Cap Town South Africa 7 th May

Transcription

1 African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development المرآز الا فريقي للتدريب و البحث الا داري للا نماء Centre Africain de Formation et de Recherche Administratives pour le Développement 41 st Meeting of CAFRAD s Governing Board Director-General s Report Of Activities April 2002 April 2003 Cap Town South Africa 7 th May Bd. Mohammed V, Pavillon International P.O. Box 310, Tangier, Morocco Tel: (212) Fax: (212) cafrad@cafrad.org Web Site: Bd. Mohammed V, Pavillon International B.P. 310 Tanger, Maroc

2 Contents Table I. Introduction II. Main Activities III. Sponsorship of Experts to Work at the Centre IV. Operational Constraints V. Opportunities VI. Appreciation VII. Conclusion African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development CAFRAD 1

3 I. Introduction This report provides a brief account of the Centre s operations from April, 2002 to April, It highlights both the efforts of the Centre to realise its objectives and the constraints in that regard. In relation to the latter, the main issue has been the non-payment by Member States of their contributions. The report also indicates the kinds of support, material and moral, accorded by some Member States and partner bodies; providing a glimpse of what opportunities exist for the Centre to contribute to the study (and to the solution) of administrative problems inherent in the economic and social development in Africa. II. Main Activities 1. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND STATUTORY MEETINGS The Centre organised or co-organised the following activities: a. The 40 th Meeting of the Governing Board of CAFRAD (Tangier, Morocco: April, 2002). The meeting was attended by delegates from twenty-two (22) African States, including two non-member States; and representatives from UNDESA/DPEPA (New York), UNECA/SDRC (Tangier), IIAS (Brussels), AATPO (Tangier), FAO and OIC. The Board approved the Work Programme for , adopted both the Auditor s Report and the Budget for 2002/2003; noting with concern the continuing financial difficulties of the Centre. It also discussed the Report of the Director-General and congratulated the Centre for its good work, in spite of difficulties. It also urged closer cooperation with African institutions, and in particular NEPAD. Special appreciation was expressed for the assistance provided by UNDESA/DPEPA to the Centre, especially for sponsorship of UNPAN-ORC-CAFRAD. b. Workshop for Monitoring and Evaluation for Gender Mainstreaming (jointly organised with the African Centre for Gender and Development, UNECA, Addis- Ababa); 3-7 June It attracted 14 Participants from Nigeria, Sudan and Morocco. c. Workshop on Strategic Planning and Change Management: (jointly organised with OFPA and funded by the Government of Benin); Cotonou, Benin : September, It attracted forty (40) Participants from: Benin, Cameroun, Congo, Côte d Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Rwanda and Togo. It was facilitated by trainers from OFPA, France, CAFRAD and Burkina Faso. d. First Regional Workshop on Building e-governance Capacity in Africa (Johannesburg, South Africa, October, 2002). It attracted over 500 Participants from 40 African States and several partners from the private sector and NGOs in Africa and elsewhere. It was facilitated by some sixty Resource Persons. Hosted by the Government of South Africa, under the banner of NEPAD, the Workshop was co-organised through the partnership of UNDESA/DPEPA, DPSA (South Africa) and CAFRAD. African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development CAFRAD 2

4 e. Consultative Meeting on Training for Local e-governance (Tangier, Morocco: January, 2003). It was attended by twenty-one participants from: Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, Uganda, Italy, IICD (Netherlands), UNESCO, EVG (Spain) and UNDP (Rabat). It was substantially funded by UNESCO. Reports of these activities are available on our Web site: 2. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS a. Research CAFRAD is currently involved in the following research activities : I. National Survey of Public Administrations in Africa. Having now received completed questionnaires from 22 countries namely: Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Swaziland, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the data are now being analysed for publication. This is being done in collaboration with some of our partners. As each submission is very rich, we are on to a very useful publication. II. CAFRAD has been selected to administer a research grant designed to provide an opportuniy for individuals or organisations to strengthen gender-related work on ICTs, especially in agriculture. It is titled research on Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society (GENARDIS); and it is of some Euros, meant for researchers in ACP countries. By the deadline of 15 th April, 2003 over 200 applications were received. Nine proposals are to be funded. III. CAFRAD is participating in the conduct of a research on water administration, funded and coordinated by the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), Brussels. IV. CAFRAD recently won a US$ 105,000 contract from UNECA, Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, for the conduct of a study on governance in Morocco. CAFRAD will work with OMAP, Morocco, to execute the assignment. b. Publications The Centre has published, during the period in review, the following : I. African Administrative Studies: Vols. 58 and 59. II. CAFRAD News : Vol. 70 III. African Institutes and Public Administration: New Challenges, New Role, New Perspectives; being proceedings of the 3 rd Pan African Conference of Ministers of Civil Service (Windhoek, Namibia, 5-6 February 2002). It was co-produced with UNDESA, which also provided funding. It is issued in French and English. IV. Webnewsletter: N s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This publication which we started in October 2002 is produced monthly, providing information about the Centre s activities and that of some of its partners. This is to replace CAFRAD News which was produced twice early, now in its 70 th edition (having been introduced in 1967). African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development CAFRAD 3

