MISSION AND GOALS ASPIRES KEY ACTIVITIES...ASPIRES coordinated the piloting of an e-payment system...
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MISSION AND GOALS The objective of the Agricultural Sector Policy and Institutional Reform Strengthening (ASPIRES) project is • to accelerate Tanzania’s adoption of more effective policies and programs, • to drive broad-based agricultural sector growth, and • to improve household food security and nutrition, and reduce poverty. ASPIRES KEY ACTIVITIES 1. Collaborative Policy Research ASPIRES studies fundamental forces of change such as changing land ownership patterns and changing diets, both of which drive profound changes in the country’s agrifood system and broader economy. 2. Policy Coordination ASPIRES serves as the Secretariat for the Policy Analysis Group (PAG). Activities under the PAG include: • holds quarterly meetings to avoid duplication of efforts among key actors in the agricultural sector; • presents fiscal policy recommendations in the agricultural sector to appropriate fora; • leads PAG members in the Annual Agricultural Policy Conference (AAPC) in collaboration with the MoA. 3. Policy Outreach and Advisory to support specific policy reforms ASPIRES responds to direct requests from the Government of Tanzania to support evidence based decision making. These in- clude both conducting policy analysis and subsequently supporting policy outreach and advisory activities. Some of the areas supported byASPIRES under this area include advancing com- modity board reforms, local government reforms including the reduction of produce cess and rolling out of an electronic pay- mentsystem for the collection of local taxes. i) Market Intelligence Unit: ASPIRES is supporting MoA in establishing and operationalizing the Market Intelligence Unit (MIU). ASPIRES support towards the MIU includes capacity building to MIU staff, renovation of MIU offices and covering the initial operational costs. ii) Agricultural Board Reforms: ASPIRES conducted a feasibility study to inform policy, regulatory, institutional and legal reforms to make crop boards more effective and efficient. During 2017, the MoA removed numerous nuisance fees and charges including those associated with crop boards. This is in line with addressing the conflict of interest in the management of crop boards with decentralization. iii) Nutrition Policy: ASPIRES’s support towards Nutrition Policy aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of nutrition policy while providing technical support to institutions implementing nutrition policy and programs in Tanzania. Activities include: • strengthening nutrition enabling environment (PMO, PORALG, MOH and TFNC) –policy, coordination, supportive supervision and governance for effective implementation of NMNAP • building the capacity of TFNC, PORALG team and R/DNuOs in implementation research and nutrition data management and use • working with TFNC and local researchers to carry out selected nutrition research aspects iv) Support to LGA fiscal reforms and selected interventions emerging from its research and policy engagement ASPIRES coordinated the piloting of an e-payment system for local taxes, following a recommendation that emerged from an ear- lier MSU study of tax practice in rural areas. Also in line with the same study was the reduction of produce cess which was effected by GoT into the 2017 Finance Bill where cess was reduced from 5% to 3%. FOCAL AREAS ASPIRES is organized around four areas of action which together will contribute to reducing the poli- cy evidence gap and establish a foundation for more credible, inclusive, transparent and sustainable policy formulation processes. 1. Policy Outreach and Advisory ASPIRESintegrates systematic stakeholder engage- ment intoresearch activities as a way to increase the use ofevidence in policy‐making and enhance thesus- tainability, inclusivity, and transparency of the policy process. 2. Policy Coordination ASPIRES uses three main platforms to coordinate the project’s activities which include the Policy Analysis Group (PAG), theDevelopment Partners Agriculture Working Groupand the Partnership and Accountability Committee(PAC). 3. Capacity Building ASPIRES conducts regular formaltraining and in- service training through collaborativeresearch and institutional support. Some of theseinclude providing technical support in the design andoperation of the second phase of Agricultural Sector Development Programme (ASDP 2), Agro-processing Development Strategy for Tanzania (ASDT) and market monitors and staff of the Market Intelligence Unit on collecting, analyzing and reporting marketdata. 4. Collaborative Policy Research ASPIRES investigates fundamental forces of change such aschanging land ownership patterns and chang- ing diets, both of which drive profound changes in the country’s agrifood system and broader economy.
Transcript of MISSION AND GOALS ASPIRES KEY ACTIVITIES...ASPIRES coordinated the piloting of an e-payment system...
MISSION AND GOALS The objective of the Agricultural Sector Policy and Institutional Reform Strengthening (ASPIRES) project is
• to accelerate Tanzania’s adoption of moreeffective policies and programs,
• to drive broad-based agricultural sectorgrowth, and
• to improve household food securityand nutrition, and reduce poverty.
ASPIRES KEY ACTIVITIES
1. Collaborative Policy ResearchASPIRES studies fundamental forces of change such as changingland ownership patterns and changing diets, both of which driveprofound changes in the country’s agrifood system and broadereconomy.
2. Policy CoordinationASPIRES serves as the Secretariat for the Policy Analysis Group(PAG). Activities under the PAG include:
• holds quarterly meetings to avoid duplication of efforts amongkey actors in the agricultural sector;
• presents fiscal policy recommendations in the agriculturalsector to appropriate fora;
• leads PAG members in the Annual Agricultural PolicyConference (AAPC) in collaboration with the MoA.
