SIDE EVENTS 2015
Side events will be held on the first day of the conference, September 1. The side events will provide space for partners of ReSAKSS to share their research and other work as it relates to supporting evidence based policy planning and implementation under the CAADP agenda. Topics for side events can also relate to the conference theme of “Ensuring Sustained Growth with Rising Employment and Incomes.”
If you would like to hold a side event or would like more information about side events, please contact us at: ReSAKSS2015Conference@cgiar.org. Continue to watch this space for information about specific side events and times.
Tuesday, September 1st 2015
8:30 am - 10:00 am (1st Round)
#1 The critical role of agricultural science and technology in reaching CAADP targets: Enhanced impact through joint outreach by Country SAKSS and ASTI focal points
VENUE: Conference Room 3
Organized by: Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) and Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS)
Contact Person: Nienke Beintema
Email: n.beintema@cgiar.org
Tel: +1 (202) 862.8177
Facilitators
Nienke Beintema, Program Head, ASTI
Godfrey Bahiigwa, Africawide ReSAKSS Coordinator, IFPRI
Presenters
Gert-Jan Stads, Senior Program Manager, ASTI (Download PPT)
Stella Massawe, M&E Analyst, ReSAKSS-ECA (Download PPT)
Panelists
Dejene Hailegiorgis Fessese, ASTI Ethiopia
Claude Bizimana, Coordinator, SAKSS, Rwanda
Deogratias Lwezaura, ASTI Tanzania
Sophia Mlote, Coordinator, Platform for Agriculture Policy Analysis and Coordination (PAPAC), Tanzania
Abstract & Objectives
With the establishment and operation of country SAKSS platforms in selected African countries the quality of agricultural policy design and implementation is improved through the facilitation of well-informed agricultural sector planning, review, and dialogue processes. Country SAKSS nodes assist in generating information to fill certain knowledge gaps; in timely disseminating policy-relevant knowledge; and in strengthening local institutional and human capacities in support of the formulation and implementation of national agriculture investment plans (NAIPs).
Despite substantial evidence that investment in agricultural research and development (R&D) has had a substantial impact on agricultural growth and poverty reduction over the past five decades, the current NAIPs often omit agricultural research investment as a priority area. Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI)—another long-standing program under the IFPRI umbrella—collects, analyzes, and disseminates data on institutional developments, human capacity, and financial resources in agricultural R&D in Africa (and developing countries worldwide). In recent years, ASTI has stepped up outreach of its indicators and analysis in order to ensure that its key outputs and findings better inform policy and decision making processes. This included the building of strong dissemination/advocacy partnerships with key regional policy institutions and policymakers. ASTI data and analysis are widely and frequently cited in influential reports by a variety of development partners and play an important role in informing regional policy processes. However, ASTI’s impact at the country level has been lagging behind, largely due to the fact that linkages between ASTI country focal points, responsible for in-country data collection and dissemination, and policymakers are weak or nonexistent.
This side event aims to bring together country SAKSS nodes and ASTI focal points of selected African countries (proposed Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Tanzania)
- to familiarize country SAKSS with ASTI and ASTI focal points with ReSAKSS, find common grounds and synergies between both programs, and discuss ways to better integrate the implementation of both programs at the country level;
- to share past experiences with in-country outreach and communication of key ASTI and ReSAKSS messages for increased policy impact;
- to identify common country-level stakeholders of ReSAKSS and ASTI; discuss how both projects can work better together to target key policy messages to stakeholders; and identify how in-country outreach and communication can be better coordinated on the long run.
#2: Optimizing the Role and Contribution of Non-State Actors to Mutual Accountability for Increased Income from Agricultural Productivity Growth
VENUE: Conference Room 5
Organized by: CAADP Coalition of Non State Actors (CNC)
Contact Person: Buba Khan, Africa AdvocacyOfficer, ActionAid International
Email:buba.khan@actionaid.org
Tel: +447720084490
Facilitator: Douglas Ouma, Retouch Africa
Discussant: (TBC)
Presenters:
George Asiimwe, Uganda
Audax Rukonge, Tanzania
Mary Muyonga/Violet Nyando, Kenya
Abstract & Objectives
The CAADP Coalition of Non State Actors (CNC) aims to facilitate optimal representation of non-state actor (NSA) CAADP experiences and perspectives on the deliberations as well as the outcomes of the 2015 ReSAKSS Conference. As the strength of CAADP mutual accountability mechanisms are essential for maximizing the impact of the CAADP programmes on national growth and employment, this session will focus on examining how the quality of mutual accountability processes so far post Malabo are being implemented. This will include through the isolation of specific partnerships and modes of engagement, promotion of specific narratives and conversations as well as showcasing of practical results and outcomes of NSA involvement in the CAADP mutual accountability processes. Hence, the CNC engagement around the ReSAKSS Conference will revolve around the following objectives:
- Proper articulation of the concrete value and gains as well as the commitment of the participation of NSA in the CAADP mutual accountability processes and
- Engagement of critical stakeholders at the conference on the role of NSA in the CAADP mutual accountability vis-à-vis other stakeholders in the process.
