Purpose:

The purpose of producing a Roster of African experts in Development Management is two folds. Firstly to bring these experts into the DPMF Network and involve them in its activities. Secondly to inform those who need to use the services of such experts of the availability of these experts. Beyond this first step the issue as to whether the expertise of these experts will be used or not is outside our scope. The users of such experts as consultants are generally Governments, the UN Agencies, Multilateral Institutions, the Donor Community and the Private Sector Companies. How these different potential users of experts select and employ their consultants is a process of which we know very little. Funding organizations in particular argue: -

(a) that their institutions follow rigorous procedures in the search and selection of consultants,

(b) that they are duty bound to select the best consultants,

(c) that they do not have much information on African experts, and

 

(d) that it is a fact, not liked by Africans but nevertheless a fact, that most of the highly qualified consultants are based in Europe and North America (these include some African experts!).

The process, it is claimed, is objective, transparent and accountable and that only the best and qualified experts are chosen. If this is truly the case, then this is as it should be.

However there are some complaints from African experts that they are often by-passed in preference for "nationals" of those decision-makers in the funding institutions. And apparently this practice exists  even in the private sector. The African experts complain that the principle of "who one knows is more important than what one knows" is more important and it generally determines the selection of, consultants. And the African experts further claim that most of them, do not have "contacts" with the decision-makers in these institutions, most of whom are non-Africans and based in Europe and North America. But they also agree that their complaints are not supported by hard evidence; this they say is because of the secretiveness of the final decision making phase of the process. Be as it may. This is an important issue which can only be resolved by serious attempts on the part of those who search for consultants to be as transparent as possible, to publicize their search as widely as possible, and to make the application and interview procedures equally convenient for all candidates. For our part, we feel that the publication of this Roster is a step, which we feel, will help both those who are looking for experts and also the experts themselves.

The African Governments are an exception in that African experts cannot claim that they do not have access either to information about consultancies or to the decision makers involved in the search "and employment of consultants. Similarly the Governments themselves cannot claim lack of information on African experts, because they have many channels of finding out the availability of African experts in their own countries and within the continent. This DPMF Roster is only one of several ways by which African Governments can get information on African experts. But what is most important is that they, more than the others, should be as correct and as objective as possible in their search and selection of consultants.

  Finally, and as stated above, one important reason for publishing this Roster is to bring these experts into the DPMF Network and to involve them in DPMF's activities. This involvement can be of various type. Firstly to read our publications which are generally easily available at request. Secondly to contribute articles to our DPMN Bulletin. Thirdly for those who can, to participate in our research activities. And finally those who are most actively involved, could participate in our Conferences and Workshops.