has been a long and laborious task that included undertaking a Mid-Term Review (MTR) of Phase I implementation of the IGAD Drought Disasters Resilience and Sustainability Initiative Strategy (IDDRSI ). It involved field visits to member states of the IGAD in the Horn of Africa and several stakeholder consultative meetings and reflective workshops. The MTR team, comprising of Philimon Majwa (Team leader), and supported by Co-consultants James Allego, Michael Wekesa and Omeno Suji wish to acknowledge with gratitude the invaluable opportunity, excellent support and cooperation accorded them by the IGAD Secretariat, Members states representatives, Development partners and Non-state actors stakeholders whose contribution led to the successful completion of this vital exercise including the development of the MTR report. The MTR team extends special thanks to the IDDRSI focal points of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda for participating in information gathering and logistical support during the country level stakeholder forums. We also sincerely thank the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI) Programme Coordination Unit for their generous support and input. In particular, we thank Dr. John Kabayo and Mr. Anthony Awira for their guidance and support during the entire process. The MTR team also recognizes the unfettered cooperation of all individuals in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda who, in their personal capacity, contributed information during the country level visits. In addition, various government ministries and agencies contributed information to this report. We are deeply indebted to you for such cooperation. Lastly, but not least, special thanks to the UNDP, UNFAO and USAID for facilitating and funding the entire exercise. iii

4 Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENT LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES LIST OF ANNEXES ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY III V V V V VI VIII INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND BACKGROUND THE IGAD DROUGHT DISASTER RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE (IDDRSI) RATIONALE OF THE MID-TERM REVIEW SCOPE OF THE MID-TERM REVIEW OBJECTIVE OF THE MID-TERM REVIEW METHODOLOGY OF THE MID-TERM REVIEW LIMITATIONS OF THE MID-TERM REVIEW 4 MID TERM REVIEW FINDINGS RELEVANCE OF IDDRSI INSTITUTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND COORDINATION GOVERNANCE: IDDRSI PLATFORM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP IMPLEMENTATION OF IDDRSI STATUS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COUNTRY PROGRAMMING PAPERS, REGIONAL PROGRAMMING PAPER AND RESOURCES MOBILIZATION REGIONAL PROGRAMMING PAPER KENYA UGANDA ETHIOPIA DJIBOUTI SOUTH SUDAN SUDAN SOMALIA LESSONS LEARNED PROGRAM COORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP LESSONS PROGRAMMING AND PROGRAM/PROJECT DESIGN LESSONS KEY STRATEGIC ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS KEY STRATEGIC ISSUES 17 iv

5 3.1.1 STRENGTHENING ADVOCACY FOR IDDRSI MEMBERSHIP AND FUNCTION OF THE IDDRSI PLATFORM STRATEGIC POSITIONING OF THE PCU CAPACITY OF THE PCU IMPLEMENTATION OF IDDRSI AMONITORING AND EVALUATION RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSION 22 ANNEXES 22 ANNEX 1: IDDRSI PROGRESS DASHBOARD 22 ANNEX 2: PROPOSED INTEGRATION OF THE PCU INTO THE IGAD SECRETAIAT ORGANOGRAM 24 List of Figures, Tables and Annexes List of Figures Figure 1: IDDRSI Strategy priority intervention areas (PIAs) and translation into CPPs and RPP... 2 Figure 2: Conceptual framework of the scope of the Mid-term Review... 3 Figure 3: Involvement of the IGAD Divisions and Specialized institutions in implementing IDDRSI..19 List of Tables Table 1: Resource mobilisation to support implementation of IDDRSI in the IGAD region since Table 2: IDDRSI Progress Dashboard List of Annexes Annex 1: IDDRSI Progress Dashboard 22 Table 2: Proposed integration of the PCU into the IGAD Secretariat organogram.. 24 v

6 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AU AU-IBAR BRiCS CCCs CFAs COMESA CPP CSO DCFP DRM DRRAP EAC ECHO EDE FAO FFAs FMU GA GCCA GoE GoK HIPS HOA HSNP ICPAC ICPALD IDDRSI IGAD ILRI IMEWG ISF LD M&E MDAs MoA MOU MPs MS NACONEK NDMA NDMAA UN OCHA OFDA PCU PIAs PIF PRRO PS PSC African Union African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources Building Resilience Communities in Somalia Coordination, Collaboration and Cooperation Cash for Assets Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Country Programming Paper Civil Society Organization Drought Contingency Fund Project Disaster Risk Management Drought Risk Reduction Action Plan East African Community European Community Humanitarian Office Ending Drought Emergencies Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Food for Assets Fund Management Unit General Assembly of the IDDRSI Platform Global Climate Change Alliance Government of Ethiopia Government of Kenya Humanitarian Implementation Plans Horn of Africa Hunger Safety Net Program IGAD Climate Predictions and Applications Centre IGAD Centre for Pastoral and Livestock Development IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative Inter Governmental Authority on Development International Livestock Research Institute IDDRSI M&E Working group Somalia Integrated Strategic Framework Livestock Development Monitoring and Evaluation Government Ministries, Departments and Authorities Ministry of Agriculture Memorandum of Understanding Members of Parliament Member State National Council on Nomadic Education in Kenya National Drought Management Authority National Drought Management Authority Act Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID) Platform Coordination Unit Priority Intervention Areas Policy and Investment Framework Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation programs Permanent Secretary Platform Steering Committee vi

7 RAU RECs RED&FS RPP SDG SNS SomRep SWALIM UNDP UNICEF UNISDR USAID USD WFP Resilience Analysis Unit Regional Economic Community Rural Economic Development and Food Security Regional Programming Paper Sustainable Development Goals Strengthening Nutrition in Somalia Somalia Resilience Program Somalia Water and Land Information Management United Nations Development Program United Nations International Children Emergency Fund United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction United States Agency for International Development United States Dollar United Nations World Food Program vii

8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI) is a holistic and comprehensive plan, aimed at building the resilience of vulnerable communities to the effects of recurrent droughts and achieving simultaneous growth and sustainable development in the IGAD region. This initiative has a 15-year common strategy that runs in three phases of five years each, designed to end drought emergencies in the IGAD region. The execution of this strategy involves IGAD Member States, Development Partners, implementing agencies and all other actors and stakeholders. One of the IDDRSI strategy s design features is a mid-term review in each phase to assess the status of implementation and inform prescriptions for subsequent phases. The mid-term review exercise has a self-correcting design characteristic, which ensures that the IDDRSI strategy will remain focused and relevant in pursuit of the objectives served by its application. The strategy s first and current phase, spans from 2013 through 2017 and recently formed the subject of study for a team of 4 consultants, with a mandate to determine the progress made to date and develop recommendations that will optimize the process of achieving the objectives of IDDRSI within the remaining timeframe of the initiative. This being the first Mid Term Review (MTR), the main approach adopted in the exercise was at a macro level, with a bird s eye view that scanned entire IDDRSI implementation landscape, without examining the details of achievements made in each priority intervention area (PIA) of the IDDRSI Strategy. The review focused on the assessment of overall achievements made, with particular focus on the process of operationalizing and consolidating IDDRSI as a functional regional initiative and examining the framework in which the implementation of the initiative is organized, coordinated and supported. The review used both secondary analysis and primary data collection tools, including a desk review of various documents. The MTR Team visited all the IGAD countries (Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan and Djibouti) to collect information from various sources and stakeholders involved in drought resilience programs and related activities, except Somalia due to security challenges. This team, however, gathered pertinent information and data from representatives of organizations that work in Somalia that are operate from either Nairobi or Addis Ababa. The findings of the (MTR) team of consultants along with the strategic issues they identified as well as their conclusions and recommendations form the subject of this report. The findings are based on the relevance of IDDRSI; progress made in the implementation of IDDRSI in the different countries, including programming and resources mobilization; the strategic partnership and coordination of IDDRSI, including institutional leadership and governance and implementation arrangements; as well the lessons learnt, good practices and sharing information on what works or doesn t. This executive summary outlines the main observations/findings, conclusions and recommendations of the MTR team; and the full details of the MTR are provided in subsequent sections of this report. The report will go a long way to enhance learning in the implementation of IDDRSI, as well as stimulate understanding of what works and what does not, including suggestions that address the challenges encountered in the first phase, to inform improvements in the planning and implementation of subsequent phases of the IDDRSI Strategy. The overall objective of reducing drought disaster risks and building the resilience is to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable communities throughout the IGAD region by employing a holistic comprehensive approach. Thus, the IDDRSI strategy, addresses the conventional challenges of climate change impacts, which are mainly floods and drought disasters among the IGAD region communities. IDDRSI is therefore an opportunity for investing in sustainable development and optimizing the productivity of the region s resources to build the resilience of its communities to environmental and socio-economic shocks. The relevance of this initiative in the IGAD region is attested by the willingness of Member States to translate the IDDRSI Strategy into the objectives of country programming; as well as the concurrence by all stakeholders to align development and humanitarian interventions within the objectives of the IDDRSI Strategy. The targeting of IDDRSI Strategy priority intervention areas (PIAs) viii

