Human resources development and utilization in the framework of African development and co-operation in the 1980s

fit

UNITED NATIONS

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Distr.

GENERAL

E/CN. 14/763

29 February 1980 Original : ENGLISH

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA First meeting of the Technical

Preparatpry Committee of the Whole Addis Ababa, 3-8 April 1980

ECONOMIC OMISSION FOR AFRICA Fifteenth session/sixth meeting of

the Conference of Ministers Addis Ababa, 9-12 April 1980

HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF AFRICAN DEVELOR'IENT AND CO-OPERATION IN THE 1980s *

Contents

I© Africa's human resources development and utilization:

The situation « — — — — —

II. Human resources factor in Africa's development

strategy in the 1980s -. — — — —

III. Need for action in eliminating manpower constraints to development efforts — — — — — IV « Policy decisions and commitments required of

African Governments __ — ...- ANNEX: I, Expanded Training and Fellowship for Africa,

1980~1982s Budgetary Requirements

II« Main Recommendations of the Third Biennal Training Development Conference, held at ADDIS ABABA, 10-20 December 1979

Paragraphs

1 - 14

15-38

39-53

54-55

* For background document see "Intra-African

jdegelopment and utilization" (PAMlAlP7l/79).~ ~*

^manpower

M8O-78I

E/CN. 14/763 Page 2

I. Africa's ;^man resources &svelopnent and utilizations

tfre i

1. The problems of human resource development and utilization in Africa are a function of the situation in Africa,

2. DsbtJ^ the 1970s the annual £opulatiT< rrr-^h r~»te for Africa.'^s 2.7 per cent which was almost double the world average of 1.8 per cent, more than three times that of the developed countries (o,9 per cent) and 14 per cent higher than the average for developing countries as a whole (2.4 per cent). During the 1980s, Africa's population is

projected to grow at 2.9 per cent per annum. At this rate, Afric's age structure will continue to be younger? so that the dependency ratio will still be vary high as compared to other developing countries at

8.6 . 2/

3. Today, the world's labour force is estimated at 1.8 billion and

will nuirber 2,045 irlllicns pt'the erxl of 1987, an increase of 250 millions persons in seven years, 85 per cent of whan will be living in developing countries. The implication of this is that, as fran 1980, 30 millions extra jobs will have to be created each year in developing countries

just: to absorb the nawconers to the work force. In Africa at the close of die 1970s,'out of a total labour force of 140 millions persons, the urban areas hsd 10 million unemployed or urdereroployed while the rural areas had more than 50 inillions unemployed or underonployed. In the 1980s * Africa "wai;M have to cater for a much larger number of unanployed and underemployed. 3/ liiis situation does not augur well for a region with very limited capital resources - a poorly developed agricultural sector '

and a ^-Ol induatrial sector with a lea; absorptive capacity.

4- Eftucatdonal' systsas in Africa are ill-suited to the development * needs of African econonles because they are tailored to suit largely clerical one! white-collar jobs and to create an elite which is widely separated in sympathy and aspirations frcn its origins. In fact, the Government, ir^jstry, peasantry and tl-- educated persons live in

separate viorlds of their cwnf e?.ch canpi^..";.r>''r?g *-*i?.t t^*=» others do not understand their respactive preoccupations v

2/ EG^s Suryjiy of Econcraic and Social Conditions in Africa,

~ 'J97'/-73 Pert i, E/OJ.14/697/gart I. Febniary 1979, p.^

V UjQg Indium Te:cm Plan for 1982-19S7, Geneva, 1979, Chapter I

E/CW. 14/763 Page 3

5. Further, recent studies in many African countries have

constitute the primary educators of any nation. Yet Africa

centimes to give inadequate attention to fe^le elcaSS

•»

1974 aid the calone self-sufficiency ratio, notwithstanding

°f E°°ncndc ajd Social Conditions in Africa,

E/CN. 14/763 : Page 4

imports, declined too, except for Worth. .Africa. The :ira:jority cf the population in Africa had a calorie intake below the critical minimum required.. Ihe decline was forecast to centime so that self-sufficiency for cereals would decline to 76 per cent by-:1S35 =■ fran the present ievel^of 83 per cent. Cctmpdities with a surplus now would run into serious deficit fcy 1985/ For instance- self-sufficiency:in pulses would drop; from the present 107 per cent to 90 per cent? meat from 105 ger cent to 84 per cent?

and! fish ,£ccm 126 per cent -tP 97 per cent. As a result Africa would become a recjipn. of food.shortages*"6/ In pther words after over 3Q years of

developrnsnl; planning Africa Ts now unable, to feed itself in terms of quality and CTaantity of food produced and food intake.

9, Tneae ie therefore no time for complacency, considering that 44 per cent of ifeLc^n land area is subject to drou^it (which is twice-the worlds average), snd 55 per cent is affected or likely to.be affected by :

desertification, as against 4 per. cent in Asia and 1 per cent in Latin iferica. Thus drought and desertification as well as insect pests are serious barriers to land use in Africa and require immediate attention.

ID,. Despite the mass mobilization efforts preached by most African nations, 69 per cant of the total population is seriously poor, 39 per cent destitute, and the majority suffer from a severr shortage of protein energy; and malnutrition, . .Hbrse still, the, richest 10 per cent of households receive about 40 per cent of the total income^ while the poorest 40 per cent of households receive only a meagre 15 per cent or less of total income. 7/

11, There are still other aspects of the situation that should be considered. The quality and productivity of the available labour force

is affected by the quality of health and nutrition (food intake), of training and job attitudes as well as by the national policy on wages and income

distribution, and by the premium on white collar work. T'Mle the average African labourer or clerk can perform as well as his collegues in other regions of the world, poor nutrition and diseases (endemic malaria and other tropical diseases) seriously constrain his efforts and output.

