10 April 2019, NAIROBI (Kenya): The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). H.E. Amb (Eng) Mahboub Maalim, this morning inaugurated Technical Joint Consultations on Strengthening IGAD Planning, Monitoring and Reporting Framework, Tools and Indicators in Nairobi.

These two-day consultations are gathering IGAD member states’ Ministries/Departments with the role of planning and monitoring of regional, continental and global agendas along with Project Managers/Coordinators and Sector Experts from IGAD Secretariat and Specialised Institutions.

This meeting is part of a series of technical consultations that focus on providing comprehensive set of strategic actions and activities that will lead to in-depth analytical review of the existing policy and operational environment across IGAD to strengthen the planning, monitoring and reporting frameworks, tools and indicators.

The consultations are to determine the degree of alignment of IGAD’s regional Strategy 2016-2020 with the AU Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) frameworks, and identify priority issues for actions to attain the recommended high degree of alignment. This includes establishing complementarily of indicators (targets and baselines) and milestones between all levels.

It is in this respect that another Consultations Meeting dedicated to IGAD Secretariat and Specialised Institutions Project Managers/Coordinators and Sector Experts was held on 08 and 09 April at the same venue.

At the opening of the member states and IGAD staff consultations today, Amb Maalim highlighted the importance for all to “conclude the meeting after fruitful deliberations having internalized the fact that we need to work on Planning, M&E and Reporting at the in-country, regional and global level”.

At the closure of this meeting between member states planning entities and IGAD organisation staff members, it is expected that:

• Action points are identified for priority activities to strengthen and harmonize IGAD planning, monitoring and reporting framework/system and policy;
• Integration of IGAD results framework indicators (baseline and targets) with the AU Agenda 2063 and SDGs are reviewed; and
• Budget process of projects and programs as per the IGAD Operational Plan 2019 work plan and budget are fine-tuned.

In order for IGAD to foster a collaborative, unified and systematic approach to result-based management, harmonization of indicators, milestones and expected results is essential. Also identifying points to continuously streamline IGAD strategy to the continental and national targets and goals is of paramount importance.

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