Why SMIP?
The real impact of investment projects and programmes on poverty reduction and their contribution to the Millennium Development Goals remains a topical issue in all development organizations. Increasingly, we recognize that technical solutions alone do not necessarily result in sustainable positive changes in the quality of peoples lives. Words such as "learning", "empowerment" and "participation" are today common features of pro-poor strategies. At the heart of these strategies are people, relationships and the ability to work together to learn and adapt to changing circumstances. This, in turn, has implications for leadership, management, monitoring and evaluation capacities-which include the skills, knowledge and structures required for strategic, people centered management.
The Regional Programme on Strengthening Managing for Impact (SMIP) will strengthen the capacity of stakeholders and actors involved in pro-poor interventions to effectively manage for impact. Working alongside a range of service providers, SMIP will use an action-learning approach as a means of generating knowledge and lessons, as well as enhancing practical skills and organizational capacity. The Programme will also support pro-poor policy research in order to strengthen the linkages between policy & institutional frameworks and processes and pro-poor interventions.
SMIP is funded by a grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations with the mandate to enable the rural poor to overcome their poverty.
SMIP’s overall goal is to contribute to increasing the impact of interventions aimed at rural poverty reduction in Eastern & Southern Africa by ensuring that key actors more effectively manage pro-poor programmes towards impact. This will be achieved through three interlinked components: i) Capacity-building among service providers and pro-poor institutions; Strengthening the understanding and capacity of regional and national service providers (e.g. facilitators & trainers) to provide quality support to pro-poor institutions. Elements will include workshops, practitioner exchange visits and practical experience through on-the-job training;ii) Support to regional knowledge management and networking; Improving the availability of, and access to, information, knowledge and innovations through documentation, enhanced regional networking between professionals and practitioners, and the establishment of an electronic resource, information and learning centre; andiii) Fostering conducive policies, systems and processes; Developing a better understanding of national processes, policies and systems that influence pro-poor interventions aiming to enhance impact (e.g. aid harmonization). The component also aims at reinforcing linkages between overall development policy and practice and the process of empowering the poor and promoting their participation.
What will SMIP do?
Who will be involved?
Overall Programme coordination and facilitation is being undertaken by Wageningen International, a part of Wageningen University. Wageningen International will work with two Sub-Regional Institutions (SRIs) in Eastern & Southern Africa, and gradually handover responsibility to them for sustaining the Programme in the long term. A key role of the SRIs will be to support and enhance the work of national/local service providers working with pro-poor programmes. This will involve training, mentoring, information & knowledge management and policy research. The SMIP SRI’s are: The International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR) Division of IFPRI and Haramaya University in Eastern Africa and; Khanya-aicdd in Southern Africa. SMIP is also collaborating with Impact Alliance, a global network comprising an international community of practitioners (individuals and organisations) involved in capacity building.
Activities and Timing
During the course of 2006, the Programme focused on establishing effective management and coordination systems, and ensuring that the SRIs developed a shared understanding on the Managing for Impact approach. Also, during this period, SMIP communicated with pro-poor initiatives to identify their specific needs for support in relation to management, monitoring and evaluation. Amongst other activities, this involved facilitating an orientation workshop on the Managing for Impact approach held in Madagascar for practitioners involved in IFAD supported projects in Francophone countries. In 2007, training workshops for service providers will be facilitated; and trained service providers invited to provide technical support, with WI and the SRIs playing a back stopping role. Service Providers will also have the opportunity to participate in forums to enhance dialogue and stimulate learning.
During the course of 2007 and 2008, emphasis will also be placed on practical hands-on learning through activities such as exchange visits and testing innovative ideas through action learning projects. Knowledge generated through these activities will be documented and disseminated widely through appropriate communication mechanisms. Knowledge and experiences will also be used to engage in policy dialogue in order to advocate for policies, processes and systems that are more supportive of the efforts of pro-poor interventions to manage for impact.
During the course of 2007 and 2008, emphasis will also be placed on practical hands-on learning through activities such as exchange visits and testing innovative ideas through action learning projects. Knowledge generated through these activities will be documented and disseminated widely through appropriate communication mechanisms. Knowledge and experiences will also be used to engage in policy dialogue in order to advocate for policies, processes and systems that are more supportive of the efforts of pro-poor interventions to manage for impact.
