Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets ATELIER SUR L’EXECUTION DES PROJETS FIDA EN AFRIQUE DE L’OUEST ET DU CENTRE Bamako : Mars 2005 WORKSHOP ON IMPLEMENTATION OF IFAD PROJECTS IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA Bamako : March 2005

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Cotonou Action Plan: Lessons learned and results achieved REVIEW Objectives: identification and implementation of priority activities to improve the impact and effectiveness of the IFAD portfolio in Western and Central Africa Process: formulation of an action plan during a regional workshop on project implementation, held in Cotonou, November performance indicators selected from different fields (project administration, knowledge management, impact, etc.)

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Strong Points and Weak Points Strong Points  Préparation participative focalisée sur un nombre limité et réaliste d’activités prioritaires. Weak points certain objectives and indicators not specific enough, or hard to achieve implementation monitoring carried out only at IFAD level without regularly informing partners in the sub-region other action plans prepared (rural finance, gender) but not yet incorporated into the sub- regional action plan

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Results – Overall picture GENERALLY SATISFACTORY EXECUTION OF THE COTONOU ACTION PLAN a large number of the Cotonou Action Plan recommendations have been implemented (partially or fully) or have begun to be implemented recommendations not implemented concern mainly those whose initial objectives were not specific, were overly ambitious or were impossible to achieve

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Weaknesses in project implementation Poor skills of coordination teams Inadequate and inappropriate training Poor quality reports (withdrawal applications an DAO)  capacity-building programme approved by the Executive Board in April 2005, to boost IFAD project teams’ skills

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Unsatisfactory working conditions of project staff Staff instability Differentiated salary grid  text prepared for incorporation into loan agreements  harmonization of salaries and studies carried out in Burkina Faso, Chad, the Congo, Guinea, Mali and Senegal)

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Lack of information and communication Between IFAD projects within a given country At the National level At the Sub- regional level  Launching of FIDAFRIQUE

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets communication and synergy between research grants and investment project loans Lack of communication and poor synergy between IFAD grants and loans  preparation of PADS II (West African Rice Development Association [WARDA]) and PRONAF II (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture [IITA]) with the participation of IFAD project staff  preparation of Yam II with good participation of IFAD project staff  IFAD project directors more fully involved in implementation of grant- financed activities

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Insuffisance du Suivi et d’Evaluation des projets Ineffective M&E Systems inappropriate reference studies translation of the M&E guide into French training needs to be taken into account in the preparation of the M&E grant establishment of the results and impact management system (RIMS) within IFAD

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Gender  women do not have equal access to productive resources, education and information, and play little part in social decisions five workshops for gender training held for project leaders a partnership agreement between IFAD and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) started within the context of support to rural development in Western and Central Africa

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Coordination among projects, IFAD, the cooperating institution and borrower in the preparation of supervision missions  poor coordination among projects, IFAD, the cooperating institution and borrower in the preparation of supervision missions planning of annual supervision missions carried out with the cooperating institution increased participation of IFAD staff in supervision missions

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Participation of beneficiaries and partners in all stages of project preparation  the approaches adopted do not guarantee a real, active participation of the beneficiaries and other partners  major issue of training on gender and sustainable means of subsistence

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Project start-up *Long delays in getting projects to meet the overall conditions for effectivenss despite difficulties in mobilizing funds before loans come into force IFAD has set up and continues to set up financial assistance for the preparation of invitation to tender documents and the selection of project teams

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Start-Up Workshops length and content of workshops not conducive to active participation of partners long gaps between project approval and inception In each new project: project teams recruited and trained after the loan is signed implementation partners identified, assessed and selected organization of information, education and communications campaigns with beneficiaries and project teams (PRODAD, PRODER)

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Counterpart funds  delays in setting up counterpart funds  HIPC funds made available for co- financing in certain countries (e.g. Mauritania)

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Procurement Delays in procurement IFAD directives for procurement procedures revised and updated regular consultation with cooperating institutions in order to solve this problem

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets HIV/AIDS  the impact of HIV/AIDS in Western and Central Africa is worsening – absence of an appropriate response from IFAD to combat this pandemic presence of a specialist on project preparation teams (Cameroon, the Gambia, the Niger, etc.) systemic inclusion of HIV/AIDS issues in new country strategic opportunities papers (COSOPs) (Senegal) study started on the current situation in Western and Central Africa an agreement in preparation between UNIFEM and UNDP for a validation workshop and four training workshops for focal project staff

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Contribution of beneficiaries  contributions requested from beneficiaries not consonant with their capacities, thus slowing down implementation  subject revised in the context of bottom-up community development

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Results of FIDAFRIQUE I results of FIDAFRIQUE I limited – installed equipment soon broken down FIDAFRIQUE I terminated FIDAFRIQUE II launched, with special emphasis on the creation of a local maintenance network

Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Challenges for the Bamako Action Plan Identification of SMART Objectives  Specific  Measurable  Attainable  Relevant  Time Limit