Kofi Ampeah Woode
To establish a common understanding in measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of Africa Peace Support Operations (PSOs), the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has commenced the 4th session of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning in PSOs in Africa Course (MELPAC).
Stating the course’s essence at its opening at the KAIPTC, Teshie, Accra, on Monday 15 May 2023, the Training Director of the West African Training Centre of Excellence – Colonel (Col) Anorph Barnabas Akanbong, said African PSOs in the past have been tasked with mandates that are complex, ambitious and costly to implement, and the scale, scope and costs of these operations have led to heavy reliance on partners and donor support for implementation.
He continued that in turn, partners and stakeholders have demanded transparency and accountability in the use of resources for PSOs, whose existing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms though robust, remain sophisticated and sometimes do not provide greater clarity on what constitutes success.
After KAIPTC had undertaken a training and capacity needs assessments of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2019, with a view to establish their needs, build the capacity of their Planning Elements, the Centre was requested by the Regional Bodies, to develop a course, tailored to their monitoring and evaluation requirements.
The Course Director said, in line with that request, which met KAIPTC’s objective of providing capacity to both AU and ECOWAS to deliver on their mandates, the Centre developed the MELPAC, which is financed by the Norwegian Government.
MELPAC improves Civilians, Military and Police Officers who are serving or are interested in serving AU or ECOWAS missions, and offers opportunities to AU, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanism missions, who are required to carry out functions related to monitoring and evaluation, as well as staff of the United Nations and Non-Governmental Organizations.
The ceremony was attended by the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana – Ambassador Ingrid Mollestad, and the Course Director – Col Damien Mogeri.
