The Malawi Agricultural Policy Advancement and Transformation Agenda (Mwapata) Institute and the National Planning Commission have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore long-term collaboration.
The partnership is expected to support government development planning and coordination in the implementation of those plans.
Speaking yesterday during the MoU signing in Lilongwe, Mwapata acting executive director William Chadza described the event as a significant milestone cementing the partnership between the institute and the country’s planning commission.
He said: “The MoU provides a framework for long term collaboration between Mwapata Institute and the National Planning Commission in research and outreach. Research that will inform the ongoing visioning process for the country and contribute to progress towards realising the Transformation 2063.”
The new pact, Chadza said, will also build on enhancing the quest for the institute to establish mechanisms for its sustainability.
Specifically, the two parties will explore and collaborate in areas of research, organising Eminent Speakers Forum, identifying development initiatives that are working, up-scaling development initiatives, identifying and adapting successful models in various sub-sectors of agriculture and also promoting dialogue on issues affecting agriculture, among others.
On his part, NPC director general Thomas Munthali said the commission expects that following the signing of the MoU, Mwapata will now be crafting research that fits into long-term planning.
He said: “We want them to help us make sure the plans that we have put in place around the pillars we have developed in the new vision can be operationalise so that we move into implementation of those plans and that is the context in which we are having Mwapata on board.”
