Category: Projects

The Assignment

The overall objective of the mission is to define a community vision and develop a regional housing strategy, with a view to enabling the UEMOA Commission to position itself in the housing sector and to create a network of partners with national, regional or international stakeholders.

ALG is responsible for providing technical support to the UEMOA Commission, through the departments involved in the implementation of the Promotion of Affordable Housing Financing (PFLA) and the development and elaboration of regulatory tools (directive & harmonization of texts) and in the definition of a regional housing strategy. The firm is associated in this mission with two architectural firms: Orule Architecture and Urba Tropiques.

More specifically, it involves: “Co-constructing with stakeholders the tools promoting the implementation of a strengthened regional policy in the field of affordable housing production, in line with the objectives and recommendations of the Millennium Development Declaration”.

Assist the UEMOA commission in the development of a regulatory framework document for the production of affordable housing.

Challenges and Strategic Approach

The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), which includes member states such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo, faces significant housing challenges. The community vision for housing in the UEMOA area emphasizes the need for accessible, affordable, and sustainable housing solutions that cater to the growing urban population while promoting social equity and economic development.

Challenges

1. Urbanization Pressure: Rapid urbanization has led to a surge in housing demand, often outpacing supply. This has resulted in the proliferation of informal settlements and inadequate housing conditions.

2. Financial Constraints: Limited access to affordable financing options hampers both individual homebuyers and housing developers. High-interest rates, lack of mortgage products, and insufficient investment in housing infrastructure pose significant barriers.

3. Policy and Regulatory Framework: Inconsistent policies and regulatory environments across member states complicate the implementation of housing initiatives. There is often a lack of coordination among governmental bodies, leading to fragmented approaches to housing development.

4. Social Inequality: Marginalized groups, including women, youth, and low-income households, frequently face discrimination in accessing housing. This exacerbates social inequalities and hinders community cohesion.

5. Environmental Sustainability: With increasing climate change impacts, there is a pressing need for sustainable housing solutions that minimize environmental degradation and enhance resilience to natural disasters.

Strategic Approach

1. Integrated Housing Policies: UEMOA member states should develop comprehensive housing policies that align with regional goals. These policies must promote inclusivity, ensure equitable access to housing, and facilitate the development of affordable housing projects.

2. Financial Innovations: Encouraging the development of innovative financing mechanisms, such as microfinance, public-private partnerships, and housing cooperatives, can enhance access to housing finance. Additionally, establishing a regional housing fund could support low-income housing initiatives.

3. Capacity Building and Training: Enhancing the skills of local authorities, architects, and builders through training programs can improve the quality of housing. Knowledge-sharing initiatives among member states can also foster best practices in housing development.

4. Community Engagement: Involving communities in the planning and implementation of housing projects ensures that developments meet local needs. Participatory approaches can empower residents, leading to more sustainable and accepted housing solutions.

5. Sustainable Development Practice: Integrating sustainable construction methods and materials into housing projects can mitigate environmental impacts. Promoting energy-efficient designs and green spaces within urban areas will contribute to healthier living conditions.

The community vision for housing in the UEMOA area must address the multifaceted challenges of urbanization, finance, policy, social inequality, and sustainability. By adopting a strategic approach that encompasses integrated policies, innovative financing, capacity building, community engagement, and sustainable practices, UEMOA can pave the way for a more equitable and resilient housing landscape. This vision not only seeks to improve living conditions but also strengthens the socio-economic fabric of the region, fostering inclusive growth for all its inhabitants.

The initiative for developing an anti-corruption strategy comes from the High Authority for State Control and the Fight against Corruption (ASCE-LC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). Both entities are supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

ALG has been mandated to provide its expertise in the process of developing the strategy. The firm’s mission is to conduct an in-depth study on electoral corruption in Burkina Faso, with an emphasis on understanding the root causes, manifestations and consequences of this phenomenon. The mission also involves developing a comprehensive strategy to combat electoral corruption, while engaging in a participatory approach with the main stakeholders involved in the electoral process. The firm will have to propose a monitoring and evaluation system to ensure the effective implementation of the recommended actions and develop a budget for carrying out these activities over a period of five years.