9 focuses on households and communities as primary beneficiaries. It also recognizes the need for the empowerment of vulnerable groups and individuals in drought disaster risk management, in a general sense and resilience building in particular. Within the framework of its mandate in leading and coordinating the implementation of IDDRSI, the IGAD Secretariat has taken steps to operationalize IDDRSI Platform that brings together different partners and stakeholders. Its platform has a 3-tier structure that comprises a General Assembly (GA) of participating stakeholders, a Platform Steering Committee (PSC) and a Platform Coordinating Unit (PCU), which are all now in place. The PCU functions as the de facto nerve centre of the drought resilience implementation machinery, overseen by the PSC, which meets every 6 months and reports to the General Assembly that meets once every year. The IDDRSI Platform also provides the modalities through which affected countries and development partners collectively discuss the region s priorities and intervention to achieve objectives of the drought resilience initiative; and is thus an effective mechanism for coordinating the implementation of IDDRSI. At national level, IDDRSI implementation coordination units have been established in each country, based in different line ministries. In support of the country coordination efforts, the IGAD Secretariat has recruited a National IDDRSI Coordinator for each country, to enhance the linkage and contact between the IGAD Secretariat and the countries, while highlighting the involvement of different actors and sectors in the implementation of IDDRSI. The implementation of IDDRSI also advocates a coherent architecture of international collaboration that involves the enhanced coordination of the strategic links between and among all actors at all levels, practically reading from the same page. The regional character of the drought resilience initiative defines the necessity and significance of the IGAD Secretariat s coordination role, which requires concerted action of all countries, sectors, partners and stakeholders in the region. Inter-connected coordination mechanisms that are required for the harmonized implementation of the drought resilience initiative have been established in all the seven IGAD Member States, in accordance with the agreement reached within the framework of the IDDRSI Platform. The sharing of knowledge and information related to the implementation of IDDRSI is a strategic function of the Platform Coordination Unit (PCU), which facilitates the identification of resilience needs and informs programming. A number of knowledge management (KM) tools have been developed. With the support and collaboration of a number of partners, the IGAD Secretariat set up a Resilience Analysis Unit, a technical arm of the IDDRSI Platform that focuses on understanding vulnerability, resilience analysis and measurement and assesses the impact of resilience investment within the framework of IDDRSI. A regional IDDRSI Strategy, which is widely acknowledged as the common planning framework that guides the region s interventions to end drought emergencies, facilitate actors to plan and work in a concerted manner and harmonized manner and accentuates their cooperation as joint participants in one regional initiative. IGAD Member States have interpreted the regional IDDRSI strategy into their respective country programming papers for actions at national level; and a regional programming paper (RPP) for interventions with a regional or cross-boundary context. These three documents, i.e. the IDDRSI Strategy, CPPs and the RPP, provide strategic direction and operational framework as the basis for the formulation of resilience-enhancing policies and investments in the IGAD Member States. Development Partners have not only agreed to re-align their support with the principles of the IDDRSI Strategy, but also reaffirmed their commitment to support country and regional efforts based on CPPs and the RPP. The CPPs and RPP are being translated into actual investment projects, often with the support of different Development Partners, in form of soft loans or grants; and several countries are beginning to show tangible evidence of success in building resilience and improving the livelihoods of drought prone communities. The overall implementation of the Country Programming Papers (CPPs) and Regional Programming Paper (RPP) varies from one IGAD Member State to another, affected by the institutional and technical arrangements available for the implementation of the program. Since 2013, almost 1 billion ix

10 US Dollars have been mobilized and committed as investments in the execution of IDDRSI projects in different countries. From the findings of the MTR team a number of strategic issues were identified, which define the areas on which various actions aimed at improving the planning and implementation of IDDRSI; and which form the basis of the recommendations proposed. The strategic issues that were identified relate to the nature of the IDDRSI strategy and highlight the extent to which the strategy is comprehensive in its content and relevance. The manner in which the implementation of IDDRSI, as a multi-sectoral, multistakeholder, multi-state regional initiative, is organized and coordinated is discussed within the context of ensuring commitment, enhancing efficiency, increasing synergy, avoiding duplication and maximizing cooperation. From their observations on aspects of IDDRSI programming and implementation, including status of CPPs and RPP in different countries; monitoring intervention progress and assessment of value for money; as well as efforts to understand vulnerability and measure resilience, the MTR team identified issues that affect IDDRSI implementation. The team also reviewed the efforts and mechanisms aimed at or required for supporting the implementation of IDDRSI and proposed recommendations that would help advance the cause and purpose of IDDRSI. It is hoped that the strategic issues raised will attract further discussion and consideration on the ways to enhance the implementation of IDDRSI and the recommendations made will be a contribution to some of the solutions required to the attainment of the objectives of IDDRSI. = = = = = = = = = x

11 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 Background Recurrent droughts and unpredictable rainfall patterns are characteristic features of the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) that comprise the Horn of Africa (HOA) region, where the eight member countries of IGAD (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda) are located. The IGAD region covers an area of 5.2 million km2, has a population of more than 240 million people and is endowed with a considerable range of natural resources, with a huge potential for a variety wealth creation and progress. Despite this great potential, however, IGAD Member States are struggling to cope with the vagaries of its harsh and worsening ecological circumstances. About 70% of the IGAD region comprises arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) that receive less than 600mm in annual rainfall and are characterized by recurrent droughts. Over the years, severity and frequency of droughts have been increasing and desertification, land degradation, global warming and related climate change phenomena exacerbated it. These harsh and worsening ecological circumstances have created conditions of chronic vulnerability in the HOA, with persistent food insecurity, widespread economic hardships and untold human suffering, affecting the pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities that inhabit the ASALs. Concerned by the severity and frequency of drought disaster emergencies in the region, the Heads of State and Government of countries in the Horn of Africa, international development partners and other stakeholders convened a Summit in Nairobi on 9 September 2011, in which they resolved to embark on an IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI) to end drought emergencies. The summit also assigned the IGAD Secretariat the responsibility to lead and coordinate the implementation of IDDRSI. 1.2 The IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI) The approaches used by governments, development partners and humanitarian agencies to respond to drought and related emergencies, in the past, were reactive humanitarian relief interventions, usually based on the action of individual Member States or international agencies. IDDRSI advocates for a coherent architecture of international action with a proactive approach that involve enhanced coordination of strategic links between humanitarian relief interventions and development initiatives. The overall objective of IDDRSI is to build drought resilience mechanism by introduction of innovative sustainable development strategies, policies and programs at Member States and regional levels, aimed at building capacity to cope with future climatic and economic shocks. The rationale for tackling the drought problem at regional level is the drought prone nature of the entire IGAD region, where the majority of the inhabitant pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities live in marginalized lands and poverty, rapid population growth and resource-based conflicts abound. Within the framework of its mandate to lead and coordinate the implementation of the drought resilience initiative, the IGAD Secretariat convened a series of regional and international consultative meetings, which culminated in a consensus to form an IGAD Regional Drought Resilience and Sustainability Platform as a mechanism through which the implementation of the drought resilience initiative can be coordinated. The IGAD Secretariat, working with Member States and development partners, also developed the institutional arrangements, regulations and management structure of the platform. The regional platform is made up of three entities. A General Assembly that provides overall strategic guidance and makes decisions on investment plans and proposals. A Steering Committee, which guides the Regional Platform on policy issues and oversees the implementation of the drought resilience initiative. A Platform Coordination Unit, based at the IGAD Secretariat, charged with the responsibility to lead, promote and coordinate the activities in the implementation of the initiative. 1

12 The implementation of IDDRSI is guided by its strategy, which was developed in a consultative, participatory process involving experts drawn from the IGAD region, representing a wide range of stakeholders. The IDDRSI is therefore a multi-sectoral undertaking of coordinated activities in different IGAD member states aimed at building the resilience of vulnerable communities to drought and other shocks. The IDDRSI Strategy identifies 7 priority intervention areas that highlight and prioritize the region s food security and other development challenges in relation to the objective of achieving drought resilience (as shown in Figure 1, below). Figure 1: IDDRSI Strategy priority intervention areas (PIAs) and translation into CPPs and RPP The IDDRSI Strategy has been translated by IGAD Member States into their respective Country Programming Papers (CPPs) and the Regional Programming Paper (RPP), for interventions planned at national and regional levels respectively. The CPPs and RPP provide the strategic and common frameworks and direction for resilience-enhancing policies and investments. These planning frameworks have a common architecture in all the IGAD Member States, making comparison of achieved results in different settings of IDDRSI implementation possible. 1.3 Rationale of the Mid-term Review This mid-term review was carried out within the framework of the strategic requirements of IDDRSI. The IDDRSI Strategy provides that a review of the progress in the implementation of the strategy will be undertaken at mid-point in the course of implementation of each of the three 5-year phases. As it has been about 3 years since the initiative was launched in 2013, a midterm review (MTR) of the first phase ( ), to assess the status of implementation and inform the future design and implementation of the initiative at all levels, was due. This MTR is an opportunity to re-design and improve program implementation, based on lessons learnt and knowledge of what works and what does not; as well as guide the formulation of the second phase of the IDDRSI initiative. The MTR also provides the opportunity for reviewing changes in the region, such as reflecting newly recognized needs or ways of doing things as well as emerging areas of focus that impinge on the region s capacity to implement IDDRSI. In this connection, there are certain recent changes in the region, ranging from forced displacement and mixed migration, which require holistic 2

13 approaches, building on existing frameworks and mechanisms to attain the desired remedies. Recognizing the existence of these new and emerging challenges in the HOA, the MTR provided an opportunity for reviewing the strategic position and relevance of the IDDRSI initiative in light of these challenges in order to build and strengthen the initiative. Within the framework of the IDDRSI Knowledge Management system, there is consensus on the need to share information related to the implementation of IDDRSI. There are on-going efforts to capture, document and disseminate lessons learnt on what is working and what is not working on the overall implementation of the initiative at both regional and national levels to increase both intra and cross-border learning. In addition, the utility of knowledge and information distilled from lessons learned through the MTR process will serve as evidence-based good practices that illustrate why and how different strategies and approaches work under specific contexts. This invaluable information was disseminated at suitable forums involving relevant stakeholders. 1.4 Scope of the Mid-Term Review This MTR covered the implementation of the first half of the First Phase of the IDDRSI strategy ( ). However, it did not seek to assess implementation at project level across countries in detail, although such progress would have been important to capture. The MTR focused on an assessment of the overall implementation of the strategy to date, in connection with the value of the IDDRSI Strategy in its role as a facilitating, enabling framework and catalytic mechanism for countries to align, harmonize and coordinate drought resilience initiatives as prescribed in the IDDRSI strategy documents. The assessment covered 5 core areas as illustrated in the conceptual MTR framework in figure 2 below, as described in the Mid-Term Review Findings, from page 5. Figure 2: Conceptual Framework of the Scope of the Mid-Term Review 3

