USAID: Initiative for Southern Africa FY 2002 Congressional Budget Justification

PROGRAM: Initiative for Southern Africa
TITLE AND NUMBER: Create Capacity for More Informed Regional Decision Making, 690-005
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $0
PROPOSED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $0
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1999 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002

Summary: The shortage of regional information and analytical resources is a serious impediment to effective southern African policy-making on a regional basis. There are vast differences in data-collection and analytical capabilities among the southern Africa countries of Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The general approach, to aggregate existing country-specific data and treat it as regional data, frequently fails to provide a comprehensive picture of the region as a whole. For example, several countries have large informal employment sectors, which are not captured in their gross domestic product figures. As a result of such information gaps, southern African decision-makers lack the tools for making sound policies based on clearly identified needs and realities of the region.

This program was developed to create a regional capacity for more informed decision making by strengthening the capacity of selected southern African institutions to provide regional analyses and assessments relating to policies and their impacts on economic growth, regional integration and socio-economic trends. This information is essential for decision-makers to formulate and implement effective regional policies. USAID's program has supported assistance for decision-makers in identifying and prioritizing analytical needs; it worked with institutions in the region, through technical assistance and financial support, to undertake analyses; and it worked with decision-makers and key organizations to effectively use such analytical information in regional decisions.

Key Results: USAID designed this program to be implemented in two phases. During the first phase, USAID fully developed a performance monitoring system, including identifying and developing region-wide data sources, to meet the unique requirements of monitoring and evaluating the impact of regional programs. In the second phase, USAID proposed to work closely with southern African institutions to develop methodologies for gathering and analyzing regional development data. USAID worked to identify several southern African institutions that could serve as an institutional "home" for regional development data. Although there were several groups in the region that showed keen interest in partnering with USAID, there were no financial resources forthcoming other than the USAID program. USAID will use existing national databases as a programmatic basis for its activities. Given the uncertain prospects for sustainability beyond U.S. support in this area, USAID will not provide future support for this activity, and all actions currently under way will be completed by the end of FY 2002.

Performance and Prospects: USAID will continue to focus on the development and fine tuning of methodologies for performance planning, monitoring, and evaluation, including assessing the impact of regional development programs through FY 2002.

Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: The U.S. firm Aurora Associates is the principal contractor for this activity. Aurora Associates will continue to provide technical assistance in the monitoring and evaluation of the regional program.

U.S. Financing

(In thousands of dollars)

	Obligations		Expenditures		Unliquidated
Through September 30, 1999	2,700	DA	0	DA	2,700	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD	0	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA
Fiscal Year 2000	0	DA	916	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA
Through September 30, 2000	2,700	DA	916	DA	1,784	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD	0	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA
Prior Year Unobligated Funds	0	DA
	0	CSD
	0	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA	0	DA
	0	CSD
	0	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001	0	DA
	0	CSD
	0	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
			Future Obligations		Est. Total Cost
Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA	0	DA	0	DA	2,700	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD	0	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA

INITIATIVE FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA

Activity Data Sheet

U.S. Financing