10th Project Steering Committee Meeting & 7th ACE Workshop

10TH PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
May 15, 2017
&
7th ACE WORKSHOP
May 16 – 18, 2017
InterContinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria

EVENTS VENUE

The ACE Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting and Workshop will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel, 52 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

REGISTRATION

On-site registration will be done at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island on Monday, 15th May 2017 by 6.00pm and on Tuesday, 16th May 2017 at 7.30a.m.

WORKING LANGUAGES

The working languages of the Meeting and Workshop will be English and French. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided during all plenary sessions of the workshop.

Download Joining Information

Download Hotel Information

Register 

Genomics Foundational Training Series: Next Generation Sequencing Workshop

Genomics Foundational Training Series: Next Generation Sequencing Workshop, ACEGID, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria

This workshop is scheduled for Monday, January 16, 2017 – Friday, January 20, 2017

Apply by 30th November 2016: https://www.acegid.org/index.php?active=page&pgcat=eview&newscid=8

The African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) at Redeemer’s University, Nigeria was established to support Africa to truly participate in the genomic revolution. Recent advances in genomic technologies for studying humans and microbes have the potential to transform the clinical care, surveillance, and understanding of infectious diseases. African researchers need to be equipped with cutting edge genomics capabilities, and utilize multidisciplinary approaches to carry out fully independent and high-impact research.

Call for Consultants for Verification

ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES

AFRICA HIGHER EDUCATION CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE (ACE) PROJECT 

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) 

CONSULTANCY FOR THE VERIFICATION OF IMPROVED TEACHING & LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

 

BACKGROUND

The Association of African Universities (AAU)

The Association of African Universities is the organization and forum for consultation, exchange of information and co-operation among higher education institutions in Africa.  It represents the voice of higher education in Africa on regional and international bodies and supports networking among institutions of higher education in teaching, research, information exchange and dissemination.

The Association was founded in Rabat, Morocco on November 12, 1967 in response to recommendations of a September 1962 UNESCO conference. With an initial membership of 34, the Association now has 380 members drawn from 46 African countries, cutting across language and other divides.  Over the nearly 50 years of its existence, the Association has provided a platform for research, reflection, consultation, debates, co-operation and collaboration on issues pertaining to higher education.  Through its varied programmes it has established and increased its role in the five sub-regions of Africa and thus possesses a unique capacity to convene higher education institutional leaders and policy-makers from all parts of the continent and on key issues related to African higher education and development.  In addition, the Association provides leadership in the identification of emerging issues and support for debating them and facilitating appropriate follow-up action by its members, partners (including other regional institutions such as UEMOA, CAMES etc.) and other stakeholders.

In pursuit of its objectives of promoting higher education in Africa, the AAU, with financial support from its members and funding partners undertakes programmes and activities that respond to topical issues and challenges in African higher education. To ensure that its interventions are relevant to the needs of its members, the AAU holds a General Conference once every four years, and a Conference of Rectors, Vice Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities (COREVIP) biennially to take stock of its programmes and make recommendations, as well as deliberate on emerging issues in African higher education.

The ACE Project

To accelerate growth, productivity and progress in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the region needs investment in the production of well-trained human capital, which remains both qualitatively and quantitatively woefully inadequate in Africa. To address this need, the World Bank together with an African Working Group designed the Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence (ACE) Project. The objective of the Project is to promote regional specialization among participating universities within areas that address particular regional development challenges and strengthen the capacities of these universities to deliver high quality training and applied research.

The ACE Project follows a regional and a disciplinary approach. The three disciplinary fields involved are Agriculture, Health and STEM (Science, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics). This approach is necessary to focus on specific developmental needs around three of the major applied sciences; and in order to integrate stakeholders of various levels, ensure spill-over throughout Africa and attract a critical mass of expertise from within Africa and internationally. It also ensures economies of scale for less endowed neighboring countries, to become ACEs. The ACEs were selected through a rigorous, merit-based and transparent process involving reviewers from parts of North America, Europe and Africa. There are 22 ACEs located in higher education institutions in eight of the nine participating countries in West and Central Africa (Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo), which are at various stages of project implementation.

