Work Programme 2016 of the ACP-EU Technical Centre for

23 Pages·2015·1.03 MB·English

This action is funded by the European Union

ANNEX 3
of the Commission Decision on the individual measure in favour of intra-ACP cooperation to
be financed from the 11th European Development Fund
Action Document for “Work Programme 2016 of the ACP-EU Technical Centre for
Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA)”
INFORMATION FOR POTENTIAL GRANT APPLICANTS
WORK PROGRAMME FOR GRANTS
This document constitutes the work programme for grants in the sense of Article 128(1) of the
Financial Regulation (Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012), applicable to the EDF by
virtue of Article 37 of Regulation (EU) 2015/323 in the following sections concerning grants
awarded directly without a call for proposals: 5.3.1 Grant: direct award – Operating grant
(direct management) and 5.3.2 Grant: direct award – Action grant (direct management)

1. Title/basic act/ Work Programme 2016 for the ACP-EU Technical Centre for
CRIS number Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA)
CRIS number: ACP/FED/037-977
financed under the European Development Fund
2. Zone benefiting All -ACP
from the
The action shall be carried out at the following location: Netherlands
action/location
and ACP countries
3. Programming 11th EDF Intra-ACP Strategy 2014-2020
document
4. Sector of Institutional support
concentration/

thematic area
5. Amounts Total estimated cost: EUR 16 000 000
concerned
Total amount of EDF contribution: EUR 16 000 000 of which
EUR 16 000 000 for budget support.
6. Aid modality Project Modality
and
Direct management for the operating expenditures(Title I and Title II):
implementation
operating grant - EUR 6 846 100
modalities
Direct management for the action (Title III):
action grant – EUR 9 153 900
7. DAC code 31110
Sector - Agricultural sector policy, planning and programmes

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8. Markers (from General policy objective Not Significant Main
CRIS DAC form) targeted objective objective
Participation development/good ☐ X ☐
governance
Aid to environment ☐ X ☐
Gender equality (including ☐ X ☐
Women In Development)
Trade Development X ☐ ☐
Reproductive, Maternal, New X ☐ ☐
born and child health
RIO Convention markers Not Significant Main
targeted objective objective
Biological diversity X ☐ ☐
Combat desertification X ☐ ☐
Climate change mitigation X ☐ ☐
Climate change adaptation ☐ X ☐
9. Global Public  Food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture
Goods and
 Environment and climate change
Challenges (GPGC)
thematic flagships

SUMMARY
This proposed Action Document presents the work programme of the ACP-EU Technical
Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) for the year 2016. It is based on CTA’s
Strategic Plan for 2011–2015 and its Regional Business Plans (2015–2017) for each of the six
ACP regions, and will be financed under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF).
Its overall objective is to ‘Contribute to enhanced agriculture and rural development (ARD)
policies processes and value-chain development for food security, prosperity and sound
natural resources management in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions and
countries”, and its specific objective is “Improved engagement (long-term commitment and
active participation) of CTA’s direct beneficiaries in ARD policy processes and value-chain
development”.

The expected results are as follows:
- Result 1 (R1): Enhanced multi-stakeholder participation in ARD policy processes and value-
chain development;
- Result 2 (R2): Enhanced awareness, knowledge and skills, and access to information for
engaging in ARD policy processes and value-chain development;
- Result 3 (R3): Enhanced information, communication and knowledge management (ICKM)
capacity (to develop and use ICKM tools and strategies), for ACP organisations and networks
to effectively engage in and promote ARD policies and value-chain development.

