| Progress Report on Programme Evaluation (Biennium 1994-1995) E/ECA/CM.22/10 I. INTRODUCTION 1. In 1993, the ECA Conference of
Ministers considered and endorsed an agenda for programme evaluation in ECA for the
Medium-term Plan (MTP) period 1992-1997 (see annex). 2. In accordance with that agenda
and in line with United Nations policies on programme evaluation, all subprogrammes were
scheduled to be evaluated at least once during the period of the MTP. Six sub-programmes
were evaluated during the biennium 1992-1993. These subprogrammes were, part of the 21
subprogrammes originally established at the inception of the MTP, for 1992-1997 and which
were subse-quently merged into 9 subprogrammes in 1994 in the subsequent revision of the
Plan. 3. The results of and follow-up to
the evaluations undertaken during the 1992-1993 biennium were reported to the ECA
Conference of Ministers in 1994 and 1995, in documents E/ECA/CM.20/27 and ECA/CM.21/13
respectively. 4. The purpose of the present
document is to bring to the attention of the ECA Conference of Ministers the results of
programme evaluation studies undertaken during the biennium 1994-1995, relating to the
following subprogrammes: Subprogramme 2: Trade, regional
economic cooperation and integration; 7. The Conference may wish to
formulate relevant recommendations, as appropriate, on the course of action emanating from
the findings and conclusions of the evaluation studies. 10. The following is a summary of
the self-evaluation studies undertaken during the biennium.(1)
SUBPROGRAMME 2: TRADE,
REGIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND INTEGRATION A. Major thrust, activities and
results 11. The subprogramme was created in
the revised Medium-term Plan, for the period 1992-1997, from the merger of three former
subprogrammes, namely: (a) Economic cooperation and
integration; (b) Trade development and
cooperation; and (c) Tourism. (a) A relatively small yet
significant increase in the 1994-1995 budget appropriation for the subprogramme over the
previous biennium (about 12 per cent); (b) A new programme design; (c) The introduction of a refocused
strategy for implementation; and (c) Enhancing Africa's participation
in major international negotiations with regard to money, finance and trade. 17. In addition to statutory
conferences, a number of meetings were added at the initiative of the secretariat. Among
these was the international Conference on the Uruguay Round Multilateral Trade
Negotiations, held in Tunis in October 1994 which led to the adoption of the
"Framework for action for technical assistance to African countries within the
framework of the implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements". 18. The subprogramme issued several
studies and reports during the period. These included 43 parlia-mentary reports, 11
recurrent publications and 30 non-recurrent publications. 19. While some of the non-recurrent
publications dealt with trade issues, such as the prospects and problems of expanding
South-South trade cooperation, others dealt, inter alia, with the international
commodity market mechanisms and its impact on the African countries; trade liberalization
of domestically produced goods in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
and the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) subregions; and financial
institutions in the mobilization of resources for development. 20. Another significant development
was putting a greater focus on the specific needs of the subregions covered by the five
MULPOCs. Previous assessments and evaluations had stressed the need to "focus the
activities of the MULPOCS on the rationalization of subregional groupings and their
programmes, with due attention to country objectives, as well as regional strategies,
taking into account the first phase of the implementation of the Abuja Treaty ...".
During the biennium, the activities of the MULPOCs were closely streamlined with the
priorities of each subregion. 21. Technical assistance to member
States was mainly focused on providing advisory services to the regional economic
communities and IGOs on ways and means of furthering economic cooperation and
inte-gration. In this regard, the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the Intergovernmental
Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), the Economic Community of Central African
States (ECCAS), the Preferential Trade Area of Eastern and Southern Africa/Common Market
for East and Southern Africa (PTA/COMESA) and the Southern African Development
Coordination Conference (SADCC) benefitted from ECA's technical assistance in such
critical areas as monetary and financial, economic and organizational issues. 22. Implementation of programmed
technical assistance activities was hindered by the expected shortfall in extrabudgetary
resources. Nonetheless, the following field projects were carried out: Coastal shipping in
Western and Central Africa [$US 204,000 funded from the United Nations Trust Fund for
African Development (UNTFAD)]; development of maize research network and rural development
support com-munications [Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
funds in conjunction with the former Joint ECA/FAO Agriculture Division]; Eastern and
Southern African Development Information System (ESADIS) (funded by the Government of
Zambia); and reinforcement of the ECOWAS secretariat ($128,489 funded by UNTFAD). 23. Cooperation was intensified with
other organizations and partners, in particular, as regards the operationalization of the
Abuja Treaty which entered into force in May 1994. The Joint OAU/ECA/ADB Secretariat
launched a programme for resource mobilization in support of the activities of the African
Economic Community, which resulted in the approval by UNDP of a $1.9 million project.
