This document discusses operationalizing the Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Policy and Implementation (SAKSS) in countries in the Southern African Development Community region. It outlines general principles for establishing SAKSS, including having local stakeholder support and commitment of resources. Key architectural elements are described, such as advisory committees and partnerships between government, research institutions, and donors. Challenges include ensuring stakeholder participation and ownership and producing policy-relevant research. The experience of Mozambique establishing SAKSS is provided as an example, highlighting opportunities like government support but also challenges like limited data and inter-institutional collaboration.

1. Key architectural elements for a country
SAKSS, potential challenges of and
opportunities for operation
Strengthening Capacity for Strategic Agricultural Policy and Investment
Planning and Implementation in the SADC Region
A Regional Methodology Workshop
Johannesburg, June 20-22, 2012
Helder Gemo

2. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries
Objectives of the
Presentation
Share experiences and
debate relevant issues on the
above subject with
participants at the June 2012
Regional (SADC) ReSAKSS
Training Workshop

3. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries: Content
 General principles/ criteria for SAKSS establishment
 Key architectural elements
 Potential opportunities
 Potential challenges
 Highlights from Mozambique’s experience in implementing
SAKSS
 Conclusions

4. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries:
General principles/ criteria
 Clear and stated demand
 Local partners shape its relevance
 It adapts to local conditions
 It includes broad representation of stakeholders
 It has strong links with a local partners
 There are sufficient resources
(Johnson and Flaherty , 2011)

5. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries:
Key inter-related architectural elements
Promoting informed policy dialogue
and decision making
Process in agriculture sector
review
Participatory
Funding and
planning , capacity
accountability
building
Partnerships & Data collection,
networking storing and
verification
Sharing info and
knowledge, policy Analysis
dialogue, decision- and
making reporting

6. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries:
Key architectural elements
The proposed architectural framework (In: Johnson and Flaherty , 2011)
Primary
Members
host/local
of
National partner
IFPRI/other
Advisory CGIAR
research, tools
Committee
Collaborative
Institutions
and training
Country partners:
-Policy makers
-Gov agencies,
ministries, NARS.
-Universities
-Research
Institutions
-Other knowledge SAKSS Funding Donors
systrem Secretariat
Collaborative Approves and evaluates
-Private sector
research, tools
-Civil society
and training
-Develop. partners

7. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries:
Key architectural elements
Implementing the proposed framework:
How best can the framework be adapted to country
circumstances to ensure acceptance, participation and
commitment from key stakeholders?
 Political and social context
 Institutional issues
 Technical issues
 Potential opportunities and anticipated challenges

8. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries: Key architectural elements
The case of Mozambique (2009-2011)
ReSAKSS-
SA (IWMI)
National Advisory
Committee (NAC)
Hosting Institution:
Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG) IWMI with > role in
providing Info
to ReSAKSS (Ag M&E)
Various National Directorate of
Directorates and Institutes Economics (DE)
MozSAKSS:
Local and international
agric. stakeholders DE, ICRISAT,
Program Team IFPRI, IWMI
Management
Donor(s)

9. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries:
Key architectural elements
The case of Mozambique (2009-2011)
Ministry of
Ministry of
Ministry of Planning and Industry and
Finance (MF)
Development (MPD) Trade (MIC)
Cabinet of Nat. Directorate of
Nat. Directorate of Studies and Studies Trade
Policy Analysis (DNEAP)
DE
MozSAKSS Some Dev.
Ministry of Partners
Fisheries (MP)
University
Fisheries Economics Eduardo Faculty of NGOs and
Dep. Mondlane Agronomy and Farmers
Forestry Eng. Orgs

10. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries: Opportunities
Identifying and taking advantage of opportunities
 Gov. openness, collaboration and support
 Level of preparedness of key public institutions
 Existence of agric. M&E (sub)systems that can be involved in SAKSS
implementation
 Willingness for participation and ownership by key agric. sector
stakeholders (public and non-public)
 Existence of research/ knowledge institutions (local and external)
and UN agencies that can contribute to Info & knowledge sharing and
policy debate…
What lessons can be learnt from other SADC countries with some
experience in establishing and implementing SAKSS?

11. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries
The case of Mozambique: Opportunities
 Gov. (MINAG and others) openness to host and implement
collaborative work with research/ knowledge institutions, including
foreign
 Notable Gov. openness to attend policy dialogue events, if perceived
as relevant and involving local institutions
 Few, but emerging national qualified agriculture academics and
researchers increasingly involved in socio-economic studies and
some policy dialogue
 Few and in general weak but interested farmers organizations on
agric. policy dialogue

12. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries
The case of Mozambique: Opportunities
 Some local based CGIAR institutions and international education
institutions that can contribute to Info & knowledge sharing
 Some development partners (DPs) interested in supporting Info &
knowledge generation and agric. policy dialogue
 Weak, but increasing interest of media (Gov. and private) in
following and disseminating relevant agriculture Info, in particular
from policy dialogue events

13. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries: Challenges
 Ensuring Gov. collaboration and support
 Addressing potential weaknesses in key local institutions in
establishing and operationalize SAKSS
 Ensuring participation and ownership by key agric. sector
stakeholders (public and non-public)
 Ensuring that SAKSS respond to a policy research agenda agreed
among key agric. sector stakeholders, including Gov and private
sector.
 Ensuring that SAKSS research outputs are useful, in particular for
CAADP implementation
What lessons can be learnt from other SADC countries with some
experience in establishing and implementing SAKSS?

14. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC Countries: Challenges
The Case of Mozambique
 Difficulties in implementing joint research activities
between participating CGIARs centres and local partners
 Limited data (time series), difficulties in accessing
required data, and in some cases different systems
providing different values/estimates for the same variable
 Postponements of high level public policy dialogue events
due to agenda problems faced by decision-makers in key
Government institutions

15. Operationalizing SAKSS in SADC countries
The case of Mozambique: Some highlights
 Strong efforts in developing awareness and interest among key
agric. sector stakeholders in SAKSS is fundamental
 Strong efforts in developing a network based on “good inter-
relationship” and mutual accountability among key stakeholders,
from the beginning is critical
 An adequate “buy-in” by Gov. key institutions is crucial, particularly
if the research-outputs are to be used in planning and decision
(“research for action”).

16. Operationalizing SAKSS in Southern Africa
The case of Mozambique: Some highlights
 Public policy events shown to be useful to debate research results
with agric. stakeholders. But much effort is needed in
communicating with decision makers on the use of relevant policy
findings.
 In the medium to long term, SAKSS sustainability depends on
participation, internalization and ownership by key local institutions,
in particular Gov. and other public institutions (e.g. Universities)
 In the short term, key institutions such as MINAG need considerable
capacity building in order to play a pivotal/ coordinating role in
promoting SAKSS among key stakeholders

17. Operationalizing SAKSS in
SADC Countries: Conclusions
 SAKSS has a potential to boost evidence-based agric. policy
dialogue, particularly in view of CAADP implementation through
national policies but its operationalization takes time
 Depending on relevant country circumstances, SAKSS
implementation might imply different level of adaptation in
terms of organizational setup and different level of effort and
time towards its establishment and operationalization
 Identifying potential opportunities and challenges and ways of
addressing them is fundamental
 Networking with and promoting mutual accountability among
key stakeholders is critical

18. Operationalizing SAKSS in
SADC Countries: Conclusions
 Efforts to institutionalize SAKSS in key institutions is of
paramount importance
 Sharing lessons on SAKSS implementation among SADC
countries can be helpful

19. Thank you!