Continental Facilitator Network Takes Shape
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A group of Africa-based facilitators, brought together by the Policy LINK program and its predecessor project, Africa Lead, is spearheading registration of the continent’s first multi-country network charged with facilitating more inclusive policy processes. The move marks a key milestone in Policy LINK’s drive to foster the “institutional architecture” for policy change in the agricultural, food security, and nutrition sectors.
With representatives from five sub-Saharan countries—Kenya, Sierra Leona, Tanzania, and Uganda—all but one of the network’s interim board members are veterans of Africa Lead’s facilitator training program.
With representatives from five sub-Saharan countries—Kenya, Sierra Leona, Tanzania, and Uganda—all but one of the network’s interim board members are veterans of Africa Lead’s facilitator training program. An online directory featuring some of these approximately 200 trainers remains one of the Africa Lead website’s most visited, pointing to high demand for the planned network. Its interim board, formed with Policy LINK support, is currently exploring legal options for registration, including a charitable trust or private company.
Also included in the group’s strategy is a plan to assess membership fees, a critical element in the network’s sustainability. To earn buy-in from prospective members, the board hosted a February 9 workshop on virtual event facilitation. The event was the first of several “virtual learning and sharing” programs planned by Policy LINK, which is rolling out the offerings as part of the network’s bid to create demand for fee-based services.