14 1.5 Objectives of the Mid-Term Review The objectives of the IDDRSI Strategy MTR were: a) To identify and document the changes that have resulted from the implementation of the IDDRSI including what is being done differently? b) To assess the progress made in delivering the planned results as per the RPP and CPPs through sampled case studies. c) To assess the overall objective and priority intervention areas will be achieved. d) To assess utilization of resources earmarked for IDDRSI through sampled case studies. e) To assess institutional governance of drought resilience at national and regional levels. f) To analyze existing IDDRSI structure and assess delivery on its service targets. g) To identify key strategic issues, risks and assumptions. h) To make recommendations for follow-up actions (e.g. to propose governance and institutional arrangements for an effective and efficient resilience coordination at regional and national level). 1.6 Methodology The main approach adopted during the MTR exercise was at a macro level, with a bird s eye view that scanned the IDDRSI implementation landscape, without examining the details of the achievements made in each priority intervention area (PIA) of the IDDRSI Strategy. The review focused on the assessment of the overall achievements to date, especially the processes of operationalizing and consolidating IDDRSI as a functional regional initiative and examining the framework in which the implementation of the initiative is organized, coordinated and supported. The review used both secondary analysis and primary data collection tools, including desk review of progress reports, country programming papers, regional programming paper, IDDRSI Regional Platform documents, country drought management policies, development partners strategic plans, among others. The assessment also employed two related analytical approaches to address the review questions: a theory based approach and a case study approach. The theory-based approach provided an overarching framework based on documentation and stakeholder input on the theoretical causal pathways on how expected impact would be achieved. The case study approach, on the other hand, recorded what had happened because of IDDRSI; and as such, it both tested and validated the theory of change in resilience building. The MTR team made visits to 6 countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan and Djibouti, to collect information from various sources and stakeholders (i.e. representatives of government departments, development partners, non-state actors, etc) with interest or connection to drought resilience programs and related activities. At the end of each visit, the MTR team produced specific country preliminary reports. The MTR team also produced a consolidated draft report and circulated it among various representatives of stakeholders for validation. The final report incorporated inputs and recommendations from member states and development partners. The MTR team was unable to visit Somalia because of security challenges, but gathered pertinent information and data by interacting with representatives of organizations that work in Somalia based in Nairobi and Addis Ababa. The team also met government officials, experts, project implementers, among others, who travelled out of Somalia, to attend various meetings in the region. 1.7 Limitations of the Mid-Term Review a) The scope of the MTR presented a challenge; it required an in-depth feedback or review of all the 7 countries and IGAD within one month. The IGAD region is vast thus planning a comprehensive visit to these countries within a short period was a difficult endeavor. The team, however, strove to get as much as it could although it may not have been exhaustive since there are numerous structures and stakeholders involved across the region. 4

15 b) The inability of the MTR team to visit Somalia, coupled with the absence of the National IDDRSI Coordinator for Somalia were limitations that affected the quality and completeness of the information collected on Somalia. MID TERM REVIEW FINDINGS 2.1 Relevance of the IDDRSI Strategy There is consensus that the IGAD region s greatest single defining imperative is the urgent need to cope with the vagaries of the severe and worsening ecological circumstances, characterized by recurrent droughts and desertification and exacerbated by global warming and climate change phenomena. The IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI) is seen as an opportunity for investing in sustainable development and optimizing the productivity of the region s resources to build the resilience of its communities to the region s environmental and socio-economic shocks. The efforts to address the vulnerabilities and challenges of drought-prone communities, including poverty, food insecurity and environmental degradation, are not new; but doing so in a concerted, coordinated manner throughout the countries of the region, as an undertaking that is aimed at building the resilience of the affected communities, is widely welcomed as a new way of doing things. The Member States willingness to translate the IDDRSI strategy into objectives of country programming, as well as concurrence by all stakeholders to align development and humanitarian interventions within the objectives of the IDDRSI Strategy, attest to the relevance and significance of IDDRSI in the IGAD region. The relevance and significance of IDDRSI in the IGAD region is attested by the demonstrated willingness by Member States to translate the IDDRSI Strategy into the objectives of country programming; as well as the expressed concurrence by all stakeholders to align development and humanitarian interventions with the objectives of the IDDRSI Strategy. The targeting of the IDDRSI Strategy priority intervention areas (PIAs) focusing on households and communities as primary beneficiaries recognizes the need for the empowerment of vulnerable groups and individuals in drought disaster risk management, in general and resilience building in particular. The IDDRSI Strategy is fully harmonized with the newly adopted global frameworks that reflect the priorities in current thinking, aimed at addressing emerging challenges. Its focus and approach on disaster management is similar to what is advocated by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction ( ); and it contributes to all the 17 goals of the Sustainable Development Goals ( ). Thus the MTR is an opportunity to ensure that subsequent phases of the initiative are relevant and respond to the contemporary concerns and methods of work. The original version of the IDDRSI Strategy had identified gender as having a crosscutting importance; but a gender analysis study recommended that the strategy should be gender mainstreamed to ensure gender equality and promote women empowerment within the IDDRSI Strategy, CPPs and RPP. The MTR team affirms that this improvement in the gender compliance aspects of the IDDRSI Strategy is widely acknowledged to have been effected. It also focuses on household and community resilience building in targeted PIAs, as primary beneficiary and recognizes the empowering of various gender groups (females, elderly) in drought disaster management. The cluster approach, advocated by the IDDRSI Strategy, is applicable in both a regional context and cross-border setting and ensures comprehensive and simultaneous coverage of all affected communities and sectors. 2.2 IDDRSI Platform and Coordination The implementation of IDDRSI involves different ministries, sectors, partners, actors, stakeholders and intervention scenarios, with different methodologies and support frameworks in 7 IGAD Member States; and therefore requires coordination to help identify gaps, avoid possible duplication, while enhancing cooperation and synergy and facilitating concerted intervention. IDDRSI advocates a coherent architecture of international collaboration that involves the enhanced coordination of the strategic links 5

16 between and among all actors at all levels, practically reading from the same page. The necessity and significance of the coordination role being played by the IGAD Secretariat in the implementation of IDDRSI is defined by the regional character of the drought resilience initiative, which demands the concerted action of all countries, sectors, partners and stakeholders in the region. The IDDRSI Platform provides modalities through which affected countries and development partners collectively discuss the region s priorities and intervention to achieve objectives of the drought resilience initiative. The IDDRSI Platform is an effective mechanism for coordinating the implementation of IDDRSI. The IGAD Secretariat, working with Member States and Development Partners, established and operationalized the IDDRSI Platform (complete with its strategic and institutional arrangements needed for the effective implementation of IDDRSI, comprising the General Assembly, Steering Committee and a functional Platform Coordination Unit), in accordance with the Summit Decision adopted by the Summit held in Nairobi in September The IDDRSI Platform brings together the different partners and stakeholders including IGAD Member States, Development Partners and implementing Partners, including UN agencies, Civil Society Organizations and specialized research and training institutions, and the IGAD Secretariat along with its specialized institutions. As part of its institutional arrangements, the IDDRSI Platform has a 3-tier structure that comprises a General Assembly of senior representatives of participating stakeholders, a Platform Steering Committee and a Platform Coordinating Unit. The IDDRSI Platform provides the modalities through which the region s priorities and possibilities for intervention aimed at achieving the objectives of IDDRSI are collectively discussed by affected countries and development partners and is an effective mechanism by which the implementation of IDDRSI is coordinated. IDDRSI advocates for a coherent architecture of international collaboration that enhances coordination of strategic links between all stakeholders and gets all actors at all levels practically reading from the same page. The regional character of the drought resilience initiative, which demands the concerted action of all countries, sectors, partners and stakeholders in the region, has continued to highlight the significance of the coordination role being played by the IGAD Secretariat in the implementation of IDDRSI. Interconnected coordination mechanisms, at local, national and regional levels, that are required for the harmonized implementation of the drought resilience initiative, have been established in all the seven IGAD Member States, in accordance with agreements reached within the framework of the IDDRSI Platform. This concerted, coordinated approach has created a strong political momentum that promises to generate greater commitment in the affected countries, attract more responses from development partners and facilitate increased investments to support activities aimed at building drought resilience. There is a continuous review of existing coordination mechanisms, to support the mobilization, organization and harmonization of activities, to include all stakeholders and ensure alignment with all sectors as a holistic initiative. The IDDRSI institutional leadership and governance institutional arrangements, including the Summit, the General Assembly, Platform Steering Committee, IGAD Secretariat/Platform Coordination Unit, Project Steering Committee, provide the guidance, leadership and advisory support for the implementation of IDDRSI. a) The Summit The role of the IGAD Summit of the Heads of State and Government, either as a decision-making body or as a means for marshalling political goodwill, is unrelated to the IDDRSI Platform. However, the Summit remains a major body for harnessing political goodwill, while generating commitment and mobilizing support among the Member States of the IGAD region. Since IDDRSI was launched in response to the decision of the Nairobi Summit of September 2011, the plans, progress and challenges in the implementation of IDDRSI should be routinely brought to the attention of the Summit. The IDDRSI General Assembly should therefore define the role and functions of the Summit within the framework of 6

