Pillar 1 - Institutional Development

FAO Project (GCP/SYR/006/ITA)

Pillar 1: Institutional Development

A Policy locus for the agricultural sector

The need for establishing an institution capable of carrying out economic analysis in support of agricultural policy emerged from the ongoing process of modernization of the Syrian economy and, particularly, of its agricultural sector.

Therefore, the main objective of the Project has been the establishment and development of the National Agricultural Policy Center , a Syrian institution specialized in applied economic analysis of agricultural policies. NAPC long-term mission is to provide well-informed policy advice in response to actual challenges and to stimulate interest and debate in the society on sustainable development of Syrian agriculture. Research and communication are the two pillars of the Center, which has emerged as a national forum for agricultural policy debate.

Foundation of the NAPC

The Project produced in its first phase two study reports on the “Restructuring of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform” and on the “Structure and Functions of the National Agricultural Policy Center (NAPC)”. These reports were well received by the Syrian Government and provided a significant input for the restructuring and development of an effective organizational structure for the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR) to perform its duties in the new social market-oriented scenario. Several recommendations of the reports were implemented, and provided the basis to institutionalize the establishment of the National Agricultural Policy Center , also paving the ground for initiating the functioning of the NAPC, realized as immediate priority in the second phase of the Project.

What is NAPC

The National Agricultural Policy Center (NAPC) is a body of the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform specialized in the analysis, formulation and monitoring of agricultural policies. It was established through Ministerial Decision No. 51/T of 14 December 2000, establishing the National Agricultural Policy Centre (NAPC) as a Center specialized in agricultural policy support; Ministerial Decision No. 48/T of 9 August 2001, defining NAPC structure and functions; Ministerial Decision No. 1260 of 9 August 2001, setting up the Center's Scientific Committee and Steering Commission; and Ministerial Decision No. 81/T of 5/9/2005 formally establishing the structure of the NAPC.

Two governing bodies provide orientation and guidance to NAPC. The Steering Commission (StC) is chaired by the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform and is composed of representatives of departments of the same Ministry, of the State Planning Commission, and of other Ministries (Irrigation, Economy and Trade, Finance). The StC approves the work plan of the NAPC and assesses its implementation. The NAPC Scientific Committee (ScC), composed of two international and two national experts, overseeing the technical quality of the Center's activities.

Project support to the NAPC

The Project has been supporting the Center in progressively building its technical staff, providing intensive in-class and on-the-job training. In the period April 2001 – July 2004, the staffing of the Center was carried out and, by the end of 2004, the Center operates with a staff of 30 professionals, including two who have acquired a Masters degree overseas, and of 7 support staff. This sizeable work force has received the infrastructure and equipment, to be soon further enhanced by the move to new specially built premises, adequate for its effective functioning.

As a result, the NAPC has started producing several useful services. With Project support, it has realized:

the Agricultural Policy Forum - the first permanent roundtable in Syria aiming at enhancing dialogue on agricultural issues among stakeholders and policy makers;

the Syrian Agricultural Database - the first effort towards the creation of a comprehensive collection of data on Syrian agriculture;

the publication of periodical reports on Syrian Agricultural Trade and the State of Food and Agriculture in Syria ;

the NAPC Website , including all the publications produced, as a clearinghouse for information on agricultural policy issues of relevance for Syria ;

the NAPC Newsletter , disseminating updated information on the Center's activities to a large audience;

the NAPC Library , putting at Syrian practitioners' and academicians' disposal precious collections of materials on agricultural and rural development policies.

The NAPC has now a divisional structure founded on the thematic areas, considered as priorities of the reform process - Trade Policies, Food and Agriculture Policies, and Rural Development Policies. An Information and Communication division and an Administrative Affairs section complement the NAPC work force.

The strategy of the Project focuses on the consolidation of the NAPC as a technically qualified, autonomous and sustainable center of excellence in research, analysis and advice for the sustainable development of Syrian agriculture. This ambitious and time-demanding endeavor has called for a strong effort including actions targeting institution building, human resources and research skills development as well as know-how transfer. Yet, this long-term investment has been highly beneficial in providing support to Syrian policy decision-making.

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 training is especially geared to the management requirements as they stem from the experimentation of the new organizational structure, to improve communication flows, teamwork and interdepartmental coordination.

An international institutional support consultant assists the NAPC management in enhancing its organizational structure and work modalities, defining staff responsibilities and roles, adopting a structured planning process, promoting the establishment and functioning of an effective internal communication system and of a system to monitor NAPC progress toward self-sustainability. Furthermore, three Thematic Advisors guide and support the designing and monitoring of NAPC activities at division level, while providing scientific tutorship and on-the-job training.

Another main undertaking of the Project regards the development of strong linkages between the NAPC and private and public institutions, both at national and international level. Partnership and network promotion are main steps forward that the NAPC must move. 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 Universidad Politécnica de 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) and the Universities of Florence and Bologna, in order to allow information-sharing and encourage international cooperation in agricultural development.

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