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SEEDS BENCHMARKING EXERCISE

A year ago, the Federal Government launched NEEDS to lay the path for Nigeria and Nigerians to grow out of poverty. Many State Governments have also been developing their own reform programmes, called SEEDS. We need to bring this together. We will only defeat poverty together: Federal, State and Local Governments working together.

The States and the Federal Government therefore agreed on an exercise to examine which States are advancing more in delivering services. Now that the implementation of NEEDS and SEEDS has started in earnest, it is useful to take stock and check whether our efforts are going in the right direction. This is what the SEEDS Benchmarking Exercise aims to do.

T eams of independent assessors will visit each participating state for twelve days each, to consult with state authorities and concerned citizens. A set of benchmarks has been developed and tested to ensure that all states are assessed fairly. The benchmarks cover the following four areas:

• POLICY: Does the State’s policy statement address the State’s real needs? Have all the stakeholders had a chance to have their say in producing it? Is it widely available to people in the State?
• BUDGET and FISCAL MANAGEMENT: Does the State manage money in a transparent way, so that the money is directed at achieving the aims of the policy?
• SERVICE DELIVERY: What efforts is the State making to improve service delivery to citizens? How high quality are its services? Do they reach as many people as they should?
• COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY: Does the State plan and implement policies in a transparent and accountable way? Is procurement open? Are there measures against corruption? Do citizens have enough opportunity to question their leaders? How easily can citizens obtain information about the State’s finances?

Each of these four benchmarks will be assessed by a range of detailed indicators. The assessment teams assign scores according to the performance of each State. To ensure transparency, the final scores will be published in the national media.

The main purpose of this exercise is to allow State governments to receive an initial feedback on the progress of their reform efforts. If a State is doing particularly well in a certain area this should be highlighted and documented so that other governments can learn from it. It is equally valuable to learn about weaknesses in the system so that they can be addressed effectively.

To reward and encourage best practice, the Federal Government, together with a number of major donors (DFID, UNDP, World Bank, European Commission and CIDA) are committed to concentrate their funding on those States that perform well in this exercise. The funds will be available to help reforming states implement policies to reduce poverty. States that are found to be performing less well but whose willingness to improve is clearly demonstrated during the exercise will have access to more limited funds aimed at building their capacity. Even States whose performance does not warrant access to these limited funds, or States that have chosen not to take part in this exercise, will have the opportunity to gain access through successful participation in subsequent rounds of the benchmarking exercise. In short, once the results of the exercise are out, the reallocation and addition of donor funds to well-performing states will ensure that funds are concentrated where they are most likely to reduce poverty.

THE ROLE OF AFRICAN INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED ECONOMICS

The African Institute for Applied Economics (AIAE), Enugu, was selected through an open competitive process as the supervising organization. It has responsibility of managing the exercise and quality assurance.

AIAE is playing dual roles during the entire assessment exercise – as monitor and as facilitator. As monitor, AIAE is supervising the assessors to ensure that the qualitative part of the assessment process proceeds as planned. As facilitator, AIAE is facilitating all meetings between the respective State Governments and the assessors, and public meetings and other interactions as necessary.

AIAE is charged with quality control and review. This involves analyzing the progress of all the assessments being undertaken in different States. This inclusive quality control review process is being done through its interactions, observations and analyses of the assessment process and by verifying that assessors have evidence to support their conclusions.

Consultative Meeting on Renewable Natural Resources and Economic Growth in Enugu State, June 15, 2005, DFID Office, Enugu

Since July 2004, the African Institute for Applied Economics, Enugu has been implementing a DFID-supported research and advocacy project for enhancing the economic role of renewable natural resources (agriculture, forestry, water resources, etc) in Enugu State. The research has led to findings that have significance for employment creation, poverty reduction and sustainable growth in Enugu State. African Institute for Applied Economics Enugu would share these findings among top government functionaries and then work together with the state government to identify action measures to productively utilize the recommendations.

Towards a general workshop to consider the findings and recommendations of the project, a consultative meeting will be held with key government officials in the State on Wednesday 15 th June 2005. The essence is to give key government functionaries early access to the findings and recommendations of the project and elicit their inputs and views on issues arising from the project. The meeting is a sensitization tool to increase government appreciation of the significance and utility of the project, and to urge quick and adequate attention to the findings and recommendations.

ENUGU & ABUJA WORKSHOPS:

To disseminate these findings and their implications for sector policies/programmes, budgetary and growth prospects under NEEDS, we are bringing together Nigeria’s topmost policymakers, technocrats and private sector operators to dialogue on the findings and then consider measures and practical steps to utilize the findings for the benefit of the country.

Towards this end, two workshops will be held at Enugu on Monday 20 th June 2005 and on Wednesday 22 nd June 2005 at Abuja.

ASSESSORS TRAINING ON SEEDS BENCHMARKING.

AIAE was recently selected by the National Planning Commission, UNDP and DFID to provide overall supervision for the on going States SEEDS benchmarking exercise. The exercise is aimed at accessing the compliance of the states with the provisions of the National reform programme as entrenched in the NEEDS/SEEDS reform programme

Seventeen Fellows of the Institute were consequently trained on different aspects of the benchmarking. The institute with support from the National Planning Commission and other development partners organized training workshops, both for its monitors and the larger body of assessors.

Three groups are expected to carry out this assignment and these are as follows:

1. Assessors who handle actual benchmarking
2. Monitors who help out with logistics and provide general oversight.
3. Observers who are made up of mainly international groups who report to their groups on the benchmarking process.

The areas of the benchmarking include:

1. Policy
2. Budget & fiscal Management
3. Service Delivery.
4. Communcation & Transparency.

The training for AIAE monitors was held on Monday May 30 th 2005 to Tuesday 31 st May 2005 While training for all other Assessors and Monitors was held at the United Nations building, Abuja between the 3 rd and 4 th of June 2005.