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Last Updated: 21 January 2025

This section of our website provides you with all the information and tools related to the JVAP Database and data collection. Here, you can also find:

Below, you will find the technical guidelines for data collection. Use the ‘print’ button above to obtain an offline copy of these guidelines.

What is JVAP Follow-up?

JVAP Follow-up is a collaborative effort between the members of the Khartoum Process and the Rabat Process. It generates insights based on implementation data to inform evidence-based policymaking on migration in the African-European context. It is a stakeholder-driven exercise that empowers partners to:

  • Exchange best practices on migration-related topics (e.g., legislation improvements, cross-border cooperation, anti-smuggling measures)
  • Identify gaps and overlaps in ongoing efforts
  • Promote transparency and accountability in project funding, scope, and outcomes
  • Strengthen evidence-based policymaking by creating a robust knowledge base accessible to authorized stakeholders

JVAP Follow-up was established during the 2015 Valletta Summit on Migration and includes all Khartoum Process and Rabat Process members, as well as the European Union, the African Union, ECOWAS, IGAD, UNHCR, IOM, ILO, UNDP, and UNODC, collectively known as JVAP Partners.

Each Partner designates a Focal Point who collaborates directly with the JVAP Follow-up Team at ICMPD. This Focal Point may choose to enlist Contributors from relevant ministries or departments to help collect and enter data.

The initiative is coordinated by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) through the Migration and Mobility Dialogue Support Programme (MMD), funded by the European Union.

 

JVAP Follow-up: Key Principles and Scope

Types of Initiatives

JVAP Follow-up focuses on two categories of initiatives, jointly referred to as “JVAP Initiatives.”

  • Projects: Temporary efforts characterized by a defined budget, timeframe, and a set of activities leading to a desired outcome or policy change.
    • Examples: capacity-building programs for border authorities, training modules for refugee caseworkers, or research studies on the economic impacts of migration, among others.
  • Policies: Formal frameworks or legislative measures such as laws, regulations, directives, multilateral agreements, memoranda of understanding (MoUs), or strategies.

Eligibility Criteria

An initiative must:

  1. Align with at least one of the five JVAP Domains.
  2. Have commenced in or after 2015 (or undergone major JVAP-related revisions post-2015 for older policies).
  3. Involve at least one JVAP Partner as a funder, sponsor, or major implementing body.
  4. Be implemented in Africa or Europe (or both), within the scope of the Rabat or Khartoum Processes.

Non-JVAP donors (e.g., private foundations, non-JVAP States) can co-fund an initiative, but at least one JVAP Partner must be included. An initiative funded exclusively by non-JVAP donors does not fall under JVAP Follow-up.

 

Roles and Responsibilities

JVAP Follow-up Team (ICMPD)

  • Coordination: Schedules the annual data collection windows, organizes training, and manages zuser queries.
  • Technical Support: Maintains the JVAP Database and Data Collection Platform, ensuring user-friendly functionality and timely updates.
  • Quality Control: Reviews all submitted records for completeness, consistency, scope, and potential duplication.
  • Analysis and Reporting: Publishes interactive dashboards, presentations, or thematic reports for the Khartoum and Rabat Processes.

Focal Points (FPs)

  • Central Liaison: Each Partner’s Focal Point communicates with the JVAP Follow-up Team and responds to data collection requests.
  • Choice of Data Approach:
    1. FP-Only: The Focal Point personally gathers and enters data, conducting a self-review.
    2. FP + Contributors: The Focal Point delegates data entry or specialized tasks to Contributors, then reviews and approves their entries.
  • Approval and Final Submission: Once entries are finalized (either by the FP alone or after reviewing Contributors’ input), the Focal Point clicks “Notify JVAP Team” in the system to confirm all data is ready for quality checks.

Contributors (Optional)

  • Appointed by the Focal Point to handle specific thematic or regional data (e.g., one Contributor for asylum policies, another for return and reintegration programs or Contributors representing specific agencies and departments).
  • Data Entry: Add or update initiatives in the Data Collection Platform.
  • Notification: Press “Notify Focal Point” upon completion so the Focal Point can review. If adjustments are needed, they use the comment box or direct communication to request edits.

