Retreat2015

Africa RISING program coordination team retreat
2-5 June 2015
IFPRI, Washington DC

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Participants

Jerry Glover
Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon
Peter Thorne
Carlo Azzarri
Bernard Vanlauwe
Siboniso Moyo
Asamoah Larbi
Kindu Mekonnen
Salvador Fernandez
Peter Ballantyne
Sara Signorelli
Beliyou Haile
Cleo Roberts

Notes from the meeting

File:AR_retreat2015_notes.docx

Objectives

1. Draft an AR phase II program concept and outline note with purpose, outcomes, activities, hypotheses geo focus; plus initial 'delivery' framework
   
2. Take stock of current project and program strengths, weaknesses and external review comments to feed into objective 1
   
3. Interact with and Influence USAID and other influentials in Washington about 1) AR results and promise and 2) importance of SI
   
4. Briefly, discuss issues and plans on the immediate/18 month phase I agenda
   
5. Agree scope organizational lead for the science symposium in October
   

Agenda

Time	Program
08:00	Breakfast at IFPRI	What does success look like for this week?
08:30	Session 1: Objectives and outputs and outcomes of the week Session 2: Stocktaking - Insights from external reviews - SWOT exercis	Brief ‘presentations’ of key conclusions and recommendations of the reviews Quick SWOT among us
10:30	Break
11:00	Session 3: AR program rapid re-think	Re-visit the principal elements of the program architecture What to keep What to tweak What to change
12:30	Lunch Session 4: Stocktaking review implications Program framework: Hypotheses
14:00	still to do: Data management M&E Organization and management Harmonization across regions	Critical implications of session 2 and 3 Listing, ranking, prioritization
15:30	Break
16:00	Exercise to document current -> projected impact pathways Vision of Success / purpose Outcomes Outputs Activities Looking to Phase II
17:00	END Day 1
18:00-19:30	Side discussion on the science symposium
Wednesday
08:00	Breakfast at IFPRI
08:30	Session 6: Sustainable Intensification	Still valid? Indicators? Revisions?
10:00	Break
12:30	Lunch
14:00	Session 8: Phase II design outline	Phase II rough ‘design note’ WHAT will we do ‘Science’/R4D
15:30	Break
16:00	Session 9: Prep for USAID visits	Day 3 program Preparations Process
17:30	END Day 2
18:00-19:30	Finalise USAID session process/products
Thursday
08:00	Breakfast at IFPRI
08:30	Session 9: Prep for USAID visits
10:00	USAID program	PRESENTATION AT USAID]
16:30	Session 10: Feedback USAID program	What did we learn Key insights Key implications for our planning and strategizing
17:30	END Day 2	Improve the workflows for CKAN? widen access to CKAN?
17:30	END Day 2
18:00-19:30	Finalise USAID session process/products
Thursday
08:00	Breakfast at IFPRI
08:30	Session 9: Prep for USAID visits
10:00	USAID program	PRESENTATION AT USAID]
16:30	Session 10: Feedback USAID program	What did we learn Key insights Key implications for our planning and strategizing
17:30	END Day 3
18:00-19:30	some activity
Friday
08:00	Breakfast at IFPRI
08:30	Process and products for the day
09:00	Session 11: Working on Phase II	Start from Session 8 HOW will we deliver Roles, pathways,
12:30	Lunch
14:00	Session 12. Synthesis, next steps, responsibilities
15:00	[12.PCT Meeting]
17:30	END of day 4

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SWOT exercise results

Strengths systems perspective - multiple components, trade-offs, partnerships Flexibility - to address important demand-led R4D issues [no pre-set R4D agenda]. 'Flexibility within borders' Partnerships - extent, breadth, depth System research rater than single commodity Multi-disciplinary approaches looking at realities on the ground multi-stakeholder - different CG centres working together to facilitate change and impact partnership centred on farmers

Weaknesses Insufficient / patchy attention to higher-level FtF outcomes and indicators [gender, nutrition, etc] Insufficient interactions on science issues integration challenges scaling issues clarity of research methodology, hypotheses, analysis No close consistency and defined boundaries Lack of practical document to complement the general research framework Old wine in new bottles? we need to avoid CG centres going own way, focusing on too many research activities difficulties in integrating AR projects

Opportunities Emerging partnerships in development - more attention to AR from missions, donors, national development partners More conducive policy environment for SI and similar Increased attention of R&D partners to engage with AR Increased interest from R partners and donors for systems expertise Working across different agro-ecologies using integrated systems as a basis for development planning

Threats management complexity overwhelms us [lack of defined borders, complex partnerships, lack of harmonisation] insecure long-term funding [need to articulate and illustrate results and impacts] losing systems experience in the teams [need to mentor and grow perspectives] inability to demonstrate tangible change at livelihood level through systems R4D not partnering with competing SI projects leads to missed opportunities challenges dealing with national partners lead to under-performance risk of CG centres falling back into old ways leading to under-performance tension between specific interventions and generalizable results

Arising from the SWOT: Priority actions for the coming 14 months (rest of phase 1)

• Explain and document and capitalize on our system-level perspectives
  
• Define AR identity and unique selling points - roles, beneficiaries, value added ...
  