#3: The ECOWAS Experience in Establishing a Regional Agriculture Joint Sector Review in Support of the Next Generation of NAIPS
VENUE: Conference Room 6
Organized by: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission
Contact Persons:
Mrs. Fatmata Lucia Seiwoh, ECOWAS Commission
Email: fatmata.seiwoh@yahoo.com; Tel: +2348141948778
Dr. Yacouba Sanon, ECOWAS Commission
Email: sanony@yahoo.fr ; Tel: +2348096457506
Facilitator:
ROPPA (Network of Farmers' and Agricultural Producers' Organizations of West Africa) Representative
Discussants:
APESS (l’Association pour la Promotion de l’Elevage au Sahel et en Savane) Representative
West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) Representative
Presenters:
Mrs. Fatmata Lucia Seiwoh, ECOWAP/CAADP M&E Programme Officer, ECOWAS Commission (Download PPT)
Abstract & Objectives
ECOWAS in collaboration with ReSAKSS and IFPRI have been able to conduct agriculture Joint Sector Reviews (JSRs)—a key instrument for supporting mutual accountability and implementing the CAADP Result Framework— in six countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Senegal, Benin, Cote D’Ivoire, and Togo) in West Africa since 2014. Such reviews provide a platform to collectively review the effectiveness of policies and institutions in the agricultural sector as well as assess the extent to which intended results and outcomes in the sector are being realized. It serves as a management and policy support tool for inclusive stakeholder planning, programming, budget preparation and execution, monitoring and evaluation, and overall development of the agricultural sector. To better understand the context of the JSR, provide an opportunity for increased learning and sharing and also set the basis for effective support to its member states, ECOWAS resolved to conduct such review at the regional level. Therefore, since January 2015, the ECOWAS Commission with funding from USAID engaged IFPRI and ReSAKSS to embark on a regional joint review of the agriculture sector.
The outcome of the review is expected to enable ECOWAS to better understand and conceptualize more practically the processes and reports emanating from its member states. The review is also expected to contribute to determining the achievements and challenges in implementing ECOWAP (the regional agricultural policy) over the last ten years as well as suggest ways of improving the new phase of ECOWAP, the regional agricultural investment plan (RAIP) and the next generation of national agricultural investment plans (NAIPs) of member states.
The side event will provide an opportunity for ECOWAS to share experiences in conducting the regional JSR and how it impacts the RAIP and NAIP implementation, and hence the next generation of the RAIP and NAIPs.
Staff from ECOWAS staff will make presentations on:
- Steps taken towards organizing a regional JSR and lessons learnt so far and
- Perspective of the next generation of NAIPs and RAIP.
The objectives of the side-event are to:
- Share the experience of ECOWAS in undertaking a regional JSR, and
- Set out a road map toward the next generation of NAIPs incorporating the 2014 Malabo Declaration and its Implementation Strategy and Roadmap.