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List of Acronyms
AAA Advancing African Agriculture
ACP Africa, Caribbean and Pacific
ACP-EU JPA ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
AFAAS African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services
AFRACA African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association
AGRA Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
ANAFE African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education
ARD Agriculture and Rural Development
ASARECA Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa
AU African Union
AUC African Union Commission
AUC/DREA Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission
AWEPA Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa
AYF African Youth Foundation
CAADP Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme
Coordination and Advancement of Sub-Saharan Africa-EU Science and Technology
CAAST-NET Cooperation
CaFANN Caribbean Farmers' Association and NGO Network
CAFY Caribbean Agricultural Forum for Youth
CANROP Caribbean Network of Rural Women Producers
CARAPN Caribbean Regional Agricultural Policy Network
CARDI Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute
CARICOM Caribbean Community
CCARDESA Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa
CCFAS Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security
CCST/ NIHERST Certified Control Systems Technician
CDEMA Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency
CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
CMA-AOC Conférence des Ministres de l'Agriculture de l'Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre
COLEACP Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee
COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
CORAF/WECARD West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development
CRFM Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism
CTA Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU
EAFF Eastern Africa Farmers Federation
EAGC Eastern Africa Grain Council
EC European Commission
ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States
EDF European Development Fund
EPAs Regional Economic Partnership Agreements
EU European Union
FANPRAN Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
FARA Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
ICKM Information, Communication and Knowledge Management
ICTs Information and Communications Technologies
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
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IICA Intern-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
IIRR International Institute of Rural Reconstruction
ILRI International Livestock Research Institute
IOC Indian Ocean Commission
IPACC Indigenous Peoples of Africa Co-ordinating Committee
LME Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
NAOs National Authorising Officers
NEPAD New Partnership for Africa's Development
NPCA NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency
PACENet Pacific Plan for Regional Integration and Cooperation
PAEPARD Platform for African European Partnership on Agricultural Research for Development
PAFO Pan African Farmers' Organisation
PEE Promoting enabling environments
PIFON Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network
PMI Policies, Markets and ICTs
PROPAC Plateforme Régionale des Organisations Paysannes d'Afrique Centrale
RAOs Regional Authorising Officers
ROPPA Network of Farmers' and Agricultural Producers' Organisation of West Africa
RUFORUM Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture
SACAU Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions
SADC Southern African Development Community
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community
SPC/LRD Land Resource Division of Secretariat of the Pacific Community
SPREP South Pacific Regional Environment Programme
UN United Nations
UNECA United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
UWI University of the West Indies
VCD Value Chain Development
WB World Bank
WSIS World Summit on the Information Society
WMO World Meteorological Organization
WTO World Trade Organization
YPARD Young Professional for Agricultural Development

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1 CONTEXT
1.1 Regional context
Agriculture is the major source of income and employment for over 70% of the world’s poor
in rural areas, occupying more than one-third of the world’s land area and using more than
two-thirds of global water withdrawals. Globally, competition for natural resources is
increasing with the growth of population, rapid urbanisation and increasing demand for food,
and climate change is altering the patterns of rainfall and temperature that influence
agricultural production. ACP countries are also subject to high population growth, natural
resource degradation, droughts and floods, which put increasing pressure on agricultural
production and the ability of countries to feed their population.
In recent years, there has been a growing global commitment to increase investment in
agriculture and improve the well-being of smallholder farmers. For instance, the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), expected to be adopted by the international community as the
overarching post-2015 development framework, include a number of direct references to
ARD issues. One of the 17 SDGs calls on the world to ‘End hunger, achieve food security and
improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’. Another SDG is on gender equality
and empowerment of all women and girls, while concerns for natural resources management
and the impact of climate change in particular feature more prominently than in the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Youth employment and entrepreneurship are
covered notably in SDGs 4 and 8, while the need to foster access to and innovations in
information and communication technologies (ICTs) are covered notably in SDG 4, 9 and 17.

By the same token, dynamism of the ICT sector, changing demographics and increasing
urbanisation of populations, together with advances in science and technology, offer new
opportunities for achieving prosperity and development, which agriculture can in turn benefit
from. Africa is home to 6 of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world. Additionally,
there is increased recognition on the African continent about the importance of agriculture in
providing employment for youth, with an estimated 12 million young people entering the
labour market every year. Similarly, with stronger integration and harmonisation of economic
policies, the Caribbean and Pacific regions are offering a number of development
opportunities that are expected to impact positively on agriculture.