THE GOAL OF THE DLI CONSULTANCY

The Investment Project Financing (IPF) model of World Bank is used to finance the ACE project activities, implying that funds are disbursed to the ACEs based upon the satisfactory achievement of agreed, pre-specified programme implementation progress and performance results, otherwise called the disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs). A results-based financing approach is used here since it increases focus on delivery of results and the ACE Project is the first project to apply the DLI approach to a regional project.

The DLIs include the education and research results achieved in the form of increased number of regional students; reaching education quality benchmarks; published research; number of internships and external revenue generation. Others include quality, efficient and timely procurement and financial management, as well as improved teaching and learning environment.

Each DLI has a unit disbursement price per unit of result achieved. The ACEs are reporting the achievement of the DLIs, which need to be independently verified before. The verified results are costed and disbursed to the ACEs.

The overall objective of this assignment is to visit the sites of the ACEs that have reported achievement of the DLI on improved teaching and learning environment (civil works and major equipment procurement), and to verify the milestones whose formulation were approved by the World Bank and have been reported as completed by the ACEs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The Implementation plan of each ACE describes four (4) main milestones for improving teaching and learning environment based upon the specific activities undertaken by the ACE. Each ACE is expected to show evidence of the achievement of the milestones such as: signed contract for rehabilitation of a building; signed contract for delivery of specified laboratory or learning equipment; halfway or completed rehabilitation work; delivered and installed laboratory, learning equipment, or furniture; students and researchers in laboratory and using the equipment.

Each ACE has different milestones approved by the World Bank and which will be provided to the Consultant as a reference. Below are examples of a set of milestones common to the ACEs, as well as guidelines for their verification:

  1. Signing of building contract, evidence includes (i) signed copy of contract with bill of quantities (ii) certificate that Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) were adhered to (iii) relevant procurement procedures from agreed Procurement Manual (PM) has been followed (iv) Building contract has to be on the website of that ACE.
  2. x percent completion of building construction, renovation or rehabilitation, evidence includes (i) certification of x percent completion of construction by an architect/engineer acceptable to The Bank.
  3. Laboratory equipment purchased or supplied contract signed/invoice with certification of procurement, relevant procurement documents are available for post-procurement audits.
  4. 100 percent completion of building and 80% of equipment installed and in-use by faculty and students. Evidence includes photos and checklist of all equipment contracted with a status and location of purchased equipment. All equipment has to be entered into asset catalogue of the university.

 

REQUESTED SERVICES AND MAIN TASKS

The services required will mainly involve field visits to individual ACEs and investigating the reported achieved milestones (in relation to what the World Bank approved in the DLI 2.8 formulation of the specific ACE), report writing, and presentation of findings to the AAU/WB.

The Consultant(s) shall undertake the following tasks at the ACE site:

  • Verify evidence of signed building contract (including copy of bill of quantities and ESMP certificate);
  • Verify and certify the extent and quality of civil works. This will include:
    • Verifying the percentage completion of building construction, rehabilitation or renovation;
    • Studying and commenting on the quality of materials used. For example, the quality control mechanisms used for building materials like – concrete / bricks / electrical wires etc.
    • Verifying whether the costs indicated/reported by the ACE are within reasonable range of the quality and extent of work undertaken on site.
    • Verifying that each completed building is being put into its intended use.
  • Verify whether the purchased laboratory equipment reported by the ACE is what is on the site with the necessary documentation (invoices, certificates, etc.);
  • Verify whether all the purchased and installed laboratory equipment have indeed been installed and are in use.
  • Verify that the ACE has a checklist of all equipment purchased with status and location of all equipment as well as all equipment entered into the asset catalogue of the university;
  • Write a report based upon the findings noted above of the verification mission, attaching relevant documents and submitting the report to AAU/World Bank within one week after the site visit. The AAU/World Bank will provide questions/feedback/comments within 5 days of receiving the report
  • Finalize the report, incorporating the feedback/comments from the AAU/world Bank within 3 days of receiving the comments. See the Annex for suggested template to be submitted along with report.

 

DURATION OF THE SITE VISIT

The visit to each ACE is expected to be undertaken in two working days. The consultant may be required to spend additional day(s) where necessary and after official clearance by AAU.