3. Policy Outreach and Advisory to support specific policyreformsASPIRES responds to direct requests from the Government ofTanzania to support evidence based decision making. These in-clude both conducting policy analysis and subsequently supportingpolicy outreach and advisory activities. Some of the areassupported byASPIRES under this area include advancing com-modity board reforms, local government reforms including thereduction of produce cess and rolling out of an electronic pay-mentsystem for the collection of local taxes.
i) Market Intelligence Unit: ASPIRES is supporting MoA inestablishing and operationalizing the Market Intelligence Unit(MIU). ASPIRES support towards the MIU includes capacitybuilding to MIU staff, renovation of MIU offices and covering theinitial operational costs.
ii) Agricultural Board Reforms: ASPIRES conducted a feasibilitystudy to inform policy, regulatory, institutional and legal reformsto make crop boards more effective and efficient. During 2017,the MoA removed numerous nuisance fees and charges includingthose associated with crop boards. This is in line with addressingthe conflict of interest in the management of crop boards withdecentralization.
iii) Nutrition Policy: ASPIRES’s support towards Nutrition Policyaims to improve the quality and effectiveness of nutrition policywhile providing technical support to institutions implementingnutrition policy and programs in Tanzania.Activities include:• strengthening nutrition enabling environment (PMO, PORALG,
MOH and TFNC) –policy, coordination, supportive supervisionand governance for effective implementation of NMNAP
• building the capacity of TFNC, PORALG team and R/DNuOsin implementation research and nutrition data managementand use
• working with TFNC and local researchers to carry out selectednutrition research aspects
iv) Support to LGA fiscal reforms and selected interventionsemerging from its research and policy engagementASPIRES coordinated the piloting of an e-payment system forlocal taxes, following a recommendation that emerged from an ear-lier MSU study of tax practice in rural areas. Also in line with thesame study was the reduction of produce cess which was effectedby GoT into the 2017 Finance Bill where cess was reduced from5% to 3%.
FOCAL AREAS ASPIRES is organized around four areas of action which together will contribute to reducing the poli-cy evidence gap and establish a foundation for more credible, inclusive, transparent and sustainable policy formulation processes.
1. Policy Outreach and AdvisoryASPIRESintegrates systematic stakeholder engage-ment intoresearch activities as a way to increase theuse ofevidence in policy‐making and enhance thesus-tainability, inclusivity, and transparency of the policyprocess.
2. Policy CoordinationASPIRES uses three main platforms to coordinatethe project’s activities which include the PolicyAnalysis Group (PAG), theDevelopment PartnersAgriculture Working Groupand the Partnershipand Accountability Committee(PAC).
3. Capacity BuildingASPIRES conducts regular formaltraining and in- service training through collaborativeresearch andinstitutional support. Some of theseinclude providingtechnical support in the design andoperation of thesecond phase of Agricultural Sector DevelopmentProgramme (ASDP 2), Agro-processing DevelopmentStrategy for Tanzania (ASDT) and market monitorsand staff of the Market Intelligence Unit on collecting,analyzing and reporting marketdata.
4. Collaborative Policy ResearchASPIRES investigates fundamental forces of changesuch aschanging land ownership patterns and chang-ing diets, both of which drive profound changes in thecountry’s agrifood system and broader economy.
TANZANIA Agricultural Sector Policy and
Institutional Reform Strengthening (ASPIRES) Project
www.foodsecuritypolicy.msu.edu/ countries/tanzania
ABOUT
The Agricultural Sector Policy and Institutional Reform Strengthening (ASPIRES) project is part of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy funded through USAID. The project is coor-dinated by Michigan State University in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the University of Pretoria. Collabora-tors in Tanzania include the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA); Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA); President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG); Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Center (TFNC).
Other key stakeholders that ASPIRES engages in its activities include Agriculture Sector Lead Ministries (ASLMs); Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (MITI); the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and members of the Policy Analysis Group (PAG).
Contact: David Nyange, Chief of Party, [email protected]
www.feedthefuture.gov
v. Agricultural Sector Development Programme (ASDP 2)ASPIRES provided technical support in the design of ASDP 2.In 2017, ASPIRES in partnership with the MoA, PO-RALG,AGRA, PS3 and Africa Lead held a nationwide capacity buildingand socialization workshop for LGA leadership. The workshopsequipped 960 LGA leadership with a common understanding oftheir roles in the preparation of the implementation of ASDP 2.Going forward, ASPIRES will work with MoA in launching andimplementing ASDP 2.vi. Agro-processing strategyAt the request of MoA, ASPIRES collaborated with Dalberg todevelop an agro-processing strategy to address the contribution ofagriculture to Tanzania’s industrialization agenda. Among otherareas, the strategy identifies value chains that are in line withASDP 2 priority commodities that have the highest potentialfor industrial transformation.
4. Capacity Building and Training on Policy Researchand EngagementASPIRES provides regular formal training, in-service trainingthrough collaborative research, and institutional support. ASPIRESis also contributing towards establishing the MIU within MoAwith a strong focus on capacity building for MIU staff.
