FARA Executive Secretary/Chief Technical Adviser

Transcription

1 FARA Progress report July 2002 January 2003 Monty P. Jones FARA Executive Secretary/Chief Technical Adviser 1

2 Table of Contents Introduction 4 Goals 4 Development objectives 4 Immediate objectives 4 Actual implementation of activities compared to the work plan 4 Outputs and activities 5 Establishment of FARA executive secretariat 5 Recruitment of FARA Secretariat staff 5 Creation and maintenance of a website 5 Prepare and launch the FARA News Letter 6 Organize the first FARA Executive Committee meeting 6 Preparations for the 2 nd FARA plenary 6 Facilities and Equipment 6 Mobilizing funds for the second phase of the project and FARA s sustainability 7 Strategy for funds mobilization 7 Funding Modalities 8 Mobilizing funds for the second phase of the project 8 Development of long- and medium-term plan for agricultural research for development in Africa. 10 FARA strategy and medium term implementation plan 10 Major features of the FARA strategy: 10 Major features of the 5 Years Implementation Plan: 11 Completion and closure of the SPAAR/FARA transition period 12 Activities related to promoting functional partnerships and alliances in agricultural research for development in Africa 12 NEPAD 12 The Sub Saharan African Challenge Program 12 SRO s Competitive Grant Scheme (SRO CGS) 14 The Multi-country agricultural productivity program (MAPP) 15 Current Budget 15 Recommendations and Conclusions 16 Activities accomplished 16 FARA secretariat 17 2

3 Budget and handling of resources 17 Mobilized funds 18 FAO administrative and financial support 18 FAO FARA agreement for the second phase 18 Proposed Activities for the second phase 19 Next Steps 19 Acknowledgements 20 3

4 FARA Progress report: July 2002 January 2003 Introduction The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) was created in 1997 by the three subregional organizations in Africa together with the World Bank s Special Program for Agriculture in Africa (SPAAR). SPAAR has since been acting for FARA and in 2001 the transition process started and an agreement with the FAO was made to host FARA. In 2002 the FARA Secretariat started functioning with the recruitment of its Executive Secretary. Several activities have since been undertaken by the FARA Secretariat. This report summaries the activities made from July January The report discusses (1) actual implementation of activities compared to the work plan, (2) problems and constraints in technical, human and financial matters encountered, (3) recommendations for corrective measures, (4) detailed work plan for the next six months and FARA s future. Goals 1. prove the relevance and the sustainability of FARA with the aim to secure sustainable funding for the future 2. lay solid ground for the implementation of a regional strategy for the development of agricultural research in Sub-Saharan Africa. Development objectives The overall objective of the project is to establish a FARA Secretariat that will perform the following functions in Sub-Saharan Africa: 1. provide a forum of stakeholders of agricultural research 2. strengthen SROs and NARS research capacities 3. facilitate and coordinate Africa-wide research projects and networks 4. present an African perspective to the outside world 5. mobilize resources for agricultural research Immediate objectives 1. to successfully establish the FARA executive secretariat in RAF, and enable it to become fully operational 2. to complete and close the SPAAR/FARA transition period. Actual implementation of activities compared to the work plan Activities implemented in the last six months are as indicated under section on outputs and activities in the agreement between ASARECA and FAO. 4

5 Outputs and activities Establishment of FARA executive secretariat The secretariat of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa was established at the FAO Regional Office for Africa in Accra, Ghana following the recruitment and assumption of duty of the first Executive Secretary, Dr. Monty P. Jones on the 1 st of July Recruitment of FARA Secretariat staff Local support staff recruitment process was initiated by the RAF before the Executive Secretary s assumption of duty and was hired by RAF. An information and communication technologies (ICT) consultant was contacted in January 2003 to create and maintain the FARA s website. An international consultant was hired to work on agricultural planning, monitoring and evaluation, and to assist the Executive Secretary for two months starting in October As the work load is very heavy for the Executive Secretary to function alone, the consultant was given an extension of 2 months. Creation and maintenance of a website A FARA website will be set-up in early February Initial contact have been made with a consultancy firm based in Togo to work on the website. The website will be Requirements for the FARA website have been given to the consultancy firm for cost estimates. Below are the initial requirements of the FARA website: 1. a page explaining FARA this will cover elements in our strategy document and our implementation plan. This is where we can find our mission, goals, objectives, program, organizational structure, partners etc. 2. a page linking FARA with its partners the SROs i.e. ASARECA, CORAF and SADC. Each SRO will have their web pages. 3. a page linking FARA with other programs we are working with i.e. the Challenge Program, MAPP and the SRO CGS. This should expand as we go along. 4. active pages showing our current programs, meetings and activities. At the moment we are sponsoring a big meeting to be held in May We want our participants to just get information regarding this meeting from the website and if possible register from there. FARA will like to establish a website that will monitor the progress of the Sub-Saharan Challenge program and other projects/initiatives that FARA will be involved in. The website should be dynamic to serve as a help desk to provide a lifeline, especially for the weaker NARS in Africa. The eventual objective would be to enable FARA to accept questions from workers in the field and direct them to the most appropriate and best available authority on the particular topic. This would require very clear and easy to use electronic forms and a searchable database of experts in the range of anticipated topics. The redirection should be as automatic as possible based on key words but there would still be a management requirement. 5

