EVALUATION OF THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT:

APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY.

By

Alain A. NdediYenepad, South Africa

email: alainaime@gmail.com

OUTLINE1. INTRODUCTION

NEPAD: What is it really?

2. NEED FOR EVALUATION

3. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EVALUATION AND POLITICS

4. EVALUATION OF NEPAD: Results-based monitoring and evaluation Reasons for results-based monitoring and evaluation Proposed steps for a results-based monitoring and evaluation system

5. METHODOLOGY FOR THE EVALUATION OF NEPAD

4. SUMMARY

5. RECOMMENDATIONS

NEPAD: THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FORAFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT

1. NEPAD is an African initiative launched in 2001 by African Heads of States and Governments.

2. The NEPAD Rationale:Eradicate poverty and hunger;

Accelerate the pace of economic growth; Place Africa and individual African countries solidly in the

global arena;

Halt the marginalization of Africa in the world social and economic orders;

Empower women and other socially disadvantaged groups;

Build the requisite infrastructure for sustainable development

NEPAD’S CONDITIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. The Peace, Security, Democracy and Political

Governance Initiatives;

2. The Economic and Corporate Governance Initiative;

3. Sub-regional and Regional Approaches to

Development

NEPAD’s SECTORAL PRIORITIES

NEPAD has five sectoral priorities:Bridging the infrastructure gap

Human resource development including reversing the brain drain

Agriculture

The Environment Initiative

Culture and Science and Technology

NEPAD: A CRITIQUE

Top-bottom approach;

Limited outreach it has attained

NEPAD initiative articulates the views of the high-class politicians without taken into considerations the views of the common people and civil society institutions in Africa.

Lack of self/internal funding to sustain the program

NEED FOR EVALUATION

Experiences with previous development plans

The current level of service delivery and implementation of NEPAD’ projects

Fiscal pressures

Accountability pressures from ordinary Africans

Results agenda required from Donors

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EVALUATION AND POLITICS

Evaluation refers to the process of determining

standards to measure something

Politics is the ability to achieve a desired

outcome

Thus, evaluation is undertaken to feed

decision making of politicians and

decision makers; then part of politics...

EVALUATION OF NEPAD: RESULTS BASED MONITORING AND

EVALUATION…WHY?

RB M&E help policy makers answer the questions if

pevisions are kept and outcomes achieved; (Monitor..is

about measurement while evaluation deal with the reasons

of results (outcomes and impacts)

Provides information to donors;

Internal tool for improvement

STEPS TO BUILDING A PERFORMANCE BASED M&E SYSTEM

Readiness AssessmentEstablishing outcomes to monitor and evaluateDevelop keys indicators to monitor outcomesGathering of baseline data on indicatorsPlanning realistic targetsMonitoring resultsEvaluation of results to support decision makersAnalyse and report findingsSustaining the M&E System within institution

METHODOLOGY OF EVALUATION OF NEPAD

Step one: Assessment of current measures used by AU and development agencies to evaluate NEPADStep two: Develop own measures and instruments for assessment the impact of NEPAD in African countries;Step Three: Develop own measures and instruments for assessment the impact of NEPAD in respective REC and countries.Step four:Develop key indicators and timeframesStep five: Develop feedback communication strategy that will have continent and regional wide coverage for information disseminationStep six: Establish strong relationship between the NEPAD Secretariat and the AU.

SUMMARYRelationship between NEPAD & Heads of Stateand Government Implementation Committee[HSGIC]

The Maputo Declaration, at paragraphs 6 and 8, is very clear on the issue of status and relevance of the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee [HSGIC] to the NEPAD process.

The HSGIC, supported by the NEPAD Steering Committee and the NEPAD Secretariat, is mandated to continue, as a sub-Committee of the AU Assembly, its vital work of ensuring the implementation of NEPAD programmes.

SUMMARY

The HSGIC reports annually to the AU Assembly. The Chairperson of the AU during 2001/2002-year term and the Interim Chairperson of the AU attended the meetings of the HSGIC.

Thus, the roles of the current Chairperson of the AU and the Chairperson of the AU Commission should be formalised. It is generally agreed that both parties should be an integral part of the HSGIC to ensure co-ordination and strategic objectives.

LINKAGES BETWEEN THE NEPAD STEERING COMMITTEE AND THE

RELEVANT AU ORGANSParagraph 9(i) of the Maputo Declaration requires thatappropriate linkages be established between the NEPADSteering Committee and the relevant organs of the AUand the Executive Council in order to ensure integratedinputs into the work of the HSGIC.

The rationale is to ensure that all the AU Member Statesare updated on the developments of NEPAD. There is aneed to agree on the modalities and sustainability of thelinkages between the Executive Council/PRC and theNEPAD Steering Committee.

WORKING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE AU COMMISSION AND THE NEPAD

SECRETARIATParagraph 9(iii) of the Maputo Declaration requires that theworking relations between the AU Commission and theNEPAD Secretariat, especially for programme coordinationAnd harmonisation, be formalised. Institutionally, thestructure of the AU Commission provides for a NEPAD Coordinating Unit in the Office of the Chairperson of the AUCommission to be staffed by not more than five officers. Also, there are currently contact points on NEPAD in theAU Commission and contact point on AU in the NEPADSecretariat.

FUNDING AFTER INTEGRATION

Paragraph 9(v) of the Maputo Declaration requires that a

sustainable funding mechanism for NEPAD, after its

complete integration into the AU structures and processes,

be developed.

This requirement suggests that as part of assessing full

operational capability, funding of NEPAD in the AU

Commission need to be addressed as part of transferring

responsibility.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In addition to obtaining political directives from thepolitical leadership, concrete operational measures be putin place to kick-start the process.

These measures include agreeing on the approach tointegration, initiation of implementation processes,developing and adopting a Work Plan for implementingintegration, appointing a dedicated coordinating team onintegration, making the resources available forimplementation and agreeing on monitoring mechanism ofimplementation progress

Diboti (Punu, Gabon)Merci (French)

Thank You (English)Matondo (Lari, Congo Brazza)

Siyabonga (Zulu, RSA)Ke ea Leboha (Sesotho, Lesotho)

Misom (Banen, Cameroon)

© Alain Aime Ndedi, Northcliff, Johannesburg, South Africa