Chapter V: Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation 5.1 Background 5.3 The APRM Committee of Focal Points 143. As reiterated, the APRM Strategic Plan 2016–2020 is the product of high level guidance from the Special Summit of the APR Forum, wide consultations among all its continental and national structures and expert input, including from the AU Commission department of strategic planning. Just as the development of the Strategic Plan required the active and constructive engagement of all stakeholders, so will its implementation over the next five years. That is why we stress that follow up and implementation of the Strategic Plan rests on our governance structure, the National Mechanisms, and our communication strategy. 148. Established by the 2012 APRM Operating Procedures, the APR Committee of Focal Points serves as an intermediary body between the APR Forum and the APR Secretariat. The Committee is composed of the Focal Points of Participating Countries of the APRM, with responsibility for, among others, budgetary processes and resource mobilisation. 149. The Committee exercises oversight over the APR Secretariat so as to ensure the highest possible level of professionalism, transparency, efficiency and accountability of all its activities. (see paragraphs 11–12 of the Operating Procedures). Accordingly, the Committee of Focal Points has the following responsibilities to discharge: “i. Proposing and recommending to the APR Forum the structure and staffing requirements of the APR Secretariat; ii. Recommending to the APR Forum the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer and other senior officials of the Secretariat; iii. Assess[ing] succession planning for the APR Secretariat's key management issues and organisational changes; [and] iv. Assess[ing] and recommending to the APR Forum the work programme and the annual budget of the APR Secretariat” (paragraph 12). 144. The successful implementation of the Strategic Plan is dependent on the full and effective deployment of all APRM structures, starting from the APR Forum, the Committee of Focal Points, the APR Panel, and the APRM Secretariat at the continental level all the way to the Focal Points, National Governing Councils/Commissions, and the APRM secretariats at the national level. In order for the APRM project to succeed each of these national and continental organs will need to operate in a synchronised fashion and to succeed individually. Indeed, the APRM as a whole is as strong as its weakest parts. That is why the implementation plan for the APRM Strategic Plan 2016–2020 starts from a recapitulation of the tasks assigned to each of the APRM organs by our constitutive documents. 5.4 The APR Panel 150. As articulated in its various decisions and resolutions, the APR Forum has bestowed enormous responsibilities on the Panel of Eminent Persons for the realisation of the governance vision embodied in the APRM initiative. 5.2 The APR Forum 145. The APR Forum, composed of the Heads of State and Government of all APRM-participating countries, is the highest decision-making organ of the APRM. 151. The APRM Base Document (paragraphs 6–12) confers extensive powers on the Panel with primary responsibility to “ensure the integrity of the [review] process”. (paragraph 10) The same paragraph also envisaged a Charter to be drawn up, which would outline the Panel’s “mission and duties”, “reporting arrangements” and secure its ���independence, objectivity and integrity”. Likewise, the APRM Organisation and Processes document from 2003 also outlines the roles and responsibilities of the Panel in almost equally general terms as the Base Document and also refers to the anticipated Charter (see paragraphs 3.1–3.8), but the Charter never came into existence. The gap that resulted from this 146. As stipulated in the 2012 APRM Operating Procedures (paragraphs 6–10), the APR Forum is headed by a Chairperson elected from among the participating Heads of State and Government, whose term of office shall not exceed 2 years. 147. In exercising its functions, the Forum is mandated to meet at least twice a year to consider review reports, undertake peer reviews and make other decisions relating to the management and implementation of the APRM. –40–