Concrete steps were taken to enhance the role of the regional economic communities in
implementing the provisions of the Treaty by, inter alia, revising the draft
protocol on the relationship between the Community and the regional economic communities
and the preparation of a framework and terms of reference for a comprehensive feasibility
study to be carried out on self-financing mechanisms for the regional economic
communities. 24. On the whole, the subprogramme
has shown tangible signs of efficiency and impact. By December 1995, the overall
implementation rate was 95 per cent although the delivery rate was extremely low in 1994
(16 per cent). However, in the course of implementation during the biennium, problems and
difficulties emerged in several areas. These problems were mainly related to general
managerial and administrative issues. Inability to fill vacant posts was also detrimental
to the subprogramme. 25. Cooperation between the
subprogramme and the ECA Multidisciplinary Regional Advisory Group (ECA-MRAG) focused on
river basin development (Niger River Basin Authority) and key sectoral studies (energy in
North Africa, etc.). B. Findings and conclusions 26. The following are the findings
and conclusions of the evaluations: (a) The objectives of the
subprogramme addressed key issues which are directly relevant to the expressed needs of
member States and their IGOs in the field of trade, regional economic cooperation and
integration; (b) The quantity and quality of
activities and outputs was satisfactory. They were relevant to the subprogramme's
objectives and were delivered in a well-conceived strategic framework combining in a
balanced fashion, parliamentary services, research and analysis and operational
activities; (c) There has been an increasing
awareness of the need to sharpen the subprogramme's focus at the subregional level and
design plans for effective programme coordination between headquarters and the MULPOCs.
This has now been clearly spelt out in ECA's new strategic directions and is expected to
be translated at the programme level in the Medium-term Plan and related
programme-budgets; (d) The subprogramme was,
nonetheless, negatively affected, to some extent, by a high vacancy rate, inadequate
resources at the MULPOC level and delay in the restructuring of the Commission which
resulted in difficulties in coordinating the subprogramme; (e) The lack of extrabudgetary
resources and the increasing incapacity of member States to mobilize domestic resources
have undermined the implementation of studies and subjects which the sub-programme had
prepared for that purpose; (f) There is increasing evidence
that the linkage between national and regional programmes is unsatisfactory and has a
negative impact on regional economic integration. Efforts are under way in reinforcing the
advisory services of the secretariat to assist member States in their efforts to develop
the necessary institutional framework and procedures to make this linkage effective; (g) Events in Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire have adversely affected programme delivery in the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) area. C. Recommendations 27. The following recommendations
have been made: (a) The programme focus should be
sharpened and more use should be made of the multidisciplinary approaches in dealing with
issues of regional integration. This should result in focusing the activities of the
subprogramme on precise objectives and targets. This should be fully taken into account in
the implementation of the ongoing 1996-1997 programme-budget, and in the next Medium-term
Plan. (b) The MULPOCs should be
reorganized in such a way as to reflect the prioritization of development objectives by
subregion. Additional required resources should be decentralized from ECA headquarters
accordingly; (c) The member States of the
Commission should ensure that linkages between national development objectives and
subregional and regional priorities be duly reflected in country strategy notes; (d) ECA should strive to obtain more extrabudgetary resources for its programme on regional cooperation and integration, especially from UNDP during the Sixth Regional Programming Cycle (1998-2003). SUBPROGRAMME 3: POVERTY
ALLEVIATION THROUGH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 28. In the revised Medium-term Plan
for the period 1992-1997 and in the subsequent formulation of the 1994-1995
programme-budget, this subprogramme emerged as one of the most ambitious within the ECA
work programme, with the long-term twin goals of poverty alleviation and sustainable
development. The subprogramme encompasses the cluster of issues which were the following
previously stand-alone subpro-grammes: Agriculture and rural development; Marine affairs
(non-living resources); Environment and development; Human settlements; and Population. 29. The integrated treatment of
these issues in a "nexus", was based on the fundamental premise that food,
shelter, environment and population are inextricably interconnected issues for human
survival and are essential elements for addressing the basic question of poverty
alleviation and sustainable development. 30. Thus, the strategic approach to
meet the objectives of the subprogramme was to assist member States in designing
appropriate policies in the areas of food supply, population, human settlements and
environ-ment, it being understood that all other activities of the Commission were
expected to contribute in their respective fields to the attainment of poverty alleviation
and sustainable development. 31. In implementing the
subprogramme, efforts were made in each sector to reach the targets and goals established
for the biennium. Activities in food and agriculture were essentially focused on enhancing
the capacity of African countries in food security policy analysis and programming and
sensitizing decision makers to the need to improve food security, notably through the
diversification and strengthening of pro-duction, income and diet base. To this end,
concrete measures and actions were developed to ensure sustainable production, rational
exploitation and use of conventional and non-conventional food, fishery, forestry and
livestock resources. These recommendations were discussed in expert group meetings and
conferences convened by the secretariat including the MULPOCs. 32. Published material in the form
of recurrent and non-recurrent publications on topical issues in food security were widely
distributed to member States, regional and international institutions, including
univer-sities, and research centres. There are at present 700 addresses on the mailing
list of this subprogramme as compared to 500 at the beginning of the biennium, an increase
of 40 per cent. 33. On the whole, many of the
subprogramme's activities were well focused, responding to identified needs of the
subregions. Many activities were added at the initiative of the secretariat. Thus, in
addition to the implementation of 33 programmed outputs, 36 additional outputs were