5 3. DOCUMENTATION AND UNPAN a. Documentation CAFRAD has continued to modernize and update its collection. This has been made possible in large part due to its bringing, from time to time, trainees from the School of Information Sciences in Rabat to help with the work. CAFRAD Library is becoming better able to respond to requests for information and documents. Already, there is an increase in the number of researchers actively utilising the collection. b. UNPAN The rationale, modalities and direction of UNPAN was reported to the Board during its 40 th Meeting. I am pleased to inform this Board of the deepening of UNDESA/DPADM s support to UNPAN and the initiative s relevance in the Centre s operations. The renewal of the contracts of both Mr. Gianluca Misuraca (Associate Expert) and Mr. Abdellah Kidaei (Local Consultant) allowed us to strengthen the work of the CAFRAD IT Administrator and others. - There has been a significant improvement in both the quality and quantity of placements under UNPAN. Between February, 2002 and February, 2003 there was a four-fold increase in number of documents placed. This is in addition to 3 new serial links, and 25 conference and training databases. - There is now, on line, a CAFRAD bibliography database, which is being expanded and updated. - In furtherance of the objectives of sharing information and ideas on public administration and finance, the UNPAN team and CAFRAD IT Administrator spearheaded the up-grading of CAFRAD connectivity speed from 32 KB to 128 KB. - UNPAN and CAFRAD staff spent long hours working with 18 interns from tertiary institutions based in Rome, Rabat and Tangier to : up-date and modernise CAFRAD library (now 30,000 digitalised) and give support to the e-africa initiative, which CAFRAD is a partner in. - UNPAN staff, and in particular Mr. Misuraca, provided invaluable assistance in the improvement of all CAFRAD activities. - UNPAN staff spearheaded the launching and development of CAFRAD Webnewsletter, a monthly publication to supplant the bi-yearly CAFRAD News (produced since 1967, and now on its 70 th edition). - A major achievement of UNPAN has been its facilitation of information sharing and networking. CAFRAD s increased visibility owes in large measure to this activity. CAFRAD has five thousand (5,000) contacts worldwide, from and to which it both receive and provides invaluable information on all aspects of public administration and governance. For now CAFRAD requires from its partners, especially African public bodies, timely provision of requested for information. It also needs advise on how to manage such information, to the best advantage of users. The ACBF has made useful suggestions on the latter which are being followed up. African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development CAFRAD 4