12. Thanks to the enormous investments in formal education since

independence, there have been large increases in the output of secondary and tertiary school graduates. Notwithstanding these increases the

African situation today is one of skilled manpower shortages, particularly at the/'doing-lsver1? and in respect of technicalf professional and

managerial levels the situation has tended to worsen as development

gathered rrmentunu Unsmployment among primary school leavers has gradually extended through to seconiary and university graduates simply because the bulk of the skills produced, the result of educational and occupational

6/ Opv-cit. p. 5 7/ Op.cit. P. 11

E/CN.14/763 Page 5

biases and thesociai status attached to them proved to be irrelevant to the real development needs of the region. The real manpower bottlenecks in most countries have turned out to bs not so much of the university tacained cadres but of middle-level personnel able to use their brains and harrls to get work done. The shortage ha3 arisen because Africa for too

long neglected technical, canmercial and agricultural education of the type required by the masses of the population.

13.. Largely because African universities have not succeeded in p

, the right ndbc of academics and skills, African States have been obliged to; rely on imports of foreign trained manpower, especially to fill

technical and managerial posts and even to supply badly needed teachers

for their educational and training institutions. Again because basic university education was not so relevant, research facilities were lacking and indigenous talents have not been recognized and used for political reasons, African States have lost and continue to lose several thousands of their highly trained nationals to the industrialized countries - the well known "brain drain" phenomenon.

14. African States have not sufficiently put their I:hutnan resource"

endowment at the centre of and the key factor in their development efforts;

and they have failed to realize that the pace of development and the results of their efforts will much depend upon the quality of their human resources and their effective use.

11' Himan rfcaouroos fa-rtcra^in AM.^s,, go^plpcnarit-£tfe^^* 1"> ths 1980s

(a) She Vital rol^ -of iraln^d

15. Human resources in the form of intellect, creative mind, skilled hands, "

know-how and entrepreneurial and managerial capabilities, constitute a most critical input factor in national development effort^ The quality of

available nanpowar and the motivation of people to participate in, and

contribute to national development are among the'most vital elements in any . country's sc^io-^economic development and achievements. This is well borne cut in the econcmic history of Europe, the United States of America and

Japan,, each rising fran peasant econanies to industrialized: modern economics, and accounts for the difference in the short time taken by post-Meiji Japefn to achieve its industrial revolution. In Africa the culture, beliefs,

distcmary practices, social values, level of education and socio-ecoionic

besides

other ffcysical and exogenous factors. Thus, sane of the basic constraints to development, innovation and change are to be found in tha quality of the available manpower and in the people's willingness and attitude to participate in and contribute to the development effort.

I

M I

E/CN, 14/763 Page 6

16 Manpower was considered crucial and given due attention in the

national preparations to achieve poUtical independence in various African countries during the late 1950s and early 1960s. This was witenssed by

the sustained efforts of both the ex-colonial Powers and independent

African countries in initiating and implementing progranmes of "Africanization"

of the public service in the form of crash training programmes for Africans

and in the establishment of appropriate educational and training institutions.

Similarly the bid to achieve a new economic order in every African State would require a much more crucial role for trained manpower and adequate preparation of nationals to meet the new danands that accelerated economic

transformation will create. In other words, economic and social development in the 1930s ani 1990s calls for a greater quantity and a much more complex variety of trained manpower, for labour with a greater measure of technical

skill and know4icw and inbued with an, attitude conducive to productivity

and innovation whose motivation is strongly rooted in development through

self-reliance and personal effort.

17. To maximize the national effort in relation to the contribution of labour to development requires that the total work force that is able and willing to work must be gainfully employed and participate in national development, and that the quality of their labour must ensure near optimal individual contribution. Eor African States this means utproving the quality

of the available labour force through education and training, the

minimization of the constraint of mass illiteracy and the development of

social values and job attitudes that favour increased productivity ™ innovation. It also requires the development of entrepreneurial capability

that is not hamstrung by traditional social values and beliefs or by

poUtical and other partisan influences. It requires that the manpower

mobiUzation concept should not be confined to national boundaries but

should be given regional dimensions to facilitate canplementarity between labour surplus and labour-or skill-scarce African States.

18. Embarking upon far-reaching industriaUzation progranmes during the

next two deccdes calls for a much greater training effort and devotion of resources to preparing the manpower required than was the experience with "Africanization". This is particularly true witii regard to the

influence science and technology exert on the industrialization process and hence on the quaUty of the manpower input. Like a military venture, no

country ever undertakes such a venture without full mcfoiUzation of its

human and material resources. Similarly, the African struggle for economic

independence calls for the full mctoiUzaUbn and qualitative preparaUon

of its human resources £or development.

E/CN.14/763 Page 7

fib) Bfwjc riloroaftfca in strategy options

19. African States have recognized the crucial role of trained manpower and favourable attitudes in bringing about economic development. They have accordingly given a place to the integration o£ the human resource element

in their ha^onal,and;.regional deveiopnent:strategies. More recently,-- ' ■

they have expressed in various resolutions? the importance:they attached to human resources development and enplo^eht;r-8/ Of -particular- significance in these resolutions is the desire to co-operate in fostering a self-reliant policy in the development ancl utilization of African human resources and to reduce the current; dependence^on external, non-African sources of supply

of critical manpower. -

20". in pursuance of such resolutions aimed at fostering collective self-

reliance in trained manpower, African States would have to recognize and accept the policy implications and actionrequirentants of the following basicy,ejleipents in their strategy option for human resources development and

mobilizations

(a) Making education serve, the object of economic and social development,

including its role in fostering national unity and consequently making

curricula an4 course p£ferings in the fozmal education system relevant to the African scene and the challenge of development, -as- well as making ' : educational facilities respond to the sklU and knowledge requirements of '-'■■■

the masses of the people in the production sectors* particularly the

agriculture sectary .. - - .■-.-.■■■ . . ..■ >-.>..■

(b> Ifeking special efforts to achieve accelerated training of middle--

and higher-level technical, technological, professional and managerial

personnel in both public, and private sectors, in terms of the quality afcd

quantityM manpower, required in industry, agriculture, ccnroerce, tranepart^

and coOTtpnications, edi.?c^tion, social and ot-her sen'icss and achieve self--

'in mar^ov^r resources? , : . , tri .