implemented during the biennium, bringing the number of total outputs to 69. 34. The restructuring of FAO in the
course of 1995, had a profound impact on this component of the subprogramme. Following the
establishment by FAO of subregional offices located in Harare, Zimbabwe; Tunis, Tunisia
and Accra, Ghana, the Joint ECA/FAO Agriculture Division was abolished in June 1995. The
resources available to the programme were accordingly significantly curtailed (about $2.7
million per annum). 35. The population component of the
subprogramme was driven by the need to prepare for and follow up on a series of major
conferences, including the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD),
held in Cairo in September 1995. All activities were geared towards ensuring the
articulation of an African common position on the issues coming before ICPD. Stemming
therefrom were such important reports as "Implementation of the Kilimanjaro Plan of
Action and prospects for sustainable development in ECA member States",
"Demographic and social consequences of HIV/AIDS and other pandemics in ECA member
States". Other publications included the "African Population Newsletter",
"African Population Series", a "Manual for the integration of population
factors in human resource development", with particular reference to educational
sector planning and specific studies related to the follow-up of the Dakar/Ngor
Declaration on Population, the Family and Sustainable Development and the ICPD Programme
of Action were well received by end-users. 36. There was a continued effort by
the responsible (Population) Division to secure and integrate feed-back from end-users
into an ongoing process of evaluation of the relevance, efficiency and impact of the
sub-programme. Nearly all publications were subject to assessment by way of
questionnaires. Exploitation of this material, together with relevant documentary evidence
from other sources (conferences/meetings), pro-vided clear indications that member States
found the outputs relevant and effective, with a positive impact on their population
activities. They requested the secretariat to continue assisting them in the integration
of population factors in development planning; dissemination of publications on the
activities of the secretariat; organization of more workshops and short-term training
sessions for population specialists and heads of national institutions. 37. The dissemination of documents
including publications remained limited due to the lack of facilities for translation into
the three official languages of the Commission. 38. The need to respond to mandates
emanating from global conferences was also evident in the area of environment and human
settlements. In the environment field, the secretariat continued to promote the
implementation of the regional aspects of Agenda 21 in line with the problems addressed in
the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) System-wide Medium-term Plan and the new
policy orientation of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN). Much
effort went into assisting member States to articulate their common position in the
implementation of conventions and the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) Programmes of Action, particularly the conventions on climatic change,
bio-diversity, and combating desertification as well as the Barbados Programme of Action
for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Particular emphasis was placed on:
environmental monitoring and assessment; institution building and strengthening; and
promotion of environmental information and public awareness. 41. Considerable emphasis was placed
on issues specifically dealing with poverty, such as the guidelines on the elaboration and
implementation of policies on provision of shelter for the urban and rural poor;
guide-lines on improving human settlements management to ensure sustainable development
and improved living conditions in member States and guidelines on sustainable energy and
transport systems in human settle-ments. Special mention may be made of a "Manual on
human settlements planning and management in disaster-prone areas" which was
disseminated. 42. UNDP funded a field project
aimed at demonstrating the viability of the commercial manufacture and utilization of soil
stabilization blocks in Senegal, fibre concrete roofing tiles in Cameroon and Guinea and
lime in Uganda. Pilot production plants came into operation in Cameroon, Guinea and
Senegal, while one lime kiln was built and put into operation in Uganda. Various
expressions of appreciation were received from responsible ministries and beneficiaries. 43. The findings and conclusions
are: (a) The subprogramme's concept of
integrating various key elements affecting human survival on the continent is to be viewed
as an ambitious yet a fully justifiable goal; (b) Overall, the subprogramme
achieved a high rate of performance. About 90 per cent of the programmed outputs were
implemented and the issues it addressed were topical and relevant; (c) Despite the subprogramme's
unified programmatic development goals, a strategic approach to its implementation has
lagged behind, with the result that each component has more or less pursued its own
specific objectives in isolation; (d) Management of the subprogramme
and its activities were fragmented under different authorities with the result that
little, if any, coordination of activities was undertaken; (e) The first meeting of the main
policy organ of the subprogramme, namely the Conference of African Ministers responsible
for sustainable development and environment was postponed and could take place only in
March 1996; (f) The subprogramme's resources
were deeply affected by FAO's withdrawal which led to the collapse of the Joint Division,
an unexpected development which has deprived ECA of a major support both in terms of
policy coordination with FAO and financial resources to which no alternative has yet been
found; (g) Lack of appropriate monitoring
led to overextended programming of activities in the agricul-tural sector at the expense
of concentration in key areas; (h) The complexities of the subprogramme call for more in-depth analysis than was possible in the present exercise. C. Recommendations 44. The following recommendations
were made: (a) The strategic design of the
subprogramme should be reviewed in order to estab-lish the desirable programmatic linkages
between the substantive components. To that effect, organizational arrangements should be
established in such a way as to facilitate cross-sectoral analysis and programming. The
subprogramme should be placed under a single management authority. That aspect should
receive particular attention in ECA's current renewal process; (b) Following the withdrawal of FAO
from the former Joint Division, there is need both to review ECA's role in the area of
agriculture and rural development and to develop a new framework for cooperation with FAO,
in particular with regard to FAO's regional pro-gramme. ECA's specific objectives in the
field of food security should be established as a matter of priority. Cooperation should
