GSARS Concludes the 4th Global Steering Committee Meeting in Abidjan

The Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics (GSARS) recently conducted its 4th Global Steering Committee Meeting (GSC) on June 13, 2024, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, following the closure of the Final Conference celebrating the end of the second phase.    

Members of the GSC  Alexandre S. Biaou (Bénin), Hugues Kouadio (ENSEA), José Rosero-Moncayo (FAO), Bernice Ofosu-Baadu (Ghana Statistical Service), Philippe Gafishi (PARIS21), Oliver Chinganya (UNECA), along with the FAO global office team, colleagues from ECA and  Vasco Molini (World Bank) attended the meeting. 

The session, chaired by Oliver Chinganya (ECA), focused on reviewing GSARS II's implementation and planning for the future. 

Oliver Chinganya opened the meeting by expressing gratitude for the attendees' contributions and presented the agenda. Marie Vander Donckt (FAO) provided a comprehensive report on GSARS II's implementation, highlighting challenges, impact, and lessons learned. Discussions included clarifications on financial reports, measuring outcomes, and the transition between phases II and III. The report was endorsed by members of the steering committee. 

Mr. Ahmedou EL BAH from the Office of Evaluation, FAO, presented the approach for the final evaluation of GSARS II and the method and tools of evaluation moving forward. Neli Georgieva introduced the third phase of GSARS, outlining the vision and objectives with an emphasis on continuing practical training and mentorship. The meeting concluded with an agreement to create a continuum linking GSARS II with the 50x2030 initiative.  

 The Global Strategy extends its sincere thanks to the members of the Global Steering Committee for their invaluable contributions and commitment. The collaborative efforts and insights shared during the meeting have been instrumental in guiding us through the successful completion of this phase. We look forward to working on the outcomes of this meeting and preparing for another successful phase, building on the solid foundation laid by GSARS II.