The consult may be requested to visit several ACEs in the region to verify improved teaching and learning environment subject to satisfactory performance and availability of milestones to be verified.

MANAGEMENT OF THE ASSIGNMENT & DELIVERABLES

The assignment will be overseen by the RFU and World Bank, while the coordination and supervision of the assignment will be under the responsibility of the ACE Project Coordinator and the M&E staff of AAU and World Bank.

The Consultant shall produce reports from his/her verification missions. The Consultant shall submit all the deliverables to ACE Project Coordinator.

LOGISTICAL ARRANGEMENTS

The AAU shall provide necessary travel arrangements including providing a round trip economy class ticket; and facilitating visa and accommodation arrangements for the Consultant for all travels related to this assignment, as well as local transportation to and from verification sites. The AAU will also cover accommodation costs and provide a daily subsistence allowance (per current World Bank rates) for the duration of any ACE-related event.

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE AND DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS

Consultant’s Profile:

The Association of African Universities now invites eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The Consultant should have:

  • At least BEng degree in Civil (Structural) Engineering (with at least five years post qualification experience), or BArch degree in Architecture (with at least five years post qualification experience) or in a related relevant field;
  • Strong experience as a civil works and/or equipment  verification consultant or related service for a proven number of assignments;
  • High integrity, kind assertiveness and able to withstand pressure
  • Proven knowledge on African higher education institutions (including universities, research institutions and regional organizations);
  • Practical experience of working in Africa and of working regionally;
  • Experience of working in multi-stakeholder contexts;
  • Excellent oral and writing skills, in English or French.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants [under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants] by World Bank Borrowers [January 2011 Guidelines edition as per legal agreement] (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Comparison of CV method as set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours i.e. 0900 to 1700 hours].

 

HOW TO APPLY

Application letters should be sent electronically to the address below latest by January 31, 2017.

Applications should comprise:

  • A detailed curriculum vitae describing applicant’s professional experience and qualification for the position.
  • Two (2) reference letters, one of which should be from the candidate’s supervisor in his/her current place of work, if an employee.

 

The application letters and supporting documents of candidates should be submitted by e-mail to:

The Secretary General

Association of African Universities,

African Universities House,

Aviation Road Extension,

P.O. Box AN 5744,   

Accra-North, GHANA

Tel: (233) 21 774495/761588

Fax: (233) 21 774821

Email:  secgen@aau.org

Website:  www.aau.org

ANNEX

The Table 1 below is a suggested template for civil works (building construction, renovations and rehabilitation) with checklist to be verified by the consultant and submitted along with the report. Please note that all verification should be in line with what the World Bank approved for each of the ACEs in their DLI 2.8 formulation.

Table 1

Verification (Yes/No)
ACE/

University

Summary description of  Civil works Milestone Milestone number Contract signed & on ACE website Bill of

Quantities is available and acceptable

ESMP Certificate is available  

 

Percentage

Completion is as reported

 

If completed, is building being used for the intended purpose

1 YY 80% completed construction of building 2

The Table 2 below is a suggested template for equipment purchase and installation (includes furniture) with checklist to be verified by the consultant and submitted along with the report. Please note that all verification should be in line with what the World Bank approved for each of the ACEs in their DLI 2.8 formulation.

Table 2

Verification (Yes/No)
ACE/

University

Summary description of  major equipment purchase/ installation Milestone (based on DLI 2.8 formulation) Milestone number Invoices/

Certificates available

Acceptable Equip. installation Evidence of Equip. in use Checklist of all equip. purchased (with status & location)  

 

Equip. entered into asset catalogue of university

1 YY Equipment purchased, installed and in use 4

 

9th ACE1 PSC & 6th ACE1 Project Workshop kicked off in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire

The 9th ACE1 Project Steering Committee Meeting (PSC) and 6th ACE1 Project Workshop were held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, from 14 – 17 November, 2016. The meetings were hosted by the Radisson Blu Hotel. The 6th ACE1 Workshop itself took place from 15th to 17th November, 2016. The Meeting of the Project Steering Committee (PSC), happened on Monday, 14th November, 2016.

Over 230 participants were gathered in Abidjan and these included teams from the 22 Africa Centers of Excellence from Western and Central Africa. Teams include Centre Leaders, Deputy Centre Leaders, Procurement Specialists, M&E Specialists, Financial Management Specialists and representatives from the collaborating partners.

