Directorate of Planning And Agricultural Economics Organogram
The Directorate of Planning and Agricultural Economics (DOPAE) is one of the Directorates of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) in the Government of The Republic of South Sudan (RSS) It is headed by Director General for Planning and Agricultural Economics whose purpose is to coordinate plans, policies, strategy, programme formulation, conduct monitoring and evaluation, conduct agriculture survey crop data collection, market prices and maintenance of a wide range of agriculture statistics data, preparing Food Balance Sheets (FBS) needed for development of Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB). The Directorate is the nerve center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food security where information is gathered, processed and distributed to facilitate planning and programming of the Ministry’s activities down the chart. Currently. The Directorate has responsibility for directing and supervising the work of the following Departments, Department of policy and budget, Department of Project formulation and M&E and Department of Statistics and Database.
Functions of the Directorate
- Coordination of activities related to agriculture and food security with all actors including but not limited to RSS line Ministries, MAFCRD directorates, State Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, Development Partners, NGOs and farmers-based organizations (FBOs).
- In collaboration with stakeholders to collect, process and disseminate data on agriculture, food security and livelihoods to inform decision makers in an effective direction.
- To initiate development of policies, master plans, strategic plans and work plans.
- To assist in the formulation of programmes/projects and monitor and evaluate their implementation and performance at all layers of the government and private sectors.
- To keep tab of food commodities market prices and movement within the country and at the neighboring countries border posts to reap benefits of comparative advantages.
- To provide an early warning system for the adverse and favorable factors affecting Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) for effective preparedness and timely response.
- In collaboration with States and Administrative Areas line ministries and MAFS directorates to explore investment opportunities for people who would like to engage in commercial farming, especially private investors without compromising the natural resources for generations to come.
- To improve capacities at all levels of the government, especially in the areas of project cycle management (PCM), M&E, data collection, processing, dissemination and archiving.
- To ensure a conducive working environment and motivation of staff for effective and productive work.
- To keep custody and stewardship of public properties under the directorate designated for enhancing work
The Directorate of Planning and Agricultural Economics, shall exercise all powers reasonably necessary to fulfill the following functions of the Ministry:
- Initiate and support development of draft bills, policies, regulations, orders, and plans in support of the Ministry’s purpose;
- Provide investment priority guidance based on policies, and long- and medium-term plans;
- Facilitate, monitor, and evaluate implementation of policies and plans;
- Guide and facilitate development of annual budget, annual work plan and budget and write annual report;
- Collect work plans, consolidate, and disseminate for budget execution and project results information;
- Maintain and facilitate development partner, inter- and intra-government communication;
- To be a depository of project planning and implementation documents;
- To act as the focal point in organizing Crop assessments and food security analysis mission schedules, development partners, government meetings, technical meetings, and decision-making meetings;
- Facilitate smooth communication flows among directorate concerned;
- Coordination of activities among Ministry directorates, other line Ministries, State Ministries of Agriculture, Cooperatives and Rural Development, Development Partners, NGOs and farmers based organizations (FBOs), toward the purpose of the Ministry as described in the mandate;
- In collaboration with stakeholders to collect, process and disseminate data on agriculture, food security, livelihoods and IPC to inform decision makers for effective policy-making;
- Monitor agriculture crops, planting season, prepares annual Food Balance Sheets and related socio-economic data in support of the Ministry’s purpose;
- Establish early warning systems for the factors affecting food security and livelihoods (FSL) and exercise non-exclusive preparedness and response protocols;
- In collaboration with other Ministry directorates, and national and states line ministries explore investment opportunities for people who would like to engage in commercial farming especially private investors without compromising the natural resources for generations to come; and
- Perform any other functions and duties that may be assigned to it, or which are reasonably related to the forgoing activities.
- To develop and implement an appropriate Monitoring and Evaluation Framework that will result in quality programs and policies throughout the Ministry, its agencies and external departments
- To facilitate the adoption of a continuous process improvement approach to planning implementation and evaluation of the Ministry’s portfolio of programs and services.
- Achievement of both short and long term organizational goals
- To ensure that the Ministry meets its expected performance targets as outlined in the Vision 2030 National Development Plan, Government Strategic Priorities and the Ministry’s current priorities.
- To use modern strategic planning tools and methods to conduct evidence-based assessments of the internal and external environments of the Ministry in an effort to inform effective formulation and implementation of the Ministry’s policies, programs, plans and projects.
- Evaluate activities related to budget development and resources planning
- To encourage result-based budgeting
- To effectively communicate the priorities of the Ministry to its respective internal and external stakeholders in an effort to effectively map these priorities to all supporting areas
John Obita Pangech has been in the National Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security as Director General for Planning and Agricultural Economics Since 2012. Before his current position, John was in the then Government of Southern Sudan’s Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development’s as the Director of Planning, Research, and Training from 2006 to 2011. He serves as the Secretary of the Natural and Rural Development Budget Sector Working Group from 2007 to 2023. He also chairs the South Sudan Smart Agriculture, Climate Resilience, and Livelihoods Group, Planning and Development from 2008 to 2022 and the IGAD IDDRSI Project Steering Committee since 2008 to date.
With 18 years in the directorate of policy Planning and Agricultural Economics of the national ministry of agriculture and food security, John Pangech has led the development of agricultural sector strategies and policy processes, supervises review and formulation of nine policy documents. His biggest accomplishment is leading the Comprehensive Agriculture Master Plan and Irrigation Development Master Plan (IDMP) from 2012 to 2016 and currently designated Team leader of Implementation Coordination from 2016 to date. Formerly, he was South Sudan’s National Coordinator for CIDA Capacity Building Project for South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, and PALAMA South Africa from 2008 to 2010, Co. chair of South Sudan UNDAP’s in 2007 to 2009 and serves as the National Coordinator for Rural Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation from 2007 to 2011. He is the Team Leader for Comprehensive Agriculture Master Plan (CAMP) development, chair of National Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Technical Working Group analysis, quality control for CAMP capacity building, and regional expert for World Bank Diagnostics Study Team for South Sudan agricultural development policies, resilience agriculture, food security, and livelihoods analysis.
John Obita Pangech, a University of KwaZulu Natal graduate in South Africa, holds an MA in Social Sciences in 2024. He obtain Bachelor of Humanities and Social Sciences (Economic and Industrial Psychology) from the University of Namibia in 2000 and Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Economics from Rhodes University in South Africa 2001, combined with his extensive policy and program experience, make him a key director general in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. He has three specialize Certificates in Pro-poor Planning from Delft University Institute of Water Resources in 2008, Specialize Certificate in Cooperatives Policy development from University of Sekuba in Japan 2019 and Specialized Certificate of IPC level One Version 2.0 and Version 3.0 Certificates as qualified Food Security Analyst, IPC GSU, Rome, 2017. He had presented the Ministry in local, regional and international conferences and workshops on governance policies, financing and administration, leadership, management, micro-enterprise development, fraud, corruption, and economic growth, agricultural value chain financing, computing, and other business and management topics.
John Obita Pangech, Director General, Directorate for Planning and Agricultural Economics.
E-mail: jo.pangech@yahoo.co.uk
Mobile: +211 925 669 050
Structure of the Directorate