 

Step-by-Step Guide to Data Collection under JVAP Follow-up

The process is carried out in three stages: data collection, data analysis, and reporting.

 

Step-1 | Data Collection: Process and Practicalities

Annual Timeline and Rolling Updates

The JVAP Follow-up Team reaches out once a year to each Focal Point to arrange a preferred data collection month. During this period:

  1. Partners gather new data on recent Projects or Policies.
  2. They also review existing entries for possible updates (e.g., revised budgets, extended end dates, or broader scope).
  3. Outside this formal collection period, Partners may still submit updates whenever new initiatives are launched, or significant changes occur. This rolling approach helps keep the JVAP Database current year-round.

Data Entry Methods

  1. Focal Point Only Approach
    • The Focal Point collects the relevant information, logs into the Data Collection Platform, and inputs or updates initiatives directly.
    • After verifying all fields are complete, the Focal Point clicks “Notify JVAP Team” to finalize the process.
  2. Focal Point + Contributor Approach
    • Contributors enter or update Projects and Policies, adding details such as budgets, domains, and descriptions.
    • They then select “Notify Focal Point.”
    • The Focal Point reviews, either approving or rejecting each entry.
      • Comment Box: If minor edits are required (e.g., adjusting domain selection or clarifying partial budgets), the Focal Point can leave notes in the comment box or contact Contributors by email or phone.
    • When satisfied, the Focal Point confirms completion by hitting “Notify JVAP Team.”

Avoiding Duplication and Managing Budgets

  • Check Existing Records: Search by key words, initiative titles, or approximate start dates to see if the same initiative was previously reported. If you find a match, update that entry rather than create a duplicate.
  • Budget Shares:
    1. At least one JVAP Partner must contribute funding for a project to be included.
    2. The total project budget should match the sum of all donors’ shares.
    3. If partial details are known (e.g., 60% from a JVAP Partner, 40% still pending), Partners may mark the unknown portion as “Other” and update it later.

English or French

Data fields, especially the Description field, must be completed in English or French—the two working languages for JVAP Follow-up.

Non-JVAP Exclusivity and Donor Logic

  • Multiple Partners: If multiple Partners co-fund a project, the Partner with the largest budget share typically records it in the database to minimize duplication.
  • Exclusion: Initiatives financed entirely by non-JVAP donors—without any JVAP Partner involvement—fall outside JVAP scope and should not be reported.

Step-2 | Data Analysis

Quality Checks by the JVAP Follow-up Team

Once the Focal Point signals data completion by clicking “Notify JVAP Team,” the following steps occur:

  1. Completeness Check: The Team ensures all mandatory fields (title, domain, funding details, etc.) are correctly filled.
  2. Consistency Review: Domain assignment is compared against the initiative’s description; budget shares must total the overall budget.
  3. Non-Duplication: If the same project appears more than once, the Team merges relevant initiatives.
  4. Scope Confirmation: Projects or Policies that began pre-2015 without a JVAP-related amendment, or that have zero JVAP Partner funding, are excluded.
  5. Revisions: When further clarity is needed (e.g., a missing field, mismatch in budget data, or incomplete domain assignment), the Team sets the initiative to “Pending Review” and contacts the relevant Focal Point. Revisions can then be made promptly, after which the entry is re-submitted.

Publication in the JVAP Database

Published initiatives become visible to all JVAP Partners in the JVAP Database. Only the Partner who owns the initiative (or the JVAP Follow-up Team) can make further edits. The database is not open to the general public, preserving the confidentiality and ownership of the data.

Step-3 | Reporting

With validated data in place, the JVAP Follow-up Team regularly produces:

  • Interactive Dashboards: Partners can filter initiatives by domain, year, or location, gaining insights into migration governance trends.
  • Presentations and Thematic Reports: Summaries for Khartoum and Rabat Process dialogues; domain-specific analyses (e.g., on legal migration or return/reintegration).
  • Print Materials: Infographics or short briefs highlighting successes, challenges, and progress.
  • Custom Requests: Partners may request specialized datasets (e.g., focusing on one sub-region or project type).