Please click here to download the agenda in English

Please click here to download the agenda in French

The Africa Centers of Excellence 1 (ACE1) Project aims to:

  1. Promote regional specialization among participating universities in areas that address specific common regional development challenges
  2. Strengthen the capacities of these universities to deliver high quality training and applied research
  3. Meet the demand for skills required for Africa’s development such as the extractive industries

 

The Association of African Universities Secretariat is the appointed Regional Facilitating Unit for the ACE 1 Project.

 

Call: Small Grants for Graduate Internships targeting Eastern Africa, Southern Africa and Francophone member universities

English Version
Deadline 15th August 2016

  1.  Introduction
Internships
Image Courtesy Career Center

The Association of African Universities (AAU) has intensified its advocacy for students from African universities to acquire employable skills for the world of work upon graduation from their universities. Through financial assistance from the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), the AAU has secured some funds to offer small grants of up to US$600 per person for graduate internships for its member universities.

  1.  Conditions for the Award of the Grant
  • Applicants should be students in an AAU member institution in Southern or Eastern Africa, or a Francophone member institution, and the institution must be in good standing. CHECK FOR THE NAME OF YOUR UNIVERSITY
  • Grant applicants should be students pursuing post-graduate degree programmes. Applicants should note that the grants are for training purposes only and not meant for the completion of theses or dissertations.
  • Applicants shall commit to undertake an internship programme for a period between twelve (12) and twenty-four (24 weeks).
  • Applications should be supported with an authorisation note from the Head of Department of the applicant’s university as well as an official acceptance letter from the establishment wishing to host the intern.
  • All applicants should submit a detailed curriculum vitae.
  • A detailed but confidential supervisory report will be required from the host institution on the progression of the applicant during the period of internship, and from the university of the applicant on academic progress after the period of internship.
  • Consideration will be given to applicants who have no practical work experience.
  • In the Grant Award Agreement, sixty percent (60%) of the total grant will be disbursed upon the submission of the required letters of intent from both the university and the employer to cater for transport and other incidentals. The other forty percent (40%) will be disbursed after the successful completion of the internship, receipt of deliverables from the university and the employer.
  • A tracer of the intern’s employment status will be conducted six months after graduation from the university.
  • Any breach of these Conditions shall lead to the termination or invalidity of the grant for which the Grantor shall recall or request the amount awarded to be refunded.
  1.  Selection Criteria

Selection of successful applications will be based on a quota system revolving around gender (at least 40% of beneficiaries should be females); country (not more than 10 applicants per country) and language (at least 30% from Francophone institutions).

  1.  Deadline for Submission of Applications

Interested applicants should submit their applications online including the required support documents not later than 15th August, 2016. Please note that ONLY online submissions will be accepted.

French Version

Date limite : 15 Août 2016

Petite subvention pour les stages d’étudiants

  1. Présentation

L’association des universités africaines (AUA) a intensifié ses activités de plaidoyer pour les étudiants des universités africaines. Ceci afin que ces étudiants puissent à acquérir des compétences professionnelles pouvant les préparer au monde du travail après leurs parcours universitaires.
Grâce à l’aide financière de l’Agence Suédoise de Développement International (ASDI), l’AUA a obtenu des fonds pour offrir de petites subventions allant jusqu’à 600 $ US par personne pour les stages d’études supérieures du troisième cycle pour ses universités membres.