#4 Making CAADP Work: A comparative analysis of evidence-based and participatory policy processes in Ghana, Senegal and Uganda
VENUE: Large Briefing Room
Organizers: University of Kiel, Germany and International Food Policy Research Institute
Contact Persons:
Christian Henning, Professor, University of Kiel, Germany
Email: chenning@ae.uni-kiel.de
Michael Johnson, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
Email: m.johnson@cgiar.org
Presenters:
Michael Johnson, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI (Download PPT)
Sam Benin, Research Fellow, IFPRI (Download PPT)
Christian Henning, Professor, University of Kiel, Germany (Download PPT 1), (Download PPT 2)
Abstract & Objectives
A group of African and international research partners undertook research in Ghana, Senegal and Uganda to improve our understanding of how participatory and evidence-based agricultural policy processes in Africa can affect policy change and impact using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. A synthesis of research findings highlights the unique policy options needed in each country for promoting pro-poor growth (PPG), but even more importantly, the degree of their political feasibility given each country’s own underlying political processes. More specifically, for each of the three countries key sectors and key policies promoting PPG could be identified applying a computable general political economy equilibrium model (CGPE). The CGPE approach combines economic and political economy modeling in order to allow for the characterization of key political processes, including weighing in the beliefs of key stakeholder organizations and important voter groups that ultimately determine policy choices observed in each country. The CGPE is therefore a tool that can be used for political diagnosis, i.e. a comprehensive evaluation of existing policies, as well as for identifying an adequate political therapy, i.e. the formulation of effective PPG-policies which are politically feasible. An innovative feature of the CGPE model, developed by the University of Kiel, is its integration with a user-friendly interface in order to directly elicit stakeholder input. The stakeholder input is collected in the form of expert knowledge and policy beliefs which are combined with empirical data in assessing a country’s policy options for sustainable growth and poverty reduction.
The objectives of the side event are to:
- Share results of a synthesis of three country case studies to improve our understanding of participatory and evidence-based agricultural policy processes in Africa, especially as it relates to CAADP implementation.
- Seek feedback and encourage dialogue among participants on the usefulness of the research findings for promoting improved participatory and evidence-based agricultural policy processes in the future.
10:30 am - 12:00 pm (2nd Round)
#5: Towards Strengthening Agriculture Public Expenditure Analysis for Improved Decisions and Learning
VENUE: Conference Room 3
Organized by:The World Bank
Contact Persons
Ana Francisca Ramirez: aramirecopelos@worldbank.org
Elliot Mghenyi emghenyi@worldbank.org
Chairperson: David Adama, Coordinator Public Financing for Agriculture, ActionAid International
Moderator: Eleni Gabre-Madhin, Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, Founder
Presenters:
Stephen Mink, IFPRI (Download PPT)
Elliot Mghenyi, World Bank (Download PPT)
Sam Benin, Research Fellow, IFPRI (Download PPT)
Dieter Orlowski, Consultant, World Bank (Download PPT)
Abstract & Objectives:
AfricanGovernments have made considerable efforts to generate a strong evidence base on agriculture spending in the past years, aiming to improve spending accountability and development impacts. The Side-Event will showcase how agriculture public expenditure analyses have been used by countries and what impacts they have achieved; what the next generation of technical support at country level and regional learning mechanisms could look like; and how to strengthen the linkages between public expenditure analyses and the policy & budget cycles, including Joint Sector Reviews.
#6: Leveraging the CAADP Results Framework for Nutrition in Africa
VENUE: Conference Room 5
Organizers: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in collaboration with NEPAD and the African Union Commission (AUC)
Contact Person:
Namukolo Covic, Research Coordinator Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, IFPRI
Email: N.Covic@cgiar.org
Moderator: Namukolo Covic, Research Coordinator Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, IFPRI
Presenters:
Kalle Hirvonen, Associate Research Fellow, Development Strategy and Governance Division, IFPRI (Download PPT)
Mawuli Sablah — Chief Technical Advisor on Mainstreaming Nutrition into CAADP, FAO Regional Office for Africa (Download PPT)
Abstract & Objectives:
The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has over the last decade enabled countries to address key transformational issues for agricultural development at national level. In the Malabo Declaration, the African Heads of State committed to ending hunger, reducing stunting to 10% and wasting to 5% by 2025 using agriculture as a key strategy. This in recognition of the importance of food and nutrition security for Africa’s development agenda. The Africa region nutrition strategy 2015-2025 has also recognized that some African countries are indeed making significant progress creating a platform for lesson sharing and learning on programmes and policies. The Malabo Declaration acknowledged the progress that CAADP has made in its first decade and highlighted the need for translating Africa’s agricultural development goals into tangible results. Monitoring, tracking and reporting of progress on CAADP implementation and outcomes will be done through the CAADP Results Framework. Work done by NEPAD in 2011 with support from USAID showed that most National Agriculture Food Security Investment Plans (NAFSIPs) lacked explicit nutrition objectives and concrete actions to improve nutrition. To fill this gap, the African Union and NEPAD, in collaboration with FAO, Regional Economic Communities and other development partners (donors, UN organizations, NGOs, academia and private sector), launched the CAADP Nutrition Capacity Development Initiative. The overall purpose of which was to enhance the contribution of agriculture to multi-sectorial strategies to improve nutrition by integrating nutrition in national CAADP processes – from design to implementation – and ensuring that nutrition interventions were planned, budgeted and implemented as a part of their NAFSIPs. Although much work and advocacy remains, we now have nutrition in the CAADP Results Framework and next year’s ReSAKSS conference will focus on nutrition for the first time. This symposium is aimed at engaging a wide spectrum of stakeholders who form part of the CAADP Results Framework process leading to next year’s conference in support of maintaining momentum for agriculture impacting nutrition on the continent. The symposium will have the following objectives.