be pursued with other relevant partners such as the World Food Programme (WFP), the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Bank; (c) There was previously no
subsidiary organ of the Commission responsible for overviewing ECA's agriculture and rural
development programme. The recently established Conference of African Ministers
responsible for sustainable development and environment should ensure that all components
of the subprogramme are duly addressed in an integrated manner. The Conference should also
provide policy guidance on the "nexus" approach which should be kept under
review in order to ensure its continued validity within the African development context; (d) Comprehensive monitoring of the
subprogramme should be strengthened at the policy coordination level of ECA, in particular
with regard to avoiding departures from programmed activities; (e) An evaluation of the subprogramme, in the form of an independent exercise, with focus on the regional level, should be undertaken. To this effect, necessary budgetary provisions should be made in the 1996-1997 biennium. Simultaneously but prior to the in-depth evaluation, the subprogramme should develop performance indicators for poverty allevia-tion and sustainable development. In this regard, ECA should collaborate with relevant subpro-grammes and other United Nations agencies to analyze existing indicators, develop new ones and endeavour to come up with a commonly accepted set of indicators applicable in the context of the African countries. SUBPROGRAMME 5: HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
A. Major thrust, activities and
results 45. This subprogramme placed
considerable emphasis on the interrelated issues of human resources development and social
transformation. Thus, during the biennium, activities were focused on providing assistance
to member States in the areas of: (a) Planning, development and
utilization of human resources and social development; (b) Building and strengthening human
and institutional capacities, including those of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and
people's organizations; and (c) Fostering popular participation
and strengthening the social dimension of development. 46. The implementation of programmed
activities greatly benefitted from expanded collaboration with governments, IGOs, NGOs,
United Nations and other institutions. The main vehicles for support to member States were
technical assistance through seminars, workshops, conferences and meetings organized at
national, subregional and regional levels. 47. The restructuring of the
intergovernmental machinery in 1993 resulted in the establishment of Conference of African
Ministers responsible for Human Development. The inaugural meeting of this Con-ference was
held in 1994. At that session, the Conference adopted an African Common Position on Human
and Social Development in Africa which had a significant impact to the Declaration and
Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development. 48. There is a Ministerial Follow-up
Committee of Fifteen of the Conference, which meets bi-annually. 49. The "Human Development in
Africa Report", a biennial publication of ECA launched in 1995, will be the main
instrument for monitoring progress on human development in Africa. 50. The subprogramme placed much
emphasis on integrating new priorities into its activities, in parti-cular through
enhanced outreach to all partners of the civic society. A global NGO Forum on
"Building sustainable societies: The role of NGOs in emergencies and social
development" was held in Addis Ababa in March 1994. More than 200 participants
attended this meeting. 51. A series of regional meetings,
national conferences and ad hoc expert group meetings was organized with a view to
addressing critical problems of human society in Africa. These focused on such issues as
"Impact of armed conflict on children", "Famine in Ethiopia: Learning from
the past to prepare the future" and "The effects of drugs on youth", etc. 52. During the biennium,
collaboration with United Nations agencies in the fields of health, labour, human rights,
etc., was intensified. 53. The subprogramme issued reports
on such issues as the reorientation of educational curricula towards the new development
challenges and education for peace; the state of human resources planning, develop-ment
and utilization in Africa; training manual in management and administration of education;
the social impact of structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) in Egypt and Cameroon; the
socio-economic impact of AIDS on households and families; regional and international
overview of the drug situation in the world. 54. An "Atlas of the
Child", produced jointly with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), was
particularly well received at African as well as international levels. It is planned that
the Human Development in Africa Report will appear every two years. The first issue of the
series opened with a discussion on the consensus on human development, the concept and
measurement of human development and the state of development in Africa. It focused on the
themes of goals for the child, health for all and basic education for all. 55. A number of major publications
and reports were published on the issue of participatory develop-ment, including several
country case studies on Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda, etc. 56. Particular initiatives
reflecting the new orientation of the subprogramme centred around such issues as linkage
between relief and development, in the context of the Rwanda situation; women,
constitutionalism and popular participation, in the context of the newly established
regional governments in Ethiopia; and development communication strategy in the Southern
Africa subregional context. 57. The general thrust and focus of
these activities was to assist member States in developing technical and managerial
capabilities (knowledge, skills and attitudes) in human resources planning, development
and utilization with particular emphasis on developing technical capabilities in manpower
and employment planning, training of teacher trainers, curriculum development for peace
and nation-building, entrepreneurial development and informal sector development, the
social dimension of development, and popular participa-tion in development. 58. On the whole, the subprogramme
has been placing increased emphasis on working with NGOs and people's organizations in
support of development in Africa and in implementation of its mandates, activities and
programmes. Interest in and support of such activities by the international community has
been reflected by increased bilateral project support and related funding. This has
enabled capacity-building projects to be launched in some Southern African countries. 59. The quality of outputs delivered
during the biennium has been regularly assessed in the course of implementation by way of
questionnaires addressed to end-users. This has enabled users' reactions to be determined:
(a) By gauging attitudes towards
