17 May, 2024
Background
The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) is implementing the "Strengthening African Leadership for Climate Change Adaptation" (SALCA) program, which aims to improve the performance of organizations working in the field of climate change adaptation for a sustainable climate change adaptation ecosystem on the African continent. The overall expected outcome of the program is to have a strong group of African-based and African-led organizations capable of shaping Africa's response to climate change through effective policy dialogue, advocacy, and the use of a common voice to raise awareness and influence policy.
More specifically, the SALCA program will strengthen the capacity of selected organizations to play a leading role in climate adaptation by improving their efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, and sustainability, while enhancing their ability to develop an organizational culture of excellence, with the overall aim of improving the continent's ability to undertake the actions needed to prepare for and adapt to the current and future impacts of climate change. The program emphasizes a data- and evidencebased approach in its implementation, as well as gender sensitivity and social inclusion in the climate adaptation strategies of selected organizations. As part of its implementation strategy, the SALCA program supports target organizations including the Center for Studies and Research in Economic Analyses and Policies (CERAPE), in implementing the customized institution capacity improvement plans (CICIPs). These plans aim to address priority capacity challenges faced by target organizations working with marginalized African communities to develop sustainable and resilient climate adaptation strategies.
The Center for Studies and Research in Economic Analyses and Policies (CERAPE) is a research Centre established in November 2002 and registered in the Republic of Congo, as a Non-Governmental Organization. Its mission is to conduct research on economic and social issues, including agriculture, to inform policy and practice. CERAPE has a regional presence, with country research units in Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
As part of this 4-year program, ACBF is supporting CERAPE to strengthen its capacity as a research institution contributing meaningfully to climate adaptation agenda in Africa. The specific objectives of the intervention are:
i) To enhance the organizational systems and processes for effective delivery of its mandate;
ii) To strengthen human capacity; and
iii) To enhance capacity for sustainable operations.
As a first step to support CERAPE, ACBF conducted a Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) of the institution between September and November 2022 to understand its strengths and needs. The CNA of CERAPE focused on the following ten key institutional capacity areas: Governance and Leadership, Strategic Planning and Innovation, Human Resource management, financial management, Program Planning and Implementation, Results management and Quality Assurance, Communication, Knowledge Management, Resource Mobilization and Partnership and Infrastructure. The CNA, among other findings, revealed weaknesses in the CERAPE’s governance structure. It was therefore recommended that a Governing Board be set up and a charter drawn up to govern the functioning of the Board.
It is in this regard that the CERAPE Regional Coordination, in partnership with the ACBF, seeks engage the services of a Resource Mobilization (RM) and Partnership Building Expert to support the capacity enhancement of CERAPE.