 

Explanation of Data Fields

The JVAP Database fields are outlined below. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.

  • Title*: The official or recognized name of the initiative, including acronyms if available.
  • Type*: Indicate whether it is a “Project” or a “Policy.”
  • Political Process*: Identify whether the initiative is relevant to the Khartoum Process, the Rabat Process, or both.
  • Countries of Implementation*: Specify the country(ies) within the Khartoum/Rabat regions where activities or enforcement occur.
  • Start Year*: For Projects, this is the launch year; for Policies, the adoption or enactment year. Must be 2015 or later, unless a major post-2015 amendment occurred.
  • End Year (if applicable): Projects often have a planned conclusion. Policies may remain open-ended.
  • Description*: A concise explanation of the initiative’s objectives, scope, and relevance to JVAP. Must be in English or French.
  • Domains*: At least one of the five JVAP Domains; multiple selections if needed.
  • Priorities*: The specific Priority Area(s) under each Domain that align with the initiative’s objectives.
  • Funding Partner Type, Name, Share, Budget*: Summarize which entities are providing funding and how much.
    • At least one JVAP Partner must be present.
    • The sum of shares must equal the total budget (with partial allowances for “Other” shares, if not fully confirmed).
  • Implementing Organisations* (Projects only): Name the main executing agency or agencies (government departments, UN bodies, NGOs, etc.).
  • Comments: For remarks about umbrella/sub-project relationships, partial data disclaimers, or clarifications on budget estimates.

 

Additional Support

Training Resources

  • Tutorial Videos will be made available on the JVAP Follow-up Website, demonstrating how to add and manage initiatives.
  • The JVAP Follow-up Team organizes webinars or briefing sessions prior to the annual data collection window, upon request from Partners.

Handling Partial or Evolving Budgets

  • If the budget details are uncertain at the time of entry, you may list known shares and label the balance as “Other”, noting “TBD”.
  • Once final data is available, you can update the record; re-notify the Focal Point (or directly the JVAP Team if working in FP-Only mode) to confirm changes.

Referencing JVAP Data

Partners often incorporate JVAP Database insights into their own publications or internal reports. When doing so, kindly cite the source as:

“Data extracted from the JVAP Database, as part of JVAP Follow-up.”

This ensures proper attribution to the collective work of JVAP Partners.

Data Confidentiality

  • Access to the JVAP Database is restricted to authorized Focal Points and Contributors.
  • No personal (i.e., individual-level) data is collected. Only initiative-level information (title, funding, domain, etc.) is stored.
  • Partners who submit incomplete or out-of-scope entries may find these initiatives marked “pending” or excluded if they do not meet JVAP requirements.

Future Updates to These Guidelines

To address evolving user needs or system enhancements, these guidelines may be revised periodically. The JVAP Follow-up Team welcomes feedback from Focal Points and Contributors to help shape further improvements.

 

Concluding Remarks

JVAP Follow-up stands as a vital resource, supporting African and European stakeholders in their ongoing efforts to ensure migration is managed effectively and humanely. By pooling Projects and Policies across the Khartoum and Rabat Processes, Partners gain:

  • A clearer overview of ongoing initiatives
  • Facilitated knowledge-sharing on what works well and what could be improved
  • Robust evidence to steer policy reforms and address emerging challenges

The continued commitment of Focal Points and Contributors to enter timely, accurate data directly underpins the success of JVAP Follow-up. In turn, this collective data fosters informed dialogue at high-level events, helps shape future collaborations, and underscores the shared responsibility that guided the 2015 Valletta Summit.

Should you have questions or require further support, please consult:

Frequently Asked QuestionsContact

Thank you for your efforts and cooperation in making the JVAP Database a comprehensive and valuable tool for migration policy across Africa and Europe.