related activities/outputs/publications/reports, meetings, conferences, seminars or
workshops; (b) What the users or participants
felt they had learned or gained from a publication, report, conference, seminar or
workshop; (c) The extent to which new
behavioural patterns and performance skills had been affected or changed as a result of
the activity or output; and (d) The relevance of the
activities/outputs in addressing the issues and problems they were intended to solve. 60. Analysis of these evaluation
documents, including review of relevant parliamentary documentation, has indicated the
relevance of the subprogramme and its design to the stated objectives and a general
interest in and usefulness of the activities undertaken and outputs produced. While impact
assessment would require more surveys at the country level, it may, nevertheless, be
stated that the subprogramme has effectively contributed to generate new approaches in
terms of policy and methodologies to human resources develop-ment, as was amply
demonstrated by the vigorous preparation for the World Summit for Social Development. 61. Implementation of the activities
of the subprogramme was constrained by lack of adequate resources. The financial crisis of
the United Nations, which led to the freeze on recruitment, constituted a serious
handicap. B. Findings and conclusions 62. The findings and conclusions are
as follows: (a) Implementation of the
subprogramme has closely involved member States through the newly established
intergovernmental machinery dealing with human development issues at the level of the
Commis-sion. The meetings of the Conference of African Ministers responsible for Human
Development and its Ministerial Follow-up Committee of Fifteen offered appropriate fora
where African Governments, IGOs, NGOs and civil society as well as ECA's international
partners freely reviewed progress made in solving problems related to human development
and develop the relevant strategies; (b) The subprogramme was
particularly successful in cooperating with NGOs and people's organizations in support of
development in Africa and in the implementation of the mandates, activities and programmes
through concrete operational activities in the field; (c) The subprogramme has benefitted
from the active mobilization of extrabudgetary resources by the responsible Division,
especially in the area of popular participation, institutional and capacity building. The
popular participation project under the subprogramme demonstrates how a constructive
partnership with a bilateral donor can be fostered, as has been the case with Germany
through the Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), which has extended its
funding for the 1996-1997 programme of work to the tune of one million Deutsche Marks; (d) There was a strong inter-agency cooperation, collaboration and coordination between the division responsible for the subprogramme, United Nations agencies and other bilateral and multilateral partners to follow up on the implementation of regionally agreed resolutions and strategies. However, inter-divisional coordination and collaboration within ECA itself left much to be desired. C. Recommendations 63. The following recommendations
have been made: (a) A coherent strategy for the
implementation of recommendations emanating from recent major conferences(2) should be undertaken under ECA's auspices.
Compiling these recommendations, estimating their costs and proposing a framework for
putting them into effect should proceed as soon as possible; (b) The Division should continue to
focus its efforts on activities that provide practical benefits to member States as it is
currently the case with the popular participation project. Activities that are not unique
or offer no value added to solutions to regional concerns of member States should be cut
back or terminated; (c) There is a need to consider the strengthening of decentralization of activities. Collaboration and coordination between the MULPOCs and the subprogramme should be further developed, in particular with regard to the exchange of data and development information. SUBPROGRAMME 9: WOMEN IN
DEVELOPMENT A. Major thrust, activities and
results 64. While the thematic restructuring
of the work programme of the Commission has more or less affected all former
subprogrammes, the Women in development subprogramme alone has remained a single
independent subprogramme. This unique position within the structure of the 1994-1995
biennium has offered the advantage of clarity of focus and facilitated in terms of
programme monitoring and organizational management. On the other hand, the independent
character of the subprogramme has continued to perpetuate the isolation of the
subprogramme from the other activities of the Commission. 65. During the period under review,
the subprogramme continued to pursue the major development objectives as stated in the
Medium-term Plan, 1992-1997 to ensure more effective participation of women in the
socio-economic development of the region. Accordingly, the secretariat assisted member
States in the following areas: (a) Enhancing women's participation
in decision-making, particularly in policy formulation and design of development plans; (b) Developing new conceptual
approaches that analyze women's issues from a gender perspective; (c) Increasing women's employment
opportunities through the promotion of women's entre-preneurship and access to productive
resources; and (d) Strengthening existing
information networks through the establishment of a database on women and creating a
positive profile on women's issues in Africa. 66. In the light of the foregoing
objectives, the secretariat was challenged to provide member States with a comprehensive
strategy, including the following activities: (a) To carry out overall analyses of
emerging socio-economic trends and their impact on African women; (b) To build women's skills and
competence to enable them to assume leadership roles; (c) To conduct training programmes
with a view to improving the control and management of production and the distribution of
services, particularly for women in the agricultural sector; (d) To provide advisory services to
assist member States in formulating gender-sensitive programmes and plans: (e) To compile and disseminate data
on women in development and publications, including a newsletter on African women; and (f) To strengthen regional and
subregional machineries for the integration of women in development. 67. In the implementation of these
strategic goals, the subprogramme tapped the full potential of existing policy
coordinating bodies and research, analysis and operational activities. The activities of
regional and subregional coordination mechanisms proved to be pivotal in the
implementation of the subprogramme. 68. The contribution of the
subprogramme to the formulation of an African Platform for Action pre-sented and adopted
in Beijing as part of the Global Platform for Action went through extensive substantive
and organizational preparations throughout the biennium. 69. The formulation of adequate