The study aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Conduct a diagnosis: Identify, analyze and comprehensively document the different facets of electoral corruption, highlighting its underlying causes, concrete manifestations and consequences on the integrity of the electoral process
• Develop an Action Plan: Formulate a comprehensive strategy and specific actions to effectively combat electoral corruption. This strategy should include preventive, corrective and dissuasive measures, while being adapted to the Burkinabe context.
• Propose a monitoring and evaluation system: Establish a robust monitoring and evaluation system to measure the implementation of the recommended actions, assess their effectiveness and make adjustments if necessary. This system will ensure transparency and accountability in the fight against electoral corruption.
• Develop a Multi-Year Budget: Develop a detailed budget covering a three-year period (a three-year action plan from 2024 to 2026) in order to guarantee the necessary funding to effectively implement the strategy to combat electoral corruption. This budget must be realistic and kept up to date throughout the execution period.

• Project: Evaluation of the Support Program for the Implementation of the Response Plan for Educational Continuity in Burkina Faso
• Country: Burkina Faso
• Client: Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
• Period: October 2022-March 2023

Description of the intervention:

ALG was recruited by AFD to conduct the final evaluation of the Response Plan Support Program to (i) report on the activities financed with regard to the criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, gender equality and equity; (ii) highlight what this health crisis has revealed about the functioning of the education system; and (iii) contribute to learning lessons from the management of this situation by the education community, by striving to show the progressive progression of the stages between observations (raw data), findings (developed indicators, ratios), judgments made and lessons/recommendations.

The objective of the service is to conduct the final evaluation of the Support Program for the Response Plan for Educational Continuity in Burkina, which will be carried out at the end of the eighteen months of implementation and will make it possible to report on the activities financed with regard to the criteria of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency.

Beyond the program financed by the GPE, the evaluation will focus on highlighting what this health crisis has revealed about the functioning of the education system to help learn lessons from the management of this situation by the education community. The service provider will strive throughout its work to clearly show and explain the progressive progression of the stages between observations (raw data), findings (developed indicators, ratios), judgments made and lessons/recommendations.

• Project title: ICT for health in Africa
• Countries: 12 sample countries and the whole continent
• Client: Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
• Period: November 2022-March 2023

Description of the project:

ALG has carried out this assignment for IsDB. The general objective is to develop an eHealth program in Africa that will allow for patient- centric health care provision enabled by interconnected ICTs for health. The specific objectives are: (i) Enhancing access to quality health services; (ii) Reducing the overflow of hospitals and medical centres; and (iii) Freeing up medical staff for underserved regions.
Therefore, the study will assess the status and opportunities for investments for the improved status of e-health systems in African member countries.

The study will assess the current status of ICT and innovation in the Health sector, including governance arrangements, in IsDB 12 African Member Countries, and identify investment opportunities to harness digital technologies’ use and appropriate application to build resilient health systems. This will help develop the Bank’s investments in digital health for enhanced resilience among member countries. This study will be conducted in consultation with all key stakeholders within the national health ecosystems, including governments, Partners, private sector NGOs, and CSOs such as the Health practitioners Association and Unions; Universities, and the private sector.

More about our eHeath Consulting. 

• Mission title: Development of a national inclusive education strategy in Burundi
• Country: Burundi
• Client: UNICEF
• Period of execution: November 2022-May 2023

Description of the mission:

The objective of this consultancy is to ultimately have a national strategic orientation framework for inclusive education that responds to the context, national policy and legal and administrative instruments and frameworks for education in force in Burundi.
More specifically, the firm will have to make a basic inventory and an analysis of the best options for effectively taking into account inclusion in the Education sector in Burundi, which takes into account issues of ACCESS, QUALITY as well as management and financing. This will then involve:

• Defining the outline of inclusive education to identify the profile and needs of the children concerned in the education sector;
• Describing the national and international foundations of the national inclusive education strategy;
• Analyze the issues and define the basic principles that should underpin the implementation of the strategy for the education sector;
• Analyze and demonstrate how to promote the supply, demand and quality of inclusive education;
• Propose an institutional mechanism for steering and financing inclusive education with sustainable mechanisms for monitoring, caring for and supporting children with disabilities;
• Provide practical guidance adapted to the Burundi context for strengthening and improving inclusive education in planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting
• Make solid recommendations for effective implementation of the national inclusive education strategy in Burundi.

Outcomes of the study

This mission was carried out under the supervision of UNICEF, in partnership with other education stakeholders in Burundi. The Ministry of National Education played a major role in the process by mobilizing and engaging stakeholders at all levels. Burundi now has its national inclusive education policy, accompanied by a quantified action plan.

Read More about our Education Services.

