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Its that time again. AERC is closing one phase of its oper-ations and beginning
to strategize for the next one. Phase VI will span the years from 2005 to 2010,
and will see the Consortium through its twentieth birthday.
Planning for Phase VI has already started, even as the eva-luation of Phase
V is in progress. Phase V (2000–2005) marked AERC’s first five-year
operational strategy – earlier phases had been only three years long. The
Phase V strategy was characterized by urgent attention to poverty related and
growth issues, which are arguably two of the most important issues facing Africa’s
policy makers. In fact, Phase V increased AERC’s emphasis on policy relevance
overall. New research themes, new capacity building initiatives and targeted
outreach have been important hallmarks of the phase.
What will Phase VI look like? Some preliminary answers to that question are
beginning to emerge as AERC convenes a series of brain-storming sessions that
started before the last biannual research workshop and will continue till the
next one. Capitalizing on the presence of international resource persons and
eminent African scholars at the biannual, AERC held separate sessions to pick
their brains for possible modifications to the current programme. Other sessions
have been held with AERC management staff, while researchers and policy makers
at the recent Senior Policy Seminar sat together for an intensive two-hour discussion
about ways to enhance AERC’s policy relevance. Another session to begin
to pull the threads together is planned for mid May.
The thinking about Phase VI will also be informed by the results of separate
evaluations of the Research and Training programmes carried out over the last
year. The final report of the Research Programme evaluation is expected in June,
while preliminary results of the Phase V evaluation will be presented to the
Executive Committee in July.
Although nothing has been finalized as yet, it seems clear that during Phase
VI the thematic approach to research will be retained but with refined focal
areas. Outreach to policy makers will be intensified, and additional ways will
be sought to ensure the continued participation of the senior researchers who
have gone through various AERC programmes and need to remain involved with shaping
the quality and the future of the overall programme.
| Major evaluations
in progress |
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Two major
evaluations of AERC programmes are presently under way. With Phase V drawing
to a close, an assessment of accomplishments and lessons learned during
the phase is being carried out by Prof. Henry Rempel of the University
of Manitoba, Canada, and Prof. Rashid Hassan of the University of Pretoria,
South Africa. Since taking up the assignment in February, on behalf of
the Board of Directors, the team has interviewed members of the AERC staff
and network and observed the proceedings of the senior policy seminar
held in Kampala in early March. They will also attend the May biannual
research workshop and will travel to selected countries in the region
to meet with local researchers, policy makers and interested others. Their
draft report is expected to be submitted for consideration at the Special
Board Meeting in November 2004.
Meanwhile,
an evaluation of the Research Programme is assessing the progress of the
programme in meeting its objectives, and looking at the current realities
of the economic and research environment in sub-Saharan Africa. Prof.
Marc Wuyts from the Institute of Social Studies at The Hague is conducting
the review under terms of reference defined by the Programme Committee.
The evaluation began in October 2003 with desk research at the AERC Secretariat
in Nairobi, followed by observation of the December biannual research
workshop and Programme Committee meeting. Prof. Wuyts subsequently embarked
on an extensive process of consultation with stakeholders and network
members in January and attended the senior policy seminar. A draft report
of the evaluation will be presented at the May 2004 meeting of the Programme
Committee and the final report is expected in June 2004.
These assessments
follow an evaluation of the Training Programme and a midterm review of
Phase V, both conducted in 2002. Recommendations from all these evaluations
are expected to feed into the preparation of the AERC Strategy for Phase
VI.
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