Institutional Strengthening of IGAD

IGAD is an 8-country, sub-regional organization established in 1996. It covers a population of circa 200 million and includes states from the Horn of Africa, the Nile Valley and the Great Lakes. It is one of 8 subsidiary regional economic communities (RECs) of the African Union whose vision is to achieve peace, prosperity and sustainable development in the region through regional cooperation and integration.

IGAD is relevant for Switzerland as it is the only REC working on all themes and in all target areas of the Swiss Cooperation Strategy Horn of Africa. It is a strategic venue to influence policy making, with good regional ownership and legitimacy based on its good results despite the region’s volatility.

Yet, IGAD suffers from severe weaknesses. For years, the donors–IGAD relationship has lacked coherence and a commonality of purpose, with IGAD receiving project-focused support rather than integrated programming. Against this backdrop, an Institutional Strengthening Action Programme (ISAP) was launched out of a shared understanding between IGAD and a small donor group of the need for capacity building.

Switzerland joined the ISAP Coordination Group (ICG) in 2014 as core member in order to influence the structuration of ISAP’s 3^rd phase as a coherent support programme uniting all donors under one roof. This decision was based on the growing number of Swiss Government entities having initiated projects with IGAD in recent years. Accordingly, a multi-year allocation to the ISAP III pool fund is now proposed.

The overarching goal of ISAP III is to strengthen IGAD’s capacity to deliver on its mandate of peace, prosperity and regional integration. Better institutional capacity will allow the Secretariat and Specialized Institutions to interact more coherently, effectively and efficiently with Member States, donors and other Stakeholders, in a results-oriented manner.

Primary: IGAD Secretariat + IGAD Specialized Institutions.

Secondary: IGAD Member States + IGAD donors + Other Stakeholders.

1. Performance of IGAD substantially enhanced.

2. Interactions btw IGAD & Member States improved.

3. Interactions btw IGAD & donors improved.

4. Interactions btw IGAD & other stakeholders improved

Expected results:  

• Fill gaps in IPSAS implementation;
• Gender-balance IGAD Strategy 2016–20;
• Strengthen service functions such as human resources, accounting and procurement;
• Creation of Committee of Directors to improve management functions;
• Creation of Committees of Eminent People to ease programme implementation in MSs;
• Continuation of dialogue within ICG;
• Strengthening ties with business, civil society organizations, universities & research bodies.

Results from previous phases:  

No former SDC phase. Key results of ISAP I-II:

• Drafting of sector policies, IGAD Strategy 2016–20, Communication Strategy;
• Staff training in Results Based Management;
• Strengthening of the Gender Unit;
• Governance mechanisms for IDDRSI;
• Dialogue fora in line with Paris Declaration;
• Grant facility to support civil society;
• Agreements with research bodies in drylands;
• External audit, self-assessment and ISAP I-II review to feed into ISAP III.

Bilateral: Denmark, Norway, Finland, GIZ, USAID.

Multilateral: DG-DEVCO, AfDB, WB, UNDP.

All Swiss-funded interventions with IGAD.

Phase 1 31.05.2014 - 31.03.2022   (Completed)