Using Knowledge Sharing to Advance PRS/MDGs in Africa - The Enhanced Knowledge Sharing Network Project

Background

The Knowledge Sharing Project (KSP) on Poverty Reduction Strategies and Millennium Development Goals is an ECA-initiated project started in 2005, with support from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). It is a direct product of a series of meetings of the African Learning Group on Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP-LG), established in 1999 to provide a forum for the exchange of views and articulation of an African position on the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSPs). The KSP is managed by the MDGs/Poverty Analysis & Monitoring Section in the African Centre for Gender and Social Development.

Main Objective

To strengthen knowledge sharing and peer learning among African policy makers engaged in the preparation and implementation of PRSPs or national development strategies (NDS). It seeks to assist them by providing a platform using information and communication technology such as e-mail and the World Wide Web for peer learning and knowledge sharing.

Specific objectives

•  To engage NDS and PRS practitioners in an ongoing debate with counterparts in other African countries on specific policy issues related to growth and poverty reduction challenges on the continent.

•  To create a network of practitioners working on PRS in their respective countries to foster ongoing knowledge sharing and to expand access to available and emerging knowledge on poverty-focused policies, process and institutional set-ups.

•  To create a platform for discussion on selected topics among NDS and PRS practitioners across African countries.

•  To enable the practitioners access to documents on PRS/MDGs and related topics and to also be able to up-load documents to share with the community of practice.

Project Component

The main components of the Project are as to:

•  Create Country team knowledge network and identify focal points within specific PRS country units.

•  Conduct Electronic Roundtables on key themes and issues raised during the Learning Group. Participants include PRS, and NDS practitioners, academia, policy and research institutions, international agencies and civil society advocacy networks.

•  Provide research and training Support to the PRS process in Africa on demand. This would include training on technical and substantive issues related to the design and implementation of MDG-based PRSPs and national development plans.

Key achievements

The Project still has about 10 months to completion but its accomplishments include:

•  Country missions

•  Consultation and knowledge audit missions have been undertaken to 15 African countries. During the missions knowledge audits of PRS/MDG practitioners in the countries were undertaken. The Audits enabled the identification of knowledge needs, and their technological readiness to use ICTs as a knowledge-sharing tool. About 118 PRSP/MDG practitioners - policy makers, researchers, CSOs, private sectors and donors - were consulted during these missions to get their input into the knowledge-sharing project. All who were consulted agreed to be members of the PRSP/MDGs Community of Practice.

•  Updated the database of Electronic Roundtable (ER) participants with additional practitioners who registered for the first series of electronic roundtables.

Electronic Roundtables

•  There were 4 Electronic Roundtables (ERs) between May and September 2006, facilitated by ECA. Over 150 PRS practioners and other stakeholders participated. The ERs were on: Ownership, Leadership and Accountability; Poverty Reduction and implementation of the MDGs; Capacity needs for achieving the MDGs; Emerging Aid Architecture: Implications for Africa. The summaries of the ERs are posted on http://www.uneca.org/africanprsp/E1_sessions.asp

•  Website

•  Updated the prototype knowledge sharing website which integrates feedbacks from consulted practitioners (country missions), ECA advisors and ER summaries

•  Created a PRSP/MDG Community of Practice around 10 specific topics in English and French versions. Website ready to be launched in April 2007.

•  Reports

•  Knowledge Audit Report - "Assessing the Knowledge of African Policy makers on PRSPs - has been finalized. The report is based on the findings of the Knowledge Audit, provides recommendations on the feasibility of a web-based knowledge sharing project and what ECA can do to assist.

•  Summary report of Electronic Roundtable and other contributions.