• Mission Title: Development of the Liptako-Gourma Regional Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience Strategy
• Region/Country: Liptako-Gourma: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger
• Client: UNDP/Liptako Gourma Authority
• Period: 2002-2003
• Status of Implementation: Completed

Mission Description:

In close collaboration with the  Liptako Gourma Authority and in consultation with Member States and all stakeholders, the firm’s mission is to:

• Develop the ALG regional stabilization strategy by prioritizing areas of intervention while taking into account the ALG intervention strategy;
  Conduct an in-depth situation analysis on stabilization issues in the Liptako-Gourma region (strategic stabilization priorities, stakeholder engagement, intervention logic, etc.);
• Review analyses of conflict causes and identify entry points for peace and stability; work in parallel with the firm that is carrying out the conflict analysis of the LG region;
  Identification/mapping of partners and their initiatives involved in the areas of implementation of the stabilization project;
• Drawing lessons from the SSR in the Lake Chad region
  Support the LGA in strategically prioritizing the roles and needs anticipated for the implementation of its Regional Stabilization Strategy;
• Make recommendations on the important role that the LGA should play in convening and coordinating all actors involved in stabilization as well as in other areas of intervention, at the local, national and regional levels, including security actors; review the assessment of the institutional capacities of the LGAs and integrate the necessary support to fill the gaps and needs identified and required to ensure the sustainable implementation of the strategy over time (immediate, short, medium and long term).
  Provide the LGA with the necessary tools through which it can ensure the convergence of all stabilization efforts
  Propose the implementation mechanisms of the Strategy;
• Make relevant recommendations for the governance structures of the stabilization mechanism, particularly at the regional and local levels, while taking advantage of the Liptako-Gourma Governors Forum to ensure close collaboration and effective exchange of information for enhanced coordination for peace and security.
• The strategy should be flexible to allow for an extension of the scope of political and cooperation partnerships to other regional organizations such as the G5S, ECOWAS, has the effect of intensifying collaboration with emerging security and development policy and coordination frameworks in the region (the Sahel Coalition, the WB, IFPA, etc.); and ensure that the critical role of the Sahel Coalition/P3S is taken into account for the coordination of key partners and donors
• As part of the strategy, propose effective frameworks for civil-military cooperation/coordination; The strategy should establish a mechanism for complementarity of actions, coordination and cooperation with other actors, regional and international security forces, and other donors and development partners;
• Make a proposal for a robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism;
• Formulate recommendations on robust mechanisms to be put in place for capacity building of national, regional and local authorities to respond to conflicts, promote social cohesion, reduce the growing security threat, intra and inter-community tensions for power and resources (search for land and water by pastoralists under old transhumance models due to climate change, modern land management practices, creation of local committees for the strengthening of existing legislation on natural resource management, border restrictions and traditional conflict resolution practices).

• Mission title: Design of the strategy for setting up a fund to mitigate the negative socio-economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in the project intervention regions
• Country: Mali
• Client: GIZ
• Period: 2022
• Status of implementation: project completed

About the Assignment 

Mandate carried out by ALG: The general objective is to have a strategy for operationalizing the Fund for Mitigating the Socio-Economic Impacts of Covid-19 in the project intervention area for the benefit of women and young people.

The fund to be set up has the following specific objectives:

• Mitigate the socio-economic impact of the pandemic on women and young people.
• Support initiatives promoting employment for women and young people in the context of the pandemic.
• Strengthen the social and economic participation of women and young people in local development actions.
• Promote dialogue between the populations of the intervention area with the municipal/regional authorities.

Outcomes of the project

ALG implemented this project by deploying its team in the 3 regions covered by the GIZ project. Consultations were conducted with youth and women organizations benefiting from the interventions. Project implementation documents were designed and submitted. The GIZ team expressed its satisfaction with the quality of the expertise provided by the firm.

• Project: Short-term consultancy to conduct a scoping study and develop Strategic Plan (2022-2027) for Heifer’s Interventions in the Sahelian Africa Countries
• Client: HEIFER International
• Region: Sahel
• Period: October-December 2021

Scope of work:

The overall objective of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive scoping study of the Sahel and develop a five-year strategic and operational plan that will enable Heifer International to implement its interventions and mandate in the Sahel.
For the purpose of this study, the Sahelian belt covers, in whole or in part, the following countries: Mali, Burkina Faso, Northern Nigeria, Senegal, Mauritania, and Norther Cameroun. The outcomes and recommendations from this study should enable Heifer to decide on which of these countries to focus resources.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
The scope of work for the Consultant will include but not limited to the following objectives, in coordination with Heifer Senegal and other Heifer Stakeholders:

