News Archive
SPARC 2016 Learning Materials: Tools, Guides and Toolkits
The publications below were developed during the State Partnership for Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC) programme, an initiative of the Nigerian and UK Governments, which worked to improve governance and reduce poverty in Nigeria from 2008 to 2016. The two governments supported reforms in 10 of Nigeria's 36 states: Anambra, Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Niger, Yobe and Zamfara. The programme is indebted and grateful to the state government partners that worked tirelessly to develop, test, adapt and improve on tools and resources developed jointly with SPARC technical teams.
These publications may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from SPARC, provided the acknowledgement of the source is made. No use of these publications may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever.
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in these publications are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department for International Development. The SPARC programme does not make any warranty or representation, either expressed or implied, with respect to the accuracy, completeness or utility of this document; nor do they assume any liability for events resulting from the use of, or reliance upon, any information, material or procedure described herein, including but not limited to any claims regarding health, safety, environmental effects, efficacy, performance, or cost made by the source of information.
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Corporate Planning Guidance Pack (PDF)Corporate planning is a framework to help state governments' ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) establish their mission, vision and strategic objectives, and to configure their functions, structures, processes and workforce so they can meet the service delivery standards required of them. |
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How to prepare realistic budgets: A step-by-step guide (PDF)This guide describes practices that Nigerian States can adopt to develop realistic budgets, and provides step-by-step directions and tools to make the task easier. In order to make the guide useful, descriptions of the budget process and tools are simple and straightforward. |
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How to select and implement financial management information systems: A step-by step Guide (PDF)This Guide describes practices that Nigerian states may wish to adopt in identifying, procuring and implementing computerised systems. It focuses on Financial Management Information Systems (FMIS). The Guide provides step-by-step suggestions and tools to make the tasks easier. In order to make the guide useful, descriptions of the various process and tools are simple and straightforward. |
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How to produce policy briefs: experiences from Lagos State (PDF)This guide describes the processes involved in evolving policy briefs from research findings and draws from the experiences of Lagos State. It starts with a description of a policy brief and why such a document is important. It then takes the reader through the step-by-step stages of developing a policy brief from research findings. |
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SPARC Human Resources Management Resource Suite: Ideas, frameworks and tools for HR professionals - The SPARC Resource Suite for effective people management (PDF)The focus of this guide is on arguably one of the most important and challenging areas of reform – people management – and how a modern, professional human resources management (HRM) approach can rise to this challenge. |
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Knowledge Management & Strategic Communications Guide and Toolkit (PDF)This toolkit is based on ideas and experiences not only from SPARC but other KM initiatives that have been involved in governance reforms. Thus, this toolkit is not a blueprint for developing and implementing KM in States. It is a learning tool, designed to be browsed and dipped into rather than read in a linear fashion. The tools included can be combined and are practical, not prescriptive. |
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Policy and Strategy - How to guide 1: Preparing a Policy (PDF)This guide seeks to provide practical guidance on the policy-making process at the state level. It is intended to provide a starting point to help those working on developing or reviewing policy to identify what issues need to be taken into account to ensure that a comprehensive, appropriate and relevant policy is developed. |
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Policy and Strategy - How to Guide 2: Preparing a State Development Plan (PDF)This guide is intended for use by policy makers in the state government and by officers of the Ministry of economic Planning, State Planning Commission or equivalent. it shows how producing an SDP can be used to improve the lives of people in the state but this guide also addresses other questions. |
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Policy and Strategy How to Guide 3: Preparing a Sector Restoration Strategy (PDF)Preparing a Sector Restoration Strategy is one of the series of Policy and Strategy guides and is a step-by-step guide to developing and agreeing a Sector Restoration Strategy (SRS). It starts by explaining why SRSs are important and then takes the reader through the three preparation stages. It then includes an additional stage that sets out an approach for revising/rolling over the SRS. Practical tools are provided to help officers to develop an SRS from scratch, or to review an existing strategy. |
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Policy and Strategy How to guide 4: How to Conduct a Sector Performance Review (PDF)How to Conduct a Sector Performance Review is one of a series of guides produced by SPARC to facilitate development in Nigeria. This guide provides practical direction to the technocrats in the Ministry of Economic Planning or its equivalent and the implementing sector institutions, on how to conduct a Sector Performance Review and prepare findings and recommendations, and adjust or develop Medium-Term Sector Strategies in response to the findings and recommendations of the SPR. It includes guidance on developing a Performance Management Framework, and preparing a Sector Performance Management Report with the findings from the SPR analysis and recommendations. |