6 Prepare and launch the FARA News Letter The FARA annual report is almost ready instead of a FARA Newsletter as stated in the agreement. The FARA annual report is more appropriate considering the early stage of FARA s activities. Production of an annual report will also be the precedent of the SPAAR/FARA annual report from The production of FARA Newsletter was questioned and was not recommended by the FARA plenary in Maputo in March It was recommended that the FARA Secretariat should first concentrate on its establishment and funding sustainability. Organize the first FARA Executive Committee meeting A FARA management committee meeting is scheduled on January 2003 to discuss progress made by the FARA Secretariat and its way forward. Preparations were made beginning November i.e. invitations, program and logistics arrangements. Issues to be discussed are (1) technical issues related to the FARA strategy and implementation plan, the sub-saharan Africa challenge program, the multi-country agricultural productivity program for Africa, the FARA/SRO competitive grant schemes for Africa, the NEPAD s CAADP Chapter 5 and FARA 2002 annual report (2) upcoming meetings and workshops including the USAID/IFPRI/FARA consultative meeting in Washington, February 2003; NEPAD/World Bank/FARA meeting on the MAPP in Johannesburg on February 2003, FARA/EU consultative meeting in Brussels on 3 4 March, 2003, SSA CP formulation workshop on March 2003 in Accra, and the FARA second plenary meeting in Dakar, Senegal on May 2003 (3) administrative issues relating to the working environment in the FAO RAF, proposed second phase agreement with the FAO, long-term location of FARA, FARA secretariat staff requirement, working relationships/arrangements with NEPAD, SROs and ILRI. and the creation of various FARA committees e.g. programs, audit and nomination committees. Preparations for the 2 nd FARA plenary The second FARA plenary is scheduled on May 2003 in Dakar, Senegal. The first announcement has been sent out beginning October Invitations from FARA have been sent out in November Logistical preparation is ongoing. A visit to Dakar, Senegal was made in December 2002 to meet with the local organizing committee and assess progress in the organization of the meeting. The Senegalese local organizing committee has drafted a conference guide to be published at ISRA and FRNAA website. This will also be published in the FARA website once established. Currently, the announcement could be seen in GFAR website: The second announcement will be distributed by the FARA secretariat by February Facilities and Equipment Assistance was given by the RAF in the purchasing of equipment and office supplies to ensure immediate functioning of the Secretariat. Four adjacent rooms were reserved for FARA by the RAF in its Headquarters in Accra, Ghana. The offices have been furnished with carpeting where appropriate, chairs, tables, computer desks 6

7 and computers/printers, air conditioners, suitable cables linking the offices to the FAO LAN, modern direct dialing telephones linking to the FAO RAF switchboard. A Toyota saloon car has been purchased for the transportation of the ES in and out of Accra, and for the day-to-day running of the Secretariat. A photocopier, fax machine, scanner and office supplies are also being purchased. All expenses related to these equipment and other charges such as electricity, water, postage etc. are charged to the FARA budget and as a general rule all services and facilities are delivered to the FARA Secretariat in conformity with the FAO norms and standards. Mobilizing funds for the second phase of the project and FARA s sustainability Strategy for funds mobilization We have drafted a strategy for funds mobilization at FARA and this will be presented to the Executive Management Committee of FARA for endorsement. The strategy was developed on the premise that FARA is the apex body to coordinate and advocate for support to agricultural research for development in Africa. The main goal of the financial-resources mobilization strategy is to provide a framework for sustainability of institutions necessary to meet the regional challenges in agricultural research and development in Africa, and for increased stability and flexibility of funding, with optimum resource allocation. Sustainable financing of agricultural development and dissemination requires (i) the diversification of funding sources based on forging partnerships of mutual interest; (ii) securing long-term public funding; (iii) increasing the share of domestic funding (from government, farmers, NGOs, agribusiness, industry); and, (iv) developing innovative mechanisms for resource allocation, such as competitive and contractual mechanisms, as well as linking resource allocation to performance and field impact. New opportunities should be identified for greater access to resources, either directly by FARA or through partners and/or collaborators based on comparative advantage. In this regard and to overcome the limited traditional funding base, the financial-resource mobilization strategy will be three-pronged. Consolidation and maintenance of traditional funding sources. Donors and the international development community will be expected to adapt a new culture of short-, medium- and longterm financial and technical support to agricultural research and development in Africa. A strong focus will be given to documenting, analyzing and publishing the impact and relevance of past achievements and on-going activities with respect to FARA s mandate, in order to sustain donors interest in the research agenda of NARS, SROs and FARA. Particular attention will be given to show impact and explicit linkages between the research agenda and its implication for agricultural development and eventual economic growth in Africa. Diversification of funding sources: An array of partners will be necessary to achieve impact from agricultural research. These should include support from non-traditional donors (NGOs, foundations and private sector) and through the development of collaboration with other research institutions. Equally important is funding commitment from the African governments and a supportive policy environment necessary for agricultural research to contribute successfully to the productive goals, notably by empowering local communities and preserving the natural 7