policies and strategies was, therefore, a key issue during the biennium and was actually
addressed as the major issue in one or other form in all activities. Research was
undertaken on various aspects of the role of women in the social, political and economic
spheres, thus providing a basis for new strategies for accelerating the implementation of
the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women and their refocused
version in the Abuja Declaration on Participatory Development: The role of women in Africa
in the 1990s. 70. Necessary follow-up action was
undertaken in respect of the relevant policy instruments developed during the meetings of
the fifth African Regional Conference on Women, held in Dakar, Senegal, in November 1994
and from meetings of the Africa Regional Coordinating Committee on the Integration of
Women in Development (ARCC). There was close collaboration in this report with global
bodies such as the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the International
Training and Research Institute for the Advancement for Women INSTRAW), the United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and other relevant intergovernmental coordination
bodies. 71. Research work and publications
covered such issues as legal instruments relevant to women in Africa; political and
economic empowerment of women; women's rights; social issues; women, environment and
sustainable development; etc. Guidelines on the implementation of the African Platform for
Action were also developed. 72. Considerable efforts were made
to further strengthen the database on women developed and main-tained under the
subprogramme. The newsletter "Up-date" was issued semi-annually with enhanced
focus on policy issues. In addition, a wealth of information materials and services were
produced in the context of the fifth Regional and fourth World Conference on Women. 73. Capacity building was a major
area of emphasis in the work of the subprogramme. Ad hoc expert meetings were a major
vehicle for realizing targeted objectives. One ad hoc expert meeting was held on the
establishment of an African bank for women, another was convened to review the draft
Platform for Action. Four training workshops were held on the preparation of the national
reports on the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies. 74. Overall, the implementation rate
of the subprogramme was almost 100 per cent, taking into consideration additional
activities as well as requirements for some postponements. B. Findings and conclusions 75. The findings and conclusions are
as follows: (a) The objectives set out in the
Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, which were later refined in the Abuja Declaration,
were aimed at empowering women for a more effective and efficient participation in the
socio-economic transformation of the continent. They called for special emphasis on
increasing opportunities for women and ensuring a better access to productive resources
and information. The design and activities of the subprogramme responded directly to those
objectives; (b) The main activities of the
subprogramme were focused on the preparations for and follow-up to the regional and global
conferences on women. The activities culminated in the preparation and adoption of the
"African Platform for Action for the Advancement of Women". The Platform, which
constituted Africa's Common Position for the fourth World Conference on Women, clearly
spelt out the specific actions to be taken by governments, NGOs, IGOs as well as
international institutions to build the capacity of African women to cope with the
challenges of the twenty-first century. The Platform was endorsed by the ECA Conference of
Ministers and the African Heads of State and Government as a blue-print for all efforts
aimed at advancing African women; (c) Another achievement was the
capacity-building process launched by the subprogramme through the enhancement of skills
and opportunities. The setting up of the African Federation of Women Entrepreneurs, in
June 1993 has resulted in continued services to women to enhance their capacities in the
business and industrial sectors. The impact of these activities has been steadily growing
as evidenced by the Federation preparing for a global trade fair and investment forum to
be held in Accra, Ghana, in June 1996; (d) The subprogramme responded to the increased demands of member States for advisory services for the formulation of national gender plans and programmes and the active follow-up of the implementation of regional and global strategies and plans and for publications on women issues. However, many demands could not be met due to the lack of financial resources, in particular those expected from voluntary donor contributions; C. Recommendations 76. The following recommendations
have been made: (a) More realistic forward planning
and budgeting taking into consideration possible emerging critical issues should be
undertaken to minimize the adverse effect of various constraints to implementation; (b) In view of the expansion of the
scope of the subprogramme's objectives, following the adoption of the African Platform for
Action and new requirements for its implementation, the next revisions of the
programme-budget for 1996-1997 and the Medium-term Plan, 1998-2003 should reflect those
concerns; (c) More flexibility needs to be achieved in the implementation of the subprogramme by mobilizing additional extrabudgetary resources for expanding operational activities, with particular focus on women's capacity building. A portfolio of relevant project proposals should be prepared for negotiation with donors; III. IN-DEPTH EVALUATIONS
77. In-depth evaluations are to be
viewed as essential complement to self-evaluations which are mainly confined to managerial
issues at the subprogramme level. These studies require considerable technical inputs in
terms of organization and substantive analysis. In general, they are undertaken by the
Central Evaluation Unit (CEU) at United Nations Headquarters which has been integrated
into the recently established Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). 78. In-depth evaluations should be
carried out when major programme issues require in-depth consideration and reviews for
making appropriate recommendations that would help the Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) and the General Assembly to formulate decisions intended to increase the overall
relevance, effectiveness and impact of United Nations programmes in the context of
intergovernmental goals and policies. 79. In the course of the 1994-1995
biennium, two major in-depth evaluations of direct concern to ECA were undertaken. A. In-depth evaluation of the
natural resources and energy subprogramme 80. The ECA Conference of Ministers,
in operative paragraph 4 of resolution 776 (XXIX) adopted on 4 May 1994, entitled
"Development and strengthening of the Economic Commission for Africa's programme
activities in the field of natural resources, energy and marine affairs" requested
that "an in-depth evaluation of the subprogramme be undertaken during the 1994-1995
