A PROJECT Management Unit (PMU) will serve as the overall management and monitoring unit  of the recently launched European Union  (EU) funded Agriculture Policy Programme (APP)  for CARIFORUM countries.
The APP, from which Guyana will benefit, is a programme funded under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) between the European Commission (EC) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) as the implementing agency.

The   Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and the CARICOM Secretariat are partners in the implementation.
The APP  aims at boosting agriculture in CARIFORUM countries through the  development of small holder agricultural producers and entrepreneurs .
The end beneficiaries are, among others, small farmers, fisher-folk, small-scale processors and traders, including organised associations and networks and women and youth.
The duration of  the APP is four years and it was  launched in Trinidad two weeks ago.
The PMU  for this programme has been established at the IICA Office in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) under the overall management of IICA Representative and Regional Coordinator for the  Caribbean, Mr. Gregg Rawlins.
The PMU is staffed by Project Coordinator, Mr. Robert Best; Administrative Assistant, Mr. Brent Theophille; and Financial Coordinator, Ms. Sonia Scarce.
The PMU will serve the key roles of   approving, monitoring and evaluating work  plans and budgets and   conducting financial management to ensure proper use of  the EU grant funds towards  results agreed upon as per defined indicators, Head of the Unit Mr Robert Best disclosed recently.
The PMU  will also facilitate technical analysis of progress, identify obstacles and propose changes in the interventions if required to meet agreed upon results; coordinate mobilisation of resources and advocacy for the CARIFORUM countries and coordinate  with relevant IICA units to  simplify harmonization.
The PMU will be supported by three Technical Coordinators (TCs) who will be the focal points for this project within the component led by CARDI and the CARICOM Secretariat and with respect to activities in the Dominican Republic (DR) .
The technical coordinators are responsible for establishing, enhancing and operationalising the  activities under the components led by CARDI and the CARICOM Secretariat as well as the activities  to be undertaken in the Dominican Republic.
A Project Steering Committee (PSC), with membership  to incorporate and enhance the regional perspective will provide the overall policy direction of the programme.
PICTURE: Staffers of the EU-funded Agriculture Policy Programme project.
Written By Clifford Stanley