Africa RISING ESA Kongwa/Kiteto team meeting: Closing of AR activities
Africa RISING ESA Project Kongwa/Kiteto team meeting: Plan to closing AR project activities for Tanzania
21 Jan 2022
Virtual via Ms TEAMS[edit | edit source]
Participants
- A. Kimaro, ICRAF
- J. Odhong, IITA
- M. Bekunda, IITA
- J. Mwololo, ICRISAT-ZW
- B. Jumbo, ICRISAT-ZW
- Y. Muzanila, SUA
- E. Swai, TARI
- P. Okori, ICRISAT-Malawi
- E. Massam, IITA
Agenda
- Plan and brainstorm ideas to closeout event for Kongwa and Kiteto
Africa RISING ESA Joint Closing event_Tanzania;Lessons from IDP Program closing event - Eveline Massam (IITA)
- Download the presentation from the link in the title above.
Discussion & way forwad
- B.Mateete. All partners should have included the closing-out activities in their work plan. If not, they should take advantage of the farmers' field days organized to have a sort of closeout. We can use FFS and innovation platforms. This should happen before the national event
- B.Mateete. We should have the comprehensive national closing activity event at the federal level, whereby the meeting could be at Dodoma
- B.Mateete. James should include Babati scientists, including Job Kihara and core scientists based in Arusha, in the meetings
- B.Mateete. The joint closing event should take place in July/ end of August.
- B.Mateete. The way forward is to identify participants and agree on the venue and theme of the event
- B.Mateete. Mateete's initial proposal was for the venue to be open ground at Mkutupora_Dodoma since there is enough space and the land has exhibition opportunities.
- E.Swai. Swai agreed Makupotora has enough open space, and it is closer to the tarmac road. The other option is to use the other ground’’Nane Nane ground’’-technology hub, though we should not link our activity to the Nanenane activities
- Patrick. Okori. Patrick proposed the team should also think of the University of Dodoma as the venue to host the joint closing event
- B.Mateete. Mateete agreed with Patrick and noted that what needs to be done will determine the venue/where we want to host the event.
- P.Okori. Comment. If we must be at Makutopora at the field, we can plant some of these technologies like double-up legumes/ groundnuts, at least four rows / three rows around the area where we will meet. Because it takes time to install the technologies on the ground, if we agree to plant the AR varieties, we should consider irrigation. Having the package technologies for display and plants will be good.
- B.Mateete.Comment: At IDP there were exhibitions and presentations on screen, and this can as well apply to us in the case of open space. We need to be active if we have physical technologies.
- A.Kimaro.Comment: Consider the opportunity to communicate advocacy messages, also link with policymakers for a commitment on things like funding of research activities after the program phase-out and the way forward. He also supported the idea of having the lower-level activities based on what will be visible. Whether we combine the district and the villages, having representatives, or doing them separately, it is also a good idea to have side events.
- P.Okori. To have a physical meeting, we need a story to stick best. We could have panel discussions of thoughts, where questions/topics are designed, and representatives such as farmers/DAICOs could engage in those discussions. Some testimonies. Also, think of an online platform to allow other people to participate who will not be able to attend physically.
- We should also consider having technologies, pull-up banners, and other things we have already prepared, like technology briefs. For the takeaway, we should think if there will be in English or Swahili. However, the issue could be the time to translate them.
- We could also think of sharing some pictures to wave a story of the different components and different project phases that can be cast on the screen. It would require professional experience-such in editing and needs a specialized way of doing it.
- Moreover, if we want to have it national, we need to think of the press. One of the ways is to work with Jonathan to invite a global media and believe in the newspapers, among others
- For the Invitees, if we have government officials is essential. And the event should not go for more than half a day
- Guest of honors can also be the Director of TARI, Minister of Science and Technologies Directors, Minister of Education, and the former Permanent Secretary of Agriculture
- Speeches from Government and Donors: the communications team to offer support in the development of the speeches
- Have a networking session-cocktail and giveaways to partners or from partners on what they do e.g. leaflets
- E.Swai. Proposed the technologies to be displayed are the seed varieties, like Pigeon Pea, Groundnuts, Ilonga varieties, Mali varieties, Fanya juu, also the team should agree on the nutrition messages. He also
suggested the Guest of Honor can also be the Permanent Secretary or Minister of Agriculture
Way forward
- M.Bekunda: We need a smaller committee to sort out many things including coming up with a concrete plan,
- each PI should have included activities on their work plan at the district level at the side event. There could be available resources to do the district-wise closing activities. However, it should be organized
- differently by the local PIs,
- the language during the event cannot be in Kiswahili rather than English,
- the committee should think about who to invite,
- we should look for exciting items,
- also, think about the technologies that are within the handbook and have a few copies of the handbook
Appointing a small committee
- Small organizing committee
- Members; James Mwololo-CIAT, Kimaro Antony -ICRAF, Swai Elirehema-TARI
Eveline-IITA, Job Kihara-CRISAT, Yasinta Munizila-SUA
Agreed on the Term of reference of the committee
- Review what has been proposed
- Coordinate developing the list of the invitees and then plan for invitations
- Confirm venue and all logistics, including the financing, and other logistics
- Generally, coordinate everyone for the support and create a subcommittee to get things done
- Confirm on the list of technologies for exhibitions, criteria, and so as categorizations
- The committee shall report on the draft on what was proposed in the second week of February 2022
