The African Union Commission
The 2014-2017Strategic Plan
September 2013
Introduction
• The second Africa Union Commission Strategic Plan came to an end in 2012, and
Policy Organs dedicated 2013 as a transition year in which the outstanding results
areas are to be finalised.
• Consequently, the AUC has successfully developed the successor plan, that runs
from 2014 – 2017, which was adopted at the 21st Ordinary Session of the
Assembly.
• This plan marks a paradigm shift from the normative approach to actually engaging
stakeholders.
• It is the aim of the Commission to widen and strengthen understanding of its work
for her stakeholders to appreciate immediate benefits inherent in the plan.
• It is against this background that the Commission felt the need to engage
stakeholders with a view to deepen their general understanding of AUC’s vision and
strategy.
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Introduction cont.
• It is only through a clear understanding that the principles of subsidiarity and
complementarity will be put to practice.
• AUC Stakeholders, including partners and beneficiary, will identify their
respective roles to pursue and support AUC strategic direction/intentions.
• The Commission is in the process of developing a popular version of the
plan, which will be widely available and edible to the wider audience.
Professional media houses will be involved to design and reproduce the
version that will be visually appetizing.
• The popular version will accompany the technical and bulky report for
sectors of the society who may be interested to understand the foundations
of the plan.
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Introduction cont.
 It is the view of the Commission that for the continent to prosper, be on a positive
trajectory and avoid relapsing into one of the less desirable scenarios, Africa
needs to among other things:
 Accelerate Continental integration process including infrastructure development
 Strengthen intra-African trade
 Enhance agricultural productivity and put in measures to address chronic food
insecurity,
 Strengthen economic and political governance systems,
 Devise strategies to exploit its vast comparative advantages in raw materials
(including by adding value) ,
 Consolidate peace and security
 Develop human capital
 Find service solutions to improve the welfare of its citizens.
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Introduction cont.
 However, the bulk of the effort rests with member-states as approvals, integration
and implementation of all proposed programmes rests with them.
 Sub-regional and regional bodies such as the RECs and the African Union
Commission (AUC) have an important facilitating role especially with respect to:
 Policy and strategy setting,
 Coordination and catalyzing socio-economic and integration agenda,
 Consensus building &advocacy,
 Experience and information sharing, and
 Setting the framework and putting in place the enabling conditions necessary for
peace, security, political stability and growth – i.e. the creation of continental and
regional public goods.
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On Document - Pages 12
STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
 The process started with a review of the Strategic Plan 2009-2012 in February
2012
 Review revealed the following
 The Plan overall was judged a good response to the vision of the Union
 Strategic Plan was highly relevant and collectively its programs addressed all the
issues identified as priorities for Africa under the Constitutive Act
 the Commission had made a good effort to implement the various programs identified
in the Plan
 However the review also revealed the following
 Over ambitious and limited prioritization
 Vague and impractical strategies (most lying outside the remit of the AUC)
 Lack of detailed implementation plan
 Inadequate attention paid to role of other stakeholders, particularly those responsible
for translating outputs into outcomes – RECS, MS, NEPAD, Partners, CSO,
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Academia, etc
STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
 Stakeholders’ workshop, involving AUC Directors, representatives from the RECs ,
other AU organs, and the NPCA was convened.
 Among other things, the workshop reviewed the pillar configuration and proposed 5
Pillars as opposed to 4 in the previous Strategic Plan. The modified Pillar
configuration is as follows
 Peace & Security
 Social, Economic & Human Development
 Integration, Cooperation & Partnerships
 Shared Values
 Institutions, Capacity Building and Communication
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STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
 The workshop recommendations were endorsed by the Commission.
 Thereafter, inputs were sought from all departments and divisions into the process,
and these were used to formulate a results framework containing outcomes,
outputs , strategies, actions and indicators.
 Draft 1 of the AUC Strategic Plan 2014-2017 was presented to a joint meeting of
Commissioners and Directors.
 At that meeting, the Commission provided guidance that the Strategic plan should
be developed on the basis of 8 priorities identified during their retreat, that helped
to frame the overall goal and the specific objectives for 2014-2017.
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On Document - Pages 21-49
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
In order for the Commission to position herself to implement the
plan, a SWOT analysis was conducted to scan the environment in
order to improve efficiency and effectiveness. This was undertaken
at both macro and thematic levels covering the following
 Economic Development, Inclusive Growth and Poverty Reduction
 Regional Integration, Trade and Infrastructure Development in Africa
 Peace, Security, Stability and Good Governance
 Human Capital Development, Science, Technology and innovation
 Agriculture, Environment and natural Resources
 Gender Equality and Women and Youth Empowerment
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
The emerging picture from the situational analysis can be summarized as
follows :
 At the start of the 21st Century the image of Africa was that of a lost continent
characterized by low economic growth rates, instability, poverty, hunger,
corruption, …etc.
