Infrastructure Development and Financing in Sub-Saharan Africa: Toward a framework for capacity enhancement

Of the world’s developing regions, Sub-Saharan Africa has the worst infrastructure deficit, with studies pointing to lost growth opportunities. This study presents in one document information previously dispersed on the region’s infrastructure stock and modes of financing. It assesses infrastructure’s role in the region’s economic growth. It identifies specific capacity constraints that have hindered the private sector’s participation in infrastructure financing. And it suggests a framework for advancing institutional and human resource capacities to boost infrastructure financing. The authors first reviewed documents addressing the region’s infrastructure. They then conducted case studies of private sector involvement in infrastructure financing in Kenya, Mauritius, and South Africa. And, using the generalized method of moments (GMM), estimated an infrastructure-augmented growth model

African Union Agenda 2063: African Critical Technical Skills: Key Capacity Dimensions Needed for the First 10 Years of Agenda 2063

This publication produced by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) in conjuction with the African Union Commission (AUC) observes that the single biggest challenge to ownership of Africa’s development agenda and management of its key development programs is grounded in the issue of critical technical skill (CTS) in Africa. To achieve the vision of Agenda 2063, as well as Africa’s ideology and existential imperative to fulfill its destiny as a great continent of the future, it must own, use, and have faith in its own CTS professionals, trained and working to a world-class standard. Considering the huge importance of capacity dimensions for Agenda 2063, it might be helpful to incorporate within the African Union (AU) system the continued partnership support of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) on issues of capacity imperatives and robust African skills development for Agenda 2063

The Challenge of African Youth Unemployment

This Occasional Paper submits that Africa’s youth unemployment requires long-term, deliberate, well-targeted, and coordinated interventions. Addressing it requires integrated, comprehensive, and long-term approaches to rural development that provide an enabling legal framework, stem rural-urban migration, and ensure that educational systems provide marketable skills

African Union Agenda 2063: Capacity Development Plan Framework: Buttressing Implementation of the First 10-Year Plan - “The Africa We Want”

During the AU Golden Jubilee Summit, Member States pledged to commit themselves to the continent’s development and technological transformation through a continental strategic framework, Agenda 2063, and to national development plans through a people- driven process. Furthering decisions of the AU Executive Council, the AUC formulated goals, targets, and strategies to realize Agenda 2063. The AUC decided to assess the capacities required for implementing Agenda 2063 at the continental and regional levels (and subsequently at the national level) and worked closely with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), which led the exercise conducted by the Capacity Team in 2015. This capacity development plan (CDP) document proposes multilevel and multistakeholder CDPs that identify an initial set of foundational capacity-strengthening activities for the First 10-Year Implementation Plan (first 10-year plan) of Agenda 2063

Building Capacity for Domestic Resource Mobilization: The Role of the Civil Society

The policy brief by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) highlights that while it is widely agreed that domestic resource mobilization is the way to go, the 2015 Africa Capacity Report shows that this may not be achieved because of one missing link: the capacity to do so. It highlights that the civil society, which consists of organized groups and institutions that are independent of the state, can play a leading role in bargaining with Government on behalf of the people around effective strategies for mobilizing domestic resource and curbing illicit financial flows in Africa

Africa Capacity Report 2014: Capacity Imperatives for Regional Integration in Africa

The Africa Capacity Report (ACR) and its supporting indicators offer inputs for decisions on what to finance to develop capacity. Most countries are doing well on their policy environments and having processes in place to implement policies. Countries are doing less well on achieving development results and least on capacity development outcomes. The Report and its indicators also point to the regulatory and institutional reforms needed to better support public–private partnerships in capacity investment and building—and to the investments needed to further strengthen public administration. And they spotlight the importance of political will to enhance social inclusion and development. Each Report showcases an annual theme of key importance to Africa's development agenda. This year the focus is on the capacity imperatives for regional integration, a core mandate of the ACBF, and on the capacities of the regional economic communities (RECs). The Report outlines what is needed to strengthen the RECs. Integrate capacity building in wider efforts to achieve sustainable development. Assure adequate administrative and financial resources. Emphasize the retention and use of skills, not just their acquisition. And monitor and evaluate all efforts to develop capacity. The capacity dimensions and imperatives for regional integration are crucial today as countries, RECs, specialized regional institutions, and regional development organizations, are developing strategic regional frameworks and building capacity to pursue regional integration across the continent. The ACBF's many regionally oriented interventions help move the regional integration agenda forward by strengthening the RECs as platforms for harmonizing policy and enhancing trade among member countries

Agenda 2063 De L’union Africaine: Cadre du plan de renforcement des capacités: Mettre en place les piliers en vue l’exécution du premier plan décennal: – « L’Afrique que nous voulons bâtir »

Au cours du Sommet du jubilé d’or de l’UA, les États membres ont pris la résolution de s’engager dans le développement et la transformation technologique du continent à travers un cadre stratégique continental, l’Agenda 2063, et dans les plans nationaux de développement à travers un processus animé par leurs citoyens. En vue de la mise en oeuvre des décisions du Conseil exécutif de l’UA, la CUA a formulé des objectifs, des cibles et des stratégies pour réaliser l’Agenda 2063. La CUA a décidé d’évaluer les capacités nécessaires à la mise en oeuvre de l’Agenda 2063 aux niveaux continental et régional (et par la suite au niveau national) et a travaillé en étroite collaboration avec la Fondation pour le Renforcement des Capacités en Afrique (ACBF) qui a dirigé l’exercice mené par l’équipe des capacités en 2015. Ce document propose des Plan de renforcement des capacités (PRC) à plusieurs niveaux et multilatéraux qui permettent d’identifier un ensemble initial d’activités de renforcement des capacités fondamentales pour la mise en oeuvre du premier plan décennal de l’Agenda 2063

Rapport sur les Capacités en Afrique RICA 2015: Les impératifs de capacités pour la mobilisation des ressources intérieures en Afrique

Le Rapport sur les Capacités en Afrique (RICA) 2015 envoie un message très clair : avec l’amenuisement de l’aide publique au développement en direction de l’Afrique, le continent devra compter davantage sur la mobilisation des ressources intérieures si elle entend mettre en oeuvre son programme de développement. Le RICA 2015 montre que cela est possible, car un bon nombre de pays africains fournissent des expériences pratiques de réussites fondées sur des stratégies et des initiatives qui peuvent facilement être adaptée à d’autres pays. Cependant, les déficits en ce qui concerne la capacité à générer l’épargne et les impôts sur les ressources nationales et à les affecter à des activités économiquement et socialement productives demeurent criards. Les capacités, dans leurs différentes dimensions, demeurent un problème pour les économies africaines en général, et pas seulement dans le domaine de la mobilisation des ressources intérieures (MRI). La majorité des 45 pays ayant fait l’objet de cette étude ont exprimé d’énormes besoins en matière de renforcement des capacités dans quatre domaines clés : le recouvrement des recettes ; le renforcement du secteur financier ; la lutte contre la corruption ; et la lutte contre les flux financiers illicites (FFI)