  1. Conditions d’octroi de la subvention
  • Les demandeurs de subventions doivent être des étudiants qui poursuivent des programmes d’études postuniversitaires. Les candidats doivent noter que les subventions sont destinées uniquement à des fins de formation et non à l’élaboration de thèses ou mémoires.
  • Les demandeurs doivent être étudiants dans une institution en Afrique australe ou Afrique occidentale, ou une institution francophone, qui est membre de l’AUA et l’institution doit être en règle. Vérifiez le nom de votre université
  • Les candidats doivent s’engager à entreprendre un programme de stage pour une période de douze (12) et vingt-quatre (24 semaines).
  • Les candidatures doivent être soutenues par une note d’autorisation du chef de département de l’université du/de la requérant(e).
  • Tout candidat doit présenter un curriculum vitae détaillé.
  • Les demandes doivent aussi avoir une lettre de notification officielle de l’établissement d’hébergement du stagiaire consentant à l’admission du/de la requérant(e) pour la durée prévue.
  • Un rapport de contrôle détaillé, mais confidentielle serait nécessaire de l’institution d’accueil sur la progression du/de la requérant(e) au cours de la période de stage, et de l’université du/de la requérant(e) sur les progrès académique après la période de stage.
  • Plus d’intérêt sera accordé aux candidats n’ayant aucune expérience professionnelle.
  • Dans la convention de subvention, soixante pour cent (60 %) de la subvention totale sera versé sur présentation des lettres d’intention requis de l’université et de l’employeur pour couvrir les frais de transport et d’autres frais accessoires. L’autre quarante pour cent (40%) sera versé après la réussite du stage, certifié par l’université et l’employeur.
  • Un traceur de la situation d’emploi du stagiaire sera mené six mois après l’obtention du diplôme de l’université.Toute violation du présent Accord, conduira à la résiliation ou la nullité de la subvention, pour lequel le cédant devrait être rappelé ou demander le montant accordé pour être remboursé.
  1. Critères de sélection

La sélection des candidatures retenues sera basée sur un système de quotas de Genre (au moins 40% des bénéficiaires devrait être des femmes); pays (pas plus de 10 candidats par pays) et la langue (au moins 30% des institutions francophones).

  1. Date limite de soumission des demandes

Les candidats intéressés devront soumettre leur candidature en ligne, y compris les dossiers à fournir au plus tard le 15 Août, 2016. Veuillez noter que seules les soumissions en ligne seront acceptées.

West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) holds Research Conference on Improving Health through Advanced Research and Training

A delegation from the Association of African Universities (AAU) participated in the maiden West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) Annual Research Conference. WACCBIP is one of the 22 African Centres of Excellence under the World Bank ACE Project. The AAU is the Regional Facilitation Unit of the ACE project.

Blog ArticleChaired by the out-going Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, this event was held from July 14- 15, 2016 at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, in Accra-Ghana

The conference was attended by over 150 participants from both the international and local scenes, and had as its theme – Improving Health through Advanced Research and Training

Among others, WACCBIP organised the conference to provide the platform for its trainees to present their research work, interact with their peers and WACCBIP faculty members from all the regional and international partner institutions.

It further served as a forum for WACCBIP faculty to engage policy makers and private sector players on the nation’s health research priorities.

Leading scientists within the African region and international collaborators from the grp_blog articlefollowing universities participated in the event; University of Pittsburgh, USA; University of New Mexico, USA; American Society for Cell Biology, US; University of Cambridge, UK; University of Oxford, UK; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK; Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, UK; University of Copenhagen, UK; Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), University of Bamako, Mali; Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP) ; Burkina Faso Centre MURAZ Research Institute; Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso; Center Suisse de Recherche Scientifique (CSRS), La Cote d’Ivoire ;Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI-WTRP), Kilifi, Kenya; Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya; University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa

In his opening remarks, the Director of WACBIPP, Dr. Gordon Awandare said that WACCBIP is working to;

  • Build capacity by providing full training pipeline: from graduate internships, through Masters and PhD programmes to Postdoctoral
  • Create an environment for high quality training and development of research leaders
  • Provide trainees with the skill-set for independent research in the peculiar research environment in Africa
  • Build a network of young scientists who would be bonded together through their training and will continue to collaborate as independent scientists
  • Generate innovations in molecular diagnosis and drug/vaccine development
  • Bring scientists and policy makers together to discuss Africa’s health research priorities
  • Invite corporate friends into the conversation about funding biomedical research and training

 

Whilst acknowledging current partners for their immense support to the Centre, Dr. Awandare called on governments and other institutions to partner WACCBIP and other scientific institutions in producing the one million new PhDs needed by Africa for its development.

More information on WACCBIP can be accessed from https://www.waccbip.org/

Contact: smkandawire@aau.org | Association of African Universities | P. O. Box AN 5744,
Accra-North, Ghana | Tel +233-547-728975 All Rights Reserved © 2022