(c) Paying attention to the segments of the population requiring

special development efforts through training and entrepreneurial develc^fiient,

particularly with regard to women, school drop-outs and out^-of^sctwol i ^

poxUati, and to, the role of non-formal education in this effort?> ■ i-J..

(dj Eradicating mass illiteracy and providing a general inprovemsftfe ih

the knowledge, skill-misc and attitude of the work force;

8/ ,>, See EGA Conference of Ministers resolutions 332(XIV) and 348<XIV) -and

3ie Monrovia Strategy for Bconouic Development of Africa (OVEes.7220CXXIII)l

and Declaration of Gommitii^nt adopted by theCflU Heads of State and ;

Government ajt the Monrovia Summit of July 1979. : .

E/CW.14/763 Page 8 v

(e) Making education imbue Africans with a spirit of self-confidence, innovation, inventiveness and change as well as a positive attitude to work that engenders industry and productivity;

(fj Developing effective formal links between the Government, higher educational institutions and industry, agriculture and other development ' w;

sectors in national economies, thereto making it possible and obligatoryL : /

to seek academe excellence aid opportunities for applied research in the '

challenge of local social and economic development? "'lL'-'!

(g) Strengthening national and multinational institutions and the establishment of new national; subregional or regional training and

research institutions specially designed to meet requirements of specialized manpower and providing such institutions full material, moral and political

support and making full use of their facilities?

(h) Adopting policies, programmes and other measures, including financial incentives, that will attract back to Africa qualified Africans currently living and working abroad, as well as evolving and operating programmes that will pranofce the employment, exchange and short-term release of African experts for service in other African countries?

(i) Providing effective policies and programmes that guarantee increasing employment opportunities arri rising incane for all levels of the labour force, particularly youths, school leavers and the underemployed rural population? this requires the integration of enployment and incaae policies in over-all development planning and the use of techniques and investment policies that are designed to expand anplojroent opportunities

substantially. *

(j) Participating in bilateral or multilateral arrangements that permit free movement of trained manpower across national frontiers within the l;

framework of intra-African co-operation and initiating legislative and ; administrative action to retrieve internal constraints to the free flow ar£l ■ movement of qualified manpower across ethnic boundaries;

(k) Full catmitment to, and effective political, financial and moral support for African co-operative progranmes of manpower development and utilization, and in particular providing subregional and regional trainlx^

and research institutions the resources they need for effective operation and for the achievement of their goals and output targets.

(c). Challenges and tasks ahead

21» The demand for trained manpower in the form of human resource input in development process is measured in relation to the magnitude and type of

tasks to be performed in both service and production sectors. African States1 desire to eliminate manpower constraints in their development effort and tP achieve a good measure of self-'sufficiency in essential manpower resources is considered in terms of the type, qiantity and quality of skilled hands,

E/CN. 14/763 Page 9

brains* innovative spirit, managerial and entrepreneurial capabilities for bringing about accelerated economic development and improved standards of living, an effort in which industrial and technological revolution, agricul tural modernization and development in other sectors are all critical. In order to appreciate the challenge of producing this type and scale of

manpower, it is necessary to mention seme of the major challenges that will confront Africa and some of the specific tasks that must be performed in the 4 1980s and 1990s. Such a background provides sane insight into the iiiportance

of human resources development and effective utilization of what will be available and the need for African States to work together in order to offset their weak positions.

22. Industrial development as a lead sector for bringing about internally

&33.f sustaining and self-generating development has ad;nawledged priority in virtually all African States. In this regard African States have accepted the Lima target of a 2 per cent share in world irsdustrial output by the year 2000. ahis requires a stupenicas effort in restructuring present day industrial structure and output"and a high level of annual industrial growth to be able to shift from the present share of 0.6 per cent of world output of industrial production to the lfevel of 2.0 per cent; Although no precise data have been worked out regarding the, lumber, variety and level of trained manpower required in various industrial branches, it can at least be said that the level of manpower required for the industrial sector alone

is much more than the actual and potential capabilities of existing

educational and training institutions can cope with without extraordinary expansion of existing facilities and a variety of new training and research institution.

23. The manpower and training implications of the integration of industry , with total national economic development mav be further elaborated particularly i as regards the"1 linkage of irriiwtri^*^44n^«foHHfoQ grp-frrrijt1***1 -njfl mining

\ sectors. TMs requires that industries should produce inputs for .the develop-

* ment of the other sectors, including the transport and carnunications sector, i while the agricultural and mining sectors produce raw material inputs for v manufacturing- It also calls for industry to produce capital goods, Ttvase

* production activities require the local training and nobilization of nanpovrer for the entire spectrum of skills and expertise needed in industrial production and distribution activities.

24. For each of the basic industries - chemicals, engineering, metals, food and agro^allied, building materials and constnjetion industries the specific technical and managerial personnel as vjell as support, accounting, clerical and ;^perative skills must be produced locally. This means training enough production and design engineers, process engineers, materials scientists and technologists, metallurgists, structural engineers, chemical engineers, a variety of technologists, an army of technicians and skilled operatives,

industrial consultants, specialists in quality control, metroiogyr standa rdization and other skill areas too numerous to list. A good nunfcer of these critical skills are as yet unknown to African economies and to local educational and training institutions „

Page 10

25. In support of the industrialization programme, new training, research and industrial development institutions are to be established at rational,.

subregional ani regional levels. 9/ Such new institutions would require teacherr, in£tioctoxs> researchers, acfednistratorsy "managers, accountants/.

technicians and middle and lower level support staff bo run them efficiently.

