PMI-WILL Partners Convene for Annual Work Plan Meeting
The PMI-WILL partners have convened for their Annual Work Plan (AWP) Meeting in Lusaka, Zambia from November 14 to 16, 2024, following the recently concluded Global Platform Group (GPG) meeting. This critical gathering is expected to align partners on strategies, refine activities, and finalize budgets to achieve project goals for the remaining years.
Day 1: Experience Sharing and Budget Review
The first day will focus on lessons learned and midterm review insights:
- Partners will share best practices, challenges in budgeting, and strategies to enhance implementation.
- The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) will present midterm review (MTR) recommendations, emphasizing actionable strategies for Years 5 and 6.
- National Program Coordinators (NPCs) will outline remaining targets and propose activities to complete project objectives.
- Budget discussions will include reviewing Year 4 financials, addressing implementation delays, and prioritizing activities for Years 5 and 6.
Day 2: Concept Note Development and Collaborative Planning
Day two will focus on refining work plans and concept notes:
- Teams will develop and review concept notes, aligning activities with budget templates.
- Breakout sessions will enable Financial Officers (FOs) and NPCs to tackle administrative budgets, plan exchange visits, and identify networking opportunities.
- Partners will prepare and present Gantt charts outlining Year 5 priorities and timelines.
Day 3: Finalizing Plans and Setting Next Steps
The final day will emphasize service initiatives and capacity building:
- Discussions will cover approval, implementation, and monitoring processes for service initiatives, as well as knowledge sharing and replication in Year 6.
- Capacity building action plans will be revisited to align with end-of-project priorities.
- Teams will finalize additional concept notes and populate budget templates with support from FCM.
Expected Outputs and Commitments
By the end of the meeting, partners are expected to:
- Finalize concept notes for prioritized activities.
- Develop Gantt charts detailing Year 5 timelines and strategies.
- Complete updated budget templates aligned with realistic targets.
The meeting will conclude with a roadmap for completing the Annual Work Plan and budget, ensuring alignment across all partners as they continue to advance gender-responsive and inclusive practices in local governance.