8 environment. The New Partnerships for Africa s Development (NEPAD), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank would be expected to use their influence to sensitize Africa s political leadership to the need to establish sustainable financing initiative to support national, sub-regional and FARA research and development initiatives. FARA will advocate for increased support of 1% of the AgGDP to agricultural research from African governments. Pooling and leveraging of resources: FARA will strengthen collaboration with new and existing initiatives in the region, like the NEPAD, the Multi-country agricultural productivity program (MAPP) for sub-saharan Africa, the SRO s competitive grant scheme (CGS), the sub-saharan African Challenge Program, the African Rice Initiative (ARI) and the FAO s Special Program for Food Security (SPFS) in Africa through joint project development and implementation, thereby pooling and leveraging necessary funds from institutions with comparative advantage in a given research area. In addition, the enhancement of FARA monitoring and impact-assessment capacity will improve its efficiency in resource allocation and prioritization. Funding Modalities FARA s funding will be divided into two categories; restricted funding and unrestricted funding. Restricted funding is further categorized into two; by program or by action. Restricted funding by program follows specific activity as agreed upon between a donor and FARA. Funds are allocated following the line items in the budget proposal. Accountability is detailed in the contract which requires financial audits on an end of the project basis. Restricted funding by action follows the action items in FARA s implementation plan. There are 7 action items that a donor can decide to finance. Use of these funds is unconstrained as long as it follows the objective of an action item and allocation is well documented. Unrestricted funding is a support to the whole FARA. Funds can be allocated without constraint by the FARA Secretariat upon approval by the FARA management board to any action items in its implementation plan. Mobilizing funds for the second phase of the project Initial contacts were made with a number of donors and advanced research institutions, including the World Bank, AfDB, USAID, EU, Rockefeller Foundation, IFAD, CGIAR, UNDP, GTZ, IDRC, IFS, ECART, CIRAD, Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JICA, JIRCAS etc. Visits are made to some of these institutions and countries in Europe (France, Belgium and Netherlands), North America and Japan in November - December, 2002 on a fund raising drive for support to FARA. Mission reports are available at the FARA Secretariat. Copies were also sent to the FARA Chairman. The AfDB gave commitment of support to FARA at US$500,000 for two years starting 2003 and US$400,000 for 2003 from the World Bank. The AfDB has started processing its grant to FARA. Contact with major donors and major stakeholders were pursued through attendance to major international and regional meetings such as the following: 8

9 The NEPAD Consultative Group Meeting on Agriculture organized by the South African National Department of Agriculture and the NEPAD Secretariat in Durban, South Africa, 7-9 July 2002, to discuss needs and feasibility of how to incorporate research into the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). The meeting was attended by six representatives from the South African National Department of Agriculture (NDA), one representative each from the FAO, World Bank, IFAD and FARA and two from Egypt. David Nelson of the World Bank and the FARA Executive Secretary were requested by the meeting to take the lead in preparing the initial draft of the research chapter to be incorporated in CAADP document. A draft report has been forwarded to Mafa Chipeta of the FAO, Rome, who is heading the team in putting the CAADP document together. The Third General Assembly of the CORAF/WECAD meeting in Yamoussoukro, Cote d Ivoire, 23 to 26 July, Presentation was made to the plenary on the FARA strategy and the Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Program (SSA CP) and Chaired the Scientific Partner Group meeting. Presentation was also made of the group s conclusions and recommendations to the plenary and highlighted key issues raised on SSA CP, CG Centers programmatic integration at sub-regional level, biotechnology and bio-safety issues in Africa, scientific capacity, private sector involvement in agricultural research in Africa and market access, technology transfer and impact assessment to national, subregional and regional levels, and the structure of the agenda of the CORAF/WECARD General Assembly. Pre-summit on options for a research agenda to achieve the Sustainable Development Objectives of NEPAD. This was held on August WSSD meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa from 26 August 1 September UNDP/Japan/FARA/WARDA and international press field visits to Cote d'ivoire and Guinea on the African Rice initiative programme (funded by the UNDP). 2 6 September 2002 International workshop in Bellagio, Italy on breeding, biotechnology, participatory research and seed production in Africa (mission to be fully funded by the Rockefeller Foundation) September Rockefeller Foundation s Scientific Advisory Committee for Africa Meeting in Entebbe, Uganda (Mission to be funded by the RF). 4 8 November Brief reports of these meetings were produced and circulated within FAO and to the Chairman of the Management Committee of FARA, Prof. Mukiibi. The FARA Executive Secretary will continue to attend meetings and conferences to promote FARA. The schedule has been very tight but these meetings provides opportunities for a series of donor and other stakeholder consultations to present FARA s strategy and activities, sensitize FARA s partners to facilitate buy-in into the FARA concept, and establish processes and mechanisms for further discussions and dialogue. Unfortunately, due to clash with other meetings or to required presence at the Secretariat in Accra, several important meetings that FARA was invited to attend and should have been represented, had to be turned down. In some 9

