Vet-Gov:
The prevailing institutional environment in most African countries is not conducive to the provision of affordable, accessible and sustainable quality veterinary services. An analysis of these problems provides the basis for the development of the Reinforcing Veterinary Governance in Africa (VET-GOV) Project, that was launched on January 16 2012 at AU-IBAR in Nairobi, and whose aim is to improve aspects of Governance and Institutional reforms which are required to improve the provision of veterinary services in Africa. The purpose of the project is to improve the institutional environment at national and regional levels to address critical veterinary governance gaps so as to provide effective and efficient animal health services in Africa while the strategic goal is to bring about institution strengthening of veterinary services towards:

  • The establishment of adequate veterinary services at the national level
  • Strengthening of regional institutions to play their roles of coordination, harmonisation, integration and support to countries with the aim of stimulating a more conducive environment for public and private investments in the livestock sector.

The project, which has a continental coverage and is implemented in partnership with eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) namely COMESA, SADC, EAC, UMA, ECOWAS, ECCAS, IGAD and CEN-SAD.; the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Animal Health Organization (OIE). AU-IBAR is responsible for the overall coordination of the project and implementation of most activities, either directly or indirectly through RECs, in line with the mandate of the African Union Commission (AUC) to build their capacity. The FAO and OIE are responsible for implementing activities related to specific result areas in RECs and Member States (MS).

  1. RESULT AREAS, ACTIVITIES AND SUBACTIVIRIES

Result Area 1: Knowledge and awareness for institutional strengthening enhanced:

Activity 1: Collate and document data to support knowledge creation.

  • Sub-activity 1: Collate baseline information on Livestock policies, Animal Health strategies and veterinary legislations and their analysis
  • Sub-activity 2: Collate relevant data and evidence required for policy development
  • Sub-activity 3: Support Pilot Activities in selected countries or RECs
  • Sub-activity 4: Document lessons learned, best practice and evidence

Activity 2: Undertake evidence-based advocacy

  • Sub-activity 1: Organisation of workshops with policy makers, civil society organisations
  • Sub-activity 2: Sharing of information through exchange visits
  • Sub-activity 3: Strengthen continental platform for exchange, discussions and advocacy mechanisms for guiding animal health development on the continent
  • Sub-activity 4: Support participation of livestock stakeholders’ organisations in lobbying and advocacy fora

Result Area 2: Institutional capacity for livestock policy formulation, animal health strategies and legislation enhanced:

Activity 1: Build capacity for livestock policy and AH strategy formulation

  • Sub-activity 1: Develop, adapt and test policy formulation tools and guidelines
  • Sub-activity 2: Provide training and backstopping on the use of policy tools and guidelines for policy and strategy formulation
  • Sub-activity 3: Build capacity of livestock stakeholders’ organisations for policy and strategy development

Activity 2: Build capacity for the review and development of AH legislation

  • Sub-activity 1: Develop and/or adopt legislation frameworks
  • Sub-activity 2: Provide training in legislation review and development

Activity 3: Provide guidance for adopting livestock policy, AH strategies and legislation review and harmonisation.

  • Sub-activity 1: Support establishment and operation of policy hubs
  • Sub-activity 2: Provide technical backstopping for policy, strategy and legislative processes
  • Sub-activity 3: Facilitate consultation and provide guidance for harmonisation of policy and regulatory frameworks on inter-sectoral, regional and inter-regional levels.
  • Sub-activity 4: Support the integration of the sector strategy into the country compact and MTEF

Result Area 3: Institutional capacity for the implementation of policies and enforcement of regulations enhanced:

Activity 1: Enhance capacities for timely collection, analysis and sharing of accurate sanitary information

  • Sub-activity 1: Roll out ARIS in more African countries and assure safe interconnectivity with WAHIS and other animal health information systems in the continent.
  • Sub-activity 2: Training on data collection and analysis
  • Sub-activity 3: Provide technical backstopping for information collation, analyses and dissemination
  • Sub-activity 4: Strengthen the AU-IBAR Knowledge Management portal (incl. yearbook and library)

Activity 2: Strengthen disease prevention and control mechanisms at national and regional level

  • Sub-activity 1: Support regional networks (labs, epidemio-surveillance, communication, socio-economic)
  • Sub-activity 2: Support implementation of Integrated Regional Coordination Mechanisms for control of TADs.
  • Sub-activity 3: Enhance capacity of RECs to provide technical backstopping to their Member States
  • Sub-activity 4: Support development and/or harmonisation of regional contingency and emergency plans

Activity 3: Facilitate the participation of African countries in AH standard setting processes

  • Sub-activity 1: Gather, analyse and disseminate relevant information on AH standards
  • Sub-activity 2: Organise consultation mechanisms for common position building at regional and continental levels.
  • Sub-activity 3: Training of RECs’ and national personnel as trainers in AH standard setting process
  • Sub-activity 4: Support the participation of private stakeholders in standard setting processes.

Activity 4: Enhance capacity of RECs and countries to assess the compliance of veterinary services with OIE standards

  • Sub-activity 1: Conduct PVS follow-up evaluations
  • Sub-activity 2: Enhance capacities in countries and RECs to strengthen participation in PVS follow-up
  • Sub-activity 3: Follow up on the use of the OIE PVS as self-monitoring or independent evaluation tool

See Vet-Gov Achievements Table Here>>