Harewelle News

Harewelle Newsletter

As 2009 draws to a close it allows us time to reflect on our past years activities and how we have fared in the international development aid sector during a time of significant downturn in the global economy. Although governments have expressed their continuing commitment to levels of development aid previously agreed; it is obvious that funds are not available to maintain such levels. The competition has increased and the decreased level of business has become harder to win.

Staff movements and Other Activities
There have been more staff movements this year. Peter James, Programme Manager of the DFID-funded Public Financial Management Programme in Lesotho resigned to explore pastures new with CIPS in Bhutan. Harewelle has been fortunate in being able to replace Peter with Matt Morley who was working as the Programme Manager on the DFID-funded Poverty Reduction Strategy Programme in Lesotho and has moved across to take over on the PFM Programme. Cara Flowers has left Harewelle to go and work with an NGO based in Palestine. Her departure allowed Harewelle to move Simon Mercer into the role of DEW Point Core Services Co-ordinator. Paul Low, our Business Development Assistant left to further his career in the training and education sector. Finally, after many years of working with ULG and latterly with Harewelle, Chris Mathias has decided to work as a freelance consultant. Interestingly, one of Chris’s first bits of work is back with Harewelle undertaking some short term inputs in Turkmenistan during 2010. Finally, Chris Shaw has been promoted to Senior Business Development Manager.

Harewelle continues to sponsor staff in tertiary education and both Matt Morley and Chris Shaw are under-taking post-graduate qualifications with Matt studying an MSc in Development Management and Chris an MBA; both through distance learning courses provided by the Open University. 

Harewelle undertook a new initiative this year and held its bi-annual strategic planning workshop in Mbabane, Swaziland. Participants attended from the UK and from Harewelle’s Southern African locations in Lusaka, Maseru, Johannesburg and Mbabane itself. The ‘Indaba’ was hailed as a great success providing the opportunity for some in-depth thinking on determining the way forward for Harewelle and providing the chance for staff from around the region to meet, some for the first time, and interact with the UK-based contingent.

Overseas offices
The overseas companies in Bangladesh, Zambia and Lesotho have been joined by a new entity at the end of 2009. PMTC (Zimbabwe) (Pvt) Limited has been set up and office space and residential accommodation are currently being located. The Harewelle Group will have a full time presence in Harare from early April next year when Nick Smart, the Harewelle Regional Director; Southern Africa moves up from Johannesburg.

Business Development and Current Projects
Highlights within the Business Development team include recently being awarded a major contract with the EU in Turkmenistan to support the development of sustainable agriculture practices and rural development. Kick starting in January 2010, the programme will run for two years and marks a return to Central Asia for Harewelle. In addition, we have won two other EU funded opportunities – the ACP Sugar Research Programme - Coordination Unit as well as being part of a consortium under the new Lot 6 – Environment Framework Contract.

In Zambia we have been able to follow up our work on the development of a business plan for Kafue National Park and are supporting the Zambia Wildlife Authority in the development of a General Management Plan, which will inform and guide all aspects of the management of the Park, the largest in Zambia and one of the largest in Africa, for the next 10 years.

Significant short term assignments include under taking a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Sugar Sector in Zambia as well as a Review of the Zambian Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

Our large project in Bangladesh, the Economic Empowerment of the Poorest, Shiree, continues to go from strength to strength and has seen the disbursement of around £8 million to NGOs. In addition, we have signed a contract extension with DFID for the full eight years of the programme.

The Harewelle Finance Department
It is very pleasing to inform readers that Mark Johnston obtained his MBA from the Open University and received his certificate at a very impressive graduation ceremony held at the Barbican in London this autumn. Mark continues to make overseas trips to the Harewelle offices and projects and has visited the Bangladesh office and the Shiree project on one occasion and the Lesotho and Zambia offices on another, together with their respective country projects (PFM, and PRSP in Lesotho and CBPSD in Zambia). Corrie Stock has successfully completed her AAT Stage II at Milton Keynes College and has just sat the first set of exams for her AAT Stage III course.
 
DEW Point
This year has seen a number of changes in the DEW Point staff with Simon filling the role of Co-ordinator. Bruce Mead is now the Director of DEW Point having replaced Richard Carter who has gone to WaterAid. Bruce has been replaced by Jim Parker as the DEW Point Manager.

DEW Point was recently reviewed by an external consultant, with the final report still awaited. The draft review highlighted a number of significant successes in providing services to DFID, and the final report will recommend a number of refinements and improvements for the remaining tenure of the centre. This is likely to include approval of a one-year extension for the period April 2010 to March 2011 (which was built in as an option in the original tender).

Operations continue apace, with a busy year including one hundred and seven new enquiries being registered. Of these, thirty nine have evolved into commissioned services. One of the highest profile assignments has been the East African Study on economic impacts of climate change. Countries covered include Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi, and is funded by both DFID and DANIDA. The principle sub-contractor is the Stockholm Environment Institute (Oxford office) working with a range of international and local partners. The study covers the impact and economic costs of climate change, the costs of adaptation and the potential for low carbon growth. The key messages have been delivered in-country (as part of national preparations for the Copenhagen Conference) and attracted the support of Presidents, Prime Ministers and senior sectoral Ministers. 

Another recent project is supporting  DFID, the National Environmental Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council Environment to launch their £40 million Ecosystems Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) research programme and support to African researchers attending a conference on climate, sustainability and sustainable development in semi-arid regions in Brazil next year.

In addition two long-term secondees, Dr Sue Cavill (in the Water team in Palace Street) and Roger Bonner (working with the Kenyan Ministry of Education’s Kenya Education Sector Support Programme), have both had their contracts extended and continue to act as good ambassadors for DEW Point in their respective organisations.

Our thanks to everyone who worked with us during 2009; we look forward to working with you again in 2010.  For those that did not get the opportunity to work with us this year hopefully we can work together soon and we reiterate our standing invitation to drop in to our offices either here in Blisworth or any of our overseas entities and come and say hello.

Wishing you seasons greetings and all the best for 2010