17 the governance structure of IDDRSI. IGAD Summit does not have a direct mandate or function in the formal leadership and governance of the IDDRSI today, but the 2 previous summits that have so far been held on drought resilience, including IDDRSI launch in Nairobi in 2011 and the other in Kampala in 2014 that re-affirmed the region s commitment to ending drought emergencies. Both summits underscored the significance for harnessing political goodwill, generating commitment and mobilizing support for the implementation of IDDRSI in the region. The MTR team therefore recommends a formal reporting arrangement between the IDDRSI Platform and the IGAD Summit, as a mechanism to keep the highest level of government informed of the progress and requirements in the implementation of IDDRSI. b) General Assembly The General Assembly reviews the IDDRSI Platform reports and provides guidance and policy direction for the operations of the Platform, including leadership in the mobilization of resources. The current membership of the General Assembly consists of ministers from IGAD Member States leading IDDRSI implementation in the respective countries; and similar level representatives of Development and Implementing partners. For the General Assembly to effectively discharge its role in guiding the implementation of IDDRSI, the membership of the General Assembly from the IGAD Member States should be ministers in charge of cross-cutting ministries, such as are responsible for key sectors, including coordination, finance and planning, especially those that are directly concerned with the implementation of IDDRSI. This would ensure optimum representation of all the sectors and stakeholders and enhance coordination of IDDRSI service delivery. c) Platform Steering Committee (PSC) The PSC has delivered its mandate by liaising with various development and implementing partners as well as member states, through biannual meetings. The original document that established the IGAD regional drought-resilience Platform is explicit on the structure and membership of the PSC, with the number, level and identity of representation stipulated. So far more than 50 members from the initial provision of 36 structured-membership have attended the 6 PSC meetings that have been held since 2012, with most participants being at a technical level and only a few holding substantive policy positions. The persistent absence of the representatives from other RECs, namely EAC and COMESA, from the PSC meetings, is worth noting. The PSC has coordinated actors at regional level, but coordination of actors at member states level remains weak and the functional linkage between PSC and the coordination forums that deliberate on PSC recommendations is still poor. As a result, member states have failed to act on many of the PSC recommendations. The structure and agenda for meetings are not in tandem with core business of the IDDRSI Platform. On the other hand, the MTR team noted that the current PSC tenure was extended by 2 years in 2013 since an interim PSC had been constituted earlier in Thus during the review there was no legitimate PSC in place to steer IDDRSI. It is hoped that these recommendations will be reflected in the structure and function of the PSC to be newly formed and inaugurated. For the sake of other stakeholders at the regional level, PCU should organize a 2 to 3 days sharing forum on good practices and lessons learned from their programming on drought resilience. It should coincide with the next PSC will be organized. The IDDRSI Forum meeting, which is held the day before the PSC meeting by current practice, should be formally regarded as a session of the PSC, for sharing of good practices and lessons learnt, also serving the value and function of a technical advisory committee. The conclusions and recommendations from its deliberations should form a report for consideration by the PSC. IGAD should also define the mandate and composition of PSC to reflect current needs of the region and Member States related to steering of the implementation of IDDRSI. 7

18 So far the IDDRSIs PSC and General Assembly meetings have been held regularly in accordance with the prescribed schedule; the former 6 times and the latter 4 times, indicating a steady interest in IDDRSI and, as confirmed by the increasing numbers of participants in successive meetings, showing growing coherence and a strengthening sense of purpose. Further, many of the recommendations made in the successive meetings served to guide the process of consolidating the drought resilience initiative and have led to improvements in IDDRSI implementation arrangements. PSC has so far held six biannual meetings through which its coordination role as well as the coherence and tempo of IDDRSI were built and consolidated. However, while the committee was originally assigned a decision-making function, the current reality demonstrates that it only plays an advisory role, making recommendations to all affected stakeholders in the implementation of IDDRSI. Further, it is noteworthy that the expanded membership (up from the original number of 38 members to the present number in excess of 60) has turned the PSC into an overly technical good practice-sharing forum rather than an oversight committee offering policy guidance and direction for the implementation of IDDRSI. d) Platform Coordination Unit (PCU) The PCU is the principal mobilizing and organizing centre of the IDDRSI, which holds together the different levels of actors and stakeholders in the drought resilience initiative; and serves to activate coordination mechanisms, draw up agendas, prompt action and ensure that the necessary intervention on all fronts is engaged and sustained. It is the de facto nerve centre of the drought resilience implementation machinery, serving to lead, coordinate and link all levels and centres where action is planned, executed or monitored and connect all actors and activities through regular technical and functional contact with IGAD Member States, development partners and other stakeholders. Its functional role involves knowledge management and creating awareness; program planning and implementation monitoring; capacity building; coordination activities, enhancement of partnerships and mobilization of resources. The unit is embedded within the IGAD Secretariat; it is administratively linked to the Division of Agriculture and Environment in the IGAD Secretariat and is functionally connected to the national coordination mechanisms in the IGAD Member States, reporting to the Committee of Directors and to the IDDRSI Platform Steering Committee. The PCU serves its monitoring and evaluation functions through its working arrangements and cooperation with the M & E Working Groups that have been set up in all the countries. To support the IDDRSI coordination mechanisms in the IGAD Member States, a National IDDRSI Coordinator has been recruited for each of the 7 countries, helping to enhance the linkage and contact between the IGAD Secretariat and the countries. Sharing of knowledge and information related to the implementation of IDDRSI is a strategic function of the Platform Coordination Unit (PCU), which helps to identify resilience needs and informs programming. In this connection, a number of knowledge management (KM) tools have been developed. The who-is-doing-what-where (3W) mapping tool is a powerful KM tool, which was developed by the PCU (with the technical support of UN-OCHA), to facilitate mapping for resilience investment tracking and program portfolio management. IGADInfo was developed based on country information within the IGAD region; and the PCU introduced Di- Monitoring, a web-based tool, to follow project implementation as part of the IDDRSI M&E System. IDDRSI M&E Working Groups have been formed in all the IGAD Member States and are equipped to follow the progress of every IDDRSI project that is implemented. The PCU has promoted the application of the different KM tools in the region and provided training and technical support to IGAD Member States in their efforts to collect data and information from different resilience interventions and upload them onto their respective country portals. (e) Resilience Analysis Unit (RAU) With the support and collaboration of a number of partners (FAO, UNDP, UNICEF, WFP, UN-OCHA) the IGAD Secretariat set up a Resilience Analysis Unit (RAU) as a technical arm of the IDDRSI Platform that focuses on understanding vulnerability, resilience analysis and measurement. This is crucial to assess the impact of resilience investment within the framework of IDDRSI, to determine whether or not the intended objectives of the investment are achieved. The RAU activities should not be confused this with 8

19 the efforts involved in monitoring and evaluation (M&E), whose purpose is concerned with measuring the progress in the execution of specific interventions against set milestones. RAU deals with the condition or state of resilience while M&E deals with following inputs and outputs in the process towards achieving resilience. (f) IGAD Specialized Units and Divisions The IDDRSI strategy envisaged that all divisions of IGAD secretariat and other IGAD Specialized institutions are designed to support the identification, development, implementation and monitoring of priority areas of interventions. IGAD division of Agriculture and Environment is the focal point for Pillar 1 and 3, while ICPALD provide technical support to this division and focal point for Pillar 3(Livelihoods support and basic social services) based on their expertise in livestock production. Division for Economic Cooperation and Social Development is focal point on Pillar 2 (Market access, trade and financial services). Division for Peace and security is focal point for Pillar 6 (conflict prevention, resolution and peace building) due to the immense capacities and programming in cross border conflict and peace building expertise with technical support from CEWARN in terms of sub pillar support. As such, ICPAC was to support and be the focal point for Pillar 4 (Disaster Risk Management, preparedness and effective response) due to its expertise and specialty in climate based early warning technologies. (g) IDDRSI Country Coordination Mechanisms The IDDRSI Platform provides modalities through which affected countries and development partners collectively discuss the region s priorities and intervention to achieve objectives of the drought resilience initiative. This is also an effective mechanism for coordinating implementation of IDDRSI. A National IDDRSI Coordinator has been recruited for each Member State to enhance the linkage and contact between the IGAD Secretariat and countries, recognizing that the implementation of IDDRSI involves different ministries, sectors, partners, actors, stakeholders and intervention scenarios, with different methodologies and support frameworks in 7 IGAD Member States. A more effective coordination mechanism helps to identify gaps and avoid possible duplication, while enhancing cooperation and synergy. A review of the IDDRSI implementation coordination mechanisms in operation in the 7 IGAD Member States was undertaken by the MTR team as part of the assessment of the IDDRSI implementation arrangements. Throughout the review, the leadership and coordination roles served by the IGAD Secretariat in the implementation of IDDRSI, including the management of the IDDRSI Platform, drumming up action, mobilizing resources, building partnerships, etc were clearly evident and widely appreciated; as was its comparative advantage as a regional economic community (REC) that serves as a change agent in the region. In this regard the role and relevance of the IGAD Secretariat as the development broker per excellence, especially where cross-border interventions are concerned, make IGAD the imperative participant in development considerations and a natural partner with all actors, practically in every intervention in the region. A number of partners have come forward to support the IGAD Secretariat and help build its capacity to optimally perform its leadership and coordination functions in the implementation of IDDRSI; as a consequence of which its capacity to perform its assigned leadership and coordination functions in the implementation of IDDRSI has been considerably enhanced Inter-connected coordination mechanisms, at local, national and regional levels, that are required for the harmonized implementation of the drought resilience initiative have been established in all the seven IGAD Member States, in accordance with agreements reached within the framework of the IDDRSI Platform. This concerted, coordinated approach has ensured the participation of all stakeholders and created a strong political momentum which promises to generate greater commitment in the affected countries, attract more responses from development partners and facilitate increased investments to support resilience building activities. The coordination mechanisms currently in use to mobilize, organize 9