6 4. PARTICIPATION IN THE WORK OF PARTNERS a. General The Director-General and Staff have continued to deepen the Centre s partnership with relevant bodies. During the period in review they participated in the activities of several such bodies, presenting papers and/or other required inputs. The following are illustrative: International Conference on e-government for Development, and 4 th Interregional Consultative Meeting of UNPAN Global Network ; 8-12 April 2002, Palermo, Italy (funded by Government of Italy). 3 rd UNPAN Training Workshop on e-information Management, Shangai, China, June, activities in Tangier, Casablanca and Rabat organised by relevant Moroccan organisations. ECOWAS Ministers of Civil Service Meeting (Abuja, Nigeria: October, 2002). Fourth Global Forum (Marrakech: 9-11 December, 2002) (UNDESA and Morocco). Public Sector Reform Programme (for Nigeria), Commonwealth Secretariat, London: January, Workshops on: Challenges and Globalisation to Democratic Governance in Africa, To Strengthen Networking Amongst Public Administration and Management Development Institutes ; Development Policy Management Forum (DPMF), Addis-Ababa (2-6 December, 2002). Training Programme on Good Governance for African Civilian Personnel (University of Ghana, Legon and UN) Accra, 27 th January 18 th February, Third EDITOSIA Workshop on e-governance (Johannesburg, South Africa: 5-8 February, 2003). Conference on Improving the Quality of Public Administration Training: New Needs, News Approach, IIAS/UNDESA/IASIA (Rio De Janeiro (Brazil): February, 2003). Two missions to Rome, Italy, to discuss both e-governance and collaboration with relevant institutions in July, 2002, and February a. Preparations for the Fourth Pan African Conference and the Development of a Public Administration and Governance Programme In the context of the Pan African Ministers Conference and taking advantage of the new resolve by African political leaders to improve their governance systems, the Host Minister (South Africa) and the 3 rd Chairperson of the 3 rd Pan African Conference (the Prime Minister of Namibia) decided to frame a programme on public administration and governance. To do this, there was a Consultative Meeting of Ministers (November, 2002) and three meetings of Experts/Key Partners in Johannesburg (February, 2003), Casablanca (March, 2003) and Windhoek (April, 2003). Much work and discussions went into the production of a comprehensive draft programme, including a research agenda, for governance and administration in Africa. The purpose is to not only utilize this for the Ministerial Conference, but also feed this into the work of NEPAD. I am glad to state that CAFRAD was fully involved in this process; and has been assigned by the Partners to take the lead in three important areas of the programme, namely: Leadership Development; e-governance; and Knowledge and Policy Exchange Seminars. Each of the activities, except the last, involves at least a week long sub-regional workshop in all the sub-regions of Africa. The remaining (Knowledge and Policy Exchange) is envisaged to entail 6 continental 2-day workshops. Honourable Members of the Board will remember that this was one of the calls of the Board, that CAFRAD serve as an implementing agency of NEPAD. The challenge, after this recognition of the place of CAFRAD in public administration and governance in Africa, is for the provision of material support to see this to fruition. African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development CAFRAD 5

7 b. Agreement on Cooperation with the University of Rome, La Sapienza CAFRAD and the University of Rome, La Sapienza, have entered into an agreement for the conduct of a workshop on governance in November, 2003; and several joint training activities on the subject. The agreement also involves examination of the possibility of offering a post-graduate degree in Governance (with emphasis on local governance). Teachers and researchers in African universities will work with their counterparts at the University of Rome to run the programme. It will be for CAFRAD a vehicle to strengthen links among African universities and related institutes with a focus on public administration and governance; as was envisaged by the 40 th Governing Board. III. Sponsorship of Experts to Work at the Centre The realization of the Centre s objectives makes it imperative to have at its disposal a sufficient number of men and women, with requisite skills and commitment, to carry out its various research and training activities. At the moment there is a clear need for more Experts. Realizing this, a previous Board urged Members to send, on their sponsorship, persons to serve the Centre for a period of time. CAFRAD has approached Member States and others. I am glad to report continued positive action in this direction from Libya and UNDESA/DPEPA. a. The Arab Jamahirya of Libya. In addition to the two Experts that are with the Centre on Libyan sponsorship, the Government of Libya has renewed the contract of Mr. El Hadi Gomoa Khalil for another two years, bringing the total number to three. b. UNDESA/DPEPA renewed for another year the contract of both Mr. Abdellah Kidaei and Mr. Gianluca Misuraca. The total salary being shouldered by those two entities is over two hundred thousand dollars (200,000 $), per year. We hope in the coming months to receive similar assistance from Benin, Cameroun, Angola and Mali. IV. Operational Constraints The obstacles to the Centre s optimal performance are principally three, as I have indicated in some of letters to Honourable Members of the Board and as reported to the 40 th Governing Board. They are: financial, personnel and equipment. I treat each briefly, in turn. a. Financial: Inadequacy, and at time total absence, of funds are CAFRAD s main problem. Only about one-third of the members make any payments to the Centre, and for now only five are up-todate with their contributions. As a consequence, staff are owed arrears of salaries and related entitlements, some approved activities had to be delayed or suspended, and the ability to participate in important meetings befitting the Centre s position as a key African training and research institution is weakened. If not for the assistance of the Federal Government of Nigeria, which made African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development CAFRAD 6

