The Subregional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for West Africa in Dakar hosted its first-ever pilot training session from October 27 to 29, 2025, organized by the FAO Finance Division (CSF). The training aimed to enhance collaboration between Programme, Operations, and Administration teams to ensure more effective project implementation.
The workshop brought together administrative, operations, and programme staff from the subregional office and the FAO Representation in Senegal. Over three days, participants focused on strengthening cross-functional synergy in project management, reducing operational errors, and improving the quality of FAO’s field interventions.
The session was led by Mr. William Marvin, Deputy Director of CSF, and Ms. Hamida Issaka, Finance Officer at CSF, in collaboration with the OER, PSS, CSLP, and OPIM divisions. Participants engaged in interactive discussions, technical presentations, and collaborative exercises designed to reinforce the importance of teamwork across different functions.
In the closing remarks delivered on behalf of the Acting Subregional Coordinator, Ms. Bintia Stephen-Tchicaya, Mr. Henri Bouda congratulated participants for their commitment and emphasized that project success depends on collective and coordinated effort. He highlighted that financial management is central to the project cycle, ensuring credibility, impact, and sustainability, and encouraged teams to apply the lessons learned and maintain ongoing dialogue.
This pilot training is part of CSF’s broader initiative to foster a culture of collaboration and performance within FAO’s decentralized offices. Lessons from the session will inform improvements in operational practices and guide similar training programs in other offices across the West African region.
