Africa Regional Network: Challenges and Opportunities in Facing the SDG s:

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1 Dear President XX [Template] Africa Regional Network: Challenges and Opportunities in Facing the SDG s: Generational Diversity in the Land Professional Sector The Lukenya Gateway, Nairobi Kenya 8-10 November 2015 On behalf of FIG, and in my capacity as Chair of the network, I am writing to invite you to the first FIG Africa Regional Capacity Network two day professional workshop to be held in Nairobi, Kenya. The Africa Regional Network focus is to build the capacity of African Surveying Associations and individual surveyors to act as agents of positive change and encourage the process of development and growth for the benefit of Africa and its people. The 2015 workshop focus is on the African Surveying Profession and how it can best contribute to face the challenges and opportunities of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly facilitating the sustainability of professional land businesses, societal and big data trends. It is with great pleasure that the Africa Regional Capacity Network (ARN) welcomes the Institution of Surveyors Kenya (ISK) as the African member Association to co-host the 2015 workshop. Together we will host an informal welcome reception on Sunday 8 th November between hrs at the Lukenya Gateway The Africa Network will consider and devise new and creative tools to revitalise and strengthen FIG Members within Sub Saharan Africa and will present its findings at FIG Working Week in Christchurch, New Zealand 18 th - 22 nd May This workshop will be of major importance for senior and middle managers in land survey and valuation practices, tertiary educational organisations and land professional institutes. It will bring together decision makers and practitioners from several African nations with expertise in areas across the FIG membership. The workshop venue, at the relaxing Lukenya Gateway Lodge, lends to our participatory format, participants will be expected to contribute in both open forums and breakout sessions, delegates will be limited to 45; and as outlined in the attached document, must register their interest as soon as possible. There will also be an opportunity to be invited to a further 1 day workshop hosted by GLTN on the UN Habitat ground breaking STDM initiative, more information will be made available after registration. We understand the difficulties of getting to conferences but because of the rare opportunity this workshop presents to identify a programme of future action for you, your country professionals and the African region, we strongly encourage your attendance and will welcome your participation. As time is short to build you into the programme, I look forward to receiving your initial registration answer by 27 th August If you require any assistance in disseminating this notification to your members, please do not hesitate to contact me. Otherwise I look forward to your reply. Best regards, Dr. Diane Dumashie, Vice President FIG, Chair Regional Network

2 Africa Regional Capacity Network: Workshop Outline Challenges and Opportunities in Facing the SDG s: Generational Diversity and Technology in the Land Professionals Sector 9-10 November Introduction to the Africa Regional Capacity Network The Africa Regional Capacity Network (The Network) has emerged from a successful five year engagement with African land professionals and the wider stakeholder community, through the FIG Africa Task Force (ATF). The network continues to be aimed at supporting FIG African Member Associations and Academic members for ongoing professional and societal development. After consideration by FIG council and approved by General assembly in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 2015, the Network terms of reference and supporting material can be viewed at app_14_ga_capacity_building_network.pdf The key purpose is to enable the surveying profession in Sub Saharan Africa to deal with social responsibility in terms of contributing to achieving the post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). In this regard, the role of the surveyors as change agents engaging with the politicians is important. Although the focus of this regional network is on Africa the results can of course be multiplied for inspiration and implementation in other regions such as Asia, Latin America and the Arab states. The Africa Network through workshop activities will consider and present new and creative tools and other means to revitalise and strengthen Land professional members within Sub Saharan Africa. The focus will be led by FIG Member Associations to build the capacity of the surveying association and individual surveyors to act as agents of positive change and encourage the process of development and growth for the benefit of Africa and its people. Driven by the significant momentum of the former Africa Task Force (ATF) a strong network has been created and traction for more to be done has begun to take hold, notably, the participants have increasingly become more engaged within the FIG community, and taken on roles of leadership in the region. Ultimately, the Network activity should be seen as a capacity development process, by bettering the way members do business will also better the contribution to society. In 2014 the Member Associations resolved a consensual view and clearly articulated recommendations providing a focused way forward for a 2030 Vision that, By 2030 Africa land professionals will provide global thought leadership and promote professional leadership qualities amongst its members and within their Associations