10 cases, through interaction with the SROs, FARA requested to be represented. Some of the meetings include the: (1) UN ECA First Expert Group Meeting on Biotechnology for Africa s Development in Addis Ababa, 3 5 July 2002; (2) World Bank/ILRI East and Southern Africa Consultation on Rural Development Strategy in Addis Ababa, 7 9 August 2002; (3) CTA Observatory 2002 on Gender and Agriculture in the information Society, September in Wageningen, The Netherlands; (4) World Bank consultative process on international assessment on the role of agricultural S&T in meeting the challenges of reducing hunger and improving rural livelihoods, 6 8 November in Ireland and (5) A workshop on Desert Margins in Alexandria, Egypt on January, Development of long- and medium-term plan for agricultural research for development in Africa. FARA strategy and medium term implementation plan The FARA s first 10 year (2002 to 2012) strategy for agricultural research for development in Africa was produced immediately in July-August. This has been circulated to all major stakeholders and used as introduction document for FARA during the funds mobilization drive. The implementation plan was made after the strategy document, indicating specific actions and outcomes expected of FARA for the next 5 years. Budget for each action is included. These two documents have been endorsed by the FARA executive committee for presentation to the FARA plenary next May in Dakar. Major features of the FARA strategy: A draft 10 year strategy of FARA was developed within the first two weeks of my assumption of duty. The strategy was then circulated to major stakeholders, including the NARS through their SROs, IARCs (CGIAR), ARIs and donors. Comments received from collaborators and partners have been incorporated in the attached version of the strategy plan. The strategy provides the underlying principles and operating model and activities of FARA emphasizing promotion of a high level of collaboration and facilitation. It also outline FARA s role in contributing to food security and poverty reduction in Africa. The major features of the strategy are: The strategy is driven from an aggregation of the priorities and aspirations of the SRO s, which is a reflection of the NARS, FARA will take the lead in guiding other partners working in/and for Africa in optimizing agricultural research results, technology development and information dissemination, By analyzing the various aspirations and objectives of the three SRO s, five cross cutting themes were identified to provide value added services for the SRO s, i.e.: (i) advocacy of the role of agricultural research; (ii) promotion of functional partnerships and strategic alliances; (iii) stimulating the development and dissemination of new technologies and 10

11 methodologies; (iv) sharing and exchange of information; and (v) promotion of capacity building. Seek political and economic support to agricultural research for development by promoting political commitment to agricultural research, diversifying sources of income, reforming institutions and ensuring that research and extension services give priority to promoting widely-shared growth and adoption of environmentally-sound technologies FARA will strengthen its support base by the recruitment and allocation of top-class personnel to contribute to advocacy for agricultural research support and promote programmatic integration at the sub-regional level, Alliances with advanced research institutions in developed and developing countries in other continents will be extensively used to speed up strategic research within Africa, Promotion of SRO and NARS collaboration with the private sector and NGOs, while ensuring that research outputs remain accessible to the farmers, Advocate upgrading of ICT capacity (electronic library, web-site) to compile existing literature sources for wide dissemination to partners in the region, and Financial-resource mobilization strategy will be three-pronged, i.e. consolidating and sustaining existing funding sources; exploring and expanding new funding sources; and pooling and leveraging of resources. Major features of the 5 Years Implementation Plan: The five year ( ) implementation Plan was produced to guide the establishment and functioning of FARA, to inform a broader audience of FARA of its intended activities and to create the basis for mobilizing additional financial resources to support the work of the FARA and the SROs in the short- to medium-term. Major features of the plan are as follows: The work plan focuses on FARA s role and activities for implementation in the mediumterm, from 2002 to 2006, The activities outlined are developed based on the premise that FARA will add value to the services of the SROs through coordination and advocacy for support to agricultural research for development in Africa, Promotion of a pluralistic and integrated system of agricultural research, extension and education that is responsive and accountable to farmers, agribusinesses, consumers and other stakeholders, FARA s agenda during the MTP period is structured around a portfolio of 7 problem-solving actions, The activities proposed will add value to the work of the SROs and enhance efficiency and effectiveness of NARS and other stakeholders involved in agricultural research for development in Africa through: Focusing on programs which add value to national, sub-regional and international programs, Including all stakeholders in planning and collaborative activities by strengthening governance structures and strategic planning processes, 11

