AUC-UNECA-AfDB and RECs meet to align their monitoring and evaluation architecture

By African Union Commission (AUC)

A Collaborative Meeting among the African Union Commission (AUC), United Nation Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), African Development Bank (AfDB), Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and other AU Organs commenced today, Monday, 7 March 2016, in Lusaka, Zambia to develop a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Agenda 2063'3 First Ten Year Implementation Plan.

The meeting was convened with the objective of identifying the convergence areas, develop the convergence framework, develop plans for the Regional Economic Communities' (RECs) convergence (including a change management plan; cost, etc.) and develop common policy guidelines at the RECs level on the M&E of the first Ten Year Plan.

It is to be recalled that the first such joint partnership initiative to identify areas of convergence and leverage on existing monitoring and evaluation systems and best practices within the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, 22- 24 September 2015. A follow up meeting was held in Nairobi, Kenya, 16-18 November 2015 on the development of M&E roadmap convergence.

[Description: IMG_0029] At the current meeting which is taking place at the Golden Peacock Hotel, Head of Resource Mobilization of the AUC, Jacques Mukwende, in his opening remarks said that this third meeting in a series is expected to come up with a clear roadmap on the implementation of the convergence areas of monitoring and evaluation.

Damoni Kitabire, Resident Representative of the African Development Bank in Zambia, emphasised the fact that the Agenda 2063 First Ten Year Implementation Plan coincides with the AfDB Ten Year Strategy which unveiled a landmark initiative in the form of a Corporate Score Card to be used to track Africa's development. He underscored that Africa's development needs are complex and require strategic partnerships and alliances to resolve as no one partner can address these needs in isolation.

The outcome of this meeting is expected to be presented at the AU-RECs-UNECA-AfDB-NEPAD-ACBF Joint Coordination Committee Meeting that will be held from 10 to 12 March 2016 in Lusaka, Zambia.