Governing Organs

General Assembly


 Composition and Functions

The General Assembly of members shall consist of registered and paid-up members. The functions and powers of the General Assembly are to i. Formulate and approve the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, ii. Approve and ratify agreements, contracts, policies, programmes, new members, protocols, by-laws, budgets, financial statements, audit reports, the membership / subscription fee, General Assembly registration fees and the seat of FARA, iii. Elect the Chairperson of FARA upon the nomination of the Board, iv. Ratify the selection and appointment of the Executive Director.

FARA Board Of Directors


Composition

The Board shall consist of no more than 13 voting members and 3 non-voting members. 

The voting members shall include the Chairperson and five ex officio members: the Executive Director of FARA and the Executive Directors of the four Sub-regional agricultural Research Organisations (ASARECA, CCARDESA, CORAF and NAASRO); one member representing farmers; one member competent to represent perspectives of each of the following stakeholder groups: agricultural science, agribusiness, extension and higher education; one member representing each of the continental authorizing organisations, namely the African Union Commission and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA).

The non-voting members shall include two development partners, one of which shall be based in Africa, and a financial management expert.

The selection of Board members shall ensure that there is an appropriate balance of knowledge and diversity in gender, age and geographical representation.

One of the Board members shall be a national of the host country, Ghana.

The Chairperson may appoint another member of the Board to act on his/her behalf.

 

Functions and Powers of the Board of FARA

The following are the functions of the FARA Board: i. Acts on behalf of the General Assembly on all matters requiring immediate attention, ii. Recommends for approval or ratification by the business session of the General Assembly policies, programmes, budgets, financial statement, audit report, agreements, contracts, protocols, bye-laws, new members, and the membership fee, iii. Establishes the procedures for the appointment and severance / separation of the Executive Director of FARA; iv. Establishes the procedures for the recruitment, selection and appointment of staff, v. Approves the regulations governing the terms and conditions of employment of staff, vi. Frames its rules of procedure, vii. Appoints auditors and independent review committees, viii. Approves the annual reports on FARA’s achievements and work in progress, ix. Reviews, approves and establishes the annual plan of work, x. Does and performs all other acts as deemed appropriate for the implementation of the directives received from the business session of the General Assembly in the pursuit of FARA’s mission.

Meetings

FARA Board meets at least twice a year for its ordinary meetings. Its meetings are convened after due consultation between the Chairperson and the Executive Director.

FARA Secretariat


The Secretariat

FARA Secretariat provides the services that FARA stakeholders require in order to function as a continental Forum to capture the added value of thinking and acting across the four sub-regions. These services include, but are not limited to, carrying out the three Strategic Priorities, which require leadership, planning, coordination, facilitation and resource mobilization.

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)’s revised strategy for the next decade articulate a Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa strategic framework designed to guide Agriculture Science and Technology visioning and planning. FARA’s new programme over the next five years is therefore aligned to this Science Agenda and designed to build on FARA’s and African Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D)’s achievements participatory approach also requires considerable and continual consultation between stakeholders and lessons learnt over the past years. In providing these services the Secretariat’s responsibilities include:

1. Advocacy and resource mobilization

2. Contributing in sustaining the CAADP Momentum

3. Promoting compliance with FAAP principles

4. Linking to the global community, especially with GFAR and the CGIAR

Most of these responsibilities are shared with the sub-regional research organizations (SROs) with FARA bringing a continental perspective while working together, pulling together and delivering together.

The FARA Secretariat, led by an Executive Director, as the functional arm of FARA, keeps a lean and flat management structure albeit with no compromise to excellence, rigor, transparency and accountability to its constituents and stakeholders.