20 and harmonize activities that contribute to the implementation of IDDRSI in the IGAD region are continuously being reviewed and refined to include all stakeholders and ensure alignment with all sectors as demanded by IDDRSI as a holistic initiative. Within the arrangements agreed for the functioning of the IDDRSI Platform, each IGAD Member State established a National IDDRSI Coordination Platform, specifically mandated to coordinate activities in the implementation of IDDRSI and champion the drought resilience agenda in the country. Each National IDDRSI Platform was ideally meant to cover all the thematic areas and components as outlined in the IDDRSI Strategy PIAs, affording an inclusive, multi-sectoral reach to all actors and stakeholders. However, while all the countries have established National IDDRSI Coordination arrangements, few have a dedicated secretariat with authority to convene and coordinate all major stakeholders; and most are still rudimentary, with linkages between the National IDDRSI Coordination Centre to sub-national and regional levels still weak or undeveloped. There is considerable variation in the IDDRSI implementation coordination arrangements that are in place in different countries. The implementation of IDDRSI in Kenya is being led and coordinated by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) through a secretariat established at the NDMA and supported by the IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator for Kenya. In Uganda, the implementation of IDDRSI is led and coordinated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Platform under the Office of the Prime Minister, supported by the IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator for Uganda; however, the secretariat has not yet been established. In Ethiopia, the coordination centre recently changed from the Rural Economic Development and Food Security (RED&FS) Platform under the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries and supported by the IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator for Ethiopia. In Djibouti, the implementation of IDDRSI is led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Livestock, Fisheries and Marine Resources and is supported by the IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator for Djibouti. In South Sudan, the implementation of IDDRSI is being coordinated through the Ministry of Environment on a temporary arrangement and is supported by the IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator for South Sudan; the establishment of the IDDRSI national coordination mechanism is underway with a proposal developed to institutionalize the Ministry of Environment as the Chair of the National IDDRSI Coordination framework and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Cooperatives, and Rural Development as the co-chair. In Sudan, the IDDRSI coordination mechanism was established through a Presidential Decree and is chaired by the President; giving it a political role to effectively coordinate the implementation of IDDRSI with a multi-sectoral reach. To further strengthen the coordination mechanism, a secretariat housed within the Ministry of Agriculture has been established to follow-up the day to day implementation of IDDRSI, supported by the IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator for Sudan. The implementation of IDDRSI in Somalia is overseen by the Office of the Prime Minster through a Steering Committee comprising of several key ministries, i.e. Energy and Water Resources, Agriculture, Livestock, Finance and National Disaster Commission. At the time of the MTR the IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator for Somalia had not been recruited. 2.3 Strategic Partnership The review team identified three key areas for strategic engagement, notably implementation of the CPPs and RRP, Coordination of the IDDRSI Strategy and Resource Mobilization for IDDRSI. These keys areas formed the basis for several strategic partnerships, while a coherent one was established between IGAD secretariat and Member State as equal partners in the implementation of RPP and CPPs through IGAD seconding Staff to support in capacity building of the member states. Secondly, the partnership between WFP, UNICEF, FAO and IGAD in establishing the Resilience Analysis Unit will go a long way in putting in place systems and structures for the measurement of resilience, however, this might have had a false start due to the various interests of the partners involved in RAU. Thus, resource mobilization has led to enhanced partnership with AfDB, World Bank, Kfw, IDB, Swiss Development Cooperation and 10

21 Danish Development, which were notable partners. However, there are some areas, which IGAD Secretariat need to improve in terms of partnership, including research through collaboration with academia and research institutions that was conspicuously missing from its list of partnership both at regional land the implementing of the RPPs at Member State level. 2.4 Implementation of IDDRSI Within the framework of its assigned role to lead and coordinate the implementation of the IDDRSI, the IGAD Secretariat initiated a consultative, participatory process that resulted in the development of a regional IDDRSI Strategy. The IDDRSI strategy, which is widely acknowledged as the common planning framework, guides the region s interventions in efforts to end drought emergencies, enabling all actors to plan and work in a concerted manner, accentuating their cooperation as joint participants in one regional initiative. But guided by principles behind the intention of building synergies, avoiding duplication and facilitating the identification of the gaps, IDDRSI exercises national action backed by regional thinking. The Regional IDDRSI Strategy was subsequently interpreted by the different IGAD Member States into their respective Country Programming Papers (CPPs) for activities at the national level and a Regional Programming Paper (RPP) for interventions undertaken in a regional or cross-boundary context. The IDDRSI Strategy, CPPs and the RPP provide the necessary strategic direction and form the operational framework upon which the formulation of resilience-enhancing policies and investments in the IGAD Member States is based. Development Partners have agreed to re-align their support with the principles of the IDDRSI Strategy and have reaffirmed their commitment to support country and regional efforts based on CPPs and the RPP. The seven IGAD Member Countries developed their respective CPPs in a coordinated, concerted manner, using the common architecture to identify their specific priorities and define their strategies and institutional arrangements to achieve drought resilience. Interventions are considered regional if, they are undertaken across political boundaries within the same activity framework; or are undertaken at the same time in more than one country; or beneficiaries in more than one country are simultaneously affected by the same intervention; or the intervention is concerned with resources that are shared across political boundaries. The RPP is intended to operationalize the IDDRSI at the regional level and is under the general supervision of the IGAD Secretariat. The RPP includes criteria for prioritizing and supporting cross-border initiatives and generally provides principles that cover rationalizing resilience interventions at national versus regional levels in defining the regional agenda. All CPPs and the RPP have been finalized and validated. With the exception of minor differences between Kenya s CPP and CPPs of other countries; and the variations in the extent of implementation, reflecting the situation in each country, the execution of the cause and purposes of IDDRSI is being undertaken in all the IGAD Member States. The CPPs and RPP are being translated into actual investment projects, often with the support of different Development Partners; and many are beginning to show tangible evidence of success in building resilience and improving the livelihoods of drought prone communities, as reported in the individual country accounts given below. IGAD Member States have been active in the development and funding of field programmes aimed at building drought resilience. In less than 4 years since its inception, the Drought Resilience Initiative is well and truly underway, with various forms of evidence to demonstrate the seriousness with which countries and their development partners are committed to the objective of expeditiously ending drought emergencies in the region. Many of the projects that are being executed are beginning to show tangible evidence of success in building resilience and improving the livelihoods of drought prone communities Status of the implementation of the Country Programming Papers and Regional Programming Paper; and progress in resources mobilization The overall implementation of the Country Programming Papers (CPPs) and Regional Programming Paper (RPP) varies from one IGAD Member State to another; and they are affected by the institutional and technical arrangements available for the implementation of the program. Since the inception of the 11

22 IDDRSI initiative in 2012/2013, considerable progress has been made on implementation. Such progress includes: the establishment of IDDRSI coordination structures; interpretation of the IDDRSI Strategy into CPPs and RPP; and the translation of CPPs and RPP into investments plans for resource mobilization to secure soft loans and grants from various sources, notably the AfDB, the World Bank, BMZ, European Union, USAID, Islamic Development Bank, Denmark and other development partners. In some of the IGAD Member states, a number of projects aimed at building resilience and sustainable livelihoods of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in drought-prone areas have been initiated. Since 2013, almost 1 billion US Dollars have been committed and invested in the execution of IDDRSI projects in different countries, as summarized in the table below. Table 1: Resource mobilization to support implementation of IDDRSI in the IGAD region since 2013 RESOURCE MOBILISATION TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF IDDRSI IN THE IGAD REGION SINCE Development Program/ Project Beneficiary /Country Total amount Partner African Development Bank (AfDB) World Bank Germany(BMZ) GIZ/TC; KfW/FC European Union Islamic Development Bank USAID Denmark Drought Resilience & Sustainability Program DRSLP (Phases I, II & II) Regional Pastoral Livelihoods & Resilience Project (RPLRP) Regional Development Response to displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP) Bi-lateral & regional technical cooperation Regional envelope, 11 th EDF, EU Trust Fund ( 50million out of the 250 million pledged) IDDRSI Cross-border resilience & migration ( 90million out of the 400 million pledged) Dryland Project IDDRSI related Institutional and programme support Research & CSO Grant Facilities Grant Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, IGAD Secretariat Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia + IGAD Secretariat for coordination Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda+ IGAD Secretariat Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia millions USD IGAD Secretariat (Peace & Security) 50 4 countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan Djibouti IGAD Secretariat: 22 ICPALD, ICPAC, & CEWARN IGAD Secretariat 5.9 UNDP Institutional support IGAD Secretariat 5 Total investment mobilized Most projects listed have a life-time of 4 5 years. 12

23 However, in spite of the relative success in mobilizing resources, the low absorption rate of the resources for project implementation, as observed by the MTR team in all the countries, remains a significant hindrance to the implementation of IDDRSI. It is also noteworthy that certain priority intervention areas (PIAs) receive proportionately less investment than others; as some countries commit less resources to the implementation of IDDRSI compared with others. The innovative method of securing funding from the African Development Bank for the implementation of the Drought Resilience & Sustainability Program in Sudan and Somalia, using the IGAD Secretariat as the 3 rd Party, to avert the consequence of sanctions, which would have denied the 2 countries the support, underscores the value of IDDRSI as a regional initiative. The MTR team observed that the projects supported from different sources were formulated by the Development Partners that funded them and recommends that in future programming activities should be prompted and initiated by the countries. In this connection, there is need to develop the capacity necessary for programming and related activities; and the MTR team noted that there are on-going efforts towards this objective Regional Programming Paper The Regional Programming Paper (RPP) is a regional planning framework that forms part of the IDDRSI Strategy, which was developed to guide interventions undertaken in a regional or cross-boundary context; and whose implementation is coordinated by the IGAD Secretariat through providing support to IGAD Members States in the development of their national policies/strategies and regional policies/ strategies for trans-boundary interventions Kenya In Kenya, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) leads and coordinates the implementation of the CPP through a secretariat established at the NDMA and supported by the IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator. The country s CPP has been converted into an implementation framework called Ending Drought Emergencies (EDE) with 6 pillars which integrates all the IDDRSI pillars, namely: (i) peace and human security, (ii) Humanitarian preparedness, (iii) Climate-proofed infrastructure development, (iv) Building Human Capital, (v) Sustainable Livelihoods in a Context of Climate Change (vi) Institutions and coordination. The EDE framework has been integrated into the government of Kenya Vision 2030 through a Medium term Plan 2, albeit with resource mobilization challenges. A total of USD 2,404,770,696 has been committed for the implementation of the EDE framework. 2 (For details, see annex X Volume II, MTR Report) Uganda In Uganda, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Platform under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) leads and coordinates the implementation of the CPP. IDDRSI is not only aligned to the Uganda Strategic Investment Framework for Sustainable Land Management, but is also harmonized with the National Development Plan ( ); and was allocated a total budget of USD 64,966,430. The who-isdoing-what-where (3W) mapping is on-going and shall ascertain actual funding commitments by source. The profound enthusiasm among partners to invest in drought resilience in Karamoja provides the opportunity for establishing the national drought resilience platform for Uganda. (For details, see annex Y Volume II, MTR Report) Ethiopia The Ethiopian Country Program paper contributes directly to the Government of Ethiopia Long Term development programming within the ASAL. The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries with support from the IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator coordinates the implementation of the CPP. A total of USD 2 Source: resilience.info as at 4 th October

