Regional Webinars in Africa on Resilience and Recovery from Covid-19 Through Sound Policymaking / Strategic planning and foresight

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 workshops was held on different dates and virtually using the Zoom platform. 

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 was 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 attended.

Supporting material

• Concept note and agenda

• CEPA Booklet on "Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development"

• Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development (UNPAN web page)

• Virtual Workshop on Sound Policymaking for the SDGs (took place on 16 February 2021); 

• CEPA strategy guidance note on Risk management frameworks (February 2021)

• CEPA strategy guidance note on Strategic planning and foresight (February 2021)

• CEPA strategy guidance note on Promotion of coherent policymaking (February 2021)

• Curriculum on Governance for the Sustainable Development Goals:

  • 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

• Handbook on Risk-informed Governance and Innovative Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience

• Presentation by Adriana Alberti; 

• Presentation by Marius Oosthuizen 

• Joint presentation by João Ilidio da Cruz Tavares & Sebastien Vauzelle 

• Remarks by Geraldine Frazer-Moleketi

• Paper on needs assessment and related case study/ies on Strategic Planning and Foresight in Africa in response to COVID-19 (by Mr. Masse Lô)

• Bio of speakers

• Photos

Contact information

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

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

Ms. Sara Hamouda, SDGs & Agenda 2063 Expert, African Peer Review Mechanism - Email: @email