Project Phase 3: 2004-2007
Ensuring self-sustainability of the NAPC
Sustainable Capacity Consolidation of the National Agricultural Policy Center
• Institutional Development
• Policy Analysis and Communication
• On-the-Job Training
• Information
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS (so far): NAPC take-over and transfer of activities' ownership started. NAPC official web site published.
In order to support NAPC to become a self sustaining institution in line with international standards, the Project is assisting in the establishment of relations with domestic and foreign institutions, while further efforts are being made in training for management and support staff, supplying equipment for offices and library, and supporting the functioning of the Scientific Committee.
Support is also being provided through the services of an international institutional support consultant who constantly gives inputs to the NAPC in order to: maintain its sustainability monitoring system and support its management in streamlining work modalities and defining roles, induce a structured planning process, promote the establishment and functioning of an effective internal communication system.
Furthermore, support is being provided to the implementation of the organizational structure that defined at the end of Phase II 3 research divisions in line with the analytical areas of priority for the reform process (Trade and Trade Policy, Agro-food System and Related Policies, and Sustainable Rural Development), complemented by an Administrative Division and an Information and Communication Division. The Project is enhancing the planning and managerial capacity of the NAPC by promoting the involvement of the staff in the design, monitoring and implementation of the divisional work plans. In this endeavor, research divisions of the NAPC, beside the assistance provided by the international institutional support consultant, benefit from the advice provided by three Thematic Advisers, whom, as part of the services they provide, assist in designing and monitoring the implementation of the divisional work plans.
Another main undertaking of the third Phase regards the development of strong linkages between the NAPC and private and public institutions, both at national and international level. Collaboration with other institutions would eventually be the key for NAPC to gain international recognition as well as to enhance its research capacity. In a long-term perspective, NAPC shall be a leading institution in agriculture-related policy matters. In its effort towards partnership promotion, the Project fostered the signature of two framework agreements between the Center and, respectively, the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Valencia , Spain) and the Center for Advanced Training in the Economics and Policy of Rural Development (Portici - Naples, Italy). Similar agreements are being promoted with other foreign institutions in various countries, such as the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD - France) as well as the Universities of Florence and Bologna, in order to allow information-sharing and encourage international cooperation in the field of agricultural development.
During its third phase, the Project is further strengthening NAPC capacity to perform autonomously, assisting in monitoring progresses in quality of outputs, providing international expertise for specific policy issues, supporting the production and dissemination of publications and the organization of events to debate policy issues.
The NAPC is being enabled to autonomously contribute to the policy process by analyzing, formulating and monitoring policies, providing advice to policy makers and promoting dialogue among stakeholders.
T he Project introduced innovative ways of support in policy analysis, particularly by ensuring, in addition to that of the resident team, the assistance of many visiting international consultants, three of whom act as Thematic Advisors (TAs) to the three NAPC research divisions (Agro-Food, Trade, Rural Development).
The three TAs assist in designing and monitoring the implementation of the divisional work plans. They promote the development of analytical capacities, guiding skills-enhancing activities, including programs of personal readings and the production of working papers. They are also directly involved in assisting the production of studies and analytical reports such as the SAT, the SOFAS, the studies on Supply and Demand of selected agro-food products and the Mid-term Review of the Syrian Agricultural Strategy. Moreover, the TAs are also helping in shaping new outputs to be regularly produced by the NAPC including commodity bulletins and policy briefs.
In addition, international expertise is being provided to support NAPC staff in the production of specific studies such as the one on Non-agricultural Activities in Rural Areas.
Support to NAPC analytical work is being delivered with a decreasing intensity in such a way to enable NAPC to autonomously conduct its research activities, produce policy studies and continue the publication of the Syrian Agricultural Trade (SAT) and the State of Food and Agriculture in Syria (SOFAS).
Furthermore, problem oriented policy support is delivered in response to requests from the Government , e.g., the elaboration of an Agricultural Investment Map of Syria.
The Project has been assisting the NAPC in organizing the following seminars within the Agricultural Policy Forum initiative:
• The State of Food and Agriculture in Syria , Mr S. Jrad
• New Orientation of Syrian Agricultural Policy, Mr E. Alloush
• Agriculture in the Syrian-EU Association Agreement, Mr A. El Hindi
• Agriculture and Rural-Urban Migrations: Facts and Policy Implications, Mr J. Vercueil
• Syrian Accession to the World Trade Organization, Mr D. Mc Clatchy
The NAPC is gradually taking over the organization of the local seminars as well as of national agricultural policy workshops and, particularly of the regional conference of the NENARNAP, to be held in the next future.
The third phase is providing resources for delivering additional post graduate education overseas by distance learning at the Imperial College of the University of London (UK); stages and participation in international events; and intensive short in-service courses focused on policy research topics of direct relevance to NAPC work plan, such as analytical tools for the supply and demand of agricultural produce, poverty assessment, trade negotiations, and gender sensitive rural development policies.
Courses are open to practitioners from MAAR and other ministries, parastatals and relevant professional or civil society organizations in order to enhance exchange with partner institutions.
NAPC human resources capacities is being enhanced in a participatory manner by promoting the establishment of a NAPC Training Committee responsible for identifying needs, formulating proposals and participating in organizing and delivering a program of internal seminars. Following the fruitful experience gained under Phase II, NAPC staff is actively participating in delivering short training sessions (“flash courses”) in coordination with the on-the-job support consultants made available by the Project. This training aims at sharing knowledge on specific tools and skills as well as at enhancing working practices based on the ability acquired by the staff.
To complete the institution building process, the Project is giving its support to the NAPC in the form of training in management and team building. The objective is to acquaint selected NAPC staff with innovative and modern concepts and practices for management of organizations and human resources. The first training course, delivered in July 2005 by the Administrative Staff College of India, was especially geared to the management requirements as they emanate from the experimentation of the new organizational structure and the established information and communication flows. The exposure to management concepts is expected to contribute in improving the NAPC internal communication, teamwork and interdepartmental coordination.
The implementation of the new organizational structure, which emphasizes the importance of the information and communication dimensions in policy work, is being accompanied by the development of an information system able to promote the establishment of a working environment conducive to the appropriate valorization and sharing of data and information produced as part of the research activities, the establishment of an institutional memory and the effective external communication of outputs produced.
Availability and accessibility of information for policy analysis has been enhanced by coordinating the efforts being made in maintaining, updating and extending the Syrian Agriculture Database, establishing a wider documentation system, supporting the development of the NAPC Intranet and consolidating the library.
As part of this undertaking, the Project supported NAPC in publishing its first official website (www.napcsyr.org) that constitutes a catalogue and repository to facilitate the extensive dissemination of the Center's publications (database, books, reports, working papers, training materials, biannual newsletter and proceedings).
The information system is contributing in enhancing NAPC communication capacity, which is a main issue at stake for a new institution aiming at establishing and developing exchanges with stakeholders and establishing domestic and international links.
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