1. Africa Centers of Excellence
April 27, 2017

2. Background
Sub-Saharan Africa lags behind in higher education and research output in science, technology, agriculture, health and related fields
Recent rapid economic transformation and foreign investment have boosted demand for greater technological skills and applied research in these areas

3. Researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2015)

4. Tertiary Graduates and Researchers in Africa
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2015)

5. State of STEM Research Collaboration in Africa
STEM research in most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa relies heavily on international collaboration, a factor that signals lack of internal research capacity or the critical mass needed for the continent to produce international quality research on its own.

6. A Regional Solution
Since individual countries have limited resources/capacity, they take much longer to meet labor market demands on their own.
A coordinated regional approach can build upon existing, relatively strong academic institutions in the region to collectively produce skilled workforce, especially in priority sectors with the greatest demand.

7. ACE as a Response What are ACEs? What do ACEs aim to achieve?
Existing African institutions, competitively selected using criteria benchmarked to the best international practices in postgraduate education.
What do ACEs aim to achieve?
Promote regional specialization among participating universities in areas that address specific common regional development challenges
Strengthen the capacities of these universities to deliver quality, market-relevant post-graduate education, and build collaborative research capacity in select priority sectors, such as health, agriculture, extractive industries, or transport, etc.

8. Overview – ACE I & ACE II 46 Centers of Excellence across Africa
22 in Central and West Africa
24 in Eastern and Southern Africa
16 Countries
10 priority sectors
US$ 313: US$ 165 for ACE I and US$ 148 for ACE II
Funding of each center is tied to agreed results and only disbursed for their achievement – ensuring ownership and focusing on results.

9. Forging a network to support SSA’s development
EXAMPLES OF BANK-SUPPORTED RESULTS IN 2011& 2012
Forging a network to support SSA’s development
Cameroon
IT (1)
Rwanda
IT (1); Energy (1) Education (1); Statistics (1)
Nigeria
Agriculture (3); IT (1); Extractives (1); Material Science (1); Health (4)
Senegal
IT (1)
Health (1)
Uganda
Agriculture (2)
Material Science (1) Health (1)
Ethiopia
Agriculture (1); Water (1); Transport (1); Health (1)
Burkina Faso
Water (1)
Kenya
Agriculture (2)
Energy (1)
Tanzania
Agriculture (2; Water (1); Health (1)
Ivory Coast
Agriculture (1)
Statistics (1)
Extractives (1)
Ghana
Agriculture (1)
Water Mgt. (1)
Health (1)
Malawi
Agriculture (1) Health (1)
Benin
Applied Math (1)
Togo
Agriculture (1)
Mozambique
Extractives (1)
Zambia
Extractives (1);
Health (1)

10. Distribution by Thematic Area
Agriculture (14); Information Technology (4); Energy (2)
Extractives (Oil, Gas, Mining) (2); Water Management and Infrastructure (4)
Material Science and Mining (4); Transport (1); Health (11)
Education (1); Statistics (3)

11. ACE Structure Center level project management teams
Coordinated by a Regional Facilitation Unit (RFU):
AAU for ACE I
IUCEA for ACE II
Supported/supervised by a National Steering Committee (NSC) and guided by a Regional Steering Committee (RSC)
World Bank Core Task Team, fiduciary and safeguards teams mostly based in countries, country-based team leaders

12. Funds are disbursed only when the agreed results are achieved:
Results-based Financing Model
Funds are disbursed only when the agreed results are achieved:
Achieves better results by shifting from input-based to performance/results- based financing
Respect for institutional autonomy and leadership, and still aligns institutional objectives with development goals
Improves institutional capacity to plan, decide and implement
Agrees on a set of results which are measurable, achievable and within control of institution
Makes funding allocation objective, predictable, and transparent
Uses government procurement rules to strengthen capacity
Increases accountability

13. Overall, ACEs’ Goals
Outreach and impact on society, gender and regional equity
Build institutional capacity to provide quality post graduate education of relevance to the job market
Build institutional capacity to conduct applied research of high quality, which is relevant to development challenges
Build/enhance partnerships with other academic institutions (national, regional and international)
Build/enhance partnerships with industry and private sector institutions
Teach through their benchmarked programs to help other institutions improve quality
Improve governance and management of the institution at all levels

14. ACE II: Eastern & Southern Africa
US$ 148 million, Launched in October 2016

15. Capacity Building Support to ACEs through Regional Interventions
ACE II Objectives
To strengthen selected Eastern and Southern African higher education institutions to deliver quality post-graduate education and build collaborative research capacity in the regional priority areas.
Component 1 Strengthening Africa Centers of Excellence (ACEs) I Regional Priority Areas
Component 2
Capacity Building Support to ACEs through Regional Interventions
Component 3
Facilitation, Coordination, and Administration of Project Implementation

16. Role of Regional Facilitation Unit
ACE II Project is coordinated & administered by IUCEA as the Regional Facilitation Unit; IUCEA was competitively selected
Implements Component 2 & 3
Provides M&E support to ACEs
Builds capacity and facilitates knowledge-sharing
Supports partnership development and operations
Supported by a National Steering Committee (NSC), at each country level
At the regional level, guided by a Regional Steering Committee

