Sustainable Intensification of Cereal-based Farming Systems in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of West Africa[edit | edit source]

Project Design Workshop[edit | edit source]

9-12 January 2012, Modern City Lodge, Tamale, Ghana[edit | edit source]

Day 1 reflections by Rob Bertram

Good first day--unfolded as it should...lots done, but also lots more to do.

Morning--context and some challenges.

Ice breaker was great--learned a lot about us and we think/desire...for example the importance of markets, both input and output.

Then we heard about what our CGIAR partners bring to the effort....convincing data, ideas for innovative platforms, etc. but clearly a work in progress. A good thing..room for input from partners.

Many partners listed (good), but some key groups were missing: advanced research partners (e.g. CRSPs) ....they bring many relevant strengths (fish, systems (SANREM), and NARS linkages are already there).

Stan's presentation made a positive contribution in terms of calability, replication of approahces, how to describe the technology processes... and the power of the technology to communication models.

We didnt' hear as much about impact as expected. The onus is both on implementers and funders....need to think boldly...

e.g. outcomes that matter, such as impacts on the hungry season, technologies ready to go, etc.

truth is there is a funding feedback loop...impacts dan drive funding, but also provide windows on the future, and even permit the definition of targets. These alone can be usual.

scalability--deal with directly ...for example, if we really drove transformation focus would likely shift from monitoring to impact

need a definition of Sust Intensifiation in the context of ag transformation...transformation is a broader process, involving markets, policy, infrastructure, etc, but sust intensification is a key part of it,

Still some way to go in terms of the center's integrating there efforts it seemed...but there is time to address that and other issues in the project design.

speaking of which, suggest we not focus on redrafting the the concept paper, and rather on gathering comments and using them to help shape a workplan....important to move forward, taking the many perspectives and comments into account. Need to design program of work, logframe...