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Planning to make people's lives better (PDF)The State Partnership for Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC) was designed by the UK Government's Department for International Development (DFID) to improve governance for better service delivery in originally five, now ten, state governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As a contribution to this goal, SPARC has produced four technical Policy and Strategy Guides to improve the impact of state government efforts to deliver public goods and services so as to improve the welfare of its citizens. |
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How to improve service delivery and prepare service charters: A step-by-step guide (PDF)This step-by-step guide to improving service delivery is the second in the series of SPARC How to guides. SPARC designed the series of How to guides to help executives, directors and managers in Nigerian federal and state public services to build and operate services more strategically and more effectively. This guide describes the overall approach to improving service delivery, an approach tested in SPARC-supported states. The guide captures some of the key lessons learned between 2010 and 2014. |
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How to set up a public service reform institution: A step-by-step guide (PDF)This step-by-step guide on Public Service Reform (PSR) institutions is one of a series of State Partnership for Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC) short guides. The series as a whole is designed to help executives, directors and managers in Nigerian federal and state public services to build and operate services more strategically and more effectively. |
Download SPARC documents from ISSUU
SPARC PFM Suite Training to Educate NGF Staff and consultants on PFM tools
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Cross section of participants at the PFM Suite Training |
The State Partnership for Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC) is training staff of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and selected Public Financial Management (PFM) consultants on the use of the PFM Suite, a compendium of PFM tools which state governments can use to improve the lives of their citizens.
The workshop, which is taking place at Reitz Continental Hotel, Abuja, commenced yesterday (April 19) and will end on April 22. It would be recalled that SPARC handed over its Ask Help Desk to the NGF during the Expanding Horizon Learning Event held at Transcorp Hilton on April 12, 2016.
While delivering the keynote address, Margarita Aswani, Senior Knowledge Management Advisor, DFID - State Partnership for Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC) said, “At SPARC, we thought that rather than just handing over the tools, more value will be added if NGF staff were also trained on their use.”
According to her, SPARC’s partnership with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has been a long standing one which began in 2009, when the NGF restructured to better focus on delivery of its core objectives.“We were delighted when NGF, as a legacy partner with established systems and a good track record for promoting and replicating reforms in States, expressed interest to carry on the good work through the establishment and the management of the NGF Help Desk, modeled after ASK,” she said.
Download the Keynote Address delivered by Margarita Aswani to know more about the PFM Suite workshop
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Expanding Horizons Learning Event 2016 - Explore the Compendium of Lessons Learned
After seven years, the State Partnership for Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC), UK AID’s core governance reform programme in Nigeria, is coming to an end in April 2016. To celebrate the various governance reform resources developed during programme implementation, SPARC hosted an end-of-programme learning event, “Expanding Horizons,” for state and federal government partners on April 12, 2016, at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. Download Agenda
Session 1: The SPARC Governance Reform Journey
Mark Walker, SPARC National Programme Manager, and Hadiza Elayo, SPARC Deputy National Programme Manager, present the SPARC Governance Reform Journey; a journey focused on improving service delivery for the ordinary Nigerian citizen.
SPARC Reform Journey from 2007 to 2016
Presentation Materials:
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Mark Walker, SPARC National Programme Manager |
Hadiza Elayo, SPARC Deputy National Programme Manager |
Session 2: SPARC Tools, State Experiences
Lagos and Niger State officials present their stories about their experiences in using SPARC’s Service Charter and planning tools to improve service delivery.
Presentation Materials:
- Download Lagos Presentation: "The Use of Service Charters Tools To Improve Service Delivery in Lagos State"
- Download Niger Presentation: "Framework for Linking Niger State Government Policy and Annual Budget using SPARC Supported Tools"
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Mrs. Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi; Director Branding One Stop (BOS), Lagos State Office of Transformation Creativity & Innovation (OTCI) Watch the Presentation by Mrs. Adenike Adedoyin Ajayi on Youtube |
Zakari Adamu, Director Planning, Niger State Planning Commission |
Session 3: Swimming Against the Tide: Lessons from Public Service Reforms in Developing Countries
Dr. Joe Abah, Director General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms presents valuable reform lessons from around the globe.
Presentation Materials:
Download Dr. Abah's presentation on "SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE: Lessons From Public Service Reforms in Developing Countries"
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Dr. Joe Abah, Director General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms |
Session 4: Knowledge Sharing in Online spaces: Lessons from Eldis
Alan Stanley, from the Institute of Development Studies, shares 20 years of experiences from the Eldis global knowledge sharing platform.