Agriculture’s increasing prominence in recent years was demonstrated with the designation of
2014 as the International Year of Family Farming and the African Year of Agriculture and
Food Security. Several important policy decisions, including the Malabo Declaration, were
pronounced by African Heads of State to accelerate investment in agriculture.

For agriculture to underpin the social transformation and economic growth of ACP countries
and meet the aspirations of their people, organisations such as CTA must intensify efforts and
strengthen collaboration with ACP partners, the business community and international
organisations. Collaboration must focus on modernising agriculture in the ACP region,
ensuring that its farmers become competitive and are able to supply evolving national,
regional and international markets, that its agribusiness is a force towards sustainable,
inclusive growth, and that governments enable and encourage the development of modern,
efficient and healthy agricultural value chains. The image of smallholder farming as a low-
paying, tedious, low-status occupation must be transformed into one that depicts farming and
its associated services as modern, productive, environmentally sustainable and profitable.

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1.1.1 Public Policy Assessment and EU Policy Framework
The EU and governments in ACP countries have reiterated their commitment to placing
agriculture at the forefront of their development plans. This is evidenced, for example, by the
following recent high-level initiatives and declarations:
 The anticipated adoption at the UN General Assembly in 2015 of the SDGs, with
eradication of hunger through agricultural development included as a goal in its own right;
 The marking of 2015 as the International Year on Soils by the 68th UN General Assembly,
as a follow-up to the 2014 International Year of Family Farming;
 The 11th Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP),
launched in March 2015, which consolidates progress made over the past 10 years of
CAADP implementation;
 The African Union’s Year of Women’s Empowerment in 2015;
 The 11th FAO Meeting of South West Pacific Ministers for Agriculture (11–14 May
2015), which focused on the theme of climate-smart agriculture;
o The meeting endorsed the concept of biennial Pacific Week of Agriculture (PWA)
introduced by CTA and requested FAO and SPC to work with CTA and other
stakeholders to develop a detailed approach to the organisation of the inaugural
PWA in 2017, to be hosted by Vanuatu.
 The 13th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (2014), which focused on the topic of
transforming Caribbean agriculture through family farming;
 The new policy framework for the 11th EDF (2014–2020), in which agriculture is one of
the top three sectors for most ACP countries;1
 The EU Communication on A Stronger Role of the Private Sector in Achieving Inclusive
and Sustainable Growth in Developing Countries (2014);
 The EU Communication on Enhancing Maternal and Child Nutrition in External
Assistance: an EU Policy Framework (2013), which contains strong support for
smallholder agriculture;
 EU Approach to Resilience: Learning from Food Security Crises (2012) which focuses on
“addressing the underlying causes of crises, notably through support for prevention and
preparedness activities”;
 EU Agenda for Change (2011) that commits to “helping reduce developing countries
exposure to global shocks such as climate change, ecosystem and resource degradation,
[...] by concentrating investment in sustainable agriculture and energy”2.
 The Joint ACP-EU Cooperation Framework for Private Sector Development support in
ACP Countries (2014).
Despite these positive developments, the ACP agricultural and food system continues to be in
a vulnerable situation. Much effort is still needed to assist ACP countries to meet the food and
nutritional needs of their populations through increased agricultural productivity, the
promotion of efficient and nutrition-sensitive agricultural value chains and greater attention to
climate-change adaptation and mitigation. CTA’s Strategic Plan for 2011–2015, through its
focus on strengthening agricultural policy processes, value-chain development, knowledge
management and promoting the use of ICTs to support smallholder agriculture and capacity
building, places the Centre in a prime position to support ACP countries in transforming their
agricultural sector.

