AG-Scan Sierra Leone

9 – 10 April 2019

About the workshop

As part of the global capacity development initiative, AVANTI – Advancing Knowledge for Agricultural Impact, IFAD and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry held a rural self-assessment workshop (‘AG-Scan’) and action planning meeting between 9 and 11 April in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Facilitated by Itad Limited and HELVETAS, the workshop and planning meeting were attended by representatives from various ministries, international agencies and civil society.

Opening statements were given by Mr. Peter Nuyaba Sam-Kpakra, Development Secretary of Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) and Mr Jakob Tuborgh, Country Programme Manager IFAD. These were followed by a keynote address by the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr Joseph J. Ndanema. Dr Sheka Bangura from the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development also discussed his involvement in the Cap-Scan, a capacity diagnostic tool on which the Ag-Scan is based, passing on some important lessons learnt.

The workshop assessed the rural sector’s existing capacity to measure and evaluate progress towards national and sector plans and the SDGs. Discussions among the participants were animated and informative with an emphasis placed on the Ag-Scan’s follow up process.

An action planning meeting on the last day identified priority action areas to enhance the sector’s results-based management approach to facilitate more informed government decision-making for rural policies and strategies.

The AVANTI initiative, formed of IFAD, Itad and HELVETAS, has led Ag-Scans in other countries, including Peru, Samoa and Tunisia and will have completed a total of 16 across the globe by 2021.

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