EVALUATION OF THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT: APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY. By Alain A. Ndedi Yenepad, South Africa

OUTLINE 1. 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 FOR AFRICA’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 Assessment  Establishing outcomes to monitor and evaluate  Develop keys indicators to monitor outcomes  Gathering of baseline data on indicators  Planning realistic targets  Monitoring results  Evaluation of results to support decision makers  Analyse and report findings  Sustaining 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 NEPAD Step 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 timeframes Step five: Develop feedback communication strategy that will have continent and regional wide coverage for information dissemination Step six: Establish strong relationship between the NEPAD Secretariat and the AU.

SUMMARY Relationship between NEPAD & Heads of State and 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 ORGANS Paragraph 9(i) of the Maputo Declaration requires that appropriate linkages be established between the NEPAD Steering Committee and the relevant organs of the AU and the Executive Council in order to ensure integrated inputs into the work of the HSGIC. The rationale is to ensure that all the AU Member States are updated on the developments of NEPAD. There is a need to agree on the modalities and sustainability of the linkages between the Executive Council/PRC and the NEPAD Steering Committee.

WORKING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE AU COMMISSION AND THE NEPAD SECRETARIAT Paragraph 9(iii) of the Maputo Declaration requires that the working relations between the AU Commission and the NEPAD Secretariat, especially for programme coordination And harmonisation, be formalised. Institutionally, the structure of the AU Commission provides for a NEPAD Coordinating Unit in the Office of the Chairperson of the AU Commission to be staffed by not more than five officers. Also, there are currently contact points on NEPAD in the AU Commission and contact point on AU in the NEPAD Secretariat.

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 the political leadership, concrete operational measures be put in place to kick-start the process. These measures include agreeing on the approach to integration, initiation of implementation processes, developing and adopting a Work Plan for implementing integration, appointing a dedicated coordinating team on integration, making the resources available for implementation and agreeing on monitoring mechanism of implementation 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