This workshop organised from July 27 to 28, 2022 in Abuja by the ECOWAS Commission and GIZ through the ECOWAS Institutional Support (ISE) project funded by the European Union (EU), follows series of interviews, led to the development of a guideline for reporting on projects and activities for development partners and grantees.

Indeed, the ECOWAS Commission has embarked on institutional reforms with a view to making procedures within ECOWAS institutions more efficient and in line with international best practices.

This work, which falls within the framework of actions for the EU pillar assessment, for the certification for the management of EU funds by the ECOWAS Commission, aims to validate this guideline for reporting on projects and activities of development partners and grantees.

The workshop was attended by representatives from the Directorates of External Relations, Strategic Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation, Financial Reporting and Grant, General Administration, as well as the Directorates in charge of coordinating partners’ funded projects and grants mainly Directorates of Agriculture, Free movement, Transport, Statistic, Energy, Trade and Private Sector.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Jérôme Boa, Director of External Relations of the ECOWAS Commission, stressed on the importance of this work that will not only participate in  the certification for the management of EU funds by the ECOWAS Commission but also be used within the framework of projects funded by the new EU cooperation and financial instrument, the NDICI. He further emphasized the need for the Commission to operationalise its development partners projects coordination unit.

Mr. Lucas Brockmann representing GIZ Nigeria indicated that this workshop falls within the framework of the pillar assessment of the European Union in order to support the ECOWAS Commission in the implementation of its regional strategy, through better management of its capacities and resources.

At the end of the work, the guide was unanimously approved by the participants who made recommendations that will be taken into account in its final version.

The ISE project provides strategic support for the implementation of the ECOWAS-EU partnership to support the institutional reform of ECOWAS. More specifically, the action will strengthen the ECOWAS Commission and EBID in the preparation of the EU pillars assessment.

More info on ISE: https://www.raosupportcellecowas.com/post/institutional-support-to-ecowas-specific-objective-1-and-3.