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The annual gathering of the Scientific and Technical Committee (STC) of CORAF takes place in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, from Thursday, October 31 to Friday, November 01, 2019, with the overarching goal to advance the scientific excellence of programs and initiatives.
The STC is a technical body with advisory responsibilities to the Governing Board (GB) and the Executive Secretariat of CORAF.
It meets once a year to review past and ongoing programs as well as provide inputs to planned initiatives.
Specifically, the STC members will review the state of implementation of the West Africa Agriculture Productivity Program (WAAPP), the Partnership for Agricultural Research, Education and Development (PAIRED), the Fruit Flies Project, and the project funded by the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union in priority fields such as livestock, cotton and maize. The STC members will also have a chance to provide inputs to a new program under preparation (Science led climate-relevant agricultural transformation in West and Central Africa – SISTA) as well as the 2020 work plan of the PAIRED. SISTA is funded by the European Union and administered by the International Fund for Agriculture Development.
The STC will also review the new results framework of the 2018-2022 Operational Plan (OP) of CORAF. The next (27th) Governing Board meeting of CORAF holding in January 2020 is expected to review and approve the indicators and targets of the OP. The STC recommendations will enable the GB members to make informed decisions.
Prof Isaac Roger Tchoumo of Cameroon will chair the meeting. The Director of Innovation and Research of CORAF, Dr. Abdulai Jalloh will facilitate the gathering. The current STC is composed of twelve members drawn from diverse disciplines from both West and Central African countries. It is made up of six women and men.
Below are expected outcomes of the 15th STC meeting:
- Projects and programs implemented in 2018/2019 are reviewed;
- The work plan and budget for 2020 projects and programs are reviewed and recommendations made for effective implementation;
- Indicators and targets for the 2018-2022 Operational Plan reviewed and approved for consideration by the Governing Board;
- Applications for the roster of CORAF consultants evaluated and recommendations made for operationalization;
- Key thematic areas for scientific focus aligned to the OP identified, and possible support from the STC determined and proposed;
- Recommendations to the Governing Board for the orientation of science drafted for presentation by the Chairman during the forthcoming Governing Board meeting.