SACP Project Overview
Lead Agency & Programme Oversight
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development (MLAFWRD) is the lead agency of SACP, with the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry being the accounting officer. A Joint Management Unit (JMU) that includes the functions of both the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) of SIRP and the National Project Management Unit (NPMU) of SACP has been established. This unit is responsible for the management of the implementation of SACP.
The JMU arrangement brings synergies and focus to the implementation of the IFAD country program and provides broader and deeper expertise to tackle rural development challenges in Zimbabwe.
A joint project steering committee (PSC) for SIRP and SACP, chaired by the Permanent Secretary (PS) for the MLAFWRD, has been constituted.
The PSC meets twice a year and is responsible for program oversight and strategic guidance. Specifically, its mandate is to:
⦁ Provide strategic guidance to programme implementation, and oversee programme planning
⦁ Review the Annual Work Plans and Budgets (AWPB) prior to submission to IFAD,
⦁ Review implementation progress and impact.
The PSC comprises representatives of the following public sector departments/institutions and private sector organisations that play key roles in the SACP efforts to develop rural value chains in Zimbabwe.
⦁ Department of Strategic Policy and Business (DSPPB),
⦁ Department of Mechanisation and Irrigation (DOI)
⦁ Department of Agricultural Extension Services (Agritex) of MLAFWRD, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MOFED)
⦁ Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprise Development (MWACSMED)
⦁ Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality (METH)
⦁ Ministry of Youth, Sports and Recreation (MYSR)
⦁ Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC).
The PSC also includes two senior members of the WUOs and APGs from the provinces, representing SIRP and SACP beneficiaries. The JMU acts as a secretariat for the PSC meetings.
The membership of the PSC is reviewed during programme implementation and there is scope to widen it further or to invite stakeholders depending on the topic under review. The PSC meets to review and approve physical and financial progress, assess management effectiveness, decide on corrective measures where appropriate, review lessons learnt and good practices and approve AWPBs and Programme Procurement Plans (PPs).
