AFRITACs step up efforts to build capacity in Africa
| Author | Seng Chee Ho |
| Position | IMF Office of Technical Assistance Management |
| Pages | 58-59 |
Page 58
In a vigorous endorsement of the regional approach to technical assistance delivery and its responsiveness to member country needs, IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato recently announced that a third Africa Regional Technical Assistance Center (AFRITAC), for Central African countries, could be established if the requisite external funding could be secured to complement the IMF's contribution.
The IMF's decision follows an independent evaluation of the first phase of operations at the East and West AFRITACs and an IMF Executive Board review of the effectiveness of the IMF's five regional technical assistance centers worldwide.
Executive Directors cited the important contribution that these centers make to the IMF's technical assistance program and lauded donors for their support, which has been crucial not only in providing financing but also in building broader country ownership of reforms and strengthening coordination of capacity-building efforts in member countries.
The review also provides the basis for the East and West AFRITACs to move forward with an ambitious agenda in their second phase of operations.
When East AFRITAC opened in 2002, and West AFRITAC a year later, the intent was to expand the regional technical assistance concept to other parts of Africa, but only after the first two centers had established a track record and their effectiveness could be independently evaluated. A team of three independent evaluators (each nominated by donors, recipients, and the IMF) completed its assessment in 2005.
How well is the regional technical assistance delivery concept working in Africa? The evaluators, in a report published in April 2005, found the AFRITACs to be an effective channel for capacity building and one that all beneficiary countries appreciated. In the evaluators' eyes, the centers "distinguish themselves from other delivery modes by their responsiveness to client needs, proximity to member countries, quick response time, familiarity with local context and issues, and relevant leadership." The report praised the centers' contribution to enhancing country ownership of reforms, increasing regional solidarity and the use of African experts, and improving accountability.
Nonetheless, the evaluators also saw room for improvement.
They urged even greater use of African experts, stronger links between...
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