 Since early 2000, there has been a turnaround of fortunes with Africa showing
considerable economic vigor and resilience in the face of uncertainty triggered by
the global financial and economic crisis and recession in the Euro zone
 Growth has averaged around 5% , a rate higher than any other period since the
early 1970s
 Between 2000 and 2011 six of the ten fastest growing countries in the world were
in Africa (Angola, Chad, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Rwanda)
 Notable progress is being made in MDGs, improved governance
 Lower costs of doing business, expanding middle class, youth bulge.
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
 Increased inflows of FDI and remittances; ICT revolution
 Africa is making steady progress across a broad front, spanning economic growth,
social development & democratization, development of human capital and
fostering peace and stability.
 Many of the gains made have elements of sustainability, and are likely to be
maintained unless significant disruptive forces emerge to derail the path to
progress and self-reliance.
 However, notwithstanding these gains, significant challenges lie ahead.
 The growth has not been inclusive and has been commodity driven
 The growth has not created sufficient jobs, especially for Women and Youth, and has
not translated into poverty reduction
 Income inequalities has increased
 There has been a process of de-industrialization, declining agriculture productivity,
rising food and nutrition insecurity
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On Document - Pages 50-81
AUC STRATEGIC PLAN 2014 - 2017
The Commission reviewed the previous Strategic Plans and
scanned the environment in an effort to design Strategic Priorities
that address Africa’s problems.
The priorities that emerged from analysis are grouped into eight clusters
to form the eight priorities as presented below;
1. Promote peace and stability ,including regional initiatives, good governance, democracy and
human right as a foundation for inclusion, security and the development of the continent and
its people
2. Expand Agricultural production, developing the Agro-processing and businesses sectors,
increase market access and attain Africa’s collective Food self-sufficiency and nutrition through
promotion of smallholder agriculture, sound environment and natural resource management,
including climate change.
3. Promote inclusive economic development and industrialization through the acceleration of
infrastructure development projects that will aid economic integration and utilization of the
continent’s mineral and other natural resources.
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AUC STRATEGIC PLAN 2014 - 2017
Priorities Continued
4.
Build Africa’s human capacity through the prioritization of Primary Health Care and Prevention; Education,
skills development and investment in science, research and innovation, access to clean water and
sanitation with inclusion of the vulnerable groups.
5.
Mainstream the participation of women and the youth in all priorities and activities of the Union and the
continent
6.
Implement strategies of resource mobilization, with special emphasis on alternative source of funding,
and/or additional funding to enable Africa to finance its programmes and development.
7.
Strengthen a people centered Union through active communication of the programmes of the African
Union, the branding of the Union and participation of Member States and other stakeholders in defining
and implementing the African agenda.
8.
Strengthen the institutional capacity of the AUC, the RECs and other organs, and its relations with
strategic and other partners
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AUC STRATEGIC PLAN 2014 - 2017
Foundation of Plan
 The foundation of the Third Strategic Plan (2014-2017) of the African Union
Commission is:
 AU Constitutive Act, which sets out the vision of the African Union to “build an
integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, an Africa driven and managed by
its own citizen and representing a dynamic force in the international arena”,
 Mandate and mission of the African Union Commission; and
 Strategic priorities defined by the Commission and highlighted in the previous
section.
The linkages between the AUC Third Strategic Plan and the various statues and
instruments of the Union and Commission are depicted in Figure 1 and Table 10.
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On Document - Pages 52
Foundation of the Strategic Plan
Figure 1: AUC Strategic Plan 2014-2017 Map
AU
Vision
Constitutive Act and Statutes
Mission
Mandate
Strategic Pillars of
the Commission
8 Priorities
Goal of Strategic Plan
Outcomes, Outputs and Targets
Stakeholders’ Workshop
Commission Retreat
Technical work with
Departments
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TABLE 1: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION THIRD
STRATEGIC PLAN 2014-2017 AND THE AU VISION AND OTHER
INSTRUMENTS
On Document - Pages 54
Vision
“An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its
own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the
global arena”
Mission To become “an efficient and value-adding institution driving the
African integration and development process in close
collaboration with African Union member states, the Regional
economic Communities and African citizens”.