Presentation Materials:
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Alan Stanley; Institute of Development Studies, Eldis (University of Sussex) |
Session 5: SPARC Tools, State Experiences
Jigawa and Yobe State officials present their stories about their experiences in using SPARC’s Planning and Mandate Mapping tools to make critical civil service improvements, while Ebonyi State presents their story outlining sector planning and budgeting successes.
Presentation Materials:
- Download presentation by Jigawa State Official
- Download the Speech delivered by Ebonyi State Official
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Adamu M. Garun Gabas, OON; Permanent Secretary, Budget & Economic Planning Directorate, Jigawa State |
(Left) Dr. Muhammad Sagagi, Master of Ceremony for Expanding Horizons; (Right) Modu Sanda Gulani; Permanent Secretary, Establishment Office of Head of Service, Yobe State |
Mrs Jane Ajah, Executive Secretary, Ebonyi State Planning Commission
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Session 6: Nigeria Governors’ Forum
Representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum present the newly launched NGF Help Desk, and the Internally Generated Revenue Dashboard – two new initiatives intended to build state capacity. The Ask Help Desk was officially handed over to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to ensure the sustainability of the initiative.
Presentation Materials:
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Dr. Giwa of NGF making presentation on the NGF Help Desk Services at Expanding Horizons 2016. |
Ben Nicholson, Regional Representative of DFID presenting the NGF Help Desk Handover Kit to Barr. Chijioke Chukwu of NGF |
Dr. Mark Abani, a Tax Consultant, making presentation on IGR Dashboard during Expanding Horizon 2016. |
Session 7: KM Institute
Rooven Pakkiri, from the KM Institute, presents Social Knowledge Management, its benefits, and how it can be used by your organisation.
Presentation Materials:
- Download the presentation by Rooven Pakkiri on Social Knowledge Management
- Watch Rooven Pakkiri present on Social Knowledge Management
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Rooven Pakkiri, Social KM Consultant from KM Institute |
Session 8: SPARC Tools, State Experiences
Enugu and Lagos State officials present their experiences in using SPARC’s Human Resources Management and Public Financial Management tools for improved service delivery.
Presentation Materials:
- Download the presentation by Emmanuel C. Eze on "USE OF EFU-FSP-BPS IN ENUGU STATE - Streamlining of the 2016 Budget".
- Download the presentation titled, "Utilisation of Human Resource Management Tools – The Lagos State Experience" by R. Olubunmi Fabamwo (Mrs.)
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Emmanuel C. Eze, Director Planning, Enugu State Economic Planning Commission, making presentation during Expanding Horizons 2016 |
Olubunmi Fabamwo (Mrs.), Director General, Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC) during Expanding Horizons 2016 |
Session 9: Partnership for Innovation
DAI Senior Governance Technical Consultant, Christina Frey, presents on DAI and Partnership for Innovation – Action for Impact.
Presentation Materials:
- Download the presentation by Christina Frey on DAI: Partnership for Innovation - Action for Impact
- Watch video of Christina Frey while making presentation during Expanding Horizons 2016
Session 10: Accountability Lab
Lawrence Yealue, II, Accountability Lab’s West African Regional Director presents the Citizen Driven Approach, the world's First Accountability Incubator, followed by a short film from the Accountability Film School in Liberia, by Logan Campbell.
Presentation Materials:
- Download the presentation made by Lawrence Yealue II at Expanding Horizons 2016
- Watch the Accountability Film School Video from Liberia, presented by Logan Campbell
- Watch Logan Campbell while making presentation at Expanding Horizons 2016
- Watch the presentation by Lawrence Yealue II on Youtube
Lawrence Yealue II, West African Regional Director, Accountability Lab making presentation during Expanding Horizons 2016.
Session 11: Selling Gender Like Milo
Voices for Change (V4C) inspires young men and women to speak up and speak out about equality in Nigeria.
Presentation Materials:
Download the presentation made by V4C on: "Selling Gender Equality like Milo"
Watch the presentation made by Voices for Change
Session 12: Closing Remarks
The Closing Remarks were made by Oliver Blake, Team Leader Governance and Social Development, DFID Nigeria; and Peter Ross, SPARC Project Director, DAI Europe.
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Oliver Blake, Team Leader Governance and Social Development, DFID Nigeria making remarks during Expanding Horizons 2016 |
Peter Ross, Project Director, DAI, making remarks during Expanding Horizons 2016. |