biennium". That request emanated from the findings and conclusions of
self-evaluations of the respective components of the subprogramme, undertaken during the
1992-1993 biennium. 81. The findings and conclusions of
these self-evaluations stressed, inter alia, the need to strengthen the
subprogramme in accordance with evolving priorities, in particular with regard to regional
cooperation on shared lake and river basins, marine resources development in the context
of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, mineral resources and energy
development strategies and cartographic inventories. 82. The subsequent in-depth
evaluation of ECA's subprogramme on natural resources and energy development was conducted
by the United Nations Department for Development Support and Management Services (DDSMS)
under the auspices of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and in close
cooperation with ECA. The terms of reference of the evaluation study were presented to and
endorsed by the ECA Conference of Ministers, at its meeting in 1995. 83. The evaluation focused on the
six components of the subprogramme, namely mineral resources, water resources energy
resources, cartography, remote sensing, and marine affairs. The evaluation report was
based on a review of the programme orientation and technical assessment of the quality and
relevance of main outputs delivered during the 1992-1995 period and a survey of officials
of ECA member countries and United Nations agencies. 84. The outcome of the study has
suffered from various problems essentially caused by the financial crisis which developed
in the second half of 1995. Consequently, no field visits were undertaken to assess impact
on the spot. Regrettably, the study had to be limited to a desk review and responses to a
questionnaire which, nonetheless, carry the weight of independent views of experts in the
respective fields. 85. The study is being submitted to
the ECA Conference of Ministers for consideration, comment and views on desirable
follow-up (E/ECA/CM.22/10/Add.1). 86. The evaluation report noted
that, in general, the technical outputs reviewed were of good to excellent quality and
that the activities undertaken were consistent with the objectives indicated in the
Medium-Term Plan. The limitation of resources available to the subprogramme was recognized
as a serious constraint necessitating further prioritization of activities. It was also
observed that the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1996-1997 reflected an
allocation of resources too small to implement the marine affairs programme. 87. In addition to specific
conclusions under each of the six components of the subprogramme, there were two overall
recommendations as follows: (a) Recommendation 1: Focus on
subregional cooperation 88. The current levels of resources
available to ECA do not allow for an effective treatment of the range and scope of the
substantive activities included in the mandates of the subprogramme on natural resources
and energy development. The ECA natural resources and energy subprogramme should
streamline the number of publications and focus its activities and priorities on
subregional cooperation and collaboration with the United Nations agencies. (b) Recommendation 2:
Responsibility centre for collection and dissemination of information 89. The 10 officials of the United
Nations agencies (interviewed) and the four readers (selected from relevant United Nations
officials) expressed interest in establishing collaborative arrangements that coordinate
formulation of strategies and policies at regional and subregional levels, for which the
Commission has a unique role, with the operational activities of the global agencies that
command more resources for such activities than does ECA. As part of that collaborative
effort, ECA should be designated as the responsible centre for the collection and exchange
of information on minerals, water and energy resources, generated by both the United
Nations agencies and ECA, and its dissemination to member countries. The availability of
this information will also be useful to ECA as the lead organization for policy analysis
and formulation of strategies. The Commission could start this process first in the field
of water, where ECA serves as the secretariat of the Inter-agency Group for Water. 90. An independent evaluation of the
effectiveness of the United Nations system in the implementation of the United Nations New
Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF) and its system-wide Plan of
Action was undertaken by the JIU during January and May 1995. A progress report on the
evaluation was considered by the ECA Conference of Ministers in 1994. 91. The evaluation has addressed the
critically important issues of development ownership and control by African Governments
and people. It also provided substantial background information on the extent to which
Africa's evolving development policies are responsive to UN-NADAF's priorities and
objectives. 92. At the outset of this
evaluation, separate questionnaires were addressed to African member States, United
Nations system Resident Coordinators based in Africa and the headquarters of organizations
of the system, requesting information on their current development priorities and their
views on measures required to lift the continent out of its current situation. In
addition, the inspectors visited in separate missions nine African countries in Central,
East, Southern and West Africa in order to obtain first-hand information on development
priorities pursued by African Governments and United Nations system organizations at the
field level in the context of UN-NADAF. Extensive consultations were also held between the
inspectors and ECA during a mission in February 1995. 93. The JIU report offered 14
recommendations specifically addressed to the United Nations system; the United Nations;
the Organization of African Unity (OAU); and African member States. The operative
paragraphs of these recommendations which are of particular relevance to ECA are
reproduced below: (a) UNDP and ECA should play a more
vigorous role in assisting African countries in the preparation of national long-term
perspective studies and development plans that include strong subregional integrative
dimensions and commitments at the global level, and serve as the master plan for all other
country programming exercises; (b) Regional level: In order
to reduce the financial costs and duplicative nature of existing ECA and OAU consultative
meetings with the system organizations and donor community, the Secretary-General of the
United Nations, in his capacity as chairman of the Administrative Committee on
Coordination (ACC), and the Secretary-General of OAU, in consultation with African Member
States, should jointly propose the establishment of an African development conference
that would expand the membership and authority of the ECA Conference of Ministers, and
have system-wide scope. The Inter-Agency Task Force on African development and the Joint
OAU/ECA/ADB Secretariat could initiate the draft terms of reference of the proposed
