PROJECT APPRAISAL PROCESS

The initiative aims at operationalising knowledge-mobilisation and sharing across the continent through having regional chapters. By mobilizing and sharing knowledge, the initiative is to strongly contribute to addressing Africa's challenges in a manner that continuously and effectively links knowledge production with the continent’s development needs in all fields and sectors. Knowledge has emerged as the key factor in wealth-creation and production processes. KMAfrica's aims to be the knowledge engine that drives appropriate development solutions for Africa. This will be done through:

Facilitating research including funding (research including in the field);
Facilitating platforms of knowledge exchange - seminars conferences including econferencing;
Collating African experts on various developmental issues and putting them in one place;
Providing links to KMAFRICA relevant research and research institutions in the continent and beyond

1. Introduction and background

The initiative aims at operationalising knowledge-mobilisation and sharing across the continent through having regional chapters. By mobilising and sharing knowledge, the initiative is to strongly contribute to addressing Africa's challenges in a manner that continuously and effectively links knowledge production with the continent's development needs in all fields and sectors. Knowledge has emerged as the key factor in wealth-creation and production processes. KMAfrica's aims to be "the knowledge engine that drives appropriate development solutions for Africa”. This will be done through:

facilitating research including funding (research including in the field);
facilitating platforms of knowledge exchange - seminars conferences including;
e-conferencing;
collating African experts on various developmental issues and putting them in one place; and
providing links to KMAfrica relevant research and research institutions in the continent and beyond.

2. Criteria of projects to be funded by KMAfrica

The most important object of funding research under the KMAfrica initiative is to build knowledge networks; across countries and across sectors. This means whatever project is funded by the initiative it must demonstrate how it will facilitate the creation of knowledge networks across sectors and across countries. These projects must also facilitate better understanding of issues and challenges facing Africa and on completion, must offer recommendations/solutions thus helping provide evidence based solutions for Africa's developmental challenges. In addition projects that arise from previous KMAfrica work will receive priority for funding. For example the East-African Regional Consultative Exercise (E-ARCE) may identify gaps that can be filled in by research.
Projects eligible for KMAfrica funding must in addition to contributing to the objectives of KMAfrica:
Show evidence of some form of regional or even continental collaboration AND
Promote the creation of new knowledge and package lessons learnt. This will help create learning organizations in both private and public sphere.

The projects to be funded must be within the sectors outlined below:

Governance (Accountability &reporting systems, Monitoring & Evaluation (tools and methods and lessons learnt) enhancing public participation
Service delivery Water, sanitation and waste
Energy
Agriculture
Knowledge Systems including indigenous knowledge systems
Technology
In addition the primary execution institution/institutions should in its initial application demonstrate:
Need/demand for the project and project results
project's alignment with KMAfrica principles
capacity to successfully execute the project
partnership with other regional bodies
partnership with policy makers or how it will be integrated into policy i.e; how it will practically enable informed decision making
SMART output/milestones based budgeting for ease of disbursement and monitoring
That the primary executing institution is a legal persona and thus can be sued etc.

Using the criteria defined above inclusively i.e. all projects must fit all the criteria outlined above, project appraisals will then be undertaken to:

Enable a decision on whether or not to finance or sponsor a project
Add value where possible by suggesting improvements in design or implementation to the project sponsor or owner.

3. The appraisal process

Although minor variations may exist, the KMAfrica will follow the conventional project cycle which starts with project identification or initiation, followed by preparation, appraisal, negotiation, implementation and completion, and, if the need arises, includes evaluation.

	Description	Reason	Responsible person
1	Registration of project proposal	The registration is for governance purposes to ensure a paper trail	KMAfrica Administrator

2	Technical fit assessment	A check is done to see if the application is in line with the KMAfrica criteria as laid out in the mandate, policies and business plan. If this fit is lacking, the client is notified that the application has been turned down and for what reason.	KMAfrica coordinator

3	Assign project to subject expert within the Bank	If the application is accepted for further processing it will be assigned to a subject expert within the Bank.	KMAfrica coordinator

4	Expert assessment	The appointed subject expert will assess the project for substance fit? Is it really new knowledge, is it needed, is the suggested research methodology the most cost effective, and is the researcher familiar with the topic, is the institution organisationally capable of managing the project and ensuring that it meets its objectives? Do the regional chapters embrace it? When this assessment of the institutional capability to execute programme is completed, a brief report is prepared for the KMAfrica Advisory Committee.	KMAfrica coordinator + subject expert

5	Submission for approval to KMAfrica Advisory Committee	KMAfrica Advisory Committee officially accepts or rejects proposal. At the KMAfrica advisory committee meetings there will be a standing agenda called “project approval and report back on progress”	KMAfrica Advisory Committee

6	Response to primary executing institution	The primary executing institution is notified of the outcome; rejected or accepted If accepted, a legal contract drafted on the basis of the approved appraisal report is signed with the primary executing institution. The contract contains the project description, the deliverables, payment schedule, implementation arrangements, dispute resolution mechanisms and other terms and conditions of the support.	KMAfrica coordinator & legal unit

7	Register with CORE as assignment	To assist with efficient disbursement, monitoring and recording of implementation progress or lack thereof. Although the KMAfrica secretariat is not responsible for implementation, it will do its utmost to help the client in achieving the project’s development objectives and will provide as much assistance as it can. Using CORE will facilitate payments as per output (having complete information readily available will facilitate disbursement as per output)	KMAfrica coordinator & subject expert

8	Report & completion report	The research findings or conference findings depending on the nature of the project, lessons learnt regarding the project’s successes and shortcomings will be submitted to KMAfrica secretariat by the primary institution	Primary execution institution

9	Initial peer review	The subject expert and KMAfrica coordinator compile the completion report which contains, among others, the preliminary evaluation report based on the objectives set out initially; were they met?	Subject expert and KMAfrica coordinator

10	Peer review by independent experts	The objective of peer review is to assist with improving report quality by way of discussing and debating before project is placed on KM portal	KMAfrica coordinator facilitates peer review

11	Put into KMAfrica portal for access	For access and knowledge sharing	KMAfrica project manager and KMAfrica coordinator

4. Dispute resolution

Where disputes arise, either among the team or between the team and the subject expert chosen to manage the project, the KMAfrica coordinator is to be the first port of call. Failure to reach consensus with the KMAfrica coordinator can lead to either the submission of a minority report or institution of legal action.

5. Conclusion