REGIONAL INDIC ATIVE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PL AN 8 5 6.3.3 Alignment with other initiatives and activities 6.3.7 Coordination of Cooperating Partners There is a number of other national, sub-regional, As stated in the introduction to this chapter, the successful continental and global initiatives that interface and have implementation of the RISDP is invariably predicated on potential synergies with the interventions outlined in the mobilisation of adequate resources. These resources chapter 4. In this regard, promoting alignment and will have to come from both internal and external sources. cooperation between the RISDP and these initiatives is While SADC Member States are committed to assuming essential to maximise synergies and complementarities. increasing responsibility in financing the RISDP, resource constraints facing the majority of them mean that 6.3.4 Enhanced Involvement of Member States Involvement of Member States at the early stages of programme development and implementation is critical to the success of the RISDP. In this connection, every effort has to be made to ensure that potential problems that will hinder the enhanced interaction and involvement of Member States are anticipated and addressed up-front. Cooperating Partners will be requested to play an important role in this regard. The magnitude of the RISDP means that a large number of Cooperating Partners will be involved and their inputs will require considerable coordination. This coordination requirement will increase, as programmes are being approved and implemented. It is, therefore, absolutely essential that the Secretariat's coordinating capacity is enhanced and robust mechanisms are put in place for this purpose. 6.3.5 The Role of SADC National Committees Closely related to enhanced involvement of Member States, is the role of SADC National Committees in the implementation of the RISDP and in coordinating and mobilising national consensus to regional initiatives. According to the Report on the Review of the Operations of SADC Institutions, the National Committees shall be responsible for implementing and monitoring SADC 6.4 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RISDP This section presents the institutional framework for managing and coordinating the implementation of the RISDP and clarifies in a broad sense the roles and responsibilities of the different actors. Intervention area or programme/programme specific arrangements, including Programmes at national level and ensuring broad and the roles, rules of procedure, and interrelationships of the inclusive consultations to prepare for inputs required by various layers, will be spelt out in detail by the respective the Secretariat. The challenge is to ensure that SNCs are Directorates in consultation with key actors, prior to not only established but are also effectively functional. It implementation. For clarity, the management functions is therefore essential that Member States avail adequate have been divided into four categories: The political level; resources and capacity to the SNCs to enable them to operational level; programme level; and stakeholder level. effectively discharge their mandate as spelt out in the Review Report and the SADC Treaty (as amended). 6.4.1 Political Level 6.3.6 Paradigm Change Towards a Programme Approach At the political level, the key institutions that will provide The adoption of the programme approach requires a the RISDP are the SADC Council of Ministers through the fundamental paradigm shift for the key players in the Integrated Committee of Ministers (ICM). policy direction and oversight to the implementation of In line with the Treaty (as amended) the Council shall, implementation of the RISDP. Many of the key players are much more familiar and comfortable with implementing among other things: discrete sectoral programmes. It may well be the case that • and the proper execution of its programmes; new skills will be required at the SADC Secretariat and in Member States. Facilitating this paradigm shift is a key challenge that will need to be addressed at an early stage. Oversee the implementation of the policies of SADC • Approve policies, strategies and work programmes of SADC; and