1. Human and Institutional Capacity to Support Strategy/Policy Design M.T. Weber and other colleagues in Africa & MSU Ag. Economics Food Security Group FS III Cooperative Agreement USAID/MSU - June 2006

2. Mandate 1. – What is/are: Role of Human & Institutional Capacity to Support Strategy/Policy Design and Learning? Opportunities/Challenges for Short-Run: Using Existing Capacity at National & Regional Level? Build Capacity for Longer-Run: Need to Rapidly Build & Ensure Growth in Numbers and Quality of Capacity?

3. Mandate 2. – Presenters: Provide Broad Overview- What we Know Highlight a few Key Examples Stress Knowledge/Information Gaps Stimulate Discussion of Implications for CAADP Goals Tools for Peer Review, Benchmarking, Mutual Learning & Policy Dialogue

4. Role of Human & Institutional Capacity - 1. All politics and policy are local, then regional Good local analysts, good policy handlers & policy makers are everything Omamo 2004 “ To make policy advice more relevant requires a better understanding not only of how markets (mal)function, but also what constrains implementation, how constraints can be overcome or bypassed, and what policy measures have greater or lesser prospects.” 2004

5. Role of Human & Institutional Capacity - 2. Key National Organizations & Individuals –Policy & vulnerability analysis units - MOA’s, other Ministries & independent –NARI social scientists –University researchers/student research –National statistical organizations Get Critical Mass and Credibility Get More Local and Regional Assistance

6. Short-Run: Using Capacity at National & Regional Level - 1. Finding and Supporting National Policy Champions, Policy Handlers and Analysts For Strategic Analysis Help These National Individuals/Groups Do More Mentoring/In-Service Training Use As Much as Possible Existing African Regional Policy Analysis Support Groups (eg ECAPAPA, FANRPAN, SADAOC, INSAH, REPA, UNECA/SDD)

7. Short-Run: Using Capacity at National & Regional Level - 2. Help Country Teams/Individuals Find & Use Existing Country Prodn, HH Income, Consumer & Price Data Sets ( eg Malawi *) * CAADP ReSAKSS, RECs & SAKSS Sub- Regional Nodes-Key Challenges: Balance –Find key country-level support roles –Find/complete overarching analysis that can complement & enhance national efforts

8. Short-Run: Using Capacity at National & Regional Level - 3. Focus Skill Strengthening/Mentoring –Ag. productivity analysis –HH income drivers of income growth –Pro-Poor Linkage strategies & how to target and help those hh’s with few assets, edu. & non-farm but not remove growth incentives –Market functions and development –Linking research and policy outreach & - implementation. Include political economy insights (eg USAID Study on Malawi. *). *

9. Short-Run: Using Capacity at National & Regional Level - 4. Use Existing Date as a Pathway to Building Credible Arguments for Improving Production, Marketing, Price Data Collection (Too much measuring the wrong things as rural economies, crop mixes change) Take as Much Advantage as Possible of the Panel Data Sets Emerging Collect/use information at HH level on ag, nutrition, income, health, etc ( *)

10. Build Longer-Run Capacity -1. Assist Country-Level Experienced Analysts To Mentor Young Professionals Build Working Linkages to National Universities Promote Donor Funding for Graduate Training (Both In Africa and Outside) Cooperate with African Graduate Training Programs (eg scholarships & assistance during thesis research phases)

11. Build Longer-Run Capacity -2. Organize In-Service Training of Young Professionals Around Major Research & Outreach Efforts Target Support On Key CAADP Topics for African Thesis Research (Both African and Non-African Training) Assist New African Graduate Degree Holders in Country-Level Startup Target Links: Researcher-Statistical Org.

12. Build Longer-Run Capacity -3. Using the Internet As A Work Space –eg Assisting Mann Library & FAO ** Using the Internet to Find and Position Research, Outreach and Teaching Materials –Food Security and Food Policy Information Portal for Africa ** –Professional Skill Building Resources * * Use Librarians As Resource Locators * *