12 Achieving sustainable financing by pursuing ongoing efforts to establish regional endowed funds and competitive funds and explore opportunities for alternative funding sources and mechanisms, Assisting to building long-term capacity, Facilitating policy dialogue within and between countries on technology issues, and Assisting to systematically monitoring and evaluating the impacts of programs. The total funding of 15,745 million US dollars will be sought over the five year period to implement FARA s agenda and achieve its objectives. Completion and closure of the SPAAR/FARA transition period The SPAAR/FARA transition period was completed with the establishment of the FARA secretariat at the FAO headquarters. SPAAR through Moctar Toure has given full support and assistance in the settling in of the FARA Executive Secretary through contacts to donors, SROs, NARS and other institutions. FARA picked up and developed fully initial programs of SPAAR/FARA such as the Sustainable Financing Initiative, active participation in NEPAD programs and CGIAR integration program. Activities related to promoting functional partnerships and strategic alliances in agricultural research for development in Africa NEPAD The FARA ES participated in major international meetings and conferences discussing issues on NEPAD s agricultural program. The ES has been very active in formulating the first draft of the NEPAD s Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) chapter 5 research component. Draft of this has been distributed to major stakeholders. It has also been presented during the African Caucus meeting held in Manila, Philippines during the CGIAR s Annual General Meeting 2002 (AGM02). The Sub Saharan African Challenge Program The Sub Saharan African Challenge Program (SSA CP) on Improving Livelihoods and Natural Resources. A pre-proposal was made and submitted to the CGIAR Secretariat. This has been distributed to all major stakeholders and presented at plenary during the AGM02 in Manila, Philippines. In late December the CG Scientific council accepted the pre-proposal and gave the authorization to FARA for the development of the SSA CP full proposal. FARA will be the lead coordinator of this program. Recognising that a full account must be taken of the research that has been and is continuing to be done by national, regional and international agricultural research centres (IARCs) and northern and southern advanced research institutions (ARIs) FARA is determined to engage all interested stakeholders. FARA will accomplish this in four principal ways: a. assembling and involving a Task Force comprised of representatives of key stakeholders, b. holding a Programme Formulation Workshop on March in Accra, Ghana c. facilitating virtual meetings, and d. commissioning position papers. 12

13 The program for the full proposal development has been sent out to all major stakeholders. A draft list of task force members has been made. Suggestions and comments regarding the process has been pouring in. Major features of the SSA CP are shown below. Major features of the sub-saharan Africa Challenge Program pre-proposal The New Partnership for Africa s Development (NEPAD) recognizes the importance of agriculture as the engine for economic growth and the importance of research in making this happen. A Challenge Program pre-proposal is being developed under the leadership of FARA in collaboration with the CGIAR, SROs, NARS and other IARCs functioning in Africa to realize FARA S Vision for African Agricultural Research that calls for 6 per cent annual growth in agricultural productivity in order to stem and reverse the decline in food production and incomes of the rural poor in Africa. FARA believe that the CGIAR centres are uniquely placed to bring global resources to support FARA s vision in frontier technologies, natural resource management, policy research, capacity building and networking. These resources would enhance Africa s capacity to develop and disseminate environmentally sound market oriented technologies based on effective blends of traditional and modern scientific methods. The multiinstitutional, multi disciplinary and integrative approach adopted by FARA for the development and future implementation of the SSA CP will ensure that it will provide a hub to which the other challenge programmes active in Africa will be linked. This will promote cohesion, avoid duplication and, most importantly, by exploiting complementarities, add value to the total investment in research and capacity building in Africa. The main features of the SSA CP are as follows: The agenda of this Challenge Programme was developed within the framework of a new paradigm for integrated natural resource management, which links agricultural production, agricultural markets and policies in an approach that integrates research on different types of capital and assets into stakeholder-driven processes of adaptive management and innovation to improve livelihoods, agro-ecosystem resilience, agricultural productivity and environmental services at community, eco-regional and global scales of intervention and impact, The research outputs will include technological options for improving soil fertility management in an integrated fashion, management and sustainable use of agro-biodiversity, policy and institutional options, including implementation mechanisms, that will facilitate adoption of sustainable practices by farmers and other land users, and enhanced adaptive management capacity of key stakeholders (farmers, scientists, policy-makers), The expected impacts of the proposed challenge programme will be assessed at three levels increased system productivity, increased ecosystem resilience and enhanced adaptive management capacity of key stakeholders, The Programme s governance and funding mechanisms will be organized through FARA and its members, ASARECA, CORAF/WECARD and SADC/SACCAR, to provide incentives for scientists to make fundamental changes rather than presenting old approaches in new ways, The Programme Steering Committee (PSC) will be chaired by FARA and comprise of the SROs and representatives of other key stakeholders including the CGIAR centres, other 13

