The Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI), with the support of the Investment Climate Reform (ICR) Facility, recently upskilled some African DFIs officials in the art of developing smart proposals for effective resource mobilisation. The workshop, conducted in early September 2025, provided the delegates with the necessary competence to craft a winning proposal for resource mobilization. A winning proposal starts with a compelling cover letter, a clear problem statement, and SMART objectives, supported by robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
The workshop emphasized the importance of adhering to donor requirements in full, including structuring proposals to exact specifications, supporting justifications with robust data, and utilizing logical frameworks to link goals, outputs, outcomes, and risk mitigation strategies. Financial planning emerged as an additional critical success factor, incorporating budgeting best practices tailored to donor requirements. Participants also shared knowledge on sustainability planning through co-financing arrangements and learned how evaluation can serve as a tool for both accountability and continuous improvement.
A major lesson from the workshop is that resource mobilization is an ongoing organizational priority that requires strategic donor mapping, proactive engagement, and alignment with institutional goals.
The workshop not only strengthened the capacity of African DFIs but also deepened the partnership between AADFI and the ICR Facility, paving the way for future initiatives that will continue to drive impact in the capacity building of African DFIs.