Special Report ACBF
partnerships are critical in addressing institutional capacity development and that African institutions need long-term capacity development interventions. On the whole, the ACBF’s new
strategy has carved out a bold agenda to strengthen capacity building for sound economic governance, and peace and stability, designed for resource-rich but capacity-poor countries, fragile- and non-fragile low-income countries, post- conflict and reforming countries, and infrastructure-poor countries. In the realm of improving economic
“Te High Level Forums have allowed the ACBF
to craſt new knowledge products that seek to foster deeper dialogue among member countries.”
and transparency in the management of public resources. The overall responsiveness of African institutions in the management of risk and uncertainty will need to improve, as will the capability to put in place resilient strategies and policies. Doing business differently for the
Foundation will entail two fundamental changes at implementation level: • Leveraging the ACBF capacity development interventions to the level of implementation on the ground – embedded in a results framework and analysis of impact.
• Entering into emerging sectors to build specific sectoral capacity. This will allow for flexibility, innovation and easier measurement of impact and results.
In the past 20 years, the ACBF has
supported and nurtured 29 policy think- tanks, with three tangible outcomes: (1) the think-tanks have been able to bring discipline in economic policy management, resulting in limited policy reversal on the continent; (2) the think- tanks have equipped governments with the relevant skills for effective economic policy analysis and management by
training middle management in the public sector; and (3) they have enhanced policy planning with monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for evidence-based decision making. The ACBF has also been successful in the skills development and training arena. The relationship between development and skills is no longer a debate. Since 1992, the ACBF has supported 73 higher and tertiary institutions. The objective is to revive post-graduate
training in order to create a pool of skilled professionals to implement policy reforms, and strengthen the teaching and research capacity of universities to augment the critical mass of potential African researchers, policy makers and academics and thereby establish universities as primary capacity builders. The Foundation has learned invaluable lessons through these interventions. Among them are the crucial role of African ownership and leadership in the institutional development process; the centrality of capacity development and the greater need for effective academic institutions for nurturing qualified expertise. The Foundation has also learned that
governance, the Foundation will leverage its niche in supporting economic policy analysis and management to achieve strong results in the areas of policy analysis, research and advocacy, and professional training, in order to increase the supply of qualified economic managers. By expanding into new areas of skills building for specialised entities, the ACBF will build capacity to ensure accountability, monitor public entities, and oversee equality of access to public services.
It will also encourage the enhancement
of organisational performance to improve the work of specialised institutions responsible for governing economic and social interactions, for example the arbitration of environmental factors in the productive process. The new strategic plan places a greater emphasis on strengthening Africa’s capacity for agricultural transformation, given the role of this sector as a major contributor to economic growth, food security, poverty reduction, foreign exchange accumulation, and overall structural economic transformation. Agriculture is a key prerequisite for
peace and stability, considering the impact of food prices on the poor and urban dwellers. Agriculture remains relevant as it is one of the most important weapons for tackling Africa’s endemic poverty and unemployment. Already, the ACBF’s Capacity
Development Marketplace, a newly- launched initiative, has attracted applications from the emerging area of global climate change within Africa, especially from youth- oriented institutions staffed by young professionals, who presumably have a larger stake in the future of the continent.
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