24 248,504,991 3 has been mobilized for the implementation of the CPP out of which USD$ 192 Million was mobilized as soft loans & grants from the World Bank, IDC, BMZ and the African Development. However, the absorption rate of the latter funds is presently low at 8%. (For details, see annex Z Volume II, MTR Report) Djibouti In Djibouti, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Livestock, Fisheries and Marine Resources, supported by the IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator, coordinates the implementation of the CPP. A total USD 433,818,336 4 has been mobilized to support the implementation of the CPP through grants provided by partners such as the African Development Bank (Drought Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods Program) and the Islamic Development Bank (Dryland project) among others. (For details, see annex A Volume II, MTR Report) South Sudan South Sudan adopted the IDDRSI Strategy through a comprehensive CPP in 2012 to achieve drought resilience. However, the country has, since December 2013, faced numerous challenges of insecurity, which has compromised effective implementation of the CPP. Under a temporary arrangement, the Ministry of Environment, supported by the IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator for South Sudan, coordinates the implementation of its CPP. Owing to the on-going insecurity in the country, most investments are humanitarian and emergency response in nature. A proposal is underway for the establishment of the CPP national coordination mechanism under the Ministry of Environment as the Chair of the National IDDRSI Coordination framework, with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Cooperatives, and Rural Development as the co-chair. (For details, see annex B Volume II, MTR Report) Sudan An enabling policy environment to promote drought management in Sudan is greatly enhanced through the national development plan ; the Presidential decree (310); the formation of the IDDRSI platform in 2015; the National water policy; and is further re-enforced in provisions of the constitution. The President chairs the implementation of CPP, but a secretariat under the Ministry of Agriculture, with the support of a national IDDDRSI coordinator, coordinates the overall implementation of the CPP. There are already on-going projects being implemented within the framework of CPP such as the Drought Resilience Sustainable Livelihoods Project funded by the African Development Bank. Against an estimated budget of USD 619,300,000, the Government of Sudan has allocated USD 12,765,000 while the development partners have estimated USD 882,428,874 5 for the implementation of the Sudan IDDRSI Country Programming Paper. Other efforts that contribute to drought resilience programming in Sudan include the Green belt initiative in Khartoum state; the Sudan Productive Capacity Recovery Program (SPCRP) and the Small-scale Traditional Rain fed Producers project in Sinnar State. (For details, see annex C Volume II, MTR Report) Somalia The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) leads and coordinates the implementation of the Somalia CPP through a Steering Committee involving several relevant ministries and National Disaster Commission. However, in spite of the recruitment of an IGAD National IDDRSI Coordinator to the Office of the prime minster, the coordination and alignment of the CPP with other on-going programs in Somalia is relatively weak. There is, however, growing interest from development partners in supporting the Somalia CPP, including the African Development Bank through a 3 rd party arrangement with IGAD; ECHO; World 3 Source: resilience.info as at 4 th October Source: resilience.info as at 4 th October Source: resilience.info as at 4 th October

25 Bank; USAID; Norway Government; DANIDA and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). 2.5 Lessons learned Program Coordination and Leadership Lessons a) Stakeholders are doing things differently: As acknowledged by all Member States during the validation of the IDDRSI MTR report in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2016, all Member States appreciated the need to do things differently. Representatives of Member States emphasized that there was an emerging common understanding of regional aspects, demands and expectations relating to the necessity for collective, simultaneous and coordinated action in the implementation of drought resilience initiatives in the region and this demonstrated a change in attitude among stakeholders and represents a strong building block for Joint Action across different Member States. b) Leadership, Partnerships and Coordination are indispensable: The implementation of programs, projects and activities under the IDDRSI strategy within and across Member States has demonstrated that regional and cross-border institutional Coordination, Collaboration and Cooperation (3Cs) for drought disaster resilience building in the pastoral areas of the IGAD region require effective intergovernmental leadership by legitimate and respected institution(s). These institutions should have adequate technical, financial and material resources to perform this full-time responsibility. It has also taught Member States that modalities of cooperation to provide a mechanism through which collective action, including resources mobilization, necessitated by the regional character of the drought resilience initiative, must be defined, organized and coordinated to enhance synergy and to avoid duplication. c) Commitment of IGAD Member States to drought disaster resilience building is vital: IGAD Member States commitment to regional disaster risk management institutions such as IGAD s IDDRSI platform and cross-border initiatives, ultimately determines success in cross-border disaster risk management and contingency planning in the pastoral areas of the IGAD region. The lesson is that an adequately supported and resourced IGAD Secretariat, with its core functions and staffing underwritten by regular, predictable and multi-annual funding streams from national treasuries public financing mechanisms, is a prerequisite for effective and efficient regional and cross-border disaster contingency planning in the IGAD Region. d) Regional initiatives are best implemented with the involvement of all stakeholders: A regional initiative, such as IDDRSI, is a multi-national, multi-stakeholder, multi-sector undertaking whose implementation requires the simultaneous involvement of all stakeholders, including Member States, UN agencies, civil society organizations, etc, each taking part in accordance with its mandate, capability and interest. e) Donor coordination, joint learning and harmonization of support within and across sectors is important in disaster risk management and resilience building: Regional and national support from major donors USAID, EU, DFID, Irish Aid, World Bank, AfDB and others working within the IDDRSI program strategy have demonstrated such strength. This was evident during 2015 and 2016 drought in Ethiopia, parts of Somalia, North Eastern Uganda and Kenya as well as during the El Nino phenomenon in the region. New funding and financing mechanisms are emerging to support national disaster resilience initiatives and donors generally performed better than the national governments in terms of fulfilling their respective mandates. This was partly due to increasing demand for donor coordination, harmonization of support within and across sectors and 15

26 aligning their support to national government goals, objectives and strategies. Lessons from Kenya s ASAL Donor Working Group may benefit donors in other countries. f) Translating CPPs into implementable and monitor-able programs, projects and activities is not going to be uniform across countries: An important lesson that is slowly emerging from implementation is that translating CPPs to implementable and monitor-able programs, projects and activities across Member States has taken different routes and dimensions. In some countries, this process has not taken place in a significant way, even though all the countries finalized their respective CPPs at about the same time. There are several reasons for this. In Uganda, the national coordination function under the Office of the Prime Minister had not provided the requisite leadership to mobilize relevant Government Ministries, Departments and Authorities (MDAs) as well as development partners to work together to develop a program that is aligned to the IDDRSI framework and strategy. In Somalia, UN Agencies, particularly the FAO, WFP, UNICEF as well as CSOs implementing the Somalia Resilience Program (SomRep), are implementing diverse CPP-related and aligned activities that support households and communities in resilience building, as exemplified in the El Nino phenomenon. In Sudan, the Government is taking the lead in implementing CPPrelated projects and programs, while in South Sudan internal conflict interrupted implementation. In Djibouti, however, there seems to be little capacity for the Government to lead the process; while Kenya has formulated an elaborate program called Ending Drought Emergencies (EDE) and established an ASAL donor working group as well. The latter was established under a Common Programming Framework (CPF) under which all financial investments and implementation take place with strong leadership and coordination from the National Drought Management Authority. In Ethiopia, the CPP is being implemented mainly through two donor-funded programs, the DRLSP and the RPLRP. There are main lessons here. First, it is the responsibility of Member States to translate the CPP into a program or programs to benefit their own citizens. The second lesson is that translation will take several forms, hence there is no one particular way of doing it as long as initiatives are developed by all stakeholders, adhere to the IDDRSI tenets of implementation and are aligned to the IDDRSI framework and strategy. Finally, Member States lagging behind in the process of translating their CPPs into programs may require external assistance from IGAD and other stakeholders to enable them take off the ground and make progress towards supporting households and communities in resilience building in a coherent, coordination, effective and efficient manner Programming and program/project design lessons a) Underutilized local household and community resources and capacities for resilience building need to be mobilized: Local community and rural resources (i.e. human, financial, social, physical, natural and political) have hardly been adequately mobilized in the pastoral areas in the Horn of Africa for development and humanitarian programming processes. They are unable to support drought disaster resilience building often because of the notion that pastoralist communities are poor. Yet pastoral and agro-pastoral households and communities, though vulnerable in many ways, themselves own or have access to key resources needed for effective disaster risk management and contingency planning, as demonstrated through numerous CMDRR projects in the region. b) Decentralization and devolution across IGAD Member States is contributing to the effectiveness of the IDDRSI framework and strategy: Devolved and decentralized governance structures emerging in the IGAD Member States are giving voice to citizens and opening up democratic space for growing community participation and engagement in development and humanitarian programming. 16