Currently African States are not producing enough taachers, xoanegers, technicians sid researchers. 13ie challenge is that African States both individually and co-operatively must deveVp local training capability to producs th3 personnel needed to make the operation of the industrial development institutional infrastructure, including training institutions and industrial training workshops, effectiveP efficient ani relevant.

26. The basic question is how far African States are conscious of the seriousnsss-of the technological and managerial rranpovjer gap ,\n the industrial development programme in terms of what is available, what can be produced with existing facilities and the critical minimum required to make the industrialization effort yield positive results and sustained growth. Related to that basic question is whether African States have at the beginning of the new decade fully canmitted and equipped themselves to solve the industrial manpower problem and are doing something concrete to realign their educational and training institutions to produce the new types of manpower in demand as well as make industries create more ptroductive employment*

27. Another task is the African Transport and oanmunications Decade. In order to achieve the objectives of the Decade a total of $US255 million has been estimated as the amount required to establish new training institutions, improve and expand existing institutions, provide fellowships for training students and instructors, provide the services of experts and organize seminars and workshops for personnel in the various modes of transport and ccmminica- tions. Ihe implementation: of < <£ie vakious- national and multinational programmes for. the Decade will ■pose special problems for moTj^gcrial, engineering„

teaching, accounting and supervisory personnel,- a good proportion of the needed skills being currently unavailable in irost of the countries..

28 „ The strategy for the inplementation of the Transport and OatKunications Decade in Africa is baseG on a inaster plan v.Mch cavers all nodes of transport and fields of cotununications» The master plan provides for both national and multinational development projects, all of which call for immense investment and very considerable efforts in the construction of roads, bridges, railways,

sea ports, ard airports; the development of inland waterways arid shipping?

the establishment of new national and multinational training institutions and the strengthening and expansion of existing ones;; the harmonization of

administrative and custons formalities," the establishment of multinational and national companies; and the improvement of other facilities. Tnese activities call for the training and mobilization bf a variety of skills and large numbers of engineers, managers, technicians, transport economists, and other specialized personnel. The various training institutions to be expanded or established need teachers, instructors and administrators and these must first be trained.

9/ See the Report of the first ECb/lNIDO Basic Metals and Engineering Industries Development Programme., 1978 o

E/CN.14/763 Page 11

29.

in

ix iicegram^ 1 res£Oni eff^^vely lh p^uciipgthe s]

§ie^ceguir^d:,'^jnflg^ca^iUty/*^^t;^;e^t_thw

30. jSd^ ^^W-^^.^/^

iii the 13&0s. In this sector a

1 s, agciculture from baing pcHnarily one of

31. in ten» of nanpower implications, the African

school .lexers-tp.engfg^ in

^ fisheries,...H*&. .^ .

froriUieir traditiohkl narrowness and

to the African scene or yet to be evolved or xnvented 2

E/CM. 14/763 Page 12

33. The question then asks as to whether existing African institutions, particularly faculties of agriculture and specialized agricultural ' institutions are in a.position to meet the manpower challenge irt the"

agricultural sector. If these rarograrotes are not relevant; it ^ust be : v-

asce^ta^ne^ how easy it will be to redesign them, reject them or substitute ■

new ar^~mx:e relevant pi±>granrnes and whether the teachers in these institutions

can and are willing to change or can be made to change and at what cost, rt is necessary to ask whether the time has not come for the faculties of

agriculture to move to rural production centres and find academic excellence and research challenge in the very locale of production and for agricultural students.to dip their "pens" into the earth and soil their hands through

participation in extensive and intensive extension services.

34. . Similar analyses can be made with regard to national basic needs pro^ammes; education and illiteracy eradication progranraes? technology indigenization programmes? the development of national and regional institutional capability far training and research; the development of national capability for the effective management of natural resources and for tapping and managing solar energy? developing the capabilities for formulating, implementing and evaluating national policies, strategies and programmes designed to bring about effective self-reliance, co-operation and economic independence.

35. A formidable challenge that is already facing most African countries

is to find u.neffective solution to the increasing level of unemployment

and underemployment. As indicated earlier several million job seekers will be added to the work force every year. Wiat is more serious is that youths and educated persons will form a rising proportion of the job seekers, including hi^i schools and university graduates, This means that an increasing proportion of the unemployed labour force will be articulate, able to write in the press and intelligently make demands for work and a decent living, as well as confront administrators and politicians if they

fail to create jobs. Until the rural conmunities are sufficiently developed to offer the ndnimum attractions, youths and particularly school leavers, will continue to migrate to urban centres in search of jobs for which they may lack the skills or which they may fail to get because there are not enough jobs for all who are willing to work. Hunger, theft, lawlessness, hooliganism and political unrest may rise to very serious proportions to

threaten political stability. In the circumstances policy makers and planners would be hard put to find effective solutions to combat increasing under

employment and unemployment and ensure a better distribution of the fruits of development.

%.^WMWH^iJ^^M>-^H^j|ti;

Page 13

36. There are still other challenges and tasks to be faced to in the years ahead. These range from individual to national attitudes to change and develOFRfent; problem of lack of self-confidence and attachment to values that have no real roots in African sccic-econemic milieus; the problem of abject poverty among over, three quarters of the population and

the search for effective means of bringing them to participate fully and effectively in the fruits of development; the question of political

stability and the freedom of the individual to engage in gainful employment

of his own choice wherever the opportunity is offered; and getting a

clearer understanding of what is wanted, how, at what costs, who benefits

and how to consistently steer the course of events towards the achievement

of declared goals and set targets.