conference for review at ACC level, and submission for appropriate action to the relevant
intergovernmental bodies; (c) Global level: In the
context of the new ACC initiative on Africa, consideration should be given to the setting
up of a standing inter-agency working group on the commodity sector composed of ECA, FAO,
the International Trade Centre (ITC), the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), UNDP, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other relevant organizations such as the
World Bank and the Common Fund for Commodities, charged with: (i) developing and promoting a
comprehensive view of Africa's commodity sector development issues, as analyzed in
paragraphs 93 to 107 of this report, and proposing practical actions to be taken by
African countries, central intergovernmental bodies especially the General Assembly and
ECOSOC, and by Africa's principal trading partners; (ii) generating technical,
action-oriented proposals for increasing and structuring cooperation between exporting and
importing countries for commodities not yet covered by international agreements,
especially in the area of fresh fruit and vegetables, and for strengthening existing
commodity agreements; (iii) providing technical advice on
commodity issues to African countries and LDCs generally, especially in the context of
future reviews of the implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements, and promoting
actions to secure further reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers, improved market
transparency, pricing mechanisms, and other enabling measures likely to increase the
commodity export earnings and diversification dividends of African countries on a
sustained basis. Recommendation 6: Support for
subregional integration In view of the decisive importance
that African Member States now assign to the subregional economic groupings they have
established to accelerate implementation of the Abuja Treaty establishing the African
Economic Community, the development organizations concerned should accordingly reorganize
their country and intercountry priorities and activities around subregional development
poles, as follows: (c) ECA and its MULPOCs and,
whenever feasible, the secretariat of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Africa, should
participate in country programming exercises offering opportunities for intercountry
initiatives; (d) Each organization should, to the
extent possible: (i) establish and support on a
continuing basis a subregional or country-group twinning network of similar country
institutions (public and private) in order to strengthen technical collaboration among
them and promote exchange of personnel and rational use of resources within each
subregion; (ii) collaborate more intensely with
ECA's MULPOCs in the different subregions; (e) Organizations with country
offices in Africa, but without subregional offices, should take the necessary action to
ensure that: (i) one country office in each
subregion or group of countries [e.g., Sahel (Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in
the Sahel - CILSS), Horn of Africa (IGADD) Eastern Africa (East African Community - EAC),
Southern Africa (SADC), etc.] is designated and appropriately equipped to serve as a
subregional office or focal point responsible for programming and managing subregional
intercounty activities; operational management responsibility for such activities should
accordingly be decentralized from headquarters to the field level. Offices thus designated
by the organizations should be located in the same city together with ECA's MULPOCs,
whenever possible; (ii) all country offices in Africa
develop a strong subregional or country-group focus, especially in country programming
exercises; the allocation of country resources should be optimally rationalized on a
subregional or country-group basis in order to maximize intercountry approaches to the
solution of common development problems in a more cost-effective manner. (f) In order further to reinforce
the harmonization and rationalization of the organizations' country activities within each
subregion, the Inter-Agency Task Force on African Development, ECA and UNDP should
institute annual or biennial programme coordination meetings of United Nations system
country representatives or Resident Coordinators in each subregion, chaired by the
executive heads of the respective subregional economic communities and serviced by ECA
and/or its MULPOCs; (g) The organizations should replace
their continental programmes for Africa or sub-Saharan Africa with subregional
intercountry programmes covering the main economic communities of the region. Recommendation 7: Women in
development In view of the major role played by
women in the development of Africa, the organizations of the system should give priority
consideration to the implementation of the recommendations contained in the African
Platform for Action adopted by the fifth African Regional Conference on Women, held in
Dakar, Senegal, in November 1994, and briefly outlined in paragraph 67 of this report. Recommendation 8: Strengthening
UN-NADAF implementation in Africa (a) In order to rectify the serious
weaknesses observed by the Inspectors in existing NADAF institutional arrangements within
the United Nations Secretariat, the Secretary-General should, in the context of his
Special Initiative on Africa, propose to the General Assembly new objectives for Programme
45 in the next medium-term plan and programme budget so that the programme's resources are
optimally utilized in direct support of African countries and in leveraging additional
resource mobilization and other operational actions by the system organizations; (b) The secretariat of the Economic
Commission for Africa should be further restructured, taking into account the Inspectors'
recommended measures outlined in paragraph 151 of this report, and the need to strengthen
complementarities in general and a division of labour in particular with other Secretariat
entities (DDSMS, UNCTAD, UNEP, HABITAT) as well as with the specialized agencies,
especially FAO and UNIDO. 94. Given the critical importance of
the evaluation report, the full document is being submitted to the ECA Conference of
Ministers as document E/ECA/CM.22/10/Add.3 for consideration and further recommendations,
as may be appropriate, by member States. AGENDA FOR PROGRAMME EVALUATION 1992-1997
* Reflecting new structure of revised Medium-term Plan (MTP) and merger of former subprogrammes. (*) Self-evaluation. () In-depth evaluation. E/ECA/CM.22/10 Annex 1. 0 The studies are available as in-house documents. 2. 0 First meeting of the Conference of African Ministers responsible for human development (20 and 21 January 1994, Addis Ababa); World Summit for Social Development (6 to 12 March 1995, Copenhagen, Denmark) and first meeting of the Ministerial Follow-up Committee of Fifteen of the Conference of African Ministers responsible for human development (13 to 16 November 1995, Addis Ababa). |
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