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 Bureau for Animal Resources (AU/IBAR) the European Union has funded a five year Euro 72 million programme to support the livestock sector in 30 Sub Saharan countries from Mauritania in the west to the Horn of Africa in the east. Targeted is the control of Epizootics coupled to animal productivity. At the end of the project in October 2004 due to administrative and procedural delays few countries had completed their work plans with a corresponding amount of funds unspent. Thus an extension of the programme was granted up until February 2007 although the work programme had to be completed by October 2006. An additional Euro 5 million was included in the package primarily to fund the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) whose role has been to coordinate and support the programme in the 30 participating countries. (ii) Rider No. 1 to the original financing agreement No. 6125/REG in granting the extension included several pre conditions one of which was to carry out an independent evaluation of the contribution of PACE to IBAR capacity building, including an assessment of staff performance by December 31st 2004. Due to events on the ground which delayed the in approval of PACE PCU work programmes this study has been delayed and has now been carried out by an international and a local consultant between the 6-20th May 2005. (iii) Already the project is moving towards an exit strategy which influenced the consultants thinking and deliberations. Serious staff changes if required at this stage could perhaps only cause upheaval, destroy the corporate memory and result in more problems than they were intended to resolve. In any event the already ambitious global strategy till completion of PACE warrants the retention till at least mid 2006 of the existing cadre with a phased lay off to follow. Retiring work plans and cost estimates and closing the programme across 30 countries will require a major effort particularly from the finance staff and we were able to quickly agree that additional qualified staff were urgently needed. To help prepare AU/IBAR absorb the lessons and the knowledge of PACE and in particular transmit to the participating countries the need for continued vigilance and follow up after the conclusion of the PACE programme warrants in the consultants opinion an additional staff member attached to the proposed Information and Communications Unit. (iv) Whilst much of the benefits of PACE are identified at country level the PCU had a crucial role to play in the coordination of the programme and the technical support to national coordinators to follow the purpose and designated activities of the programme. Relationships could not be described as amicable between the professional staff during the early years of the PCU. Neither was the relationship between the donor, the EC and the RAO and PACE management. We hastily wish to add that most of these problems appear now to have been resolved and there is now a platform for mutual respect in place. It is opportune to note at this point that a second obligation of the rider, that of AU/IBAR absorbing two professional PACE staff members onto its permanent establishment, is now underway with the question of accompanying operational costs under discussion. The contribution that PACE has made to IBAR understanding of the needs and aspirations of the 30 countries is immense. The absorption of these two professional will strengthen the cord through which further technical information will flow to AU/IBAR before the conclusion of PACE.