Virtual capacity development training workshops on how to promote resilience and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa through sound policymaking

Organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), through its Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG), Resident Coordinators Offices (RCOs) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

The abovementioned partners held a series of virtual workshops on how to promote resilience and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa through sound policymaking. The last workshop of this series focused on Policy Coherence and was held on 17 January 2022 via Zoom.  

The workshops aimed at developing the capacities of national governments to promote sound policymaking, with a particular focus on policy coherence, strategic planning and foresight and risk management. More specifically, the workshops :

1. Provided a platform to share knowledge on the strategies and guidance notes related to sound policymaking, which is one of the 11 Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development. These Principles were developed by the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) and endorsed in 2018 by the United Nations Economic Council on Social and Economic Development;

2. Increased understanding of how to effectively utilise the sound policymaking strategies for COVID-19 response measures;

3. Linked participants through peer-to-peer learning and created network opportunities; and

4. Assisted countries in identifying concrete activities and capacity development initiatives that can be undertaken with the support of the UN system and other organizations.

The workshops was divided into plenary presentations and hands-on break-out groups. The break-out groups were intended to facilitate dialogue and discussion on how to enhance capacities for sound policymaking through the three strategies of policy coherence, planning and foresight and risk management. The workshops were highly interactive and provided ample time for peer-to-peer learning.

The target audience of the workshops included senior policymakers in centres of Government, ministries of finance, planning and public administration of Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa and Zambia who have requested capacity development support after workshops held in February 2021. Relevant United Nations organizations, regional organizations and professional and academic communities, and schools of public administration were invited to register and attend.

Supporting materials:

• Concept note and agenda
• CEPA Booklet on the Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development
• Virtual Workshop on Sound Policymaking for the SDGs (took place on 16 February 2021); 
• Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development (UNPAN page)
• Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development (UNDESA/DPIDG page)
• Curriculum on Governance for the SDGs :
  •     Toolkit on Strengthening Institutional Arrangements and Governance Capacities for Policy Coherence;
  •     Toolkit on Risk-informed Governance and Innovative Technology for Disaster Risk  Reduction and Resilience
• APRM Baseline Study - Implementation of the UN CEPA Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development in Africa
• APRM - Targeted Review on Health Governance and Covid-19 Response in the Republic of Sierra Leone

Webinar on Risk Management (16 November 2021) : 

• CEPA strategy guidance note on Risk management frameworks (February 2021)
• Handbook on Risk-informed Governance and Innovative Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience
• Statement by ASG Ms. Maria Francesca Spatolisano
• Statement by CEPA Chair Ms. Geraldine Frazer-Moleketi
• Remarks by Mr. Rolf Alter
• Presentation by Ms. Raniya Sobir
• Presentation by Mr. John Vandy Rogers
• Paper on needs assessment and related case study/ies on risk management in Africa in response to COVID-19;
• Bio of all speakers
• Photos
• Survey
• Recording 

Webinar on Strategic planning and foresight (8 December 2021)

• CEPA strategy guidance note on Strategic planning and foresight (February 2021)
• Paper on needs assessment and related case study/ies on strategic foresight in Africa in response to COVID-19;
• Agenda - Slides of introduction; 
• Statement by Adriana Alberti; 
• Statement by Marius Oosthuizen; 
• Statement by Masse Lô; 
• Statement by Joao Tavares and Sebastien Vauzelle; 
• Remarks by Geraldine Frazer-Moleketi; 
• Bio of speakers; 
• Photos;
• Survey; 
• Recording.

Webinar on Policy Coherence (17 January 2022) : 

• CEPA strategy guidance note on Promotion of coherent policymaking (February 2021)
• Paper on needs assessment and related case study/ies on policy coherence in Africa in response to COVID-19 (by Ivonne Lobos Alva);
• Opening remarks by Mr. Ferdinand Katendeko; 
• Presentation by Ms. Adriana Alberti;
• Presentation by Mr. Måns Nilson; 
• Presentation by Ms. Ivonne Lobos Alva; 
• Presentation by Dr. Albert Musisi; 
• Presentation by Ms. Stefania Senese; 
• Closing remarks and recommendations by Ms. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi; 
• Photos;
• Bio of Speakers;
• Survey; 
• Recording;
• Final REPORT

For more information on each webinar, click on relevant link: 1st webinar (16 November), 2nd webinar (8 December) and 3rd webinar (17 January 2022). 

Contact information:

Ms. Adriana Alberti, Chief, Programme Management and Capacity Development Unit, DPIDG / UN DESA - Email: @email

Ms. Veronique Verbruggen, Senior Interregional Advisor, PMCDU / DPIDG / UN DESA - Email: @email

Ms. Stefania Senese, Programme Manager Officer, PMCDU / DPIDG / UN DESA - Email: senese@un.org 

Sara Hamouda, SDGs & Agenda 2063 Expert, African Peer Review  Mechanism (APRM), Email: @email