Preface It is with great pleasure that I present to you the APRM Strategic Plan 2016-2020. This Plan is the first of its kind in APRM history. The decision to develop this Plan was taken as part of the revitalization exercise that was launched by the Special Session of the Heads of State and Government of APRM-participating countries in January 2016 who dedicated the entire session exclusively to the subject. It was at this session that I was officially assigned the honour to lead this unique but fledgling African initiative. During the preparation of this Strategic Plan, we looked back to our short past; we looked into our current state; we looked toward our future; we asked difficult questions; we consulted widely with our stakeholders; we convened expert group meetings; we presented the draft at various stages to the continental and national APRM organs. The final product is a rich and detailed outline of our roadmap for the next five years. Inside these pages, you will find our appraisal of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the APRM along with well-thought, concrete and practical steps that need to be taken in order to address the weaknesses, to avert the threats, to seize the opportunities and to further build on the strengths. The key priorities for the Strategic Plan period fall under eight broad categories: (i) Shared Values Advocacy and Communication; (ii) Review and Implementation of the APRM Core Mandate; (iii) Resource Mobilisation and Financial Management; (iv) Human Resource Capacity Development; (v) Development of Monitoring & Evaluation Frameworks and Systems; (vi) Enhancement of Research & Development Capacity and Improvement of Operational Tools; (vii) Intra-APRM Coordination and Harmonisation; and (viii) APRM integration into the AU, Universal Accession, and enhanced support to Africa’s regional integration agenda. Each of these eight priority areas has been translated into detailed output targets, activities and indicators, with clear allocation of responsibilities, budgetary projections, and implementation modalities. Through the priority areas, we aim to harness the APRM and the AU shared values that underpin its operation to bring meaningful improvement to the life of the ordinary African citizen. By undertaking a review of the APRM core mandate, we intend to ensure that the APRM moves with the changing realities on the ground. By developing the research and development dimension of the APRM, we aim to transform the Mechanism to the preeminent think tank and authoritative voice on African governance in the world. Through our priority on enhanced harmonization and coordination, we commit ourselves to the creation of an APRM that is one and many at the same time; a Mechanism whose continental and national structures are seamlessly integrated, working towards the same goal in a synchronized fashion. Our integration into the AU structures and processes as a Specialised Organ will position us at the heart of our PanAfrican mother institution while still guaranteeing the functional and financial autonomy a credible review body demands and deserves. Cognizant of the ongoing transformation of the African regional integration agenda, including through the imminent establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), the Strategic Plan also aims to ensure the APRM plays its part for the realization of the united Africa that we all want. I recognize that the success of this Strategic Plan, and of the APRM at large, should be measured by how close we have come to the APRM vision of full actualisation of transformative leadership and practice for the Africa we all want as envisaged in Agenda 2063. This requires active participation from all African citizens, technical competence, independence and credibility from all APRM organs, processes and outputs, and unwavering commitment and support from our political leaders. I have learnt from my experience leading this institution over the past eight months that the revitalisation exercise is still in the early stages; the real test comes from the implementation of this Strategic Plan more than from its development. At the same time, I am also confident that the best days of the APRM lie in the future. Together, we will take the APRM to new heights, and this Strategic Plan is one of the tools in our journey towards that goal.