Much effort has already been made by knowledge- producing institutions, networks and donors to network amongst each other within member States, within sub- regions and at the regional level. Particular credit is due to the international foundations, such as Rockefeller, Ford, McArthur and Carnegie and bilateral development agencies, including the International Development Research Center of Canada (IDRC), the Swedish International Development Agency, US Agency for International Development and the UK Department for International Development. Multilateral organisations, including the World Bank, have been part of this effort. AKNF will enhance these processes by:

• Pooling together and documenting the experience and value added as a result of past networking;

• Highlighting best practices in the region, as well as lessons learned through trial and error;

• Identifying areas of focus to ensure that networking leads to added value;

• Identifying gaps, or critical knowledge institutions left out of the current networks;

• Targeting African expertise in the Diaspora;

• Establishing dialogue among the networks, institutions of higher learning, training institutes, as well as African government planners and decision makers to elaborate country level networks and support modalities for policy- making and training;

• Ensuring that AKNF interests are taken into account in the drawing up of the business plan for the ECA Information Technology Centre for Africa;

• Drawing up a medium term strategy for the "Federated Networks";

• Reviewing medium- term financial resource prospects for providing network services in light of recent developments indicating network- weariness on the part of some donors;

• Drawing up and adopting the Forum’s Work Plan for 2000/2001;

• Drawing up a strategy for mobilising resources for the year 2000/2001 Work Plan; and

• Implementing the Forum’s 2000 work- plan.

AKNF’s continuous substantive work program will be determined and reviewed at two levels: at the Preparatory Workshop for the annual meeting of the Forum, and at the annual meeting itself with reviews and progress monitoring done electronically in the intervening period. The preparatory workshop will, among other things discuss process issues and mechanisms for realising the above goals and come up with a draft business plan. It will also discuss draft issue papers on sub- themes of the first forum; agree on research partnerships and a process for producing major policy reports in these areas. All will be tabled before the full plenary of the Forum at its annual meeting. The Preparatory Meeting for the first AKNF (AKNF 2000) will take place in Addis Ababa on 17-18 August 2000.