37. African States do not live in isolation; they form part of the world

camunity and the warOd ecoroay. As a result they are faced with the unfinished business of inequalities and disabilities inherited from their cclomal

past as well as the perpetuation of forces that kept and have continued to keep African econcmies dependent on the economies of the industrialized countries. These forces of financial, trade, technological, political and cultural links will continue to exert their influences on Africa, These forces are already clearly known as they have been articulated in the debates of the North-South dialogue awl at UNCTftD and motivated the call by

the developing countries for a New International Economic Order, which to

African States iteant the ending of economic dependence throu^a co-operation

and collective self-reliance at the regional level and co-operation on equal footing with the rest of the world. Issues such as imported double

digit inflation, increasing debt bvrden, the oil crisis and the uncanpromzing

attitude of the industrialized nations to concede technology transfer.- to

re-locate industries and to open up their markets to the industrial, and processed agricultural products of developing countries are a few of the

international forces that have posed serious challenges to Africa in recent years and will continue to do so in the 1980s. ..-

38. Such are some of the mere important challenges and tasks that African

States must develop the capability to cope with, eliminate or accomrrodate.

Developing the capability to do so requires that the needed trained and

experienced manpower and technical know-how must be indigenous and available

in the right quantity, quality and variety, ttius coping witii the development

and international challenges of the next decade further poses a consequential

challenge of manpower development and mobilization.

E/OZ. 14/763 Page 14

III. Need for action in eliminating manpower constraints to development

efforts . :

39. In order to prepare nationals adequately to cope effectively with the challenge of the 1980s and beyond and face up to the job to be dene with canpetencG, efficiency and good results, action has to be taken on many fronts aid at different levels in the field of manpower training and utilisation. Most of the action needed will be at the national level to

be initiated and implemented by Gcverrcnents, iT-astatal'i^terprises and

orgardaationr; aid the private sector, Action has to be taken in respect of termed. ^'.:■■*'s_tvxj. odurati.cn Eystens?in training policy and programme forz7alati.cn,. iiiipleitientation and evaluation; in the mobilization of funds and staff for educational and training programmes ? and in over-all human resource planning, employment planning and promotion and their integration in "ver-all development planning. Legislative action would have to be toj-vea in respect of institutional: arrangements for establishing and administering training funds or in connexion with the establishment of nev; institutions. At the multinational and regional levels action would netd to br* taken with the aim of fostering co-operation in. manpower training and utilization through shariirj of experiences, joint use of existing

training and research institutions, co-operation in* establishing new training irefc'.feitipns or in strengthening and expanding existing ones,

40, T.ho need for such action was considered at the third Biennial Conference en Trai.ninc' Dsvelpcffnent vMch was held in Addis Ababa frcm 10 to 20 Deoenfoer 1979. That Conference considered such issues as; the need for rationalizing national training policy to cover all sectors, develop effective machinery for training policy co-ordination and develop i corps of profession oriented trainers? the use of non-formal education system to extend training facilities to rror^ people in the work force; to develop effective education and

vocational guidance and counselling services? and the question of intra-African co-epcrc.ticn in manpower development and utilization- The Conference reviewed ths present: status of training development in various African States and.

related training needs to the development challenge of the 1980s. The

Conference made several recoranendations for action at national and regional lsvels, and the relevant ones are summarized in annex II.

rrj.or.icy Action Programne

41= (.r^e Conference on Training Development considered a specific action trcgr«r:Ki^ ou-lJlrsed in document ESMD05P/1/79, entitled "Intra-African Co-operaidon in Manpower Develofmant and Utilization" and endorsed the foXXa'7J---- specific cemporients in a priority action progransns:

/ Page 15

42. The Expanded Training and Fellowship Programme for Africa. This is aimed at training a larger number of Africans in skill areas that are considered of nigh -priority to die region's develo^nent effort* utilizing'■

African training institutions and the principle of co-operation and collective self-reliance. The target is 3,000 trained Africans in five years, iiicluding training at post-graduate level, giving priority to the training of instructors, science teachers, raanagemerit eo.'jtcators, technical ar& managerial personnel for industry and other sectors. Internal support in the fom of grants and fellowship was expected bat trie greater part of

■die resources for the implementation of the progranhie,: which was approved for implementation by ECA Executive Committee at its eighteenth meeting in Khartcum in May 1978, was expected to come through self-reliance and fron

States.

43. Annex I outlines the training and fellowship activities to be carried out under the programme during 198O 19G2* The principle cf technical co-operation among African countries has been built into all the programme activities- In addition to the specialized post-graduate and professional training fellowships :.n African-Institutions, the programme envisages to assist in the training of laboratory and workshop technicians as well as technology familiarization courses for teachers manning the African Institute for Higher Technical Training and Research as well as the training of the

staff of other regional training and research institutions^ provide fellowships

for training Africans at the sub-regional graduate schools of managamentf

and offer international travel grants to facilitate the movement of students benefiting from African fellowships and scholarships vAio might be unable to utilize awards by African countries because of their inability to meet the cost of international travel. The estimated cost of the programme during 1980-1982 is $US3.54 million of which some $US600,COO is expected to cane from non-African donor sources.

44. The Exparr"?d Training and Fellowship Programme for Africa, if well funded, is expectod to provide training assistance to African States in respect of critical skills needed in their development effort. Activities under the programme relate to all sectors where the training of Africans

is considered critical. The progranxne will, however*, pay special attention to manpower requirements for the basic industries that have bean accorded priority fcy African States. It will endoavour to provide the complementary

manpower components to the major multinational development projects that EGA will assist member States in promoting, including training and research needs of intergovernmental organizations and the miadle-and higher-level manpower requirements of African miltinationa? entreprises. Priority

structures in fellowship use and in the orientation of the programme will from time to time be reviewed in relation to any charge in the pattern of manpower requirements that can'best be met thiough technical co-operation efforts.