27 c) Gender equity is important in resilience building: Gender equity and inclusivity are important in regional and cross-border drought resilience-building initiatives and processes. This is because both women and men are affected by disasters, but more often women are affected more, both in terms of their practical as well as strategic needs. Therefore, it is important for both women and men to effectively participate in drought disaster risk management initiatives and share equitably in the benefits that accrue from cross-border initiatives. d) Crisis Modifier Models of funding are vital for effective drought response and in building longterm resilience: One of the main lessons from IDDRSI strategy s stakeholder drought response during 2015 was the widespread use of various flexible funding mechanisms within long-term development and resilience budgets and programs, as a means to support drought response. Some examples include: use of crisis modifier by ECHO, Hunger Safety Net Program and NDMA in Kenya, and Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation. e) Strong disaster preparedness and response structures with effective and trusted leadership are critical: The IDDRSI MTR found that in Uganda and Kenya, the national coordination entities that took charge of the El Nino preparedness and response initiatives were weak. This was because they were ad hoc, and only took charge of the coordination and management functions because of the impending El Nino event, or because they were not necessarily trusted by stakeholders. In Uganda, national disaster risk management structures are not well developed. This is partly because disaster risk is often synonymous with the Karamoja sub-region, and therefore area specific. As a result, national capacities depend on the political relevance of Karamoja at particular points in time. But in Kenya, strong drought management structures exist, with very able leadership from the NDMA, but other hazard risks such as El Nino, just lack in Uganda, lack effective coordination structures. Three lessons quickly emerge out of these scenarios. f) Early warning systems products are effective but more innovative programming is still required for early response and effective impact to be realized: In Somalia, during the El Nino event of , FAO developed the El Niño Early action and response for agriculture, food security and nutrition initiative. 6 In support of its national counterparts, particularly in the Somalia case, FAO aimed to address the current and future needs of vulnerable people affected by the El Niño by, striking before the crisis escalated into an emergency. Reviewed reports on the effectiveness of this new initiative show that substantial losses were reduced and emergency response costs significantly decreased. Early actions that were reported strengthened the resilience of at-risk populations, thereby mitigating the impact of the El Nino and helped communities, the federal, regional and district governments, national and international humanitarian agencies to respond more effectively and efficiently. Herein lie lessons for other countries and agencies. 3. KEY STRATEGIC ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Key Strategic Issues Strengthening Advocacy for IDDRSI: Although the decision to embark on IDDRSI was made at the highest level in the affected countries and was welcomed by many of the region s development partners, there is still need for continued advocacy to inform decision-makers, generate more commitment and attract more support, given the existence of many other competing causes, including a plethora of other Summit resolutions that have not been implemented in spite of their significance. In addition, the 6 FAO (2016): El Nino: Early Action & Response for Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition: Working Draft; Update #5 Early Action and Response El Nino Report 17

28 approach of ending drought emergencies through building resilience and sustainable development still attracts less attention than does the response with emergency relief interventions. There is need to highlight the fact that compared to managing emergencies and being reactive, being proactive through managing risks and building drought resilience, is more cost-effective. Drumming up action, championing success stories and promoting drought resilience and its cost-effectiveness is therefore an important aspect of IDDRSI; and it forms a significant part of the work and function of the PCU, for which the unit should be equipped and supported to execute Membership & Function of the IDDRSI Platform (Steering Committee, General Assembly and Summit): The IDDRSI Platform has proved to be an effective mechanism through which the implementation of IDDRSI can be planned, discussed and coordinated. However, there are aspects that can be improved. The IDDRSI-Platform Steering Committee (PSC) has a membership that comprises representatives of Member States as well as development and implementing partners and serves to prioritize, coordinate, align, guide, mobilize support for and monitor activities in the implementation IDDRSI. The committee also provides a collective forum in which the region s priorities, plans, support possibilities and progress in the implementation of IDDRSI can be discussed. While the initial committee had been intended to play a decision-making role, the current reality is that the PSC merely plays an advisory role and makes recommendations to all affected stakeholders in the implementation of IDDRSI. It is also noteworthy that while the initial membership was 38, the current membership exceeds 60 and the committee is managed essentially as a technical good practice-sharing market place than an oversight body offering policy guidance, as was originally intended. At a higher level, the General Assembly (GA) serves to provide guidance and policy direction as well as support resource mobilization for the implementation of IDDRSI. The 4 sessions of the GA that have so far been held, have underscored its important role as part of the IDDRSI governance, but have also highlighted the need to review the caliber and nature of its membership to preserve its ministerial function. To be effective in the discharge its role in guiding the implementation of IDDRSI, the membership of the General Assembly from the Member States should include ministers in charge of cross-cutting ministries that are responsible for key sectors including coordination, finance and planning, especially those that are directly concerned with the implementation of IDDRSI. Although the IGAD Summit currently does not have a direct mandate or function in the formal leadership and governance of IDDRSI, the 2 summits on drought resilience that have been held (one in 2011, which served to launch IDDRSI; and the other in 2014, which served to re-affirm and consolidate commitment) have underscored its significance in harnessing political goodwill, generating commitment and mobilizing support for the implementation of IDDRSI in the region. The MTR team recommends that a formal reporting arrangement be made between the IDDRSI Platform and the IGAD Summit, as a mechanism to keep the highest level of government informed of the progress and requirements in the implementation of IDDRSI. It has also been noted that no action has been reported regarding an important resolution, which was adopted by the Nairobi Summit in 2011 on the establishment of a Multi-donor Trust Fund to support activities in the implementation of the drought resilience initiative Strategic positioning of the Platform Coordination Unit (PCU): The PCU is the principal mobilizing and organizing centre of IDDRSI, which holds together the different levels of actors and stakeholders in the drought resilience initiative; and serves to activate coordination mechanisms, draw up agendas and prompt action; and generally ensure that the necessary intervention on all fronts is engaged and sustained. The unit is embedded within the IGAD Secretariat; it is administratively linked to the 18

29 Division of Finance & Administration / PCU Division of Agriculture and Environment in the IGAD Secretariat and is functionally connected to the national coordination mechanisms in the IGAD Member States, reporting to the Committee of Directors and to the IDDRSI Platform Steering Committee. While the PCU provides effective coordination of the drought resilience platform, its contact and interaction within the IGAD Secretariat and its specialized institutions needs to be further refined and enhanced for coherence and effectiveness. The PCU s current linkage to the Division of Agriculture and Environment tends to directly or indirectly leave out contact with other IGAD Divisions and Specialized Institutions, which are also actively engaged in the implementation of IDDRSI. PIA 7: Coordination, institutional strengthening, partnerships & resource mobilisation PIA 6: Conflict Prevention, Resolution & Peace building PIA 5: Research & Knowledge Management & Technology Transfer PIA 4: Disaster Risk Management, Preparedness & Response PIA 3: Livelihood Support & Basic Social Services PIA 2: Market Access, Trade & Financial Services PIA1: Environment & Natural Resource Management A&E Division ICPALD; ICPAC A&E Division EISD Division ; ICPALD; IRAPP EISD Division A&E Division; ICPALD P & S Division CEWARN, ISSP RAU Cross-cutting ICPAC IGAD - Humanitarian Affairs Figure 3: Involvement of IGAD Secretariat Divisions & Specialized Institutions in implementing the IDDRSI Strategy. The PCU should be linked to a central point that is functionally and administratively linked to all IGAD Divisions and Specialized Institutions (CEWARN, ICPAC and ICPALD). Such a point is presently realized in the functions of the Planning and Coordination Section (PCS), which is responsible for the overall planning, coordination and budget preparation linked to all IGAD activities, including the implementation of IDDRSI (see Annex 2). Given the comprehensive and multi-sectoral nature of IDDRSI, closer interaction between the PCU and IGAD Secretariat and its specialized institutions, would enhance coordination while avoiding duplication and the possibility of creating parallel structures The MTR team learnt that the IGAD Secretariat, with the support of the European Union, plans to revamp the PCS and enhance its capacity to enable it perform its functions and ensure that the implementation of IDDRSI within the IGAD Secretariat and Specialized Institutions is centrally coordinated and is in tandem with the activities in the Member States. While IDDRSI is widely acknowledged as a regional initiative and the coordination mandate assigned to the IGAD Secretariat is accepted in all the countries, the exact functional role to be played by IGAD in the implementation of IDDRSI projects in the countries is not clear. Even where funding of projects is regionally mobilized and IGAD is expected to have a substantive role (such as in the AfDB-funded Drought Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods Program), the PCU s role is without authority or obligation and remains cursory, advisory or voluntary. 19

30 The role of the PCU in the implementation of IDDRSI in the Member States is especially significant in the implementation of activities of the RPP in cross-border situations, where for practical and technical reasons the applicable interventions are planned and executed across the entire project area as one ecological zone, regardless of the political boundaries Capacity of the PCU: The strategic importance of the PCU and the challenges of executing its functions in leading and coordinating the implementation of IDDRSI are defined by the obligations of the collective decision by IGAD Member States to work together as a region. The PCU s principal roles include knowledge management to share information; regional programming to plan for the harmonized implementation of IDDRSI in the region; capacity building to enhance the region s technical capacity to manage the execution of the initiative; enhanced partnerships and coordination to optimize the support, synergy and cooperation involving many actors and sectors; and monitoring and evaluation to keep track of the IDDRSI implementation progress. The IGAD Secretariat recognizes the need for sufficient institutional capacity to deliver its mandate and meet stakeholders expectations. There is need for the PCU and IGAD specialized institutions to be fully facilitated and operationalized to fulfill their responsibilities in coherent service delivery to achieve effective multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral coordination in the implementation of IDDRSI. In this regard, the MTR team found that there is a collaborative working approach supported by various bilateral and multi-lateral development partners, to address IGAD s capacity-building needs, notable among which include the Joint Financing Agreement (of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway), Germany, USAID, African Development Bank, the World Bank and UNDP. While there is evidence of donor commitment and success in resources mobilization in support of institutional strengthening and capacity building under both ISAP and IDDRSI, there are limitations in the effectiveness of current IDDRSI coordination structures related to the manner in which they are funded. In this regard, the PCU staff is recruited on short-term contracts, supported by different partners whose future funding is neither assured nor predictable. This has created a high turnover of staff and reduced continuity, which has generally undermined the unit s stability, efficiency and coherence. Thus, IGAD could improve its capacity to coordinate the implementation of IDDRSI through the re-organization and strengthening of the PCU, as well as through a comprehensive funding to finance the recruitment of qualified staff and support the operational costs of the unit Content and implementation of the IDDRSI Strategy: While the principal focus of IDDRSI is drought, it is clear from all affected countries that drought is often the converse problem of floods. The IDDRSI Strategy is quite comprehensive in its coverage and one of its priority intervention areas (on disaster risk management and preparedness) is applicable to all disasters, including floods. IDDRSI could therefore be more appropriately re-named IDRSI (i.e. with one D; as IGAD Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative) and be made to apply to all disasters. This would not be the first time that IGAD lost a D! But it would mean that while the historic entry point in IDDRSI was drought, the primary objective is resilience and that is affected by all disasters. The MTR team observed that while aligned to the RPP and respective CPPs, the projects supported from different sources were initiated and formulated by the Development Partners that funded them. Investment in building the technical skills and capacity in programming at regional and national levels would be necessary to ensure that IDDRSI is country-driven, with active involvement of the primary stakeholders in programming activities. The innovative method of securing funding from the African Development Bank for the implementation of the Drought Resilience & Sustainability Program in Sudan and Somalia, using the IGAD Secretariat as the 3 rd Party, to avert the consequence of sanctions, which would have denied the 2 countries the support, 20