14 IARCs, ARIs, NARS (including universities) participating institutions from Asia, Europe, North America, NGOs and Private enterprise, The PSC would provide overall oversight and leadership, but FARA s leadership will ensure that the PSC has sufficient authority to make binding decisions on the collaborators, and Funding requirements are anticipated to be around US $ 25 million per year over a period of five years with 20% of the funds committed earmarked for core activities to ensure continuity and commitment of core institutions; 10% would be sought for Africa-wide activities distributed through the competitive process managed by the respective SROs; and the remaining funds would be subject to competition amongst consortia of participating institutions formed according to the task from NARS, IARCs, ARIs, NGOs and Private enterprises. SRO s Competitive Grant Scheme (SRO CGS) FARA took the lead in coordinating the completion of the manual of procedure for the SRO s competitive grants scheme. The manual has been presented during the Brussels meeting and distributed to all SROs. The competitive grant scheme was further discussed during the CGIAR AGM in Manila last November. Major features of the SRO CGS are shown below. Major features of the Competitive Grant scheme The SROs Competitive Grants Scheme (CGS) is being established to improve productivity and stimulate market-oriented agricultural production in Africa. The Competitive Grants Scheme (CGS) is a financing mechanism to promote research and training projects based on the SROs strategies and regional priorities by: i) promoting integration between the NARSs and stimulating regional collaborative research open to all research providers; ii) generating and disseminating knowledge, technologies and policies for rural development, which match the needs of regional stakeholders, and iii) strengthening the SROs as sub-regional institutions responsible for coordinating agricultural research. As a financing mechanism the Competitive Grants Scheme would have to be performance based, demand driven and open for competition between research providers based on their competitive and collaborative advantages. As part of this effort, the SROs will promote agricultural technology exchange through collaboration between research and partner organizations in their respective sub-regions. They expect to accomplish this by: Providing grants on a competitive basis for collaborative research amongst scientists from complementary institutions and the beneficiaries, which is dedicated to achieving impact through adoption of technology and policy innovations that shows promise for replication and up scaling; Using the experience to develop lessons and guidelines for achieving greater impact from research for development in sub-saharan Africa; Supporting projects that will spur the region s economic development by creating highimpact options for investment in agriculture. The manual of procedures outlined criteria for, a) preparation and processing of project proposals, b) duration and funding of project, c) proposal evaluation and governance, d) 14

15 proposal selection process, implementation contract and funds disbursement, e) project reporting, monitoring and evaluation. FARA believes that the establishment and eventual implementation of a competitive grants scheme will help to: i) strengthen the national agricultural research systems (NARSs); ii) increase the R&D cooperation among national and international, private and public institutions; iii) increase the linkages between stronger and weaker R&D stakeholders for capacity building; iv) experiment with new flexible, participative, transparent and targeted R&D project selection, financing and evaluation arrangements; v) complement core programmes with competitive grants, and vi) promote cost-effectiveness and efficiency in collaborative research. The Multi-country agricultural productivity program (MAPP) The MAPP is a World Bank initiative in its drive to attain funding sustainability in African countries. Major Features of MAPP The central goal of the proposed MAPP is achieving sustained rural poverty reduction through a broad based growth in agricultural productivity and incomes, with a focus on small-holders and vulnerable groups. Its specific objectives would be to support FARA s strategy for strengthening the efficiency and sustainability of the African agricultural technology generation and delivery system, both at the regional/sub-regional and national levels. Improving the efficiency and sustainability of the agricultural technology generation and delivery system in Africa is a long-term challenge. Accordingly, the MAPP would be phased over a thirteen year period and financed through a series of multi-country, pre-approved lines of credit/grant structured both as 1) an horizontal APL, supporting a serious of country-specific agricultural technology generation and transfer operations to countries meeting specific eligibility criteria and 2) a vertical APL providing long-term support to each eligible individual countries through a long-term, sequenced program with clear sequencing and triggers. The first phase of MAPP will cover countries. A board will approve the overall program and multi-country line of credit/grant, as well as the first two country specific operations. The subsequent country-specific operations would be circulated to the Executive Directors fro information, after clearance by Regional Management. Any individual operation could be scheduled for Board discussion if at least three Executive Directors requested. The total cost of MAPP is estimated at US$1.71 billion over 5 years ( ), of which 1) US$342 million would be funded by governments and beneficiaries (20% of total costs); 2) US$912 million would be funded by IDA credits and grants (55%) and 3) US$456 million would be funded by other external financier (25%). Current Budget The total budget for the first year of the project as indicated in the agreement with the FAO is US$441,845 (including US$10,825 as in-kind contribution of the FAO), broken down as follows: 15

