1. Overview of Agriculture Joint Sector Review (JSR) Outcomes and Lessons Learned
Greenwell Matchaya, Coordinator for ReSAKSS Southern Africa (SA), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), South Africa

2. What is Mutual Accountability?
Mutual accountability is a process by which two or more parties hold one another accountable for the commitments they have voluntarily made to one another
Mutual accountability (MA) is a core principle of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP)
A mutual accountability framework (MAF) for CAADP was developed by NCPA in 2011 to guide mutual accountability processes at continental, regional and country levels

3. Principles of Mutual Accountability
A share vision or agenda among the cooperating parties
Common objectives and strategies aimed at achieving the vision
Jointly agreed performance indicators based on mutually agreed performance criteria
Genuine dialogue and debate process based on consent, common values and trust

4. Elements of an Effective Mutual Accountability Process
Evidence-based: need technical credibility to minimize biases
Ownership: all concerned stakeholders need to be involved from the start
Debate: open and transparent discussions
Behavior change – towards better performance outcomes based on evidence, ownership and debate

5. What is a Joint Sector Review (JSR)?
A joint sector review (JSR) is one way of operationalizing the mutual accountability framework at country level
The JSR process creates a platform to:
assess the performance and results of the agriculture sector
assist  governments in setting sector policy and priorities
assess how well state and non state actors have implemented pledges and commitments (laid out in NAIPs, and other agreements)

6. Purpose and benefits of the Joint Sector Review
The primary purpose of a JSR is to determine and evaluate observed results of sector performance and their comparison with the intended results or targets
Therefore, the JSR:
allows diverse stakeholders to get insights into and influence overall policies and priorities of the sector
serves as a management and policy support tool for inclusive stakeholder planning, programming, budget preparation and execution, monitoring and evaluation, and overall development of the sector
Existing country JSRs need strengthening in terms of design, stakeholder inclusion, data analysis, dialogue and improved quality of implementation.

7. Principles of a Joint Sector Review
National ownership and leadership
Relevance to NAIP or cooperation agreement
Inclusive participation
Commitment to results by all participants
Impartiality and evidence-based
Enhance national planning
Sensitivity to gender
Learning experience

8. What the JSR process does for a country
Describe and analyze the structure, conduct and performance (SCP) of the sector against mutually-agreed milestones and targets
Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) in the sector
Based on the results and findings in the above, make recommendations for improving performance in the sector.

9. What is monitored in a Joint Sector Review
Development results e.g. income growth, poverty and hunger reduction, food and nutrition security, etc
Overall agricultural sector growth target, with specific subsector and commodity targets
Required financial and non-financial resources to effectively implement the plan
Policies, programs, institutions, and implementation processes
Linkages (including pathways to achieve the development results), enabling environment and assumptions

10. Roadmap for undertaking a Joint Sector Review
Set up a JSR steering committee chaired by Ministry of Agriculture
Establish JSR secretariat
Develop terms of reference for the JSR
Mobilize resources
Constitute review team
Undertake the review and dialogue
Draw implementation and follow-up plan for the recommendations from the JSR

11. CAADP-relevant “cooperation agreements”
GAFSP (e.g. Rwanda)
CAADP Country NAIP (e.g. Ghana METASIP)
CAADP Compact (e.g. Burkina Faso)
Other Agreements (e.g. Senegal)
New Alliance Coop Framework (e.g. Mozambique)
Country Strategy Papers (e.g. Tanzania)

12. JSR Assessments Across Africa
AUC-Led processes
Process led by Policy and Planning Directorates-at MoA
IFPRI/ReSAKSS and AfricaLead provided technical support through JSR focal persons in the countries
Country level experts engaged

13. Assessment Methods
Analysed previous review and consultative processes in these countries - the stakeholders involved and their roles
Reviews of earlier reports
Supplemented with information collected from stakeholders: key informant interviews; data collection templates; and consultative and validation workshops
Identified gaps in the review processes, possible improvements that could be made and developed stakeholder-specific action plans

14. Completed JSRs Assessment in 2014
West Africa
East and Central Africa
Southern Africa
Burkina Faso
Ethiopia
Malawi
Ghana
Tanzania
Mozambique
Senegal

15. Completed JSRs Assessments in 2015
West Africa
East and Central Africa
Southern Africa
Benin
Uganda
Swaziland
Côte d’Ivoire
Kenya
Zambia
Togo
DRC
Burundi
ECOWAS Regional JSR

16. Outcomes
Countries are using outcomes of the JSR assessments as well as ATORs
to support policy review and dialogue processes.
JSR assessment has stimulated demand for more data and hence, strong M&E

17. Outcomes
Tanzania – early preparations; technical studies planned; and involvement of sector ministries and non-state actors
Uganda – early preparations; effective and early involvement of non-state actors with a JASAR statement paper (“private sector review”); smaller sub-national meetings
Kenya – has embraced strengthened JSR and is planning to implement it through the Country SAKSS
DRC –expressed willingness to conduct a strengthened JSR after the assessment but no concrete action yet

18. Outcomes
Results from the JSR assessment reports used in compiling the New Alliance report for in Mozambique
In 2015, Malawi JSR followed the JSR assessment recommendations by ReSAKSS
Swaziland’s demand for more technical support in M&E increased following JSR assessment that revealed gaps
Served as a basis for several sectoral meetings in Zambia

19. Outcomes
Senegal used the outcomes of its assessment to design and implement a new JSR process, which is currently implemented without major support of ReSAKSS-WA.
In 2015, Ghana JSR was planned and implemented in a more participatory way with more involvement of the NAIP (METASIP) steering committee, following the assessment recommendations

20. Outcomes
In Burkina Faso, the permanent secretary has introduced some amendments in the draft of agriculture ministry’s decrees for organization of the sector review in order to respect the mutual accountability principle:
Development partners; Civil society;
Farmers organizations; Private sector.
Countries demanding more work on linkages of policies, indicators of investments to development results

21. Lessons Political anchorage by African Union, NPCA is critical
Buy-in at country level is very important for rallying the Agricultural sector
Inclusivity from the beginning increases acceptability of recommendations
Inclusivity in terms of development constituencies-Government, DPs, CSOs, Private Sector
Acceptance of JSR------Effective communication and consultative approach informing stakeholders of the importance of JSR has helped to array the challenges

22. Lessons
Inclusiveness is an issue: Government and DPs engage but NSAs are not fully engaged
Strong ownership by governments and development partners; not so by Non-State Actors (NSAs - private sector and civil society organizations)
More sensitization to NSA for their effective participation especially is necessary
Need to mobilize funds to support the next JSRs
Countries running SAKSS nodes more likely to implement JSR without major support from regional level