E/U-J.I4/763 Page 16

45. Regional training institution building and strengthening- A nurrber of training"a3research institutions have in recent years been established at the subregional and regional levels. These institutions are designed to ensure self-reliance in developing the institutional infrastructure that will provide the capability at the regional or subregional level to carry out the manpower training that African countries need. These institutions are therefore strategic to the region's rapid.development. Some of the institutions falling into this category are the African Centre for technology in Dakar; the Regioial Centre for Engineering Design and Manufacturing in Ibsdan; the African Institute for Higher Technical Training and Research, Nairobi? the east African Mineral Resources Development Centre in Dodoma.

Other eqiially strategic institutions in the process of being established .

are .the: ^i-regianal"'graduate schools of business management; the African

Data EsrJt? cind the Senate Sensing Centres in Ouagadougou and Kinshasa.

These are some of the institutions designed to fill the training and research capability gaps in existing institutions in relation to trie new patterns in

manpower deirand. ...

46. It is expected that in the course of the 1980s other new regional and subregional institutions may be established and that by the 1990s these institutions would be making a very positive ijnpact on manpower development in the African region to make the region more self-reliant. Ttiile some may feel that there are many African multinational and intergovernmental

institutions that are not receiving effective support from member States and consequently finding it very difficult to fulfil their objectives, this should rot deter African States frcm facing the fact that to survive

economically they cannot and should not remain dependent on foreign

institutions to train the manpower that they need. The root problem is not lack of relevance but rather the failure of member States to live up to their camtitnents in supporting these institutions •

47. Only African institutions that can solve specific African development problems and pi-tpare Africans in a inanner that is relevant to the challenges and socio-economic opportunities of the region. If Uestern Europe, the

United States and USSR had relied heavily on foreign institutions and foreign scholarships to train their manpower they would never have had their industrial revolution. Pfoen Japan in the post Meiji era sent its nationals to train

abroad by the thousands it did so deliberately to import kestern knowledge and technology to develop its own training, research and technological

capabilities. The scale and complexity of manpower demand in African States in the 1980s and 1930s would be such that training outside Africa would be marginal to the total training effort required- The bulk of the training eif'jet 'would have to be made, at the national level and carried out b/

national institutions - It is those critical euil specialized skills and research capability that are beyond the means of national institutions that will be the preoccupation of regional and subcegiorial institutions. These will also be active in disciplines and technological fields where foreign

Page 1.1

countries and institutions nay grudgingly and reluctantly admit only a few Africans for £raininsj ani where training lias to be directly relevant to ,

solving Africans <3e^loE3ne^t;prGiileinso It is therefore in the region's

own $>$Bp interest .that the required training and, research capabilities be developed witjian the'region at ail costs.

Sinc$..no pxie African State has the means and capability for developing 3f.the institutions,' that are required or already existing at the multi-^

national level, tha. pnly, -sensible option i^ co-operation in establishing, deyelopi^^a^^utxii^rig the moire 'casual institutions. These institutions have;,to be regap3e&' as. vital -infrastructure fibr the restructuring and

integration of, African economies. To achieve truly independent African

training the manpower that they need. ;■"'"'

49 • Sharing of African expertise. This project is airted at evolving

technical co-opsration among developing countries at the African level for the apploy-rsnt and short-term use of African ejects with considerable experience in the public, parastatal and private sectors. BCA has been concerned with identifying African everts and consultants and cearpiling and publishing their profiles to facilitate their employment in African countries. It has also pecraoted the formation of indigenous consultancy organizations at ; iaregipnjal level aimed at co--operatibn to improve

starxiardc of performance oriel share experiences and at encouraging joint forces whenever the need arises in undertaking ma'jor tacks. It is ir^king

incre^iaig use of African specialists in order jo broadenspecialists in order jo broaden their cutlobJc and

.tbeir expertise. It is willing to assist menber States in identifying and placing .African specialists and consultanix. If ^goverrjments and institutions so revest and accord pribrity to die use of African expertise in national

dlt projects, especially those involving technical cc-opsratic.n.

5CX it should be stressed that the three activity, area?, .identified above

At the national level a different set of priori,ties would be needed and should be tailored to the irenpower profiles and training programmes that best suit the-national development efforts and planned

51. Brplcynvgnt creation and enterpreneurial development capabilities. As

indicated above ths' population-of Africa is growing'at & voKy fast rate.

The iinp34catipns. of this in the 1980s are that several millionr. of extra jobs^would have to be created each year. Consequently, African Goveirfcm would have to iiiitiate policies and programmes that generate :'.nccm& and

increase Gmployrresnt opportunities for all levels of the labour force,, in

particular youthsr school leavers and the masses of unemployed and ijnder- employed people living in riaral areas „

E/O4.jl4/763

Page 18

52 It is therefore imperative that African Goverrments employ labour- intensive production techniques which involve great nunbers in production, activities and services. The main factors leading to a rise in the total national income are firstly the provision of additional capital, so that

more people can be provided with proper tools and equipment to carry on

activities which have a fairly high level of productivity? and secondly the introduction of better methods of organizaUon which would enable output to be increased. "Hie new capital will go into introducing a^tional

activities in response to the increased demand which follows from the rise in national income. The growth in labour force requires the adoption of

tapes of production techniques and investment patterns m which a large

amount of labour is combined with a small amount of capital. In the rural areas where subsistence agriculture prevails and where raw materials are

produced there is considerable scope for less sophisticated but ^Dur-

intensive tools which would employ a hi^i proportion of the rural labour force. On the other hand, greater numbers could be employed in mflustty by a shift system which would use installed capital for 24 hours a day but such employment should be related to outjxit and the capacity of the market to absorb such output. Experience thus far with *roP^-^s^ta^°" _. „ industrial development points to limited potentials for employment creation.