16 Investment expenses, including equipment, office appliances, furniture and transportation, US$60,005 Operating expenses, including personnel, travel, FARA governance and donor s roundtable, information and communication, Consumable, Maintenance, administrative and other charges, US$381,840. For better accountability and control, the budget was divided into two periods i.e. July 02 December 02 and January 03 June 03. This allows for equal distribution of funds up to the end of the project period i.e. US$243,210 for each period. The project may have saved up to US$30,000 during the first six months of the project. The Executive Secretary will open discussions with the FAO on how to best utilize these funds. Recommendations and Conclusions A summary of all FARA s activities accomplished, on-going and to be accomplished over the next six months are shown in Table 1. This is complimentary to the work plan found in the ASARECA FAO agreement Table 2. Activities accomplished July/August 2002 Established the FARA Secretariat and made it fully operational. The Executive Secretary undertook a series of stakeholder consultations via meetings and to sensitize FARA s partners to buy-in into the FARA concept, and establish processes and mechanisms for further consultation and dialogue. Documents were sent to SROs, NARS, CGIAR, NGOs, private sector companies, African private sector representatives and African government policy makers and donors. Launched the recruitment process for the staff and consultants and developed the strategy document and implementation work plan. August 2002 Circulated the strategy and implementation work plan to the FARA Management Committee for final reaction and endorsement. Finalized and distributed revised strategy and implementation work plan with intervention by the Management Committee to major stakeholders. Drafted a pre-proposal on the sub-saharan Africa Challenge Program (SSA CP). September 2002 A resource mobilization drive was initiated via formal contact with donors during meetings (World Bank, AfDB, USAID, Rockefeller Foundation, UNDP, IFAD, CIDA, SIDA, IDRC). Other donors were contacted to seek counsel on elements of resource mobilization strategy and support to FARA. Plans were initiated for the FARA first management committee meeting. Invitations were sent out for a meeting in January 2003 at the FARA Secretariat in Accra. Finalized and distributed the procedure s manual for the SRO s competitive grant s scheme (SRO CGS). October 2002 Plans for the programmatic integration of regional research in Africa was initiated. A roundtable discussion at FARA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana of CGIAR Director Generals (IITA, ICRAF, ICRISAT, ILRI and WARDA) and the Executive Secretaries of the SROs was planned to develop strategy for implementing the programmatic integration process. The meeting was cancelled and is re-scheduled to November 2002 during the AGM02 in Manila, Philippines. A FARA in brief was made for public awareness. 16

17 November Preparations for the 2 nd FARA Plenary meeting was initiated. The first announcement and invitation letters were distributed to stakeholders. Visits to Europe, North America and Japan were made to solicit support to FARA and to discuss with advanced institutions collaborative activities and support to Africa in strategic research. Finalized production and formal distribution of the FARA strategy and the implementation plan. December 2002 Visited relevant embassies in Accra to solicit support to FARA. Sent out all necessary documents for the Management Committee and FARA Plenary meetings. Concepts notes submitted to donors for support i.e. Capacity building to France and the World Bank, FARA secretariat core activities the World Bank. The SSA CP pre-proposal accepted for full proposal development. January 2003 visit to Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant Ministries in Accra, Ghana to open contacts and develop collaborative activities with the host country. Draft a strategy for funds mobilization and get it endorsed by the Management Committee. Management committee meeting held. FARA secretariat As indicated in the Strategy and implementation plan, FARA will eventually maintain a lean structure, which will initially comprise four professionals with extensive agricultural research and development experience in Africa and nine support staff. The professionals will consist of the Executive Secretary, a special assistant to the ES, a resource person in research, networking and food security programs and an ICT/Editor and public awareness officer. The support staff will include two secretaries, two drivers, and a finance and administration manager. We will try to solicit support from donors to begin to fill some of these positions in 2003 at the beginning of the next phase of the project. The special assistant to the ES and the resource person in research, networking and food security are urgently required to get the secretariat to be fully operational and to begin to address its advocacy role, research coordination and programmatic integration exercises in Africa. An ICT resource person has been consulted to work on FARA s website and get it operation in February A finance and administrative manager will be hired to work on FARA s diverse funds. Budget and handling of resources The FARA s budget for the first phase of the project is US$441,845 as stated in the agreement with the FAO. An additional fund of US$100,000 has been mobilized by the FARA Executive Secretary from the World Bank. The fund has been sent to ASARECA for transfer to FARA project. We propose that these additional funds be used to hire consultants, a finance and administrative manager and for the FARA plenary in May 2003 in Dakar, Senegal. Consultants will be hired for more than one month as necessary to finish specific activities. The FARA s resources are under a budget holder in the RAF. This arrangement is good but as FARA increases and diversifies its funding sources it may be necessary to review this arrangement and mechanism. FARA is proposing to hire an accountant at the senior support staff level who could link up with the FAO and follow up on the accounts status, reporting and other accounting work. 17

18 Mobilized funds The fund mobilization drive that started in early August up to present has been very fruitful. Commitments from donors have been received by the ES either through support to existing programs or newly developed activities. Summary of these is shown in Table 1. Table 1. Funds mobilized. Activity Donors Commitments for 2003 ($) FARA Secretariat core activities SSA CP full proposal development Expected commitments Remarks AfDB 500,000 Available once FARA has opened its own bank account with 3 signatories WB/ASARECA 100,000 Transferred to ASARECA in Dec02 CGIAR/WB 300,000 Transferred through ILRI in January 2003 French government 120,000 In kind support CGIAR 200,000 Funds transferred through ILRI January 2003 Rockefeller foundation 240,000 Pending DFID, Gatsby Foundation IFAD, The Japanese MoFA Sasakawa Global 2000 Sida, Cida USAID Total 1,460,000 Verbal support, actual funds will be known later this year. FAO administrative and financial support FARA should seek advice from the FAO in obtaining a legal persona entity as soon as possible. This will lead to eventual full independence of FARA as stated in its strategy document and FARA constitution. This has also been one of the recommendations stated in the SPAAR/FARA annual report FARA could also contact directly the Ghanian government to know the procedures of obtaining a legal status in Ghana, as stated in the FARA constitution and recommended by the FARA plenary in Addis Ababa meeting in FARA s group of donors should be established to ensure sustainable financing for FARA s activities and the FARA secretariat s function. FAO FARA agreement for the second phase The agreement for hosting of FARA in FAO regional office in Africa was made between ASARECA and FAO. Considering that FARA Secretariat is now fully functioning, the second phase of the project should be made between FARA and the FAO taking into consideration recommendations made by the two parties. The Executive Management Committee of FARA has outlined certain measures that they would like to see in the next FARA agreement with the FAO and they requested that these be negotiated with the FAO. The measures are aimed at ensuring continued and smooth advancement of FARA/FAO cooperation and clarify the key principles that the collaboration between the FAO and FARA are based. These measures are: 18

