Promoting Evidence-Based Policy: FANRPAN's Vision for Southern Africa

1. 3 September 2008 Lilongwe, Malawi Lindiwe Majele Sibanda (PhD) FANRPAN CEO www/fanrpan.org Overview of FANRPAN

2. Vision A food secure southern Africa free from hunger and poverty Mission To promote evidence based policy development in the Food Agriculture and Natural Resources sector How facilitating linkages and partnerships between government and civil society building the capacity for policy analysis and policy dialogue in southern Africa Create capaity to demand evidence for policy development Background

3. The Evolution of FANRPAN • Africa’s need for a conducive policy environment • Recommendation of SADC and COMESA Ministers of Agriculture to form Regional Civil Society Organisations (CSOs): Regional Ministerial meeting held in Harare in 1994 • The birth of FANRPAN 1997 - Permanent Secretaries in Ministries of Agriculture and University Deans from Faculties of Agriculture representing eight (8) southern African countries - (Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique).

4. The Evolution of FANRPAN • Recognition of the promoters of FANRPAN • Regional dimension of policy analysis required much greater collaboration among key stakeholders. • 2001 - FANRPAN finalized its constitution and five year strategic plan (2002-2007) • 2002 - the network was formerly registered. • Opportunity for the southern African region to reduce dependence on “external supply” as the major source of policy advice. • 2001-2003 Single program focus- FANRPAN focused primarily on markets and trade.

5. FANRPAN Network structure • 2004 --Decentralised network functionality • 12 Nodes each with a Steering Committee • 12 hosts each with a coordinator • 1 regional governing body • 1 regional secretariat • 26 entities to operationalise the FANRPAN network • 12 x average number of members • (all in pursuit of a shared agenda)

6. FANRPAN Network structure • 1 Regional secretariat • Pretoria • 12 country nodes • Angola • Botswana • Lesotho • Malawi • Mauritius • Mozambique • Namibia • South Africa • Swaziland • Tanzania • Zambia • Zimbabwe

7. Researchers Private Sector Farmers Civil Society Organisations Government Parliamentarians, Media, Others Private Sector Government Farmers Researchers CSOs Parliamentarians, Media, Others FANRPAN Network structure Multi-tiered network with coordinating hubs

8. FANRPAN Network structure Node Hosting Institutions • Angola – Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Wambo University • Botswana – Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) • Lesotho – National University of Lesotho, Institute of Southern African Studies (ISAS) • Malawi - Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET), • Mauritius – Department of Agricultural Production and Systems, School of Agriculture University of Mauritius • Mozambique – Faculdade de Agronmia e Engenharia Florestal, Eduardo Mondlane University • Namibia - Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit (NEPRU) • South Africa – National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) • Swaziland – Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, University of Swaziland and Coordinating Assembly of NGOs (CANGO) • Tanzania - Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) • Zambia - Agricultural Consultative Forum (ACF) • Zimbabwe – Agricultural Research Council

9. 2007-15 Strategic FRAMEWORK The Strategic Framework

10. FANRPAN Network structure The shared agenda • Defined in terms of FANR policies but has elements of generic network agenda. • Generic network agenda • Access information, expertise, resources • Share/develop knowledge & practices – innovate • Reduce isolation, • Increase visibility, legitimacy, and influence

11. Core capabilities of FANRPAN • Leadership • Legitimacy & Collective Identity • Technical Expertise & Resources • Facilitative of Participation • Managing & Serving the Network • Communications & Management Systems • Adaptive Capacity

12. FANRPAN’s Opportunities in a Challenging Environment • The dual mandate-poverty reduction and economic growth • Weak private sector (farmers and agribusiness). • Disparity in economic status between countries • Trade liberalization and social protection • Household Food Insecurity • Suspicion and antagonism between state and non-state actors • Unsustainable use and inequitable access to natural resources

13. Turning Challenges into Economic Opportunities Think Tanks - Africa needs more! Enable civil society groupsto influence policies Smart Partnerships – we need for-profit connectors Capacity building, mentorship, re-tooling programs–create opportunities for wealth creation Improve access to information: use voice platforms (African oral culture)- share best practices, benefits of good governance Build trust between government and civil society Share and celebrate Success! Creating a Conducive Environment

14. The niche for FANRPAN Linking the policySUPPLYto theDEMANDside Partnerships 17 agreements: North-South, South-South FANRPAN - an all inclusive multi-stakeholder platform -government, policy analysts, farmers and private sector Regional Approach (12 countries) allows learning between countries

15. The niche for FANRPAN • SUPPLY SIDE • Credibility – Think tanks, longitudinal studies, databases, involvement of local institutions • Scope – focus on national and regional issues • Rigor – partnerships, peer review, mentorship, retooling, start having outcome mapping • DEMAND SIDE • Stakeholder tools and capacity to engage • Communication – appropriate tools/media, message, • Trust - confidence in networks and their processes

16. POLICY ADVOCACY NGOs, CBOs, Ordinary Citizens CSO THINK TANKS POLICY MAKERS Research Institutions (NARS), Consultants Govt Analysts, International and local think tanks Politicians, Technocrats, Funding Institutions POLICY ANALYSIS POLICY CHANGE The niche for FANRPAN

17. Policy Processes Cabinet Donors Policy Formulation Parliament Agenda Setting Decision Making Civil Society Ministries Monitoring and Evaluation Policy Implementation PrivateSector Source: John Young, Networking for impact. Experience from CTA supported regional agricultural policy networks, 2007

18. Regional POLICY Dialogues Annual September • September 2006: “Creating a conducive policy environment for inputs intensification and market development for increased production and productivity” • September 2007: “Triggers” for Agricultural Growth in Southern Africa • 2-5 September 2008: Lilongwe, Malawi: “Regional Strategies for Addressing the Global Food Crisis” WHAT NEXT AFTER THE 2008 DIALOGUES! FANRPAN PARTNERSHIPS- World Bank, AGRA, CAADP, MCC Private Foundations- Gates, Hewlett, COMESA, SADC and African Union CTA 2008-9, Crop Life 2008-9, Microsoft 2008-11.