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National
The second component of the Project aims to build the capacities of national institutions in ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania in migration management. As part of the second component, tailored support to migration management activities were provided to member states on improving the migration data management capacities and on strengthening the national policy definition process.
Specifically, the project is currently finalizing the publication of 11 national migration profiles, one supported the elaboration of 1 Migration Policy action plan, is supporting the elaboration of 4 migration policies, provided support to 2 national dialogues on migration and provided tailored support to 6 countries to tackle specific gaps in migration data management.
In addition, technical and logistical support is being provided to 10 national statistics offices to tabulate migration data collected during the last round of population censuses (2005 – 2015). National migration data training, aimed at building the capacity of national level officers dealing with migration management, were conducted in 13 out of the 15 countries targeted by the project between the second semester of 2017 and the first semester of 2018. During the trainings, participants discussed the need for quality and harmonized migration data collection using the guidelines for the harmonization of migration data management in the ECOWAS region (see Component I) as well as the need for better coordination in the collection, production and use of migration data. For ownership and sustainability, participants were drawn from the national committees on migration.
Demand Driven Facility (DDF)
As part of the second component, a flexible Demand Driven Facility (DDF) has been established, to which national institutions can submit requests according to their specific needs. During the reporting period, guidelines were developed in coordination with the ECOWAS Commission to clarify the main objectives, modalities and functioning of the DDF. The DDF Technical Committee approved the guidelines on 24 September 2014 and following a round of application and selection of proposals from all ECOWAS member states and Mauritania. To date, 49 requests have been received, with 11 approved so far and currently being implemented. The eleventh approved DDF Action on Sensitization Campaign through Visual Narrative/ Motion Picture towards the Promotion of Free Movement within the ECOWAS sub-region and Inform against Irregular Migration is currently in its second phase of its implementation, with the movie having been completed.
Capturing lessons learned in the effort to build the capacities of national institutions in ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania in migration management has been an on-going effort throughout the life of the project. The approach was used for identifying project management process improvements, for learning from project challenges, as well as from project successes. Maximizing on project successes, we capitalized on opportunities by implementing good processes and practices to successfully complete existing and future work. During the implementation of the FMM project, we identified the following lessons which informed the last few years of implementation.
An extensive stakeholder consultation was conducted, bringing together around 50 participants from 14 beneficiary countries in December 2019 using the following data collection methods to assess the impact of the individual DDF actions:
- Questionnaires: questionnaires were administered to DDF beneficiaries based on the three thematic areas of the DDF (border management, labour migration, and TIP).
- Focus group discussions: three focus group discussions were organised: a) an ICMPD internal discussion to discuss the DDF’s design and implementation; b) a discussion with DDF beneficiaries on the efficiency and effectiveness of implementation; and c) a discussion with beneficiaries on the DDF’s thematic areas.
Strengthening The Capacities Of National Institutions Of Ecowas Member States And Mauritania
Results and Activities
Summary of key results under Component II
The second component of the Project aims to build the capacities of national institutions in ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania in the area of migration management. Activities undertaken at the national level under this Component aim at promoting and supporting the implementation of ECOWAS regional policies and action plans developed or supported under Component I of the Project.
The weaknesses of migration data management systems and the insufficient coordination between national stakeholders are a shared feature in all ECOWAS Member States. The Project therefore seeks to reinforce migration data collection and management capacities, and stakeholder coordination in all Member States and Mauritania. During the period under review, a capacity assessment was carried out in the 15 ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania to assess the capacities and existing practices of national institutions in the area of migration data collection and management. Based on the results of this capacity assessment, follow- up activities are being implemented to strengthen the capacities of the relevant national institutions in this field.
During the reporting period, the project supported regional capacity building on migration data collection and management for key ECOWAS staff dealing with migration issues and key officers of national statistics offices. The development of regional guidelines on migration data collection and management were finalized in order to guide Member State experts in the process of harmonizing data collection and analysis.
Activities to update and/or develop national migration profiles are completed in 9 countries and ongoing in 2 countries. The completed profiles are being finalized with IOM publications unit. In addition, technical and logistical support is being provided to ten (10) national statistics offices to tabulate and to analyse (Benin) migration data collected during the last round of population censuses (2005 – 2015) and provided tailored support to six (6) countries to tackle specific gaps in migration data management. National migration data training, aimed at building the capacity of national level officers dealing with migration management, were conducted in 13 out 15 countries between the second semester of 2017 and the first semester of 2018.
In terms of policy support the program funded and supported through the IOM missions in the countries one Migration Policy action plan (Senegal), is in process of supporting the elaboration of four additional migration policy process and provided support to two national dialogues on migration.
To address self-defined migration capacity building needs in ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania, the Project has established a flexible Demand Driven Facility (DDF) for national institutions, to which national institutions can submit requests for capacity building and technical assistance according to their specific needs. Areas of intervention include border management, labour migration, counter trafficking and related policy development and implementation.
The initial phase of the project was dedicated to preparatory activities, including the development of procedures and tools for the functioning of the DDF; the development of the DDF Guidelines to clarify its main objectives and modalities; and guidelines for applicants. The DDF is overseen by the DDF Technical Committee, which consists of representatives from the ECOWAS Commission’s Free Movement and Tourism, and Humanitarian and Social Affairs Directorates, the EU Delegation, and the consortium partners. The DDF Technical Committee approved the DDF Guidelines on 24 September 2014. Thereafter the DDF was launched and awareness-raising on the DDF was conducted with national institutions in the ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania.
The project received 49 requests from national institutions in ECOWAS Member States and 11 DDF actions have been approved by the DDF Technical Committee. Between July 2015 and May 2018, all approved DDF actions have started their implementation activities. Within the reporting period, 15 countries (out of 16) have been involved in the approved actions, except for Cabo Verde. However, it is expected that with the new Border Management action, all 15 ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania would be involved in at least one DDF action.