"The African Agriculture Policy Agenda in Practice: Managing processes and improving advisory capacities”, Accra, June 2014

1. Advisory Capacities
for the
Contemporary Agricultural Policy Agenda
13th June 2014
Agricultural Policy Learning Event, 11-13 June 2012, Accra, Ghana
Heike Hoeffler
GIZ Sector Project Agricultural Policy and Food Security
(heike.hoeffler@giz.de)
09.10.2014 Abteilung „Ländliche Entwicklung und Agrarwirtschaft“ Seite 1

2. Seite 2
Aim
Access the role of
currentthinking about
policy for agricultural
development
Content
- Policy areas of
agreement and debate
- Policy choices
- Skills and competences
for a contemporary
agricultural policy
advisor
http://www.giz.de/expertise/html/7981.html

3. Seite 3
• Rural Investment Climate/ Enabling
Environment
• Provision of Rural Public Goods
• Food and Nutrition Security
Consensus
- Key functions of
the state
• Rural Transition
• Agricultural Technology
• Land Policy
• Small-scale vs. large-scale farms
• Failings in Rural Markets
• Competitiveness and Value Chains
• Stabilising Markets
• Responding to Climate Change
• Environmentally Sustainable Farming
Debates and
Uncertainties
Sector Project Agricultural Policy and Food Security
Capacities and
Skills Matter!

4. Seite 4
What should be the role of BMZ/GIZ in strengthening capacities
for agricultural policy advisors and analysts in partner countries?
Training to fill skill gaps – However, need to link capacity with
incentives!
Creation of networks - “Community of practice”
Fostering university-level collaboration
Identifying areas of comparative advantage with a focus on
institutions
Creating opportunities for exchange with practitioners to study
their role in agricultural policy-making, exposure measures

5. Capacity Needed!
• Technical skills,
• Process
management,
• Political instinct
Seite 5
Vision:
A development-oriented Agricultural Policy manages the
balance between a reliable public sector framework and the
necessary space for private sector and civil society.
... is actively steered by policy
makers, government, and
administration
(Steering)
... is influenced and accepted by
agricultural private sector actors
(Participation)
reliable ag economic
business framework
targeted agricultural
promotion
programmes
Poverty Reduction
and Food Security
Agricultural
Economic Policy
Agricultural-
Environmental Policy
Agricultural
Social Policy
SP Agricultural Policy and Food Security 09/10/2014

6. The Capacity Agenda for Contemporary Agricultural Policy
Seite 6
General Advisory Skills
Technical
Capacities
Process
Management
Political
Understanding
1. Rural Development,
Transformation and Poverty
Trends
1. New Aid Architecture /
Harmonisation and Alignment
1. Political System,
Budgeting, Decision
Making Procedures
2. Basic Economics 2. Planning in Complex and
Dynamic Systems
2. Political Economy of the
Agricultural Sector
3. Agricultural Economics: Markets,
Marketing and Failures
3. Multi-Stakeholder Policy
Dialogues
3. New Public Management
/ Public Choice
4. Environmental Sustainability and
Climate Change
4. Public-Private Partnership
Moderation
4. Political Instinct

7. Seite 7
Last Questions:
1. Do we have the necessary skills?
2. Where and how to develop more capacities?
3. What next beyond this week?

8. Seite 8
Background
MDG 1:
The majority
of the poor
still live in
rural areas.
The food price
crises, climate
change and
dynamics of global
agricultural markets
require a fresh look
at Agricultural in
order to seize new
opportunities and
to tackle new risks.
Agriculture and
Food Security are
becoming more
important in
economic,
environmental
and social policy
making - for many
developing
countries, this
means new
challenges for
their national
agricultural policy
making.
International
Development
actors and
agencies are not
adequately
prepared for this
demand for
contemporary
agricultural policy
advisory services.
GIZ started a
reviewing
agricultural policy
advisory services
for German
Development
work
SP Agricultural Policy and Food Security