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FANRPAN DUE DILIGENCE

FANRPAN DUE DILIGENCE. MAIN FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 23 rd February 2010. Introduction. Study Background. SADC initiative to promote food security and poverty reduction by strengthening seed security and disaster preparedness of smallholder farmers

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FANRPAN DUE DILIGENCE

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  1. FANRPAN DUE DILIGENCE MAIN FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 23rd February 2010

  2. Introduction

  3. Study Background • SADC initiative to promote food security and poverty reduction by strengthening seed security and disaster preparedness of smallholder farmers • SDC Phase I support to SADC - project facilitated the development of a regional protocol to harmonise seed policies in the region • SDC Planned Phase II support – To promote domestication of the seed protocol through evidence-based policy change and institutional capacity building • FANRPAN proposal submitted to SDC – application for 4 –year grant of USD4.2m to implement Phase II

  4. Study Objectives • Overall objective (2 components) • Assess adequacy of FANRPAN organisational systems and resources to manage the risks associated with large multi-stakeholder project implementation • Assess FANRPAN management’s ability to implement effective due diligence and meet monitoring, and reporting requirements for the USD 4.2 million grant requested

  5. Assessment Criteria

  6. Methods

  7. Workplan

  8. Data Collection • Literature review • Key informant interviews • “Walk through” system reviews

  9. Analytical Tools • Best practice standards - SDC benchmarks • Institutional assessment framework • PIVA rating scale • A=Mature/viable • B=Consolidating • C=Emerging • D=Nascent/Start-up • System-wide concept of capacity

  10. UNDP System-wide Concept of Capacity P Corporate Governance System Financial Management System Human Resources Management System Staff Broader System

  11. Main Findings

  12. Governance -1- Legality • Officially registered as PVO in Zimbabwe in 2003 • Signed an Agreement with the Government of South Africa in 2006 and accorded full diplomatic status and privileges • Dual “registration” reduces risk of discontinuity due to political or social disturbances in any one of the two countries of registration • FANRPAN complies with statutory reporting requirements of its registration • submits audited statements and annual reports to GoZ through reputable law firm

  13. Governance -2- Mandate • Mandate given in 1994 by FANR Ministers and Heads of State and Government from the Southern African region • FANRPAN stakeholders keen to get solid evidence to support their policy positions and advocacy work • Farmers, private sector, NGOs, researchers keen to engage government on equal terms through “neutral” platform – and craft constitution (26.11.2002) and amended (7.09.2009).

  14. Governance -3- Constituency • Started as few academicians but now broadened to include policy makers in government, private sector, civil society, and farmers • Diversity of membership (sectors, skills, countries of origin, interests, etc) • Derives legitimacy from own constitution – though not yet self- financing activities of its Secretariat • Fast-growing membership – Now Network of networks…

  15. Governance -4- Constituency – 2009 FANRPAN Dialogue • Media 19 • Government 34 • Farmers 16 • Researchers 26 • CSOs 16 • Private sector 29 • UN/Other 25 • Node Hosts 13 • FANRPAN 15

  16. Governance -5- Leadership and Management • Several layers of accountability • FANRPAN AGM • FANRPAN Board of Governors • AGMs of Node Hosting Institutions • Boards of Node Hosting Institutions • Annual Node Common Visioning Meetings

  17. Governance -6- Leadership and Management • High profile persons in the boards • Bring expertise • Have social capital • Strong commitment to success of FANRPAN • Link to funding opportunities and advocacy platforms • “Able to give strategic direction”

  18. Governance -7-

  19. Governance -8-

  20. Governance -9- Leadership and Management • COMESA and SADC represented as RIOs – but SADC attendance is irregular • Donor representative • Ensures transparency • Strengthens donor coordination • Private sector representative • More difficult to get, especially if woman

  21. Governance -10- Leadership and Management • CEO highly rated by members of the network • Woman visionary, and strong leadership qualities • Sacrificed for the network on several occasions • The only staff member on long-term contract (5 years) • Been with FANRPAN since early days, also ex-Board Member • “Delivers what she promises”, Marko Ngwenya, Director of World Vision International Swaziland • “Is an ambassador for Malawi”, IdrissaMwale, Chief Economist, Ministry of Transport, Malawi • Conscious of need for succession planning but constrained by the short tenure of contracts for subordinates

  22. Governance Summary Overall rating: “A” – Viable/mature Issues of concern/Recommendations: • Secure Board member from private sector • Strengthen ownership by SADC • signing of MoU with SADC • Strengthen participation and coordination of donor support • sell the corporate results framework, strategy and Business Plan and resource requirements as package to donors • donors to shift from projects joint financing of FANRPAN Business Plan in line with the 5 Paris Declaration Principles

  23. Organizational Management -1- Expertise for programme implementation • Vast improvement in staffing situation (2008-9): 7 new staff • Key challenge is short-term contracts (one-year) • Not able to fill positions of thematic programme directors – resources for package inadequate • Seed expertise (crop science) limited • Seed expertise can be drawn from members • Need planning meetings at project start

  24. Organizational Management -2-

  25. Organizational Management -3- Adequacy of staffing levels at Regional Secretariat • Project managers (and some consultants) assigned dual roles • project and thematic portfolio management • Some staff multi-tasked and overworked • Quality assurance of technical reports/research outputs needs more attention • Outsourcing of research and some project management tasks to members of the Network keeps the network productively engaged in FANRPAN activities

