African RECs: Preparing Collaboration with Regional Organizations in Africa Under the ACP-EU Program

Context and Objectives 

The overall objective of the project was to strengthen the capacity of the African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to effectively address disaster risk reduction in their respective regions. More specifically, the project aimed at fostering dialogue between regional organizations in Africa, the World Bank, and other development partners on disaster risk reduction. It also supported the RECs in the formulation of an effective work program for disaster risk reduction to be implemented under the Result Area 2 Program.

Main Activities and results

The project contributed to the overall goals of the ACP-EU NDRR Program through helping African RECs to improve their DRR coordination, planning and policy advisory as well as project management and project preparation capacity. RECs were enabled to effectively manage regional programs for improving resilience to the impacts of natural disasters. The project consisted of three major components:

• Component 1 - Preparation, participation and delivery of workshops, meetings, video conferences and similar activities in support of the project start-up and implementation. This component financed a coordination workshop with the RECs in Brussels. The objective of the four day coordination workshop was to (i) jointly finalize the RECs’ work programs for the Result Area 2 Program. (ii) discuss implementation modalities, and (iii) coordinate activities with other stakeholders involved in the broader ACP-EU financed program on disaster risk reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa. The workshop furthermore provided the opportunity to exchange with the European Union (DG ECHO, DG Environment) on the perspective of regional organizations responsible for disaster risk management.
• Component 2 - Development of work plans, log frames and other project design information. The project supported the finalization of the work programs of the four RECs and provided assistance with drafting the required project documents, including concept notes, project papers, log frames, a monitoring and evaluation framework, a risk assessment framework and/or detailed terms of reference. Where needed, the project provided specialized consultants to take stock of existing regional policies and programs, support consultation with member states of the respective REC, or contribute or review independently Terms of Reference. As part of the project, training on the operational project design was provided and relevant mission expenses were financed.
• Component 3 - Strengthening partnership with regional organizations in Africa. The project supported the organization of a regional workshop in Africa introducing the ACP-EU NDRR program on “Building Disaster Resilience to Natural Hazards in Sub-Saharan African Regions, Countries and Communities” to a community of practice, delegates from national governments and regional organizations. The workshop addressed activities related to result 2. The project financed preparation of the workshop and the participation of delegates from the four RECs

The work plan for Result Area 2 was presented with jointly by the four RECs at the 8th Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction, held in February 2016, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. By the end of the project, all anticipated results were achieved:

• DRM Policies at national and regional level strengthened the preparation of the ECOWAS DRR Plan of Action, including consultation with member states.
• Regional Flood Management Capacities were strengthened:
• A regional flood management action plan was formulated and regional report on trans-boundary floods updated.
• Regional Post Disaster Recovery Planning was strengthened:
• Working paper on the role of ECOWAS in recovery planning was finalized.

Partnerships and Coordination

The project team directly coordinated with the European Commission officials overseeing the ACP-EU NDRR Program in Brussels. The team regularly briefed EU Delegations, which worked closely with the respective RECs and African Union Commission (AUC) in Addis Ababa, Abuja, Libreville, Nairobi and Gaborone.