- Positioning nutrition in Africa’s development agenda, the CAADP and ReSAKSS process and how this can be leveraged for greater nutrition security in support of Africa’s development goals in the long term.
- Identify challenges that may need to be addressed to facilitate data collection and management processes aligned to the CAADP results framework and Africa Development Goals (ADG’s).
- Contribute to providing direction on what needs to be done towards next year’s ReSAKSS conference which is to focus on nutrition
Programme:
- Introduction to the symposium
- Key note address: The AU aims to use agriculture as a key strategy for Africa’s development and to address nutrition: where does nutrition fit in Africa’s development agenda?
- What has been done to mainstream nutrition into the CAADP process
- Nutrition is now in the CAADP results framework: challenges and implications for the next steps.
- Discussion: The discussion will be used to maximize input from the audience.
- Concluding remarks
The discussion to follow will focus on addressing the following issues
- What opportunities does including nutrition in the results framework provide for addressing nutrition at country and continental level?
- What challenges need to be addressed at country level to ensure that the information needed can be collected effectively?
- How can the information collected be best leveraged for greater momentum on nutrition and agriculture?
We will have rapporteurs so that the proceedings report can be disseminated to the wider CAADP and Development Community.
#7: New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition: 2014-2015 Country-Level Annual Review Process & Lessons Learned
VENUE: Conference Room 6
Organized by: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Contact Person
Tsitsi Makombe, Senior Program Manager, IFPRI
Email: t.makombe@cgiar.org
Tel: +1 202 862-6462
Chairperson:
Komla Prosper Bissi, CAADP Pillar II Adviser, Rural Economy and Agriculture Department, African Union Commission
Presenter:
Godfrey Bahiigwa, Africawide Coordinator, ReSAKSS (Télécharger le PPT)
Panelists:
Hannock Kumwenda, Country Coordinator, New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, Malawi
Dorothy Effa, Planning Specialist, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana
Zena Habtewold Biru, Director, Planning and Programming Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia (TBC)
Ian Randall, Head of Learning and Accountability, Grow Africa
Jennifer Chow, Bureau for Food Security, USAID, Washington DC
Nana Amoah, Regional Programme Manager, AfricaLead, Ghana
Mbaye Yade, Coordinator, ReSAKSS-WA
Greenwell Matchaya, Coordinator, ReSAKSS-SA
Joseph Karugia, Coordinator, ReSAKSS-ECA
Abstract & Objectives
The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (New Alliance) represents a shared commitment by G7 and African countries and the private sector to achieve global food security and poverty reduction through sustained and inclusive agricultural growth that is focused on smallholder farmers, especially women. It supports an accelerated implementation of country-led plans developed as part of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) through increased investments by the private sector. The New Alliance has been launched in 10 countries—Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania— where, the G7 and African countries and the private sector have put in place Cooperation Frameworks to guide their partnership and mutual commitments.
Under the leadership of AUC and NPCA, ReSAKSS, Africa Lead, Grow Africa, the CAADP Non-State Actors , and others have been conducting the 2014-2015 country level reviews— in the 10 New Alliance countries—the primary mutual accountability mechanism for all Cooperation Framework commitments. The purpose of the annual review process is to bring together an inclusive group of government, domestic and international private sector, development partners, and civil society stakeholders to review, share, and discuss progress and challenges against all Cooperation Framework commitments and generate mutually agreed upon country progress reports and a consolidated progress report.
The goal of this side event is to bring together state and non-state actor representatives to deliberate on the current country review process, what has worked and what has not, the quality of stakeholder engagement in the review process, and come up with recommendations on how to improve the process going forward.
