Understanding the 2nd edition of the FAO Country Programming Framework for Rwanda
Rwanda and FAO cooperation began in 1963, and an FAO country office opened in 1985. Since then, assistance has comprised an evolving range of interventions, including development projects and emergency response and rehabilitation. A more recent focus on improved policymaking is illustrated by FAO’s support to the mainstreaming of value chain development in Rwanda’s Strategic Plan for Agricultural Transformation. Strong focus is on research and innovation to drive agricultural transformation.
FAO assistance in Rwanda is shaped by the Country Programming Framework (CPF).
The CPF sets out four government priority areas to guide FAO partnership with, and support to the Government of the Republic of Rwanda – bringing together innovative international good practices and global standards with national and regional expertise during the next five years from 2019 to 2023.
The new CPF is centred on four priority areas:
(i) Innovative approaches to promote sustainable and integrated Crop, Livestock and Aquaculture production systems promoted.
(ii) Food security, nutrition and climate and other shocks resilient agriculture improved through sustainable and diversified production systems.
(iii) Inclusiveness of agricultural market systems as well as value addition and competitiveness of diversified agricultural commodities in domestic, regional and international markets promoted.
(iv) Enhanced enabling environment and Responsive institutions for effective and efficient delivery of Services.
Integrated farming and diversified production systems
The first two priority areas in the current CPF places emphasis on integrated farming and diversified production systems. There is a strong focus on research and innovation to drive agricultural transformation. This entails introducing and adopting new varieties, disease mitigation, developing capacity of farmers to support intensification and value addition.
On the third priority area, the CPF stresses the need for inclusiveness of the market systems, value addition and diversification of markets, with a more pronounced involvement of the private sector.
Regarding the fourth priority area, the current CPF takes a broader look to encompass more elements of the enabling environment beyond agriculture knowledge management.
Co-owned by the GoR and FAO, the new CPF is intended to contribute towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1 & 2 of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger while linking it to the FAO mandate and its Five global Strategic Objectives, alignment with various GoR’s medium and long-term development programmes, and with the Rwanda United Nations Development Assistance Plan for Rwanda (UNDAP II – 2018-2023) as enshrined in sector strategies set up as top priority.
Optimizing FAO comparative advantages
The CPF priority areas contribute directly to FAO Strategic Objectives and its three Regional Initiatives ( delivering mechanism) for Africa: i) Africa’s Commitment to End Hunger by 2025, ii) Sustainable Production Intensification and Value Chain Development in Africa; and iii) Building Resilience in Africa’s Drylands.
FAO is optimizing its comparative advantages, and indeed, Rwanda should draw upon not only from lessons learned from past Organization’s experience in the country, but also from the FAO sub-regional (SFE) and regional (RAF) offices and collaboration with other UN agencies operating in Rwanda to serve the common purpose and contribute significantly to Rwanda’s development aspirations.
The CPF was prepared following consultation and agreement with a large number of institutions, Government Ministries, Resource Partners/Donors, United Nations Agencies (UN Country Team), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society at large.
UN-system linkage
The Government of Rwanda and the United Nations (UN) have become part of the global initiative known as “Delivering as One” (DaO) or “One UN” since 2008. Following this period, the first common programming framework known as Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) [2008-2013] was developed.
The UNDAP strongly encourages UN agencies to build and reinforce synergies for the implementation of outputs and key actions to effectively contribute to the achievement of UNDAP outcomes, which are aligned with national development strategies.
FAO Rwanda is mainly engaged in agriculture, food security and nutrition, natural resources management (land, forestry and environment) and disaster risk management. FAO also provides support for the implementation of an array of projects and programmes, either through collaborative efforts with other UN agencies under “One UN”, and/or bilateral and multilateral agencies, or as “stand-alone”.
Both the UNDAP II and the CPF will be implemented within nearly the same period – from 2018 to 2023, and from 2019 to 2023, respectively. There are therefore good possibilities for joint programming with other agencies. Furthermore, there is also good congruence with the NST1, which is implemented from 2018 to 2023.
The current CPF is expected to cost fewer financial resources than the previous one and its budget amounts to a total of USD 22 000 000. About 22 percent of the total required resources is available while 78 percent will need to be mobilized, mostly from bilateral and multilateral donors.
Contact:
Teopista Mutesi | Communications Specialist | FAO-Rwanda | Email: [email protected] OR [email protected]