By contrast agriculture and the services sectors hold much greater premise

of increasing employment, and hence the need for policy and programmes to

exploit the potentials of these sectors to the fullest.

53. The demand for raw materials services and consuner goods will lead to

changes in consunption patterns Government policy should therefore encourage

small-scale indigenous entrepreneurs to initiate production activities in

the rural areas by a system of credit and provision of extension services

designed to foster entrepreneurs!*?. Indeed, it can be said that until entrepreneurial capabilities become permanently and locally established the potential to create mere jobs cannot be optimal. Dynamic entrepreneurship

is crucial to the creation of jobs and the growth of income. The implication

of such a progranrae of employnent creation and income generation on training

is that massSe training of both youths and adults would have to be^arded so that the lower levels could learn to use single tools ™dj*ie ™^e ^1 initiate entrepreneurial activities which in turn create further employment

and income.

W. Policy decisions and cantdtments required of African Governments

Itetior,-?!. Level

54. The Conference is invited to consider adopting the foUowing decisions

for action:

E/Cw.14/763 Page 19

1. Establishment, where one does not already exist, of a high powered national body, council or ministry for human resources planning, as well as national machinery for formulating;, implementing, evaluating and co-ordinating training policies and programmes at the national level.

Such a human resoxirces council should hove appropriate representation from national employers and labour organizations and from hi^ier educational

xnstitutions as well as fran the private sector,,

2. Enactment of a National Training Act to rationalize training policies for all sectors, recognize the training function, sustain training programmes iiVrelation to manpower needs, and provide legal sanction for the establishment and operation of a rational Training Fund to which employers of certain

categories would have to contribute and from which employers providing training prcgrarrsres for their employees could draw compensation.

3. Establishment of an African Training Development Fund to which national organizations, individuals, founaatipns and the Governnent itself could contribute. Such a fund would provide resources for the support of regional and. subregional training institutions, including financial support for the Expanded Training and Fellowship Programme for Africa.

4. In the light of the challenges, tasks and development targets envisaged tor the 1980s review of national policies, strategies and programmes in

manpower development and utilization with special reference tos

(a) the orientation of curricula and course contents in formal

educational institutions and the possible use of alternative options through supplementary non-formal education and training systems having due regard to cost-effectiveness and the training needs of the large majority of the

work force;

(b) intensifying national efforts and programmes for the eradication

of mass illiteracy in the population;

(c) according priority to the training of teachers and instructors, with special attention to the training of science teachers, management

eoacators and commercial teachers;

(&) according priority to the nse of indigenous consultants and

expertise, both nationals and those of other African States; ,

(e) evolving policy and programmes for encouraging the growth and

development of indigenous entrepreneurs in the more difficult industrial

and other business ventures;

E/CN.14/763

Page-2b -

(f) accrr&rig priority,to the training of ndcdie-level technical personnel am skilled operatives as well as managerial personnel at all levels in both quant'.':y and quality terms for development efforts in all

sectors of natioral economies? - r ■

(g) adoption of measures, administrative, legislative, financ:.alr ■:

political or otherwise/ designed to encourage the return home of qualified nationals residing and working abroad, ard especially nationals with skills and axpsrrienceb in scarce skill areas ? those measures could irxjJude the development of adequate research facilities locally aixl the provision of

funds tc encourage national scholars to remain at home to undertake development

oriented research? .

(h) estabiishmBnt of naticnal awards, prizes and. honours to encourage

nationals to !;e innovative ard :.nveative particularly vidi regard to technology

adaptation and de/elopnent;

(i) making ncre intensive use cf labour-intensive technologies and.

income generating employment programmes in industry, agriculture, commerce, services, etc., with the aim of involving a larger number of the population in gainful employment that contriixites to national development effort;

(j) consideration of other measures that would fostsr national self- reliance in trained manpower resources and the full and jainful employment of its human resources *

Iritra-African co-operation

55. In accordance with the spirit of intra-African co-operation and

commitment to a police of collective self-reliance and co-operation, matiber States are required ho subscribe to, and materially support intra-African

co-operation programmes through s

(a) the establishment of a Pan-African Iraining Development Trust Fund to vhich member States and African intergovernmental organizations and financial institutions as well as ncn-African Governments and organizations v could make vol^r/Lary contributions to assist personnel training in Africa.

Such a Fund could be entrusted to a body of trustees urder the leadership of ECA arrl its resources used to support the Expanded Training and Fellowship Programme for Africa an! for the development of staff and programmes at the regional and ccbregional levels and other regional training and research institutions in Africa;

(b) support for the ECA operated Expanded Training ard Fellowship Programme for Africa by each African State through s

E/CN. 14/763 PTce 21

(i) contributing cash grants, fellowships and scholarships for the implementation of the programs which needs about $USl-5 million annually to be effective?

(ii) making student places available in national post-secondary educational and training institutions;

(iii) participating in bilateral and multilateral student and teacher exchanges through the Programme;

(iv) participating in "third country" training and fellowship programme with financing frcm non-African donor countries and organizations;

(v) undertaking a comprehensive inventory of national institutional facilities that can be used for the operation of the Expanded Training aid Fellowship Progranire for Africa arri for other multi national, subregional or regional technical co-operation activities in manpower development and making such facilities known to other member States through ECA;

(c) joining various subregional and regional training and research institutions in Africa, and giving effective political, moral and material support to then ty paying membership contributions as well as special subventions, and by making full use of their facilities for the training of nationals to ensure that they fulfil their objectives; - these obligations derive frcm BCA Conference of Ministers resolution 349 (XIV) adopted by member

States in March 1979?

(d) according priority to the employment of African experts and consultancy organizations in national developnent programmes and providing the material means for the operation of an effective programme of technical co-operation among African States that would foster the use of African

expertise and experience.

