The Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System for Southern Africa (ReSAKSS-SA) in collaboration with the AfricaLead Project, ReSAKSS Africa Wide and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) held a workshop on Strengthening Capacity for Strategic Agricultural Policy and Investment Planning and Implementation in the SADC region from 20-22 June 2012 at Birchwood Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The purpose of the workshop was to sensitise SADC member states on the ongoing Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) monitoring and evaluation (M&E) process, to review the national data collection process for the preparation of the 2012 Annual Trends and Outlook Report (ATOR) for Southern Africa – and to equip participants to promote the establishment of country strategic analysis and knowledge support systems (SAKSS) across the region.
The workshop brought together 30 participants (including 9 females—see list) from SAKSS-sensitized and SAKSS-beginning countries in the region. Most of the participants were from ministries of agriculture from countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region including CAADP focal point persons, government statisticians, and policy analysts from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. There were also representatives from the SADC office, the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Africa Lead Project.
Pius Chilonda, Head of IWMI–SA
In his opening remarks, Dr Pius Chilonda, head of the International Water Management Institute – Southern Africa (IWMI–SA), which hosts the ReSAKSS-SA programme, emphasised that the main thrust of ReSAKSS for 2012 was to provide increased assistance to countries for the establishment of country SAKSS programmes following the signing of CAADP compacts, and to support the implementation of national agricultural investment plans (NAIPS). This was the strategic focus that had informed the organisation of the regional methodology workshop. >> Download the Presentation
Emmanuel Musaba, ReSAKSS-SA coordinator
ReSAKSS-SA coordinator, Dr Emmanuel Musaba, reviewed the workshop goals and objectives stating that the specific objectives were to:
- Create awareness of the need for establishing and operating a country SAKSS
- Review the national data collection process for preparation of the 2012 ATOR and to launch the data collection for 2012
- Strengthen the capacity to monitor and evaluate agricultural sector performance, growth and poverty trends in Southern Africa in the context of CAADP and the SADC RISDP.
The overall objective was to strengthen evidence-based agricultural policy and investment planning as well as M&E for agricultural sector performance in the SADC region.
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