Presentation to Department for International Development (DFID)

By AfricaRecruit 11th August 2005

About AfricaRecruit

AfricaRecruit is a programme of AU/NEPAD,Commonwealth &CBC connecting the Diaspora to Africa and Africa to the Diaspora

Facilitate & enable capacity building using the Diaspora as one of the main driversChannel resources (skills or investment) through secondary or tertiary avenues, while they remain in the Diaspora Strengthening human resources capacity in AfricaInform policy making process

“The numerous current initiatives in Africa require high-level scientific technological and managerial skills. The question is where are the skills going to come from. Our answer is that from Africans in the Diaspora and the rest of the world. The training of new graduates will take at least a generation or longer but the skills are needed now if further deepening of poverty and marginlisation is to be reverse. This is the rationale for AfricaRecruit project” Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, Chairman New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Steering Committee March 2005

Structure of AfricaRecruit

AfricaRecruit

AfricaRecruitEvents, PolicyBest practiceHR capacity

FindajobinafricaBrain Drain

Brain circulationSkills Retention

Africa DiasporaDiaspora Investment

RemittancesInvestments

Aims and Objectives of AfricaRecruit

Mobilise, enhance and enable engagement of Diaspora skills in Africa

• Facilitating information and opportunity access to jobs- online and offline

Strengthening Human Resource Capacity in Africa

• Facilitating, Identifying and Disseminating Human Resources Best Practice- online and offline

• Informing policy development

Mobilise, enhance and enable Diaspora investment in Africa

• Enabling, Informing and Enhancing Foreign Direct Investments in Africa by the Diaspora community – remittances, trade and investments

• Informing policy and operational

"When AfricaRecruit was launched in 2002, I provided an endorsement in the firm belief that its objectives were not only noble but also realizable. Since then, the initiative has performed creditably and become a key part of the NEPAD programme to mobilize quality skills for Africa.“ H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chairperson of the African Union

Outcomes of AfricaRecruitIndicators• Increasing number of Diaspora

returnees, enquiries and web stats• Increasing number of open jobs for

recruitment- retention of local skills• Increasing number of employers

adopting strategy enabling them to target local and international candidates

• Increasing calls for recruitment fairs• Decreasing reliance on experts• More organisations investing in

workforce• More organisations adopting best

practice• Investments by the Diaspora

RecommendationsPolicy level• Mobility of critical skills within Africa• Development of ToR for investors to

reflect building and transfer of skillsPartnership level for AfricaRecruit• Develop extensive skills database• Africa Virtual HR Forum• Facilitate Africa Skills Development

agency• Mobilise more Diaspora using ICT• Knowledge management and

research

Sierra Leone Consultative & Investment Forum

                

                           

Aim•Create a stimulating and interactive environment in which delegates and speakers could table issues challenges and opportunities for engagement in Sierra Leone

Influence or develop national, regional and international policies and strategies for the promotion of investment and Diaspora involvement in Sierra Leone

Engage the Sierra Leone Diaspora in conceiving innovative solutions to the challenges presented

Develop an action plan, detailing the steps to be taken by whom and by when.

Promote an understanding and appreciation of the challenges

Process – Organisation and Facilitation

• Use various on and off line tools• Engaging with groups/individuals• Pre-conference with targeted focus

group• Feedback• Refining• Setting the agenda• Event • Feedback• Final report

• Website• Database• E-groups • Emails• E-news letters• Links with target websites

Mobilisation

Targeted over 2,000 Sierra Leonean’s and related stakeholders

• Mobilisation of about 350 delegates

• Mobilisation of a diverse group of delegates

Online• Word of mouth• face to face contact• Phone calls• Post• Socio-Religious events and networks• Professionals and Business networks• Sports events• Reverse leads and networks• High Commission

Offline

Publicity

• Radio

• Web

• Pre conference press release to over 1,200 media organisations -CNN (Inside Africa)

• Post-conference press releases- AfricaRecruit & Sierra Leone High Commission

• NEPAD Newsletter

• Ben TV

Challenges• Mistrust of:

Fellow nationals- past history Sierra Leone Government Business and Investment Climate in Sierra Leone Donor agencies

• Perception of the Sierra Leone Diaspora on their role

• Past experiences of previous events and meetings with no outcomes

• Promoting self-agenda

• Cost of attending by Nationals outside UK

• Inability to attend due visa refusal ( other parts of Europe)

• Timing

• Personal reason

BenTV- about us

• In Diaspora is a Live discussion and interactive programme on BEN Television (Sky 184) hosted by ‘Jide Iyaniwura.

• Cuts across the Diaspora Community• Provides the platform for stakeholders engagement with the

Diaspora community• Previous Guests include: African High Commissioners, Hilary Ben

MP, CAFOD, Chairperson AU, NEPAD, AfricaRecruit, Africa Business Roundtable, Oxfam,Ministers from Africa, Diaspora Groups etc

Planned Projects

• The Africa Forum – Inward Looking Monthly Television Programme Audience: Africans in Diaspora Key African Stakeholders (DFID, Africa

Commission, AFFORD) Starts: End of August / Beginning September

• Africa Diaspora – Outward Looking Series of television documentaries showcasing

the work of institutions like DFID, Africa Commission, AU/NEPAD, AfricaRecruit

Start: Beginning January 2006.

Support for the Sierra Leone Day

• 3 live programmes in sequence• Programmes split into 3 phases:

Interview with one of the events planner / DFID official Interview with Sierra Leone Diaspora group Interview with Sierra Leone Acting High Commissioner

• Over 100 calls recorded per programme• Most visitors to the 4th June event mentioned having

watched the programmes• More than 50 post programme calls requesting more of the

same programme

Planned follow up to disseminate outcomes and way forward

Outputs-Outcomes

• Points of discussion:• Diaspora Perception• Infrastructure• Governance• Investment• Capacity Building

• Action plan:• Government of Sierra

Leone• Private sector• International

community• Diaspora

Evaluation

Sierra Leone Diaspora-Present

• Meetings held thus far: frequency of/some topics of discussion/constraints/commitments

• Yahoo Group;• Draft Vision – some elements of;• Web Portal (SLIP) – how it links into

and mirrors the Network;• Chatham House – and spin-off;• Engagements - e.g. Aminata

Palmer;• Feedback from community

Sierra Leone Diaspora- Next Steps

• Database• March 2006 Sierra Leone• Input into Task Force/other SL

linking bodies/representation of SL Diaspora

• Africa Diaspora Investment advice/requests for assistance – “proud to be SL”

• ICF • Future one-to-ones with DFID

Thank you

AfricaRecruitAfricaRecruit18 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5LU 18 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5LU

United KingdomUnited KingdomTel: +44(0)20 7024 270 Tel: +44(0)20 7024 270 Fax: +44(0)20 7024 8201Fax: +44(0)20 7024 8201

E-mail: E-mail: info@africarecruit.com Website: Website: www.africarecruit.com