1 EU, 2013. Speech by Commissioner Andris Piebalgs at the meeting with ACP National (NAOs) and Regional
(RAOs) Authorising Officers, Brussels 17 April 2013.
2 European Commission, 2011. « Increasing the Impact of EU development policy : An Agenda for Change
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With regard to the management of environmental risks and promotion of sustainability,
CTA’s work on agriculture and fisheries takes place in a context of growing vulnerabilities,
not only for the small-island ACP countries, but also in all other countries where a growing
population and more extreme weather conditions combine to put increasing pressure on
natural resources. Building agricultural resilience to climate change is a key theme in CTA’s
work programme, through the promotion of climate-smart agricultural practices, by working
with banks to enhance the availability of finance for farmers to adopt such practices, by
providing tools for multi-stakeholder engagement incorporating traditional knowledge with
modern scientific interventions, and by exchanges between the Caribbean and Pacific on
successful risk-mitigation experiences. Several of CTA’s activities also aim to help the spread
of techniques that can help communities prevent the conflicts that may result from climate
change, e.g. on land use or coastal fisheries. In its outreach to decision-makers, including in
governments, CTA has highlighted – and will continue to do so – the need to mainstream
environmental considerations in agricultural and fisheries programmes and policies; this is,
for example, one of the recurrent themes of the Brussels Development Briefings.

1.1.2 Stakeholder analysis
CTA is mandated to assist the 80 ACP countries through a collaborative framework between
these countries and the 28 EU member states. Of the total ACP population of over 800 million
people, about 550 million live in rural areas; these are the potential beneficiaries of CTA’s
work with its partners. Over the past two years, CTA has refined its definition of its
stakeholder groups, placing increased emphasis on those involved in key policy processes and
value-chain activities in the agricultural sector in the ACP regions.

The Centre has categorised its partners into four groups: friends, project partners,
programmatic partners and strategic partners. This has allowed the Centre to target and focus
its limited resources more effectively. CTA will continue to work with: (i) governmental and
inter-governmental policy organisations and networks (at national, regional and continental
level); (ii) regional farmers’ associations and commodity groupings, and extension and rural
advisory services; (iii) research, extension and tertiary education institutions and networks;
and (iv) private-sector organisations and institutions involved in ARD issues (including
agribusiness companies and multimedia publishing houses).

Other stakeholders important to CTA’s work include:

 ACP continental and regional organisations (e.g. AU/NEPAD, CAADP, ASARECA,
FARA, SADC, CARDI, IICA, CARICOM, CORAF/WECARD, CMA-AOC, SPC);
 ACP and EU bodies (ACP and EU Councils of Ministers, ACP-EU Committee of
Ambassadors, ACP-EU JPA, European Commission (DG EuropeAid), ACP sub-
committees and working groups);
 EU Delegations and ACP national/regional authorising officers (NAOs/RAOs) and ECHO
offices;
 EU partner organisations and beneficiaries (universities, think tanks, research
organisations);
 International development and research organisations (FAO, CGIAR, other UN agencies).
CTA has regular contacts with these stakeholders, undertaking joint actions such as expert
consultations, briefings, meetings, seminars, workshops and study visits wherever possible.