Mandate Mandate as stated in the Constitutive act of the African Union
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TABLE 1: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION THIRD STRATEGIC PLAN
2014-2017 AND THE AU VISION AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS…[CONTD]
On Document - Pages 54
Strategic
1. Peace & Security
Pillars of the
2. Social, Economic & Human Development
African Union
Commission 3. Integration, Cooperation & Partnerships
4. Shared Values
5. Institutions, Capacity Building and Communication
Overall Goal The overall goal of the strategic plan is to: “Accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and inclusive
Africa, at peace with itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an
Outcomes
accountable, efficient and responsive Commission”
Outcome 1: Peace and stability, good governance, democracy and human rights as foundations for development and stable
societies promoted
Outcome 2: Policies and institutions for increased agricultural production, expanded value addition and market access, and
sound environmental and natural resource management for increased incomes and improved food and nutrition security in
place
Outcome 3: Inclusive economic development and industrialization driven by economic integration, continental infrastructural
projects, and private sector - led intra African Trade and Global access and sustainable utilization of the continents natural
resources promoted
Outcome 4: Policies and Programmes to enhance health, quality education and employable skills underpinned
investment in services, science, research and innovation in place
by
Outcome 5: Strategies for resource mobilization, including alternative and additional sources of funding, to enable Africa to
finance its programmes and development in place
Outcome 6: A People–centred Union with the participation of Member States and other stakeholders in defining and
implementing the African Agenda attained
17 and
Outcome 7: Institutional capacities of the AUC strengthened, and relations with RECs and AU Organs and with strategic
other partners enhanced
The African Media in the AUC
2014-2017 Strategic Plan
• Priority Area
– Strengthen a people centered Union through active
communication of the programs of the African Union, the
branding of the Union and participation of Member States
and other stakeholders in defining and implementing the
African agenda.
• Outcome
– An AUC that communicates with and engages Member
States/Stakeholders in defining and implementing the
African Agenda
• Output
– Rebranding of the AUC, effective communication and
increased visibility achieved
Strategies – The Media in the AUC 20142017 Strategic Plan
• Set up and implement communication and advocacy
campaigns and thematic media plans to raise awareness and
ensure stakeholders‘ / citizens‘ involvement and ownership
• Put in place and implement a Union-wide Strategy for
Communication and outreach in collaboration with member
states and other stakeholders to improve the image of Africa;
• Design and implement thematic and specific media plans to
raise awareness and ensure ownership of the AU vision and
missions;
• Enhance AUC capability to deliver effective communications
and output, develop, coordinate, and implement a continental
communications strategy to inform and influence audiences
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across Africa;
Strategies – The Media in the AUC
2014-2017 Strategic Plan (cont.)
• Build and enhance AUC capability to broadcast, and sustain
comprehensive communications plans and associated
programs in line with AU objectives;
• Support effective communication of AU policy, objectives and
missions across the AU member states, and across the
international community;
• Put in place Measures to preserve and promote use of the
Commission‘s publications, information and archival materials
• Promote through communication the cultural diversity and
multilingualism
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On Document - Pages 82-85
IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS
 The implementation framework for the Strategic Plan proposes the internal
structures to oversee implementation and the linkages between them and their
respective roles and responsibilities in planning, monitoring and reporting.
 The framework aims to improve:
 Accountability and Transparency: as it clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the
various actors and identifies the products to deliver at each level to ensure smooth
implementation
 Integrity: as it provides an integrated framework that cascades down to the
individual staff work plans which will be organically linked to the overall strategic
plan. This way, the framework will improve accountability for delivery for all the
levels within the Commission.
 Vertical and Horizontal coherence: by enhancing inter-departmental collaboration
and encouraging joint planning, monitoring and reporting on implementation.
 Efficacy: Improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the work of the Commission
to create desired results. i.e. Performance Evaluation, Result Based Management
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IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS
 The M&E structures propose establishment of the following for successful
implementation of the plan;
 Internally within the commission
 Chairperson of the Commission
 Members of the Commission and the Chief Executive of the NPCA
 The Steering Committee
 Technical Clusters
 AUC Departments
 Divisions and Units
 Individual Staff
 The NPCA will serve on the steering committee and provide the critical link
with RECs and Member States, and play an oversight role (in close
coordination with SPPMERM) in the monitoring and reporting process 22
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On Document - Pages 86-87
MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING
 The proposed monitoring and evaluation framework is centred on five
factors,




Hierarchy levels within the AU,
M&E responsibility appropriate for each level in the hierarchy,
M& E cycle for each M&E action/strategies,
Activities to be undertaken as part of the M&E process and the formats/
processes to be used in undertaking the monitoring and evaluation.