19 FARA should register itself as soon as possible as an independent legal entity Clarity and operational efficiency will be achieved by FARA opening a bank account of its own to facilitate direct accountability to its diverse investors. FARA should develop an intellectual property protocol to ensure that FARA retains ownership of, not only its physical properties, but also its legal agreements, documents, information and data acquired in the conduct of FARA s mandate and day to day operations Only the Chair, the Executive Committee, the Executive Secretary or persons with the expressed authority of the Executive Secretary may make statements on behalf of FARA Proposed Activities for the second phase FARA s agenda during 2002 to 2012 will be structured around a portfolio of 8 problem-solving actions as outlined in its medium-term implementation plan. During the FARA second phase (12 months), activities will be initiated in the five actions (1, 2, 3, 4 and 7) from FARA s implementation plan. Emphasis will be given to getting the Secretariat operational, building partnerships, information collation and dissemination, capacity building and advocacy for the role of agricultural research for development in Africa. Activities will start modestly and expand gradually into actions 5 and 6 as we get to know the key players. In all its activities, FARA will act as a facilitator with delivery and implementation executed by partner institutions, organizations and agencies. FARA will therefore, develop working relationships/partnerships with policy makers, research coordinators, technology developers and users including the public sector institutions and NGOs to achieve its activities. In all these activities, FARA will explore the possibilities for joint projects with the FAO s existing projects or use its existing structure. Next Steps Several on-going activities will continue for the second half of the first year of FARA (Table 2.) The FARA secretariat will continue the recruitment of its staff i.e. Executive Assistant to the ES, Finance and Administrative Manager and French resource person to FARA. Additional office equipment will be acquired i.e. photocopying machines, fax, beamers, printers, laptops, printers etc. With the expansion of the FARA Secretariat, additional office space will be required. The long-term base of the FARA secretariat will have to be decided. FARA programs will continue. The full proposal development of the SSA CP will continue until its submission to the FARA plenary in May and the CGIAR Secretariat in June. The MAPP implementation in collaboration with the World Bank will continue through negotiations, meetings and workshops. The SROs CGS implementation will start. Consultations with all major stakeholders should continue especially with SROs, NARS and the civil societies. The current FAO-ASARECA agreement that established the current FARA Secretariat in the FAO Regional office in Africa is expiring in June A review of the current status and recommendations should be implemented. New agreement should be drafted, endorsed by the Executive Management Committee of FARA and submission to the FAO before March

20 Funds mobilization will be pursued with donors and other existing programs or networks working in Africa. Linkages with FAO will be emphasized to take full advantage of its structure around the region. Acknowledgements The progress made in the first six months has been tremendous and would not have been possible but for the generous support and encouragement of the FAO RAF, members of the management committee of FARA, the SROs and their NARS partners. Many thanks go to the FAO RAF for hosting and supporting the FARA Secretariat. 20

21 Table 2. FARA work plan July 2002-May 2003 Activities July Aug 02 Sept Oct 02 Nov 02 Dec 02 Jan 03 Feb 03 Mar Establish FARA Secretariat 1.a. Recruitment of PME consultant 1.b. Recruitment of Executive Assistant 1.c. Recruitment of ICT consultant 1.d. Recruitment of finance and administrative manager 1.e. French Resource Person to FARA for SSA CP 1.f. Recruitment of Resource Person for SSA CP 1.g. Write the FARA annual report 1.h. Create and maintain a website for FARA 1.g. renew agreement with FAO 1.j. process the legal status of FARA 2. Stakeholder consultation with CGIAR, SROs, NARS 2.a. participation in stakeholders workshop of CORAF 2.b. visit to CORAF 2.c. participation in stakeholders workshop of ASARECA 2.d. Joint visit to the SROs, REOs with the FAO 3. Strategy and Implementation plan 3.a. develop a Strategy and Implementation plan 3.b. circulation, revision and distribution of strategy and implementation plan 3.c. Endorsement of the strategy and implementation plan by the FARA plenary 4. Funds mobilization 4.a. draft a strategy for funds mobilization 4.b. FARA executive committee endorses the fund mobilization strategy 4.c. initiate a resource mobilization drive visit Europe, North America and Japan visit embassies in Ghana 4.d. concepts written for restricted funding - Capacity building - World Bank - Technical adviser support - France Apr 03 May 03 June 03 21