1. IMPROVING JSR PRACTICES AT COUNTRY LEVEL: ACHIEVEMENTS AND GAPS
Mbaye Yade, Maurice Taondyandé and Manson Nwafor (ReSAKSS-WA)
c/o IITA – Ibadan, NIGERIA

2. OUTLINE Joint Sector Review (JSR) JSR in West Africa Context
Principles
Components …
JSR in West Africa
Implementation
Lessons and Outcomes
Challenges

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

4. Principles of a JSR National ownership and leadership
Relevance to NAIP and/or cooperation agreement
Inclusive participation
Commitment to results by all participants
Impartiality and evidence-based
Enhance national planning and budgeting process
Sensitivity to gender
Learning experience

5. JSR Components Sector Performance and Impact Review
Assessment of non financial Commitments
Public Expenditure Review
Public Policy Review
Donor Expenditure Review
Private Sector Report
Civil Society Report

6. Roadmap for undertaking a JSR
Set up a JSR steering committee chaired by Ministry of Agriculture
Establish JSR secretariat
Develop terms of reference for the JSR
Share the TORs with all stakeholders
Mobilize resources
Constitute review team
Undertake the review and dialogue
Draw implementation and follow-up plan for the recommendations from the JSR
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7. JSR Assessment: Questions to consider for its strengthening
Do similar processes exist in the Country?
Who is conducting them
Which Institutions are involved?
How to strengthen their contribution?
Are the Processes inclusive?
Is there need to merge them?
How are their Results used?
Which role for Country CAADP Team and ReSAKSS?
Time frame

8. JSR implementation in West Africa
Objective: Improve JSR Quality with emphasis on value addition, building and improving on existing Country Practices
Targeted Outputs:
substantive review report(s) on sector baseline performance, progress against commitments, effectiveness of policies and institutions, and quality of review processes
action plan(s) to address the gaps and weaknesses in terms of technical and institutional capacity and promote best practices in terms of sector review processes

9. JSR Assessment in West Africa
Scope of Study:
Status and quality of the JSR process in the country
Policy Review
Institutional review
Review of key financial and non-financial commitments
Agriculture sector performance baselines
Facilitated by IFPRI and coordinated by ReSAKSS
Conducted by a national Team including a national Consultant
Participatory approach: Steering Committee, various Workshops (Launching, Data collection, Validation, etc.)

10. JSR implementation in West Africa (cont.)
JSR Assessment
JSR
Benin
2015
ongoing
Burkina Faso
2014
2015 & 2016
Côte d'Ivoire -
Ghana
Guinea
Ongoing?
Mali - 
Senegal
Togo
2016 ongoing
Regional
2015/2016  -

11. Lessons and outcomes
Countries are becoming more aware of the usefulness of JSR; more demands from countries, that have not yet started conducting JSR
The need for a more participatory approach to designing and implementing the JSR has been understood by stakeholders
Countries running currently country SAKSS nodes more likely to implement JSR without major support from regional level
In Burkina Faso, the permanent secretary has introduced some amendments in the draft of agriculture ministry’s decrees for organization of the rural sector review in order to respect the mutual accountability principle involving Development partners; Civil society; Farmers organizations; Private sector.

12. Lessons and outcomes
In 2015, following the JSR Assessment, the Ghana JSR was planned and implemented in a more participatory way with more involvement of the NAIP (METASIP) steering committee; also the ministry improved the way it reports progress in meeting NAIP targets after the JSR Assessment report showed an improved way to do this
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.

13. Challenges
JSR process seems in some countries to be seen as ReSAKSS activity; more ownership is expected;
Dependency on external funding/Need to mobilize fund to support country for the next JSRs
Processes are not always starting on time  JSR Report validation occurring in general in 3rd and 4th quarter (except Burkina Faso in general)  limited opportunity to take into account the results in the current budget planning process

14. Challenges
Lack of evidence for the implementation of the recommendations from the JSR
As can be expected, change is slow. In addition, the low rate of implementation of agreed tasks in previous JSRs is reducing interest of stakeholders in the JSR
More sensitization to DP and NSA for their effective participation especially the donors is necessary

15. Challenges
The low number of pre-JSR stakeholder by stakeholder meetings lowers the representativeness of the inputs of stakeholders
The production of specific studies commissioned to fill information gaps and better inform the sector policy planning and implementation is yet to commence. Currently, the key document considered is the Annual Progress report which covers progress in meeting the NAIP’s targets

16. Thanks/Merci/Obrigado