 Development of this framework is further underpinned by four key
principles as follows;




Participation
Transparency
Accountability
Smart
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MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING
MID TERM REVIEW
1. There will be a mid-term review to;
–
–
–
assess the reasonableness / continuing relevance of the outcomes, outputs
and their associated indicators and targets
assess the progress made towards the attainment of the outcomes / outputs
and
potentially reformulation of the results matrix
2. The first two years actuals will form a basis for revising the targets
for the last two years since most of the base line information at the
time of the preparation were not readily available and intelligent
guesses had to be made in setting the targets.
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MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING
END OF PLAN IMPLEMENTAION REVIEW
• The updated results matrix proposed by the Midterm Review will form
basis for the end of plan implementation review.
• The insights gained from the review will be incorporated into the
preparation of the next four year strategic plan 2018-2021
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On Document - Pages 87
ENABLING CONDITIONS
 Key stakeholders institutions on the continent as well as ordinary African citizens
must be made aware of what the Commission, through its Third Strategic Plan, is
setting out to achieve in order to strengthen their ownership and involvement.
Measures to popularize the Strategic Plan should therefore be undertaken,
involving press, TV, brochures, etc.
 Member States need to ensure adequate funding (domestic resources) and legal
instruments for the programmes of the Strategic Plan
 The programmes of the Third Strategic Plan must be fully owned by Africa,
including the continent progressively playing a bigger role and assuming
leadership in the financing of these programmes.
 Operational efficiency, synergy and collaboration of AUC departments
 Adherence to the principles of subsidiarity and complementarity between the
AUC, other Organs and RECs
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On Document - Pages 87
ENABLING CONDITIONS
 Within the Commission a culture of integrated thinking should be nurtured and
strengthened such that the Commission acts one entity in pursuit of the goal and
priorities of the Third Strategic Plan
 To enhance streamlining, coordination, harmonization and reduced transaction
costs, the Commission’s donor partners need to move towards full direct budget
support.
 There is a need to explore new and innovative sources of funding in partnership
with government and the private sector. Contributions from MS have to be
increased to support programme budget.
 The Commission must endeavour to ensure that partners and Members States
are approached early and that all prerequisites for triggering the release of funds
are addressed in good time. It should also ensure that all departments, in
particular the PBFA and SPPMERM, in a timely manner make available the fund
utilization reports every quarter to AUC Management for their attention, decision
making and direction, and to partners for their information.
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On Document - Pages 87
ENABLING CONDITIONS
 The Commission must move from focusing on predominantly normative work to a
more proactive involvement in implementation of many of the complex interregional frameworks, policies and programmes: assessments/feasibility studies,
design, negotiations/brokering agreements, putting in place governance
frameworks, monitoring frameworks, mobilizing resources, etc., so as to
accelerate progress towards realization of the continental agenda.
 The Commission must acquire critical capacities and competencies required to
advance the continental agenda; the technical complexity of multi-country
projects and investment negotiations will require new skills which the Commission
must acquire or grow.
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On Document - Pages 87
ENABLING CONDITIONS
 Within the Commission Information and Communication Directorate will facilitate
publicity through various channels that are at available.
 A hyperlink within the AUC Website will be created for access by all stakeholders.
 Existence of a robust Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism
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WAY FORWARD
• The Commission will move to consolidate initiatives to implement change
management system. Moving from activity based management to a results
based management system requires gradual and continuous implementation of a
change management plan and improved systems and processes
• A change Management Plan has to be prepared prior to implementation for AUC
staff sensitization to address the following questions;
– why the plan?
– what it is supposed to achieve?
– What the responsibilities of the departments are?
– what the governance framework for the plan implementation is
• Updated Systems and processes: The results framework, work plan and
monitoring formats will require input, analysis, and generation of information, that
may not be consistent with the existing management information system.
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WAY FORWARD
The Need To Link Plan Implementation To A Performance Management
System
• The targets set for the indicators in the results matrix is to be attained
through the joint efforts of members of staff in the department / units.
This task is divided through;
– the preparation of a departmental work plan and
– staff developing their individual work plans from it.
• The attainment of the departmental / individual targets within the context
of the results matrix should be reinforced by rewards and sanctions
• It is necessary that the AUC reinforces a performance management
system through the following processes;
– staff develop work plans based on the results matrix
– staff appraisal is done based on the work plan + other factors
– reward / sanctions to reinforce the desired behavior.
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Conclusions
• The world is undergoing breathtaking changes in all
spheres of life, and African countries need to embrace this
fact and take charge in order to remain competitive.
• The AUC must shift from the normative approach to
proactively support accelerated implementation of
continental integration and socio-economic agenda.
• African continent is on a sustainable path that will lead to
realisation of the vision.
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Thank you