Pan-African Parliament Hosts Joint Planning Meeting to Strengthen Results-Based Approach for 2025 Workplans

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) concluded a two-day Joint Planning Meeting (JPM) for its Bureauxes in Pretoria, South Africa, on Sunday, November 17, 2024. The workshop, held immediately after the highly successful Fourth Ordinary Session of the Parliament, focused on adopting a results-based management (RBM) framework to guide PAP’s 2025 work plans.

Aligning with Africa’s Vision

In his opening remarks, PAP President H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira emphasized the institution’s alignment with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a united, peaceful, and prosperous Africa driven by sustainable development and shared values.

“In line with this ambitious vision, the Pan-African Parliament’s Strategic Plan for 2024–2028 emphasizes the importance of continuous intentionality by PAP’s leadership to further entrench a results-based management approach. This ensures that all activities, resources, and outcomes are strategically interconnected, fostering a culture of transparency, enhancing reporting mechanisms, and enabling effective monitoring of PAP’s contributions toward the African Union’s goals,” Chief Charumbira stated.

Objectives of the Meeting

The JPM provided an interactive and participatory platform for PAP leadership, including members of the Bureau, Permanent Committees, Regional Caucuses, and the Secretariat. The main objectives included:

• Presenting and discussing the Bureau’s priorities for 2025.
• Reviewing and aligning the 2025 work plans of PAP’s Permanent Standing Committees with its strategic objectives.
• Introducing the 2025 approved budget to ensure resource alignment.
• Finalizing the calendar of activities for the coming year.

This planning meeting also aimed to strengthen the integration of results-based principles into PAP’s operational framework, ensuring that all work plans contribute measurably to the goals of Agenda 2063 and PAP’s Strategic Plan for 2024–2028.

A Results-Based Approach

The workshop underscored the importance of results-based management in driving accountability, efficiency, and transparency. PAP aims to establish clear links between resources, activities, and outcomes, ensuring every initiative contributes to tangible results aligned with its broader strategic vision.

Key elements discussed during the meeting included:

1. Strategic Alignment: Ensuring all committee activities and resources are directly tied to PAP’s overarching objectives.
2. Implementation Planning: Developing step-by-step actions with defined responsibilities to foster ownership and accountability.
3. Monitoring and Reporting: Refining frameworks to track progress, establish measurable indicators, and enable transparent reporting.
4. Resource Allocation: Ensuring optimal use of resources to achieve strategic initiatives efficiently.

Strengthening Collaboration and Impact

Participants engaged in discussions to streamline operational processes, share best practices, and create a unified vision for 2025. Enhanced collaboration between committees and the Bureau was emphasized as a critical factor in driving the institution’s effectiveness. The meeting also reinforced PAP’s commitment to aligning its activities with the aspirations of Agenda 2063’s Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan.

Expected Outcomes

The JPM concluded with several tangible outcomes, including:

• The finalized PAP Bureau Priorities for 2025.
• Comprehensive work plans for Permanent Committees, Regional Caucuses, and the Women and Youth Caucuses.
• A unified calendar of activities for 2025.
• Defined progress indicators to monitor and report on achievements.

Conclusion

The Joint Planning Meeting showcased PAP’s dedication to evolving as a results-driven institution that delivers measurable contributions to the African Union’s vision. By adopting a results-based approach, the Pan-African Parliament is not only strengthening its accountability and transparency but also positioning itself as a pivotal driver of Africa’s integration and development agenda. This proactive planning sets a strong foundation for the Parliament’s initiatives in 2025 and beyond.