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1.1.3 Priority areas for support/ problem analysis
While many of the issues confronting agriculture are similar across regions, and will continue
to be the focus of the Centre’s all-ACP flagship programmes, there are also significant
differences between regions. To address these differences, CTA is organising much of its
work programme under the 11th EDF through three-year revolving Regional Business Plans
(RBPs) for each of the six ACP regions. This focuses the Centre’s operations on region-
specific priorities and will help deliver targeted outcomes that conform to the above-referred
initiatives and declarations; are consistent with both CTA’s strategic directions and
regionally-defined agricultural and rural development goals; help better identify target clients
and opportunities for making an impact; enable a more leveraged use of CTA resources; and
provide a medium for interaction with partners, including possible funding agencies.
In 2016, CTA will work in collaboration with ACP, EU, international and regional partners
to: (i) promote sustainable, inclusive and effective ARD policies in ACP countries – with a
particular focus on food and nutrition security, climate change and regional trade; (ii) enhance
inclusive value-chain development across ACP regions – including value-chain finance for
smallholder farmers; (iii) promote the application of ICTs for development of value chains
and ARD policies and strategies; (iv) communicate, publish and disseminate information and
knowledge for ARD; and (v) strengthen methodologies, skills and tools for knowledge
management. Involvement of women and youth in the various ARD processes and the usage
of ICTs will continue to be mainstreamed in CTA’s programmes and activities, while regional
strategies will be further developed and consolidated to better meet the specific contexts and
needs of each ACP region. CTA will also continue to strengthen its monitoring and evaluation
framework, to promote learning and more effective partnerships, while remaining accountable
to its stakeholders.
While maintaining a project-based approach, CTA will implement its 2016 programme of
activities through a carefully-designed mix of its highly appreciated ACP flagship services
(e.g. Spore, Brussels Development Briefings) and region-specific interventions shaped by the
recently adopted three-year Regional Business Plans (2015–2017). The RBPs will help
deliver targeted outcomes consistent with both CTA’s strategic directions and regionally-
defined ARD priorities. They will help better identify target clients and opportunities for
greater impact; enable a more-leveraged use of CTA resources; and provide a medium for
interaction with partners, including possible funding agencies.
2 RISKS AND ASSUMPTIONS
Risks Risk Mitigating measures
level
(H/M/L)
Political and social M Such disruptions tend to be temporary and often
upheavals, epidemics or limited to few countries at any given time.
natural disasters in ACP
countries that may CTA has the possibility of reallocating its resources
disrupt programme to non-affected ACP countries.
implementation and the
flow of CTA’s services
Loss of political will to L In the short-term this is less likely to occur. Also, the
provide continued current trends seem to favour more investment in
support to various agricultural and rural development institutions (e.g.
regional groupings, regional farmers organisations).
institutions and networks
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Inappropriate use of L As a pre-condition to access the Centre’s technical
funds by programme/ and financial resources, all service providers and
project implementation partner organisations are registered in a database. As
partners and service of 2015, partners are also required to sign
providers declarations of integrity in addition to meeting
rigorous general conditions that form part of all of
CTA’s contracts. CTA also takes steps to mitigate
risks when working with partners and service
providers by:
 Ensuring that project implementation is done with
reputable ACP, EU and international
organisations to obtain the outputs and outcomes
required;
 Conducting appropriate financial checks;
 Ensuring that partners make the requisite project
staff and other resources available in a timely
manner to carry out the project activities.
Assumptions
 The EU will continue to fund for CTA’s interventions.
 Opportunities exist to participate in policy processes and VCD
 IT infrastructure and ICT tools will become more accessible to direct beneficiaries in
ACP countries

3 LESSONS LEARNT, COMPLEMENTARITY AND CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES
3.1 Lessons learnt
CTA uses feedback from a number of sources, including external reviews and impact studies
carried out jointly with programmatic partners, to strengthen and improve its project, product
and service delivery and maximise the outcomes and impact of its interventions. Key lesson-
learning exercises in 2015 included the external evaluations of: (i) SPORE/ESPORO – CTA’s
bimonthly magazine; and (ii) the Science, Technology and Innovation Programme. CTA has
also drawn on experience gained from the implementation of its partnership strategy (adopted
in 2014) and RBPs (introduced in 2015).
In terms of thematic coverage, the 2011–2015 period has demonstrated that the major areas
that CTA chose to focus on in its Strategic Plan, namely agricultural policies, value-chain
development, ICTs and information, communication and knowledge management (in addition
to cross-cutting themes of youth and women empowerment, climate change and resilience)
are not only of relevance but are critical to ACP countries. It is also during this period and in
response to the ACP regions’ own growing focus that CTA developed, in consultation with its
partners, specific strategies on youth, gender and partnership. For this reason, CTA will
continue to focus on these thematic areas and will give particular attention to women and
youth. These lessons will be further enriched and complemented by the 2015 Independent
External Evaluation of CTA, which the European Commission and the ACP Secretariat have
commissioned in collaboration with CTA’s Executive Board.
The year 2015 is one of reflection and consolidation, as the Centre reviews and updates its
Strategic Plan (2011–2015) based both on lessons learned from the past five years and up-to-
date ideas and trends in agriculture. This will result in the formulation of a new strategic plan
for the 2016–2020 period.

