Field Offices

In order to improve dialogue with regional member countries, raise their profile, strengthen portfolio management and improve donor coordination, the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has established a network of field offices in its regional member countries.

As per the AfDB Decentralization Strategy, 27 fully operational field offices. have been opened in the following countries: Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.   The Zimbabwe field office, which is the 28th, was the last to be approved in July 2010 and efforts are currently underway to make it fully operational.

A self assessment exercise carried out in July 2008 revealed that the field offices have played an important role in improving country dialogue and management of the AfDB’s portfolio. Since the launch of the enhanced decentralization strategy, the activities of the field offices have broadened and deepened country dialogue.  The field offices have had a positive impact on the timely processing of disbursement and procurement documents as well as the timely submission of project implementation progress reports and audit reports.

The assessment also found that the AfDB Group’s increased presence at the country level has been positively perceived by governments and development partners. Dialogue with governments in the respective countries has improved due to more frequent field staff support in the areas of poverty reduction strategy papers, national development plans, country strategy papers, and economic and sector work.  There has been increased interaction with the private sector, civil society, and regional organizations. Moreover, coordination with development partners has improved through increased field office participation in country level donor activities including development of joint programs and strategies, assuming leadership in donor groupings, and the implementation of activities under the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.