South East Commissioners/Heads of Budget and Planning Agencies set up a Community of Practice

September 08, 2020 09:37:53 AM Published by: PERL

 

The inaugural meeting of the first ever Community of Practice (CoP) for Commissioners/Heads of Budget and Planning Agencies in South East Nigeria was held on 1 September 2020. This historic meeting which held virtually, was attended by the Executive Secretary of the Abia State Economic Planning Commission and Commissioners of Budget and Planning from Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States. This is in keeping with the agreement reached at the end of a virtual multi-stakeholder learning event on “Mechanisms for Improved Participatory Budgeting in the South East”, organized on 13 August 2020 by the South East Governors’ Forum, with support from PERL.

 

The CoP – which typically refers to group of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly - is being facilitated by the South East Governors’ Forum with support from PERL. The initiative is part of efforts aimed at promoting learning around effective budget and planning practices and to ensure that these practices are adopted, implemented and institutionalized by States in the South East. The CoP will also provide a platform for the Commissioners to explore complementarities, learn and deliberate on other issues that will promote economic development of the region.

 

In their separate remarks at the meeting, the Executive Secretary and the Commissioners welcomed the initiative, stating that it was long overdue. Further inspired by a presentation on CoPs made by PERL and the experience shared by the Anambra Commissioner, Hon. Mark Okoye, on the value derived and the results recorded from the National CoP of Commissioners of Budget and Planning, his colleagues expressed their willingness and commitment to ensuring that the regional CoP is fully established, effective and sustainable.

 

To underscore this commitment, the Executive Secretary and the Commissioners, right there at the meeting, agreed the structure of the CoP, some issues it will focus on, funding arrangements, frequency of meetings and the location of a secretariat for the CoP. In order to facilitate continuous interaction amongst themselves, they also agreed to set up a WhatsApp Group; and proposed 25 September 2020 for the next CoP meeting, with Enugu as the host state.