I. Background
At a multi-stakeholder consultation meeting hosted by FARA 03-07 October 2005 in Accra, Ghana, the NGO consortium developed a three-year Action Plan 2006-2008 with the following major four objectives in mind:
1. Mobilize NGOs at different levels into a strong consortium with the capacity to engage in policy dialogue with the formal research systems, with the aim of achieving sustainable livelihoods
2. Enhance the credibility and accountability of the NGOs in Agricultural Research
3. Facilitate access to and exchange of relevant information to influence agriculture research policies and priorities.
4. Build the Capacity of NGOs to collaborate and participate more effectively in ARD process and in resource mobilization
The main focus of the consortium in the established work program was to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Consortium. Hence, the Program of work addressed has been on four components:
• developing a region wide database on NGOs;
• documenting lessons learned and past experience;
• mobilization of NGOs and broadening of the Consortium membership base and finally
• strengthening information sharing and communication capabilities of the Consortium (i.e. developing a communications strategy).
The objectives addressed, outputs and activities to be carried out to achieving those outputs are described in Table 1 below with summaries activities, outputs and “proposed” lead actors and collaborators for monitoring purposes.
During the 3 years, the achievements have been:
• Two sub-regional meetings were held: one for each of Eastern/Southern and the other Western/Central regions.
• Many meetings held
• A methodology for case studies elaborated with a number of proven technologies and innovations identified and 5 case studies carried out presented with a posters by NGO.
• A questionnaire for typology, characterization and profiling activities designed .and a draft of directory developed.
• A code of conduct has been developed and validated
• Participation of focal points in national, regional and international ARD platforms to add NGOs perspectives to debates and discussions.
• Information and communication between consortium members and among other stakeholders set.
An analyze of the SSA NGO consortium shows that the consortium is not functioning properly right now. Since the general Assembly of FARA in South Africa in 2005, no much has been done by the consortium. In term of governance, the steering committee has been operational for a while but right now, it seems to be absent. Many activities have been done but most of the activities planned have not been validated: the case studies, typology characterization and profiling NGO. The reasons of the non functionality of the consortium have been pointed out by a study done by FARA and presented to the AFAAS workshop.
Consequently, the representatives of NGO in different bodies such as FARA executive and sub regional organizations ..etc) are on their own. The point of view to influence the agricultural research is based on the performance of each member, not on the view of the consortium. The NGO voice and perspective that should be added to the sub regional regional and global ARD debates and discussions are almost absent.
Meanwhile, big change is occurring where NGO as a part of the civil society are called for action. With the food crisis coupled to the financial crisis, SSA NGO consortium should be on their feet to play an important role with some guiding, orientation at the decision level that may help the poor small farmers in Africa and to add NGOs voice and perspective to sub regional, regional and global ARD debates and discussions at all levels.
II. Goal and Objectives
Goal
To contribute to strengthen and/or build the capacity of SSA NGO consortium involved in Agricultural Research for Development, by influencing ARD activities at grass roots levels as well as to its governance and decision making processes at various levels (national, regional and inter-regional) in order to improve the livelihood of households and communities.
Specific objectives
- To conduct a diagnosis of the consortium (exchange, analyze, make our own auto critic of the consortium an design the future of the consortium);
- To validate the case studies done for publication;
- To revise the existing NGO database and a new methodology for the database;
- To re-establish dialogue and information and knowledge exchange among NGOs.
- To develop a new work plan for the next 3 years.
Outputs
- The diagnosis of the consortium developed
- The case studies developed validated and ready for publication
- The existing NGO database revised and methodology improved for directory
- Dialogue and information and knowledge exchange among NGOs re-established
- a new work plan for the next 3 years elaborated.
III. Venue of the Workshop
To reduce the cost of he travel, the workshop will hold in Accra which is easy accessible and central from all the regions. The date will be determined when the funding is OK.
IV. Participants : 20 participants