AVSI’s hearing at Italian Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies on the Mattei Plan

On September 10, AVSI was invited to a hearing at the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies to give our opinion on the second report of the Mattei Plan.

The Mattei Plan is beginning to take shape and gain recognition in the field, with major projects underway, such as ours in Côte d’Ivoire (a €10 million project, in 800 schools across 20 regions of the country, reaching around 200,000 children and 500 teachers).

It is being carried out in agreement with the Ivorian Ministry of Education, which is working on a reform of the school system, partly inspired by this initiative.

Italy is proposing, through this plan, an innovative way of building partnerships with Africa. We are seeing great curiosity and interest from African countries—they want to be part of it.

But there's still work to be done, as we emphasized, drawing attention to certain critical issues and offering potential recommendations based on our work.

Thank you for this opportunity.

An important premise: AVSI is a stakeholder in the Mattei Plan. As a Civil Society Organization (CSO), we have been awarded a €10 million project, which makes us a beneficiary of the funds mobilized by the Mattei Plan. Therefore, we are in a privileged position to observe the Plan from within and to identify what is working, as well as what deserves to be adjusted, relaunched, or improved.

A Foreign Policy Initiative

1. This is a foreign policy initiative that has sparked a new momentum both in Italy and in partner countries: it has unleashed energy, generated new ideas, and made it possible to launch new partnerships — not only in the countries directly involved in the Mattei Plan, but more broadly across African nations where Italian cooperation operates.

Just a year and a half after it was announced, we are already working on the ground. The Plan is beginning to take shape and gain recognition in the field; major projects are getting underway, such as ours in Côte d’Ivoire. To highlight the scope of the change this project may bring, just a few numbers: it’s called Reussir (“to succeed”), and it will be implemented in 800 schools across 20 regions of the country, reaching about 200,000 children and 5,000 teachers, in agreement with the Ivorian Ministry of Education, which is working on a reform of the school system, partly starting from this experience.

This is a scale-up of previous experiences, also financed by the U.S. government, confirming that the Mattei Plan does not start from scratch, but rather builds on past initiatives that have produced positive results.

2. With this Plan, Italy is proposing an innovative model for creating partnerships with Africa. We are witnessing great curiosity and interest from African countries: the Ugandan Prime Minister, who visited us in Italy in August 2024, immediately asked why her country was not included in the Plan.

African nations aspire to join and be part of it. We are seeing Africa become an increasing priority, drawing interest from a growing range of stakeholders — universities (see the new focus by the Catholic University), businesses (reflected in the many inquiries we receive), and more.

3. We must also highlight the continuity of Italy’s commitment to keeping Africa at the forefront of the international agenda (even after the G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia). The systemic missions promoted by the DGCS of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deserve recognition. These missions have been carried out across various regions in Africa with an

increasingly inclusive approach, capable of welcoming representatives from diverse sectors (Farnesina, AICS, CDP, the Special Mission Structure, NGOs, international agencies, Italian companies, CSOs, universities…). These missions foster mutual understanding and dialogue: projects are based on the requests of African counterparts and on exchange. By implementing the Mattei Plan, we strengthen the Italian System — and, in return, the Italian System enables the implementation of the Plan.

4. The Plan has also attracted interest from international bodies such as the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), a global education fund currently exploring collaboration with the Mattei Plan, with discussions underway for potential joint actions.

Some Critical Issues

1. Governance and Partnership

o A stable mechanism for dialogue with African partners needs to be strengthened.

o While partnerships focus on the practical aspects of projects, there is still a lack of a structured and lasting framework.

2. Monitoring and Evaluation

o Precise indicators and a clear system are needed to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the programs.

o Medium- to long-term objectives should be defined, with benchmarks and transparent monitoring.

3. Communication There is a need to improve communication about which projects are part of the Mattei Plan, which are proposed, under review, or already underway. This communication gap makes it difficult for both the public and technical experts to understand and follow the development of the Plan. It may be perceived as a kind of final reluctance or lack of transparency. In contrast, systematic communication — with clear references to projects, implementing partners, funders, timelines, and deadlines — would be capable of generating additional initiatives aligned with the direction set by the Plan.

Recommendations

1. Give the Mattei Plan the structure of a true plan, with clear objectives, benchmarks, and impact indicators.

2. Ensure transparency and access to data on invested funds and achieved results.

3. Clearly demonstrate the added value of the Mattei Plan compared to traditional development cooperation.

4. Within the bounds of current regulations, simplify and accelerate procedures using innovative methods.

5. Track the development and on-the-ground implementation of programs identifiable as part of the Mattei Plan — including the stakeholders involved, funds used, objectives, indicators, and impact results — so the public can clearly see what the Plan actually entails.

6. Improve communication both to sector experts and to taxpayers: clearly explain where the funds come from, how they are allocated, and whether they are provided as grants or loans.

7. Promote integration between the Mattei Plan and the Global Gateway: this relationship is not yet sufficiently explored or enhanced. Currently, it risks being seen merely as complementary in terms of infrastructure investment, but the potential goes far beyond that.

In Brussels, we note — through our dialogue — that various DG officials are paying increasing attention to the Mattei Plan, although it is still relatively unknown among non-Italian members of parliament. We believe the Mattei Plan should be actively promoted, especially given its potential in relation to the Global Gateway, which faces similar criticisms: being insufficiently competitive compared to China’s engagement in Africa, lacking transparency, accountability, and measurable impact. Yet, the Global Gateway and the Mattei Plan can mutually reinforce, integrate, and drive each other toward greater impact in Europe and in partner countries.

For example: the way the Mattei Plan addresses social impact (consider its pillars on education and health) could offer guidance to the Global Gateway, which is more focused on infrastructure and tends to overlook human development. Conversely, the African corridors prioritized by the Global Gateway should be taken into account when allocating funds and projects under the Mattei Plan (e.g., Italy’s investment through the Plan in Côte d’Ivoire, a country included in no fewer than three Global Gateway corridors).

Final Appeal

A final and essential point for us: in a time when war is once again becoming a daily reality — no longer extraordinary or unacceptable — and in days when statements by the newly renamed U.S. “Secretary of War” stress the need to always be ready to attack rather than defend, accompanied by military parades and shows of force, I believe the Mattei Plan — as a political initiative based on forging new alliances for the development of all — can become a process capable of building peace.

And peace-building processes are precisely what we need most today.