E/tN.14/763 Annex I

2XKCEED TRaH^UMS UD EEUXHSKD? PEOGR^iME FOR AFRICA

1980-1982. BUDGETARY

Total 1980 1981 1982

(thousands of United States dollars) 1. Travel fare in support of

TCDC training programmes 150 50 50 50

2. Training of technicians and technical teachers at the African Higher Technical Training Institute, Nairobi, Half fellowships at +US3,000 per student/year

1980 $3000 x 200 )

1981 $3000 x 200 ) 1,800 600 600 600

1982 $3000 x 200 )

3. Training of future managers at the odtcegional graduate schools of business. Half fellowships at $US3,000 per student/year

1980 $3000 x 40 )

1981 $3000 x 48 ) 40C 120 144 144

1982 $3000 x 48 )

4. Ifetherlaw3s supported Instructor

Training Programme 600 200 200 200

5. Other specialized graduate and professional training programmes in African institutions at

$US3,000 to $US 6,O0O per

student/year 150 50 50 50

6. Programme support cost at

14 per cent 435,12 142.80 146.16 146.16

Total 3,543.12 1,162.80 1,190,16 1,190.16

E/CN.14/763

MAIN RECaiiHCfcnONS OF, THE THIRD BXEattttAL TRAINH#3 OEVE3U3P£«r GONEERE23CE, at amis' ABRSfl. 1O-2O DECEMBER 1979

A. Human resource policy guidelines

The Conference felt that for, the 1980s an integrated approach should be adopted to manpower planning and related staffing and policy considerations and the funding of training and development in order to avoid the

perpetuation of the fragmented and unco-ordinated policies that existed in the 1970s. To this end the Conference proposed the following guidelines for action in the 1980s s

la Each country should establish a ministry responsible for the

administration and co-ordination of manpower planning and training„

2. For the 1930s, policy on manpower training and development must be decisive, comprehensive, well co-ordinated and easy to.iiflple To make this effective, each country should establish a high-level national council responsible far the formulation of manpower

training and development policy .■

3- Technical assistance in the form of personnel from within the African region based on mutual needs must be encouraged to promote

intra-African co-operation.

4. In the 1930s African Governmshts should encourage tiieir trainers to carry out research activities in training-related fields and should discourage imparts of unnecessary expatriate personnel.

5. There should be established a Pan-African Training Development Fund, based on generous donations. She Fund should be initiated aid operated by a body like ECA to attract credibility and popular

support- .

6» In roost African countries there is no definitive policy statement on the utilization and oo-ordination of fellowship awards. To

;elimirate this deficiency an effective national machinery should be created to administer fellowship programmes so as to avoid any

wasteful use of resources „

Every African Government should make a special effort in properly utilizing its trained manpower B Such efforts can be aooxpllabed only if training programmes are offered for employees, their terms

and conditions of service are iinprcved and professional ism is appreciated-

E/CN. 14/763 Anne:: "I Page 2

B. Tni-ra^frican co-or~™tion ^ the uti Nation of training resources

„. juai-sssfi asasa tsrstsa

(b) Ideological differences aong scne countries of the region Which

nake it difficult to achieve effective co-operation;

(c) Differet^es aid variations in syllabuses aid problenB of

equivalences of diplcmas and accreditation:

(d) Lack of comnitaent on the part of African countries to train

their nationals in Africa;

better or ecjially qualified African

(f) Lack of adequate funds and su^ort by African countries even for

educational travel purposesj

(g) Lack of recognition of the training and development functions

of African institutions;

institutions;

(i) Lai.guage barrier existing betaken French- and English-speaking

countries and other language oroups in the region.

order to eliminate or minimize the impact of the foregoing SS^lL r^de the follow^ recom^rdations:

1 in view of the unsatisfactory response by

W

and utilization*

E/CN.14/763 flxujex II Page 3

2. The implementation of the Fellowship and Training Programme on the scale envisaged calls for the availability ;of adequate funds for training (travel, tuition, etc*}. In this regard, National Funds

(perhaps a National Training Relief Pond) should be hudgetted to include local training, intra-African co-operation and contributions to ECA as the co-ordinating agency of; the Progranme.

3. Fellowships in kind should be offered by African Governments under bilateral arrangements as well as throutfi ECA.

4. National institutions should reserve places for African students ard trainees whose respective Governments have expressed willingness tc meet training costs especially for nationals of countries with rather limited educational and training facilities in specialized

fields.

5. Because of the acute shortage of personnel in intermediate technology, intra-African technical training should have a more practical approach to the acquisition of skills and knowledge of inmediate use to the African situation.

6. More use should be made of national and African multinational institutions which have facilities and competence in given fields rather than let Africans go outside Africa for basic tii

7. An inventory of specialized training facilities in Africa should be undertaken by ECA so as to have the information classified and disseminated to African States. Further,, an inventory of country training needs should also be carried out by member States in collaboration with EGA... These inventories will facilitate the administration of the Training ard Fellowship Programme for Africa.

S. African Governments should make a policy decision to recognize the availability of African expertise (consultants/experts and

advisers) and where necessary give priority to the recruitment and employment of such experts in preference to those from outside

Africa. In this connexion they should^

(a) encourage the formation of indiaenous consultants1 associations for the preparation of standards and a code of conduct, the improvercent of

performance and fostering co-operation among them.

(b) recognize the existence of sub-regional associations of indigenous consultancy organizations and make use of their expertise-

E/CN.14/763 Annex II Page 'i

tc) be willing to release senior-level experts from their public services for short-term assignments and advisory missions in other African

countries-

(d) adopt the policy of including a component of African experts in

technical assistance project proposals.

(e) take practical measures to encourage African experts residing

abroad to return home or take part in African development projects.