• Document and contextualize impact/adoption through data
  
• Recruit AR coordinator/administrator at program level
  
• Explain/document R&D impact and institutional impact
  
• Strengthen national partners
  
• M&E data staffing/people into each regional project
  
• Boosting cross-project science learning
  
• Data management: farm/farmer data; queryable database of AR farmers
  
• Documenting early change
  
• Identify and document technology packages (link to farmer typologies)
  
• Carry out socioeconomic analysis ad risks
  
• Revise program framework - hypotheses
  
• Develop and use system-wide SI indicators
  
• Clarify IPs roles, objectives and approach
  
• Agree, test, validate approach to typologies; start to operationalize this
  

Arising from the SWOT: points captured by PeterB

The system perspective and associated integration is central We need a system to store and analyze data on individual farmers (barcodes) We miss some standard design/implementation device and indicators that bridges the program framework and associated hypotheses with project implementation We need to capture tangible evidence on outcomes, many small changes Demand orientation (within some borders) is a strong point of the program We need to document and explain and clarify 'the' systems approach we use Researching scaling is important alongside actual scaling Grasping opportunities needs us to proactively approach partners Greater scientific interactions are needed The demand orientation is interlinked with program flexibility Complexity management is required We need the 'systems perspective' to be taken up and adopted within the science team It's important to generate evidence around the FtF indicators Cross-cgiar collaboration and engagement is a strength Collaboration with partners close to the ground is a strength Cross-project collaboration can provide agro-ecological insights

Phase 2: what to do more of; less of

Do more ...

• more evidence to inform actions for target typologies of farmers [extend what we do now]
  
• more publications and articles
  
• stocktake all the data and feed into decisionmaking / farmer communities
  
• Pay more attention to the enabling environment and how this affects/influences/determines SI; Decide what actions AR can do in this area
  
• Link work on plots / households with work on landscapes
  
• Refine the SI indicators we use
  
• do more research on scaling up
  
• Have more coordinated planning
  
• Do more monitoring of adoption changes
  
• specify clearer roles and responsibilities of AR actors
  
• more data sharing across levels
  
• More differentiated approach to data - for different levels and scales
  
• capacity development on data for national partners
  
• do research on delivery systems [linked to more scaling up research]
  

Do less ...

1. . collect less data, less often; but better (thru better and more coordinated planning)
   
2. . caution to avoid institutionalization of IPs
   

What's different in this?

1. . Move 'beyond agronomy' towards combinations of options and interventions in 'packages'?
   
2. . More research on interactions among interventions
   
3. . Have innovations 'ready to adapt' by farmers, under ranges of conditions
   
4. . Partner with extension so our technologies in their packages
   
5. . More 'marketing' of interventions focus
   

Emerging vision of success

This very preliminary material was produced by the groups as a starting point for visioning and strategizing.

File:vision_sketch_v3.pptx

File:toc_sketch_v1.pptx

File:framework_sketch_v1.docx

Emerging structure for phase 2

File:phase2_orgchart_v1.pptx

Phase 1 planning

This Gantt chart gives information on what was agreed as priority tasks for the coming period

File:phase1_gantt_chart.xlsx

See also plans for the Africa RISING Program Strategy Workshop in October 2015

Also notes from PCT8 meeting on 5 June 2015

Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks

Day/Time	Program
Monday	Arrivals	Accommodation?
Evening	Meet for dinner?
Tuesday
08:30	Session 1: Objectives and outputs and outcomes of the week Session 2: Stocktaking Insights from external reviews SWOT exercise	Brief ‘presentations’ of key conclusions and recommendations of the reviews Quick SWOT among us
10:30	Break
11:00	Session 3: Stocktaking review implications Program framework Hypotheses Harmonization Data management M&E Organization and management	Critical implications of session 2 Listing, ranking, prioritization
12:30	Lunch
14:00	Session 4: AR program rapid re-think	Re-visit the principal elements of the program architecture What to keep What to tweak What to change
15:30	Break
16:00	Session 5: AR theories of change and impact pathways	Exercise to document current -> projected impact pathways Vision of Success Outcomes Outputs Activities Looking to Phase II
17:00	END Day 1
Wednesday
08:30	Session 6: Sustainable Intensification	Still valid? Indicators? Revisions?
10:00	Break
10:00	Break
10:30	Session 7: Phase II design first cut	Building from Session 5 Focus on ‘Science’/R4D Key elements
12:30	Lunch
14:00	Session 8: Phase II design outline	Phase II rough ‘design note’ WHAT will we do ‘Science’/R4D
15:30	Break
16:00	Session 9: Prep for USAID visits	Day 3 program Preparations Process
17:30	END Day 2
Thursday
08:30	Session 9: Prep for USAID visits
10:00	USAID program	Assume Jerry puts this together Mini-seminar/presentation about AR, with USAID influentials? Show and tell Individual visits/discussions Maybe agrilinks webinar/lunchtime thing with wider than USAID? (online etc) on SI
16:30	Session 10: Feedback USAID program	What did we learn Key insights Key implications for our planning and strategizing
17:30	END Day 3
Friday
08:30	Process and products for the day
09:00	Session 11: Working on Phase II	Start from Session 8 HOW will we deliver Roles, pathways,
12:30	Lunch
14:00	AR phase 1 ‘housekeeping’ and planning Big milestones Big issues / Opportunities Budgets Preparing for the External Evaluation Data sharing Program-level activities, 18 month calendar AOB
15:30	Break
16:00	Synthesis, next steps, responsibilities
17:00	END of day 4

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