  26. Organizational Management -4- Adequacy of staffing levels at Node Secretariat level • Adequate skills for voice • Rather weak in operational research, capacity building and sometimes financial management • FANRPAN activities usually not the core function • Except where mandates are similar (e.g., ACF Zambia) • No dedicated staff for FANRPAN activities • Node secretariats not self-financed but donor dependent • Staff funded through short-term projects • Generally not able to attract and retain top talent • Skills upgrading done in-house – tied to projects (CISANET had 3 of 5 project staff on 2-year MSc courses) – lost time • Some nodes rely on volunteers – but only as short-term solution

  27. Organizational Management -5- Quality of Financial Management Systems • Growing portfolio: 10 projects, annual spending of USD 1.5m (position at Sept 2009) • Efficient project reporting through computerized accounting system and own reporting format • Adequate segregation of duties – good practice • Due diligence done on Node hosting institution prior to grant award – FANRPAN support pre-conditioned on clean audit – good practice • Regular production of monthly management accounts that are discussed in monthly meetings • Quarterly financial reports produced & shared with the Board

  28. Organizational Management -6- • Up-to-date annual audited accounts presented to Board and AGM • Limited tenure of contract for external auditors – good practice • USAID – long-standing funding partner is satisfied • Auditors raised concerns on liquidity constraint • Working capital reserve considered too low • Predictable long-term funding commitment from the network and from donors is needed

  29. Organizational Management -7- • Financial management capacity not even at node level – Real – Life Example: • No financial policies, and weak enforcement • Use of manual accounting system • No real strategic plan to guide the organisation • Board meetings not regular • Board too busy to follow-up Secretariat • AGA not regular (lack of funding, dependency on one donor for the event?)

  30. Organizational Management -8- Quality of M&E Systems • Main instrument is the Partner Institutional Viability Assessment (PIVA) • Introduced in 2005 • Monitors capacity building outcomes in relation to organizational development of Regional Secretariat and Nodes • Indicators: governance, operations and management, human resources development, financial management and service delivery, and external relations and advocacy • Baseline established in August 2005, update done in August 2007, next update was planned for 2009 • Results have been used to inform decisions on the capacity building project • Significant progress in governance and financial management • Slower progress in human resources development and service delivery

  31. Organizational Management -8- • No holistic RBM, need to define first results framework at Strategy level, then develop strategy to achieve the results (strategic plan), then medium term programme of action (business plan) and specific activities (projects) to generate the outputs, outcomes and impacts identified at the strategic level • No logframe for Business Plan • No M&E framework for Business Plan • No baseline situation for Business Plan - except for indicators tracked through individual projects (PIVA) • M&E is project-based, results frameworks are at project level, no mechanism to see the full picture of results • Focus on projects leads to focus on outputs and less on outcomes and impacts

  32. Holistic RBMModel Yes Partly No No Partly Partly Partly Partly

  33. Organizational Management -9- Treatment of cross-cutting issues • Cross-cutting issues to some extent being addressed directly through specific projects • WARM - gender issues • HVI project - HIV and AIDS issues • Several projects - climate change, water, biofuels and biosafety • No explicit policies on treatment of cross-cutting issues • In-house capacity to mainstream cross-cutting issues to be strengthened

  34. Summary of Organizational Management Overall Rating:“B” - Consolidating Issues of concern/Recommendations: • Inability to recruit senior staff – thematic programme directors: • need joint financing strategy for core activities • Mobilization of longer term funding so as to enable issuance of longer term staff contracts • Recruit more staff at node level • full-time research and capacity building coordinators

  35. Summary of Organizational Management • Strengthen financial management at node level • Recruit seed expertise at Regional Secretariat and node levels to coordinate the SDC project activities • Develop results framework for FANRPAN Strategic Plan, logframe for Business Plan • Align projects with corporate results framework • In-house capacity building on mainstreaming cross-cutting issues

  36. Programme and Project Management -1- Programme Reporting • FANRPAN has adequate capacity to generate the technical and financial reports (USAID and CTA) • Reporting for new projects will require additional staff • Core-funding support needed to recruit Director of Finance

  37. Programme and Project Management -2- Inter-institutional links • 50 MoUs already signed (as of Sept 2009) with technical and funding partners • RECs (1) • Nodes (13) • Regional/international universities (10) • CG System (6) • Host governments (2) • Federations of farmer unions (2) • NGOs, research foundations, other (17) • FANRPAN benefiting greatly from expertise, learnings and financial and material support from these networks • SADC not yet signed MoU

  38. Summary of Programme and Project Management Overall Rating:“B” Consolidating Issues of concern/Recommendations: • MoU with SADC • Board to take this issue up and engage SADC at the highest level • FANRPAN to intensify its visibility • Nodes to sell FANRPAN activities at national level • Secretariat to hold organize special briefing sessions with SADC Secretariat

  39. Milestones

  40. Summary of Main Achievements • Call for FANRPAN by FANR Ministers 1994 • Formal registration achieved 2003 • Relocation of Secretariat and revamping of organizational systems (2005) • Node Common Visioning meetings start (2006) • FANRPAN Website modernized (2006) • Agreement signed with COMESA and FARA (2007)

  41. Summary of Main Achievements • Strategic Plan Revised and Business Plan Launched (2007) • FANRPAN Constitution Reviewed (2007) • Accounting procedures manual developed and aligns with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (2007) • FANRPAN launches staff recruitment drive to consolidate establishment (2007)

  42. Summary of Main Achievements • Pastel Multi-currency System introduced (2008) • FANRPAN introduces Partners’ Meeting (2008) • FANRPAN introduces Annual Food Security Policy Leadership Award (2008)**

  43. Summary of Main Achievements

  44. Summary of Main Achievements

  45. Summary of Main Achievements

  46. Struggles

  47. Summary of Challenges • Main one is Co-funding THE REST CAN BE OVERCOME!!

  48. Thank You!

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