17. Center Selection Process
Objective, transparent, and merit-based competitive selection
A call for proposals preceded an independent, two-step evaluation – (1) a technical review, and (2) an onsite and leadership assessment
Selected ACEs underwent financial management, procurement and safeguards assessments
Selection Criteria:
Addressing a specific challenge in one of the priority areas in the region
High proposal quality
Institutional capacity
Providing geographical balance
Eligibility and availability for IDA funding

18. ACE II: Selected ACEs and their Universities
5 Sectors:
Industry
Agriculture
Health
Education
Statistics
24 centers
16 universities

19. 4 Disbursement Linked Indicators 14 Disbursement Linked Results
ACE II Disbursement linked indicators
4 Disbursement Linked Indicators
14 Disbursement Linked Results
Institutional Readiness
(US$ 1.1m)
1.1: Completion of Effectiveness ($600 k)
1.2: Development of the Project Implementation Plan ($500k)
2. Excellence in education and research capacity and development impact
(US$ 4.3 m)
2.1: Timely annual implementation of the plans ($100 m)
2.2: Newly enrolled students in the ACE of which at least 20% must be regional African students ($ 1.2m)
2.3: Accreditation of quality of education programs ($600k)
2.4: Partnerships for collaboration in applied research and training ($200k)
2.5: Peer reviewed journal papers or peer reviewed conference papers prepared collaboratively with national, regional, or international coauthors ($300k)
2.6: Faculty and PhD student exchanges to promote regional research and teaching collaborations (500k)
2.7: External revenue generation ($900k)
2.8: Institution participating in benchmarking exercise ($100k)
3. Timely, transparent and institutionally reviewed Financial Management
(US$ 300 k)
3.1: Timely withdrawal applications supported by interim unaudited financial reports for each ACE ($75k)
3.2: Functioning audit committee under each university ($75k)
3.3: Functional internal audit unit for each university ($75k)
3.4: Transparency of financial management ($75k)
4: Timely and audited procurement (US$ 300 k)
4.1: Timely procurement audit report for each ACE ($150k)
4.2: Timely and satisfactory procurement progress report for each ACE ($150k)

20. Cumulative Target (baseline in brackets)
ACE II: Targets
Sectors Unique to ACE II
Railways Education & Research; Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science
Targets for Select Results Indicators by end of Project:
Results Indicator
Cumulative Target (baseline in brackets)
Students enrolled in ACEs PhD programs
773 (137)
Female students enrolled in ACEs PhD programs
273 (36)
Internationally recognized research publications in disciplines supported by the ACE program & regional co-authors
1454 (194)
Amount of externally generated revenue by the ACEs
$ 29.7 (6.1) million

21. Partnerships
Key objective is to increase the capacity of ACE institutions to deliver quality education and conduct research
Partnership with private sector is encouraged to increase the relevance of the programs offered, in addition to any fundraising objectives
At least 15% of project funding must be invested in partnerships, and at least 10% must be invested in partnership activities with regional partners
Partnerships can be developed with academic institutions, including research institutions, and industry partners, including both private sector partners and community institutions
MOUs need to be backed up with detailed actions plan or letter agreement with goals, outputs, roles responsibilities, and budget on both sides
At least one private sector partnership is required to trigger the release of funding tied to partnership DLI

22. Potential Pathways on Private Partnerships
Inviting local NCI companies to be in the center governance council bodies
Inviting relevant major private companies to be in the center governance advisory bodies
Engaging companies in the development of occupational standards, curriculum and programs
Piloting “customer-ordered training programs”
Establishing “learning factories” or R&D centers for large companies
Sharing of technology and production equipment
Internships and workplace exposure for faculty and students
servicing of community and local small and medium enterprises with services and R&D solutions
Negotiating with companies for graduate employment

23. ACE II Recent Developments
As of April 27, 2017:
The ACE II Project officially launched on Oct 26, 2016, in Nairobi
6/8 countries have been declared effective, along with IUCEA
8 centers have received the disbursement for DLI 1 (2 in Ethiopia, 4 in Rwanda, and 2 in Malawi); IUCEA received its 1st disbursement
IUCEA in the process of contracting independent verification firms for verification process of successive DLIs
Effective centers have begun enrolling students, developed new programs, have obtained or preparing for national approval/accreditation; and investigating on regional and international accreditation of new partnerships;
ACEs are actively reaching out to partners

24. Issues and Observations
As of April 27, 2017:
Two countries have not yet become effective; Disbursement of DLI 1 for some of the effective countries has been a little slow
Center management and academic staff have not yet been fully established (including IUCEA)
Center Vision, legal status, sustainability (formally incorporated into the university structure or metamorphosis into truly autonomous self sustaining Africa centers of excellence?)
Development of new programs: needs assessment, consultation, national approval/accreditation, regional and international accreditation
General lack of comprehensive and long term strategy for faculty/researcher recruitment and development
Attracting regional and female students
Balancing autonomy and necessary support from the host university
Developing and managing partnership
Operational challenges in disbursement, procurement, and understanding DLIs and DLRs.

25. ACE II Technical and Advisory Meetings
As of April 27, 2017:
Organized by IUCEA and the World Bank
Biannual mechanism for the centers to network, share, and learn from each other
Bring together center leaders, deputy leaders, host university management, national steering committee members, IUCEA and the World Bank
.Venue rotate among the ACEII 8 countries
Political, technical, and operational issues discussion and collective solutions
April 27-28, 2017 in Addis Ababa; November 6-10, 2017 joint ACEI and ACEII (Ghana or Uganda?)