FAO has gone through a major transformation process that has deeply affected its priority-setting process, its structure, and its ways of working. The organization has upgraded its goals and adopted a new strategic framework following a thorough strategic thinking process.

The decentralization and integration of emergency and development activities has been completed. Country Programming frameworks have been put in place in most countries, and regional initiatives have been launched to address regional challenges. The roles of the regional conference have been strengthened

The revised MTP 2014-2017 and the PWB 2016-2017 put a major emphasis on enhancing the delivery for result, under new institutional arrangements that clarifies and strengthen the accountability for results inside the organization.

The RNE regional workplan has been formulated in this new framework. Enhancing and accelerating the delivery of the regional work plan is the major challenge for the professional staffs in the region. The implementation of the workplan will be influenced by the following factors:

• The deliberation and recommendations of the Regional Conference (NERC 33) 18-22 April in Lebanon; 
• The regional implementation of the sustainable development Agenda 2030 (SDGs) and the post COP21;
• Conflicts and protracted crisis of the NENA Region will continue to pose substantial challenges for delivery as well as for Resources mobilization, but create also new opportunities;
• A Regional Strategic Review Process has been launched to identify the challenges, trends and the long term priority areas for interventions, where FAO has a real comparative advantage and can add the greatest value in terms of sustainable development benefits for the member countries in the region.

All of the above requires concerted actions where the various delivery mechanisms (Country Programming Frameworks -CPFs-, Regional Initiatives -RIs- and Major Areas of Works -MAWs-) are aligned and integrated in a coherent and synergic regional framework and workplan.

The regional professional staff meeting provides an opportunity to review and discuss the challenges and opportunities to enhance and accelerate the delivery of the Regional Work Plan.

Objectives

The overall objective of the Regional Professional Staff Meeting is to pave the way for the Operational Work Plan of the coming biennium. More specifically it intends to:

• update all professional staff on the latest unfolding perspectives and political processes, including SDGs, COP21, the preparation of the Regional Conference (NERC33) and the Regional Strategic Review process
• reach a common understanding of the RNE work plan 2016-17 and its implementation modalities to accelerate delivery, including team-work establishment, opportunities for fund mobilization and synergies between programmes and delivery mechanisms
• discuss the operationalization of monitoring and reporting results 

Expected Results

• Participants are updated on FAOs transformation and Delivery for Results, and on the Regional Strategic Review 
• Consensus is built on the strategic elements of the 2016-17 regional and country work plan, Results, Outputs, support needed and on the delivery mechanisms, including CPFs, RIs and MAWs and related synergies
• Participants are familiar with the Cop21 and SDGs outcomes and how they can be reflected in the Work Plan at regional and country level
• Acceleration of delivery plans outlined
• Modalities for Monitoring and Reporting of results are clear to all participants
• Participants have common understanding of the Regional Strategic Review, with challenges, trends and priorities for the Region
• Fund challenges and opportunities discussed and resources mobilization strategy outlined
• Communication, advocacy and outreach modalities outlined 

Presentations and Materials

Presentations and Materials	Download
Briefing Note and Agenda
List of Participants
Day 1
Objectives, Agenda and Working Modalities, Salomon S. (Facilitator)
The context of Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, Michael Clark (ESD)
WSI Work Plan: Results, Pasquale Steduto (RNE)
Towards an accelerated delivery plan (SP2 Perspective), JeanMarc Faures (SP2)
Day 2
Recap of Day 1, Kayan Jaff (RNE )
Small-Scale Agriculture (SSA) Work Plan: Results, Alfredo Impiglia (RNE)
Towards an accelerated delivery plan (SP3 Perspective), Maya Takagi (SP3)
Day 3
Recap of Day 2, Kayan Jaff (RNE )
Toward an integrated work plan SNE Group, Lamourdia Thiombiano
Toward an integrated work plan SNG Group, Mehdi Drissi
Toward an integrated work plan Ex-SNO Group, Pasquale Steduto (RNE)
Results, Service Level Agreements, Salomon Salcedo (OSP)
Monitoring and Reporting (outputs/outcomes), Mohamed Barre (RNE)
CPFs Overview and Plans of Actions, Kayan Jaff (RNE)
Resource Mobilization: challenges and strategies, Alexander Jones (TCS)
RNE Resource mobilization trends in 2014-2015 biennium, Tanja Popovic
Resource Mobilizationclosing the gaps between Plans and Results, Aruna Gujral
South-South Cooperation: status and progress, Kayan Jaff (RNE)
GEF and Green Climate Fund, Jeffry Griffin (TCID)
Corporate and regional Communication Strategy, Issam Azouri (RNE)
Wrap up and follow-up actions, Salomon S. (Facilitator)