• Undertake a situational analysis of relevant ongoing development programs and interventions to date in the region;
• Carry out an exhaustive stakeholders’ mapping and analysis in the Sahel, the axes of which are in line with Heifer’s missions. This mapping will include the activities of private sector, bilateral/multilateral agencies, key challenges that stakeholders face, as well as their lessons learned;
• Collect and analyze all the specific information on the Multiple uses of water, Livestock, Agriculture, Governance, etc. (production players, production systems and areas, actual supply or production, factors limiting the quality of production, associated costs, and added value, on all links in the chain: from production to end market for all value chains, etc.) in the Sahel;
• Through a consultative process and application of appropriate tools of analysis, identify focus areas, the thrust areas of interventions, long term goals, strategic objectives, key result areas for Heifer International. The thrust areas will focus on key value chain opportunities in the Sahel: collection and analysis of relevant market information, exploration of potential market channels which, if fully exploited, could contribute to the production and market efficiency, identification of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats at the level of these two value chains, in particular at the level of production and marketing systems (SWOT analysis) and proposal of improvement strategies taking into account the associated costs, added value and investment needs in key sectors of these value chains;
• Propose a strategy for achieving the strategic objectives and key results by highlighting: the strategic axes, the strategic lines of action and the implementation plan, the monitoring-evaluation framework;
•  Propose monitoring and evaluating strategies (including the theory of change, result framework, key performance indicators, etc) and mechanisms to ensure the effective implementation of the strategic plan;
• Develop a Resources Framework for the plan period. This will include the Budget and potential sources of funding and a well-defined strategy for partnership and resource mobilization;
• Hold stakeholder meeting(s) and inception workshop(s) in the Sahel to validate the draft Strategic Plan; and
• Finalize Strategic plan and submit to Heifer International.

Title of the assignment : Feasibility study for the creation of a groupage system in Togo for the transport of parcels of goods between Lome and the cities of the interior of the country and certain cities of the West African sub-region

• Country: Togo
• Client: The World Bank
• Period: March-June 2021

Tasks performed by ALG:

• A commercial or market study which must include elements such as :
• the identification of the actors who already practice this model of parcel transport in the form of groupage, and those who do not practice, but are ready to do so,
• the different forms of existing similar practices with their strengths and weaknesses,
• the points of departure of the goods, the routes used and the destinations at national and sub-regional level in the countries mentioned above,
• the types of goods most commonly conveyed in this form of groupage,
• the volume of traffic per month and per year,
• the prices charged according to the parcels and destinations,
• the model contracts between applicants and providers,
• the legal conditions related to this model of goods transportation,
• the socio-economic benefits of this practice for traders and populations,
• the willingness of customers to pay for these services,
• the synthesis of demand and supply by parcel conveyor circuit,
• the market share of this groupage project,
• the proposal of a marketing strategy for the promotion and sustainability of the project.

• A technical and logistic study which must include elements such as :
• the types of transport equipment best suited to this project with their characteristics and pros formas delivered by at least two dealers,
• other small equipment and accessories necessary to facilitate loading and unloading of goods,
• identification and prioritization of the most appropriate sites for a good realization of the grouping of the parcels,
• the minimum site development needs with their financial evaluation,
• the organizational diagram of the site with the circuits of entry and exit of the goods,
• the proposal of the models of transport documents and their procedures of use,
• human resource requirements and organizational and management structure,
• The study will also have to decide on the degree of digitalization of the process, considering the penetration rate of smartphones among retailers, the existence of appropriate Information Systems (IS) available on the market for the implementation of such a system or the need to build a specific IS.

• An economic and financial study that must include elements such as :
• the cost of the project,
• the financing scheme,
• the sources of financing with the types of guarantees to be provided,
• the projected operating statement for the first seven (7) years,
• sensitivity tests.

• Zone d’intervention: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso
• Client: UNESCO
• Période de la mission: Janvier-Février 2022
• Titre du projet: Renforcer la résilience des jeunes face à l’extrémisme violent et leur engagement pour la construction de la paix à travers l’éducation

L’objectif principal de cette mission est de disposer d’une ébauche de modules de formation sur la base du rapport issu de l’évaluation des besoins des jeunes qui a été conduite dans les 3 pays. Les modules de formation seront utilisés par des formateurs/facilitateurs pour le renforcement des capacités des jeunes (filles et garçons) en matière de résilience, de construction de la paix et de l’état de droit et des compétences leur permettant d’être des agents de la paix.