#8: Providing Timely Data and Analysis to Improve Food Security in Africa: Role of Food Security Portal for Africa south of the Sahara
VENUE: Large Briefing Room
Organized by: Food Security Portal, IFPRI
Contact Person
Summer Allen
Email: s.allen@cgiar.org
Tel: +1 202-862- 4609
Facilitator: Summer Allen, FSP, IFPRI
Presenters:
Máximo Torero, Division Director, Markets, Trade and Institutions Division, IFPRI (Download PPT)
Greenwell Matchaya, Coordinator, ReSAKSS Southern Africa (Download PPT)
Balaji Subbaraman, Knoema (Download PPT)
Assefa Admaassie, Ethiopian Economic Policy Research Institute (Download PPT)
Abstract & Objectives
The 2007-2008 world food crisis fostered increased concern with price volatility for agricultural commodities and the role that policies play in this volatility. To address the shortage of easily accessible high-quality data, the SDC and EC-funded World Food Crisis Project developed the Food Security Portal (FSP). The purpose of the FSP is to pool together timely, relevant, detailed, and high-quality country-level information in a systematic and structured way to further progress toward greater food and nutrition security and increased resilience to future shocks and crises. The specific objective of the FSP, South of the Sahara (FSP-SSA), supported by the EC, is to strengthen capacity for improved timely food security information, policy research and analysis in the region.
There are many lessons that have been learned since 2010 regarding the development of a Food Security Portal. There are also a number of other efforts underway to collect timely data for the region that offer opportunities for collaboration and mutual learning. These efforts include of the work of ReSAKSS to foster capacity development in country-level Ministries that assist with monitoring and evaluation under the CAADP commitment, the work supported by EC and AfDB through Knoema to collect weekly price data, and the proposed NEPAD Knowledge Management Platform.
This side event aims to bring together these groups engaged in data collection and analysis to share experiences and find common grounds and synergies between both programs, identify gaps, and discuss ways to better integrate and promote the use of the data and knowledge at the country and regional level.
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm (3rd Round)
VENUE: Conference Room 3 Organized by: Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) Contact Person: Wole Fatunbi Chairperson: Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director, FARA Facilitator: Wole Fatunbi, FARA, Ghana Presenters: Abstract & Objectives PARI is currently being implemented in 12 Africa countries in a strong partnership with the lead National Agricultural Research Institution (NARI), and coordinated FARA in close relationship with the IFPRI. The PARI side event will provide an overview of the program, set the background for its results and update of progress; it will also seek to harmonize the methodology for the backdrop studies at the country level. The objectives of the side-event include: VENUE: Conference Room 5 Organized by: African Growth and Development Policy (AGRODEP) Modeling Consortium, IFPRI Contact Person: Facilitator: Presenters: Fousseini Traore, Research Fellow, Markets, Trade and Institutions Division, IFPRI (Download PPT) Maximo Torero, Division Director, Markets, Trade and Institutions Division, IFPRI Discussants: Abstract & Objectives This side event features presentations about AGRODEP’s capacity development activities, the economic modeling needs in Africa and how AGRODEP addresses them, and AGRODEP’s plans for advisory services and support for policy analysis. The objectives of the side event include: VENUE: Large Briefing Room Organized by: African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) Contact Person Facilitator Presenter Discussant Abstract The objectives of the side-event include: VENUE: Conference Room 6 Organized by:International Food Policy Research Institute Contact Person: Presenter:#9: Harmonization of Methodology for Country Studies in the Program for Accompanying Research for Innovation (PARI)
Email:ofatunbi@faraafrica.org
Tel: +233 240140548
Sylvester Dery, CSIR-OPRI, Ghana;
Bedibete Bonfoh, ITRA, Togo;
Noe Woin, IRAD- Cameroon;
Birhanu and Gedif, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
The Program for Accompanying Research for Innovation in Africa Agriculture (PARI) is a partnership initiative of the ZEF, FARA, IFPRI and other German organizations, entrenched in the “One World – No Hunger” initiative of the Germany government. The PARI project aims to foster the scaling of agricultural innovations in Africa and to contribute to the development of the agricultural sector through science. The PARI activities are aligned with the works of the Agricultural Innovation Centers (AICs) in Africa countries; it addresses the needs of the smallholders and other actors along the commodity value chain through partnerships. The PARI project builds on the experiences and success of the agricultural innovation systems, particularly, the Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) concept and the use of the Innovation Platforms as a forum to facilitate interactions and learning among stakeholders. The interaction leads to the generation of agricultural innovation with accompanying socio-economic benefits along the targeted commodity chain(s).
