on managing for development results – Francophones – (Found on Weitzenegger’s Newsletter/websites of the moment, June 2010).
Do you want to learn about new management approaches to achieve results on the ground in Africa? As members of the AfCoP, we strive to make our organizations more effective and accountable to ensure that they improve the lives of our fellow citizens. We are a bilingual virtual community of over 1,100 members from 87 countries, 40 of which are African. We work for African governments, civil society, and as independent results experts in the field. Our mission is to build African capacity to manage for development results through sharing experiences, networking and building strong learning relationships between practitioners in Africa and around the world. Our members bring this dialogue and knowledge-sharing to their countries through national AfCoP chapters across the continent … (full text about AfCoP).
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National Chapters: The AfCoP is seeking to increase its impact at the national level through the launching of National Chapters – independent and member-driven bodies that aim at building national MfDR capacities and at advancing the MfDR agenda nationally.
National Chapters focus on government officials, through networking, training sessions and offer mechanisms to lobby governments and development organizations to make programs and structures more results oriented. These national communities are working closely with the AfCoP to enliven the national debate and increase awareness of leaders at all levels with regards to managing for results.
Why Creating National Chapters?
Over the past year, the AfCoP has seen tremendous demand from members for this shift toward National Chapters. Active members in Niger and Senegal have already mobilized resources and set up national chapters which now include over 50 members each. Unprompted, AfCoP members have set up several online groups on the AfCoP’s website dedicated to bringing together fellow members from their respective countries in the hopes of building national chapters. Furthermore, the building of national chapters was identified by AfCoP members as a priority for the AfCoP during its 2008 annual meeting and now features prominently in the deliverables of the 2010 AfCoP Core Management Team work plan.
In response to member demand for the creation of National Chapters the AfCoP is now striving to move into a new phase of development which includes national chapters. At the third AfCoP annual meeting held in Dakar in March 2010, participants committed to create 11 AfCoP national chapters over the next twelve months in the following countries: Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
How Do National Chapters Work?
AfCoP Chapters are autonomous bodies developed in partnership with the local Ministry of Finance and Economy. They are to be fully implemented, managed and maintained by the country. Activities of these national chapters will be flexible and adapted to each country’s context. The AfCoP Secretariat will support National Chapters’ activities to ensure their success, where needed.
What Do National Chapters Do?
Each National Chapter can consider organizing the activities suggested below to ensure that they advance the MfDR agenda in an effective manner and build capacities at the national level. The AfCoP 2009-2010 work plan is also a good basis to define activities that could be developed at the national level. Below is a list of suggested activities and outputs:
- organize a general meeting to launch the National Chapter in the country;
- develop and implement a yearly work plan;
- organize national days of MfDR where the following activities could take place: training sessions, call for proposals to showcase MfDR projects, competitive programs to award national MfDR champions;
- Organize/ask governments to make their programs, national priorities and budget more results oriented and;
- distribute yearly reports to the government, relevant stakeholders and local media that mentions the Chapter’s outcomes and advocates to advance the MfDR agenda.
- Maintain strategic relationships with universities and training institutes to advocate for a including MfDR training in their programs.
How to Start Your Own National Chapter?: … (full text Nationa Chapters).