Establishing Effective Knowledge Exchange Structures for Africa’s Development Stakeholders

1. Establishing Effective Knowledge Exchange Structures for Africa’s Development Stakeholders Steffen Janus March 27, 2011

2. APDev aims to be: • A multi-stakeholder forum • A knowledge base & mutual learning hub • An integrated community of practice • An African-country-led mechanism with an active role for RECs • A network for knowledge, policy & practice links

3. APDev consists of two basic inter-related building blocks: Community of Practitioners working for Africa’s Development Knowledge Repository (online database) EXPERTISE Reports, Statistics, Case studies, guides, check lists, etc. Knowledge sharing and collaboration, in both virtual and physical spaces.

4. Collaboration and Experience Sharing between Africa’s Institutions • Not a new thing. Has been around for many years • But often ad-hoc, bilaterally or focused on specific sectors Need for more systemic and regular knowledge exchanges amongst Africa’s development stakeholders

5. Knowledge Exchange: Mutual learning from Practice on what works and what does not. • Institutional capacity needs assessment needed • Both cross-sectoral and sectoral expertise required Demand for Knowledge Knowledge Supply

6. Knowledge Exchange: Mutual learning from Practice on what works and what does not. • African stakeholders have a lot of experience to share • Much of this experience and expertise is directly relevant to other stakeholders on the continent Demand for Knowledge Knowledge Supply

7. The APDev Knowledge Exchange Initiative • Systematic Knowledge Exchanges between Practitioners and Policy makers • Focus both on institutional capacity constraints and thematic issues • Both virtual and face-to-face dialogues, many facilitated by video conferencing technology

8. Who are the stakeholders? • Very inclusive process: All APDev stakeholders can participate • Initial focus on RECs as key drivers of regional integration on the continent

9. Map of future virtual regional sites for Knowledge Exchanges via video conferencing AfDB Tunis, Tunisia CEN-SAD Tripoli, Libya UAM Rabat, Morocco AUC and UNECA Addis Ababa IGAD Djibouti EAC Arusha, Tanzania ECOWAS Abuja, Nigeria COMESA Lusaka, Zambia ECCAS Libreville, Gabon ACBF Harare, Zimbabwe SADC Gaborone, Botswana NEPAD Midrand, SA

10. Linking in national-level stakeholders • Involvement of national governments, civil society, private sector and academia • Use of Global Development Learning Network (GDLN) to facilitate knowledge exchanges through distance learning technology

11. Two parallel Knowledge Exchange Tracks • Regular dialogues addressing institutional capacity constraints • Thematic KE dialogues APDev Dialogues Monthly Dialogues addressing institutional capacity constraints Regular thematic knowledge sharing dialogues F2F VC APDev Online Community Platform / Knowledge Repository

12. Immediate next steps • First video-conference based knowledge exchange pilot addressing knowledge management as a key institutional capacity constraint reported by RECs (end April) • Consultation on pilot thematic knowledge exchange track on Trade Facilitation (May 5-6) • Subsequent knowledge exchanges (1-2/month)

13. Linking back to APDev’s objectives • A multi-stakeholder forum • A knowledge base & mutual learning hub • An integrated community of practice • An African-country-led mechanism with an active role for RECs • A network for knowledge, policy & practice links

14. APDev Knowledge Exchanges are BY you and FOR you • Invitation to contribute additional thematic tracks • Invitation to sponsor knowledge exchanges • Invitation to participate in all APDev knowledge exchange activities, both actively and passively

15. Thank you!