#10: From Modeling Skill Development to Policy Analysis Support: A Future Roadmap for AGRODEP
Betina Dimaranan
Email: b.dimaranan@cgiar.org
Tel: +1 202 862 8155
Betina Dimaranan, Research Coordinator, Markets, Trade and Institutions Division, IFPRI
Betina Dimaranan, Research Coordinator, Markets, Trade and Institutions Division, IFPRI (Download PPT)
Lulit Mitik Beyene, Co-founder and Managing Director, IESD Research
Abdoulaye Seck, Associate Professor of Economics, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar
Since its inception in 2011, AGRODEP has increasingly gained recognition as a major network of economic researchers in Africa. Led by IFPRI, in collaboration with several partners, AGRODEP aims to position African experts as leaders in the study of strategic development issues in Africa and the broader agricultural growth and policy debate. AGRODEP facilitates the use of economic modeling tools and data, provides trainings and grants, and supports collaboration among researchers. Over the last four years, AGRODEP has provided 25 training courses on economic tools and techniques to 275 participants, awarded 40 research grants and 40 travel grants, hosted 4 members’ workshops and one global economic conference, and released 30 AGRODEP publications as working papers, technical notes, or data reports. The online library of resources holds 21 economic models and toolboxes and 280 datasets. With over 175 members from 27 African countries to date, AGRODEP is poised for a larger role as a network of experts who can provide advisory services and support for policy analysis in Africa.
#11: The Collaborative Masters in Agricultural and Applied Economics and its Contributions to Agricultural and Rural Development
Innocent Matshe, Director of Training, African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)
Email: Innocent.Matshe@aercafrica.org
Tel: +254 726098877
Tsitsi Makombe, Senior Program Manager, IFPRI
Innocent Matshe, Director of Training, African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) (Download PPT)
John Ulimwengu, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) is a public not for profit organization dealing in capacity building for research and training in Africa, whose secretariat is based in Nairobi, Kenya. It has two main divisions, the Research and the Training Divisions. The research division deals with Collaborative and Thematic research while the training coordinates three postgraduate programmes in economics that include over 40 universities: the Collaborative Masters in Economics (CMAP), Collaborative PhD Programme in Economics (CPP) and the Collaborative Masters in Agricultural and Applied Economics (CMAAE). AERC’s role and its contribution to Africa’s growth agenda, and opportunities for partnerships with other knowledge centers at the global level with organizations such as IFPRI and at the regional level with ReSAKSS, ReNAPRI has been notable. The CMAAE, an internationally recognized MSc program with the participation of 17 Universities in the Eastern, Central and South African Region has been at the fore-front of AERC’s contribution to evidenced based policy making in agriculture in the region. Out of the 17 universities that are part of the network, 8 are accredited to offer the course while the others participate in departmental capacity building programme. Beginning in the 2015/16 fiscal year, the programme is envisaged to cover Ghana and Nigeria in West Africa. Noting the inadequacy of skills for agricultural policy analysis, formulation and implementation, CMAAE has the following objectives: building human capacity for research and analysis in agricultural and applied economics through regional training at the postgraduate level; strengthening the capacity of participating departments; and promotion of collaborating networks among economists, agricultural specialists and policy makers. AERC also carries out research within the region and has a network of over 3000 economists, 200 of whom meet twice every year to share results of their research and to mentor and be mentored by a group of international economists (resource persons) from across the world.
• Provide insight into AERC’s role and its contribution to Africa’s growth agenda, and opportunities for partnerships with other knowledge centers at the global level
• Draw attention to evidence-based economic policy making in Sub Saharan Africa and how networks such as AERC could/does serve the region
• Create awareness of AERCs programmes and opportunities among stakeholders for possible engagement and optimization of available resources.
#12: Supporting Malabo Biennial Review (BY INVITATION)
Tsitsi Makombe, Senior Program Manager, IFPRI
Email: t.makombe@cgiar.org
Tel: +1 202 862-6462
Godfrey Bahiigwa, Office Head/ReSAKSS Coordinator, IFPRI (Download PPT)