31 underscores the value of IDDRSI as a regional initiative that ensures simultaneous engagement of all members. In spite of the relative success in mobilizing resources, the low absorption rate of the resources for project implementation, as observed by the MTR team in all the countries, remains a significant hindrance to the implementation of IDDRSI. It is also noteworthy that certain Priority Intervention Areas (PIAs) receive proportionately less investment than others; as do some countries commit fewer resources to the implementation of IDDRSI compared with others Monitoring and Evaluation: The monitoring and evaluation framework developed for IDDRSI did not take into consideration milestone indicators for tracking the progress at the preparatory & inception stages, making it difficult in documenting progress at both the regional and national level for the 1 st phase. Further, the absence of baselines makes the assessment of the progress difficult. The MTR team opted to treat the period covering the first 3 years since IDDRSI was launched as the preparatory phase of the initiative and noted the various steps taken, structures established, arrangements put in place and other discernible actions, as the initiative gets under way. While the team adopted a bird s eye view methodology for the assessment of progress in the implementation of IDDRSI over the initial period of the past 3 years of the first phase, the team recommends that for a more specific presentation of the current status of IDDRSI strategy, a detailed results assessment by Priority Intervention Area should be done for the End of Phase one ( ) evaluation. 3.2 Recommendations Based on the identified strategic issues outlined above and the areas where specific actions are considered desirable to contribute to improvements in the planning and implementation of IDDRSI, the MTR team made the following recommendations: a) The membership of the General Assembly should comprise ministers in charge of cross-cutting ministries, such as the ones responsible for planning, drought resilience, finance and coordination of sectors or line ministries that contribute to the implementation of IDDRSI. b) The Summit of the IGAD Heads of State and Government should be included in the IDDRSI governance structure, so as to fully exploit the influence of thepower and authority of the region s leaders on the support of drought resilience programmes in their respective countries and in the region as a whole. They should be encouraged to meet on a regular basis at least, once every two years to discuss IDDRSI. c) The membership of the IDDRSI Platform Steering Committee (PSC) should be limited to about 35, including 2 representatives from each Member State (one at Permanent Secretary level and the other the country s member of the IGAD Committee of the Ambassadors); and a similar level representatives of Development Partners, UN agencies, IGAD Secretariat, Civil Society representing pastoral/agro-pastoral communities and other stakeholders such as parliamentary caucuses representing pastoral/agro-pastoral areas as determined by the IGAD Executive Secretary. d) IGAD should define the composition and mandate of the PSC to reflect the level and authority that the Member States agree to assign to the committee for the effective steering of IDDRSI throughout the region. e) Member States should strengthen National IDDRSI Coordination mechanisms by establishing IDDRSI Program Secretariats to coordinate CPP-aligned activities; and overseeing the implementation of projects and programs (e.g. the EDE Secretariat, the Common Programming Framework and Donor Coordination Forums that have been established in Kenya). f) IDDRSI National Coordinators should be supported and facilitated to link national coordination structures to the PCU at the regional level. g) Member States should operationalize the IDDRSI implementation coordination structures at national and sub-national levels and provide avenues through which development partners can align and relate to the national IDDRSI coordination structures and share information on drought resilience 21

32 programming, facilitated by the IDDRSI Platform Coordination Unit. Member States should create IDDRSI budget lines in their annual national budgets to support core IDDRSI PCU activities, such as hiring and retaining of competent staff; and making contributions to PCU s recurrent expenditure in form of matching funds to Development Partners SupportMember States should not only create IDDRSI budget lines in their annual national budgets to support the implementation of IDDRSI, but also identify IDDRSI for allocation of development finance by partners. h) Member States should promote investments in the ASALS, including supporting the engagement of the private sector in the development of ASAL infrastructure i) The MTR recommends that in future programming activities should be prompted and initiated by the countries; and in this connection, there is need to develop the capacity necessary for programming and related activities; and the MTR team noted that there are on-going efforts towards this objective j) IGAD should strengthen both the human resource and financial capacity of the PCU to provide capacity-building support to Member States. k) IGAD should lead the negotiations between the Member States and funding partners to work out mechanisms that ensure effective and efficient financial and procurement systems specific to implementation of IDDRSI related projects/initiatives. l) The PCU should coordinate generation of IGAD and Member States level baseline data and support monitoring of the CPP/RPP results framework. m) The PCU should develop a resource mobilization strategy to guide the development of investment plans; and work with Member States and partners to organize an IDDRSI investment conference. n) The PCU should develop a capacity building strategy and document the capacity development needs at the member state level and IGAD level for effective implementation of IDDRSI strategy. o) The PCU should support the strengthening of monitoring and evaluation systems needed to track progress in the implementation of IDDRSI. p) For the sake of other stakeholders at the regional level, PCU should organize a 2 to 3 days sharing forum on good practices and lessons learned from their programming on drought resilience to coincide with PSC meetings. q) IGAD PCU/RAU resilience analysis tools should be enriched to capture the baseline indicators for each PIA through identification of measurable indicators and targets. 4. CONCLUSION In the past, the approaches used or advocated by governments, development partners and humanitarian agencies, to respond to drought and related emergencies, were largely in the form of reactive humanitarian relief interventions, usually based on the action of individual Member States or international agencies. IDDRSI advocates a coherent architecture of international action that involves the enhanced coordination of the strategic linkage between humanitarian relief interventions and development initiatives. IGAD s plan to end drought emergencies, build drought resilience and achieve growth and sustainable development in the Horn of Africa is the region s most versatile development paradigm yet, which has a strong promise of revolutionary significance; and got all actors involved in the implementation of IDDRSI reading from the same page. IDDRSI has quickly evolved into an integrative mobilizing force that serves as an effective rallying point to drive the region s development agenda. The IDDRSI Platform mechanism approach facilitates sharing of experiences, promotes regional cohesion and enhances international cooperation; while the IDDRSI strategy is designed the corrective and adaptive measures, which ensure that the desired course is maintained. The tremendous response mounted by the affected countries and the goodwill shown by their development partners, to support the implementation of IDDRSI, in spite of the global economic down trend and donor fatigue are as noteworthy as they are encouraging. IDDRSI provides a framework through which the key factors that contribute to the 22

33 instabilities and vulnerabilities in the region can be analyzed, understood and comprehensively addressed. It seems that the intractable problems of drought emergencies in the Horn of Africa region are finally receiving the attention they demand and getting effectively addressed. It is hoped that the identified strategic issues and related recommendations will, if addressed, contribute to the on-going efforts aimed at improving the planning and implementation of IDDRSI and help expedite the attainment of IGAD s objective of ending drought emergencies.. 23

34 5. ANNEXES ANNEX 1: IDDRSI PROGRESS DASHBOARD Table 2: IDDRSI Progress Dashboard SCORE Description of the Scoring matrix Action not started It was evident that all the planned, as outlined in IDDRS Strategy, IDDRSI regional Platform, MS CPP and IGAD RPP, have not started. Action Started It was evident that the planned actions, as outlined in IDDRS Strategy, IDDRSI regional Platform, MS CPP and IGAD RPP, have been initiated and preliminary programme activities started. Action On Track It was evident that all the planned actions, as outlined in IDDRS Strategy, IDDRSI regional Platform, MS CPP and IGAD RPP, is being implemented in line with the agreed timelines. ELEMENTS OF REVIEW Djibouti Ethiopia Kenya Somalia South Sudan Sudan IGAD 1. COORDINATION Status of IDDRSI Organizational Structure having clear institutional arrangements with focused leadership. The MS / IGAD has a coordination unit with adequate human Resources to support coordination of IDDRSI. The resource mobilization strategy developed and resource mobilization initiated. IGAD / MS Coordination Structure linked to the IDDRSI coordination mechanism at IGAD / MS level. Evidence of MS / IGAD sector level coordination structure Evidence of MS / IGAD - Development Partner Coordination structure Evidence of development Partner development Partner Coordination structure 2. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP Evidence of initiation of IDDRSI strategic Partnership, Networking and Collaboration MS / IGAD embracing the regional Processes and streamlining working relationships with other X-border MS (X-border cooperation, signed MOUs, Partnership strategy, information sharing and policy harmonization) 24

35 ELEMENTS OF REVIEW Djibouti Ethiopia Kenya Somalia South Sudan Sudan IGAD MS / IGAD involves Private sector in IDDRSI and clarifies the added value of IDDRSI to the Private sector. 3. STRATEGIC RELEVANCE Alignment of MS CPP / IGAD RPP to Sendai Framework of Action, SDG, AU agenda 2063 and AU disaster risk reduction strategy. MS CPP / IGAD RPP addressing the emerging migration patterns and risk of trans boundary diseases. Evidence of alignment of humanitarian response and development Interventions in Member State. 4. IMPLEMENTATION OF PIAs Effectiveness of the approach / interventions, effectiveness of the M/E framework Efficiency (decision making, approvals of the CPPs, policies, frameworks Coherence (Harmonization, alignment, coordination, convergence (SLI Sequence, layering, integration), duplication (Targeting logic) Outcome and Impact (contribution to the mitigation of El Nino and drought disasters) Sustainability (integration of CPPs into development plans) Feedback mechanism (Communication, use of M/E tools, research/innovation uptake, Technology transfer, utilization of climate information PILLAR SPECIFIC Priority Intervention Area 1: Natural Resource Management Priority Intervention Area 2: Market Access and Trade Priority Intervention Area 3: Livelihood Support Priority Intervention Area 4:Pastoral Disaster Risk Management Priority Intervention Area 5: Research and Knowledge Management Priority Intervention Area 6:Conflict Resolution and Peace Building 25

36 ANNEX 2: Proposed integration of the PCU and the PCS into the IGAD Secretariat organogram 26