Yesterday, Rwanda Cooperation Initiative (RCI) held a validation meeting for Capacity Building Assessment and the 5 Year Capacity Building Plan (2024-2029).

The meeting chaired by Dr. Willy Mugenzi, the Chief Operations Officer (COO) brought together representatives from Ansoffs, a consultancy firm and RCI staff to discuss the Assessment findings, specifically identified capacity gaps, and recommendations to inform the next steps.

RCI COO underscored identifiable alignment between the Capacity Building Assessment and Rwanda’s policy priorities specifically Pillar one – Human Capital Development of Vision 2050 developing skills for the future under the National Strategy for Transformation two (NSTII) and Goal six of RCI’s Strategic Plan (2021-2025).

Goal six of RCI Strategic Plan focuses on improving management and staff competencies. Findings generated by the Assessment indicate that 80% of the staff understand RCI vision, mission, strategic goals/objectives and operations. However, the consultants recommended “deeper buy-in of the strategy” by the staff for future improvements.

Greater staff involvement in management processes happens through weekly activity dubbed Knowledge Café where a range of routine and unique operational, managerial and institutional matters are collectively discussed.

In July 2024, RCI staff engaged in the Retreat to refresh their knowledge of RCI mandate and Strategic goals/objectives and collective draw collective efforts to accelerate the realization of partially achieved goals.

The validation meeting concluded with the approval of the capacity building Assessment and its integral plan with proposed amendments. The formulation and validation of the Capacity Building Assessment and the Plan was evidence-based, participatory and consistent with RCI Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs).