PRESENTATION OF THE REPORT TO ACBF STAFF

PRESENTER: Dr Robert NANTCHOUANG

DATE: Friday, 16^th February, 2012

VENUE: 15th Floor, ACBF Main Boardroom

Abstract

ACBF is in the process of publishing its 2^nd annual Africa Capacity Indicators Report (ACIR) on the theme: Capacity Development for Agricultural Transformation and Food Security. This publication follows the inaugural Africa Capacity Indicators 2011 – Capacity Development in Fragile States, which was launched in February 2011 in Kigali, Rwanda as part of the Foundation’s 20^th Anniversary Celebrations.

In view of the publication of the 2^nd ACIR, a validation workshop was held in Tunis with the African Development Bank (AfDB) from 19-20 January 2012. This was followed by a second validation workshop organized on 14^th February 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Committee (AUC).

The objectives of the ACIR are to:

• Examine issues and challenges facing countries in cross-border capacity development and cooperation;
• Develop better theoretical underpinnings to the various capacity interventions undertaken within the continent;
• Serve as a definitive knowledge product for policymakers, public sector officials, private sector, civil society, and other experts in capacity development.

The ACIR highlights the state of capacity development in Africa and seeks to support the entrenchment of capacity development in countries’ development agenda. The ACIR and its composite index, Africa Capacity Index (ACI), are meant to offer the needed inputs into decisions on what to do in order to advance capacity at the country and continental level. To this end, the ACIR profiles countries’ capacity development, using indicators to support the Continent’s development agenda and complement, rather than duplicate on-going efforts in assessment tools and information regarding the status of capacity in Africa. ACBF publishes the ACIR annually based on an identified theme in consultation with the Foundation’s stakeholders.

The main goal of the presentation is to move a step further toward the use of the ACI findings within the ACBF Secretariat. To this end, the presentation will focus on (i) the contents of the ACIR 2011 and 2012; (ii) the main findings from these Reports; and (iii) a discussion on how ACBF staff can effectively use the ACIR findings as well as contribute to its production.