Evaluation oF PACE Staff Competencies, the Management Structure, Management Systems and the Working Relations

Through the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union Inter-African Bureaufor Animal Resources (AU/IBAR) the European Union has funded a five year Euro 72million programme to support the livestock sector in 30 Sub Saharan countries fromMauritania in the west to the Horn of Africa in the east. Targeted is the control ofEpizootics coupled to animal productivity. At the end of the project in October 2004 dueto administrative and procedural delays few countries had completed their work planswith a corresponding amount of funds unspent. Thus an extension of the programmewas granted up until February 2007 although the work programme had to be completedby October 2006. An additional Euro 5 million was included in the package primarily tofund the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) whose role has been to coordinate and supportthe programme in the 30 participating countries.(ii) Rider No. 1 to the original financing agreement No. 6125/REG in granting theextension included several pre conditions one of which was to carry out an independentevaluation of the contribution of PACE to IBAR capacity building, including anassessment of staff performance by December 31st 2004. Due to events on the groundwhich delayed the in approval of PACE PCU work programmes this study has beendelayed and has now been carried out by an international and a local consultantbetween the 6-20th May 2005.(iii) Already the project is moving towards an exit strategy which influenced theconsultants thinking and deliberations. Serious staff changes if required at this stagecould perhaps only cause upheaval, destroy the corporate memory and result in moreproblems than they were intended to resolve. In any event the already ambitious globalstrategy till completion of PACE warrants the retention till at least mid 2006 of theexisting cadre with a phased lay off to follow. Retiring work plans and cost estimates andclosing the programme across 30 countries will require a major effort particularly fromthe finance staff and we were able to quickly agree that additional qualified staff wereurgently needed. To help prepare AU/IBAR absorb the lessons and the knowledge ofPACE and in particular transmit to the participating countries the need for continuedvigilance and follow up after the conclusion of the PACE programme warrants in theconsultants opinion an additional staff member attached to the proposed Information andCommunications Unit.(iv) Whilst much of the benefits of PACE are identified at country level the PCU had acrucial role to play in the coordination of the programme and the technical support tonational coordinators to follow the purpose and designated activities of the programme.Relationships could not be described as amicable between the professional staff duringthe early years of the PCU. Neither was the relationship between the donor, the EC andthe RAO and PACE management. We hastily wish to add that most of these problemsappear now to have been resolved and there is now a platform for mutual respect inplace. It is opportune to note at this point that a second obligation of the rider, that ofAU/IBAR absorbing two professional PACE staff members onto its permanentestablishment, is now underway with the question of accompanying operational costsunder discussion. The contribution that PACE has made to IBAR understanding of theneeds and aspirations of the 30 countries is immense. The absorption of these twoprofessional will strengthen the cord through which further technical information will flowto AU/IBAR before the conclusion of PACE.