8 a mutli-year payment of contributions and a grant, CAFRAD staff would have gone unpaid for six months and all its activities brought to a halt. Without substantive payments in the next two weeks, there will be another round of non-payment of salaries and the attendant lowering of morale. b. Personnel: Allied to the above is shortage of staff to carry out the work of the Centre. CAFRAD has written to several countries requesting them to second staff, on their sponsorship. Little encouragement was received and the Centre still awaits the arrival of some staff promised by some Members. c. Equipment: The Centre is in critical need of an up-to-date interpretation equipment to handle simultaneous interpretation into three or more languages. The existing one was donated to the Centre by UNESCO in the 1970s. The one required now is estimated to cost some ninety thousand Dollars ($90,000). Also in short supply and urgently needed are computers for use by staff and during training sessions. The Chairman of the Governing Board has been generous enough to lend us two computers. Some 10 more are needed. V. Opportunities In spite of the problems of the Centre, it is in a position to utilize existing opportunities in Africa to flourish. With the adoption of such a major African document as the Charter with the full involvement of the Centre and the Board, at a moment in which good governance has become a priority for Africa, capacity-building has assumed critical importance: witness the welcome emergence of ACBF (1991) and NEPAD (2001). The focus on public administration and governance presents unequalled opportunity for the Centre to re-dedicate itself to the service of the continent. Already CAFRAD is working with such bodies as UNDESA/DPADM, UNECA, OFPA, ECOWAS, ICLEI, IICD, IIAS, ACBF and UNESCO to fulfil its objectives, while also contributing to the work of such partners. Furthermore, the deepening of CAFRAD s relation with DPSA, particularly under the context of both the Pan African Ministers Conference and NEPAD, is a development which requires concrete demonstration of support from Member States of CAFRAD. For, from its inception in 1964, CAFRAD has the vision to work for all Africa, regardless of the divides of language, circumstance or region. VI. Appreciation CAFRAD wishes to express its appreciation to numerous governments, organisations and individuals for their assistance in its efforts to attain its objectives. The Kingdom of Morocco has continued to be a congenial host to the Centre; providing it necessary backing. The Chairman of the Governing Board has provided computers and related materials to the Centre and has always been available to discus its activities. The Government of Nigeria has demonstrated confidence in the Centre and the importance of its mission by providing both a grant and multiyear payment of its contribution, totalling two hundred and sixty-two thousand Untied States Dollars (US$ 262,000). This is in addition to its offer of co-sponsorship of an important CAFRAD activity in Sierra Leone. The Government of South Africa provided concrete sponsorship to one of CAFRAD s most important activities in years: the Workshop on enhancing e-governance capacity in Africa. The host Minister s idea of a coherent continental programme on public administration and governance in Africa directly connects the work of CAFRAD, Pan African Ministers and NEPAD. The Chairman of the 3 rd Pan African Conference, Namibia, deserves our thanks for leadership about the implementation of the African Charter. The approach of the Efficiency and Charter Unit (ECU) of Namibia, taken alongside that of ECOWAS Ministers, is worthy of consideration. Benin has once again provided OFPA and CAFRAD an opportunity to run an important joint activity, for which it deserves our African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development CAFRAD 7

9 thanks. Gambia, Cameroun and Mauritius have always kept us on our toes, by reminding us about matters which should receive urgent attention: we thank them for this. Libya has been most helpful in sponsoring three (3) Experts to work at CAFRAD, thereby further assuring the Centre s relevance. I also thank all Board Members and others for their support. Various international and regional bodies have been of help to the Centre: UNDESA/DPADM s support to CAFRAD for the past decade, and particularly in the context of UNPAN, is most highly appreciated. In various other ways the following bodies assisted the Centre, to which we owe them thanks: UNECA, DPMF, UNESCO, IICD, ICLEI, OFPA, ECOWAS, IIAS and ACBF. CAFRAD would like to express its thanks also to the various Assessors for our Journal for doing such an excellent job. Finally, I would like to express my thanks to staff of the Centre for their dedication which has sustained the Centre for the past year. VII. Conclusion During the period in review the Centre worked hard, even against identified limitations, to work towards the improvement of public administration in Africa. It received support from some African governments, and from international and regional bodies. Nonetheless, the problem of the Centre has largely remained that of nonpayment of annual dues and arrears by Member States; particularly inauspicious at this moment of renewed commitment of the continent for sound governance and public administration systems. It is my hope that through payment of arrears and contributions, sponsorship of Experts to assist with the Centre s work, hosting of relevant activities, and advise, I should have cause next year to make a different plea. Thank you African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development CAFRAD 8