3 2. Context and Background The network is about equipping Land professionals to better contribute to society, to do this requires professionals to understand, adapt and embrace the future. Such understanding will derive from key forces and trends that will shape our world over the coming decades. Set in the context of unprecedented urbanisation, changing demographics and the rise of the new economic powers, the world is being reshaped affecting the way society lives and works. Professionals needs new business models that embed into new societal demands including, new work dynamics, greater connectivity and using technological advances appropriately and fit for the purpose. Africa has seen many positive developments and experienced progress in several areas in the past decade, primarily thanks to Africa s own efforts and reforms. In addition to a few clear signs of improvement in governance, and for some an improving business environment, many countries are taking steps to combat corruption. The public authorities in many places have improved. Although the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halving poverty will not be reached in Africa, it is acknowledged that there is a need for reliable and robust data for holding governments to account and also better informed monitoring, such as initiatives by the World Bank developed in conjunction with FIG global and FAO and GLTN. The advent of the new agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seeks to address the continuing need to revitalise the efforts in a large number of areas, whilst it is also important to view efforts to find best practices in all areas of society. The SDG s has a vision for transformative change towards inclusive, people centred, sustainable development, including wealth sharing economic development and peace and security. It is imperative that Land Professionals across the world remain engaged in initiatives that will enable them to make a difference. Renewed commitment to continuing this initiative is crucial. For the first time, through the post 2015 development goals, targets specifically relating to land and societal development will be evidenced; thus providing an excellent opportunity to optimise and continue the Task Force deliberations in Africa encapsulated in the Vision. Drawing from clear global trends and the framework emerging from the SDG s each workshop will derive its context and build upon the achievement to provide and promote professional leadership qualities amongst its members and within their Associations 3. Workshop Objectives and Approach With the aim of ensuring African ownership and in order to provide valuable input for the network s work, a series of thematic Regional workshops will be arranged in Africa between each FIG Working Week. These workshops will develop tools for use by your members and validated at Roundtable discussions at the following FIG Working weeks, the next meeting is scheduled in Christchurch May The network activity is predicated upon collaborating with a range of stakeholders, foremost the Young Surveyors Network are integral to deliver workshop content, in addition to partnering with FIG Commissions and FIG corporate members the latter providing unbiased content and sponsorship. Each year the network invites an African member association to co-host the workshop event. It is with great pleasure that the first regional Network event welcomes the

4 Institution of Surveyors Kenya (ISK) who will organise the logistical arrangements in Kenya. Within the SDG s and having ethics underpinning everything that Land professionals do the workshop in 2015 will be informed by two trends that affect the economic sustainability of professional land businesses and society. First generational diversity in the work place, attracting and retaining talent to ensure viability to land professionals and second, combined with complimenting the current FIG work plan, managing big data and understanding the relevance to the SDGs in geospatial and urban practices. The focus is on how to build up skills across our sector to meet these challenges and how we ensure economic viability for land and real estate firms while delivering on social needs as articulated in the SDGs. An agenda for action will be explored addressing: Generational Diversity: To attract young talent our profession has to remain relevant and attractive to future generations. Younger generations who have grown up with social media and digital technology are quick to take up new approaches to work. And as people choose to work past the usual retirement age, can result in four generations in the workplace, consequently greater inter-generational understanding is needed. Technology Development: A technological revolution is driving demand for key data analytics and related skills for existing land and property professionals. The way of conducting the business of land is changing; such data management allows comprehensive management of the land administration life cycle- i.e. survey through to valuation; above all, stressing the importance of all our disciplines in land and property. Over a two day workshop the Workshop objectives are to: 1. Define and use the insight gained by participants from across Africa to explore the implications that our sector is likely to see in the two trend categories 2. Discuss techniques and devise tools for mentoring approaches across generational diversity 3. Devise appropriate agenda for action that will be helpful to member Associations to help their own members to ensure, monitor and assess intergenerational diversity in the work place, and 4. Deliberate on the technological application of comprehensive management of big data for land survey and valuation. The topics of discussion under these objectives may be further elaborated in a concept note to be submitted to participants for background reading ahead of the workshop. 4. Expected Outputs of the Workshop The workshop will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday 9 th and Tuesday 10 th November 2015 (Arrivals on Sunday 8 th ). The expected outputs of the workshop are to: 1. Develop a call for action for the next five year period and identify priority areas for those operating in the land professional sector across Africa 2. Provide material and contributions to the wider global futures debate that will enrich and add to such ongoing global programmes 3. Seek to build on the increasing need for big-data management in the work place and the contribution land professional should make to the SDG land targets; and 4. Identifying, if appropriate, further activities and strategies directing the way forward for the development of tools for Member Associations. 5. Contribute to the YSN Mentoring objective specifically the identification of mentors and base line information for the emerging YSN toolkit

5 5. Participation and Working Language Participants will be limited to 45 in addition to the facilitators and the ISK local organising committee. Given the interest across the continent, participants need to register by 27 th August and book Hotels by 27 th September to secure a place. By 27 th August Notice of participant interest needs to be ed to ddd@dumashie.co.uk The workshop will be conducted in English. No translation or interpretation will be provided. However, participants may distribute documentation in other languages for general information purposes. 6. Logistical and Administrative Arrangements Full details will be circulated once interest has been registered, in summary: Costs - There is no fee to attend. - Participants are responsible for their own travel and hotel costs; but - ARN and its corporate sponsor will assume responsibility for expenditure relating to: Hire of Workshop venue Tea breaks Monday and Tuesday buffet lunch Monday participant evening gala meal Hotel - the Lukenya Gateway Hotel: Workshop Venue - The Lukenya Gateway Hotel Communication - All logistics will be handled by ISK nominated person with a dedicated address 8. Further Inquiries Any inquiries related to the meeting can be addressed directly to: Dr Diane Dumashie FRICS, Vice president FIG, Chair Africa Network E ddd@dumashie.co.uk Telephone: +44 (0)