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3.2 Complementarity, synergy and donor coordination
With regard to complementarity, CTA continues to be engaged in a series of collaborative
projects with numerous EU-funded institutions, programmes and projects (e.g. CAAST-NET
Plus, PAEPARD Plus 4-Year Extension, PACE-Net Plus, COLEACP/PIP, Intra-ACP policy
programmes, etc.) and with other organisations (AU/NEPAD, UNECA, IFAD, FAO, World
Bank, CGIAR etc.). The Centre also works closely with and ensures its interventions
complement various continental and regional programmes and organisations such as CAADP,
NPCA/NEPAD Rural Futures, FARA, CORAF/WECARD, AUC, ECOWAS, COMESA,
SADC, IICA, CARDI, CARICOM, SPC, SPREP, ASARECA, IOC and CDEMA.
Donor coordination - CTA currently develops its annual programmes within the framework
of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement (Cotonou Agreement) revised in 2010, and contributes
to the objectives set out in the Cotonou Agreement (Annex III, Article 3, paragraph 1 of the
Agreement) and various cooperation strategies (Part 3, Titles I & II), which are all governed
by international aid-effectiveness and donor-coordination standards.
In addition, CTA’s partnership agreements with ACP agricultural institutions include rigorous
general conditions that clearly reflect the ethical and related requirements of aid effectiveness.
CTA has also been awarded the EU’s Four Pillars status, which further attests to the level of
rigour and integrity of its management capacity.
CTA’s annual programmes are also developed bearing in mind various international
initiatives, agreements and commitments involving the EU and ACP, namely: the EU Agenda
for Change; the EU Communication Advancing African Agriculture (AAA); the EU
Approach to Resilience: Learning from Food Security Crises; the EU Policy Framework to
Assist Developing Countries in Addressing Food Security Challenges; MDGs and discussions
on the post-MDG framework, including the SDGs; the World Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS); and World Trade Organization (WTO) trade negotiations.
3.3 Cross-cutting issues
With the adoption of its Gender Strategy and Youth Strategy, CTA has renewed its
commitment to address women and youth as a priority in the implementation of all of its
programmes and projects.
CTA will continue to stress the link between climate change (adaptation and mitigation) and
agriculture in order to achieve SDGs. Issues related to links between food security, health and
nutrition security and to smallholders’ access to finance are ongoing themes of priority for
CTA. The strategic goals and specific objectives will provide the platform for reform,
innovative approaches and energised delivery of CTA’s services.
Global, international and regional campaigns focussing on selected issues (such the European
Year of Development, the International Year on Soil and the African Year of Women’s
Empowerment) provide further opportunities for CTA to highlight its work on these cross-
cutting issues. Capacity-building initiatives will facilitate interactive and blended learning,
networking, partnerships and advocacy for policy and institutional change or reforms that
enable innovation, facilitate market access and development and support investment
decisions. Online and print information resources will provide access to up-to-date
information and knowledge on ARD innovations, value-chain finance, commodity markets,
changing consumer demands, post-harvest handling, processing and standards, vulnerability
and resilience, climate change and agriculture, and ICTs.
These themes will be reviewed on a regular basis to allow CTA to address emerging topics of
importance to ACP countries.

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