ProgCloseOut

Africa RISING Program Close-out Event
7 - 9 February, 2023
Accra, Ghana

OBJECTIVES

1. Showcase Africa RISING achievements at regional and program level.
2. Present and critically assess the major research and development results of the program.
3. Explore opportunities for further scaling of project outputs and outcomes beyond Africa RISING.
4. Harness key lessons for Africa RISING and sister projects.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS

1. Documentation of Africa RISING's results and their transition pathways
2. Synthesis notes capturing implementation lessons on systems research and SIAF from the perspectives of Africa RISING and other projects like CSISA and SIIL

DAY ONE, 7 February [Tuesday]

• 08:30 Registration
• 09:00 Participant introductions - Facilitators
• 09:45 Close out event objectives – Fred Kizito/Peter Thorne
• 09:50 Opening/welcome remarks

• Africa RISING Program Coordination Team Chair - Siboniso Moyo, ILRI
• USAID Leadership at the event - Jerry Glover/ Zachary Stewart, USAID BRFS
• Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture Representative - (name tbd)

• 10:20 Agenda overview and logistics for the meeting - Facilitator
• 10:30 Coffee break and group photo
• 11:00 Timeline review of the Africa RISING Program [key milestones] - Fred Kizito/Peter Throne
• 11:30 The big picture (program-wide) of Africa RISING achievements - joint presentation by Fred Kizito, Peter Throne, Carlo Azzarri

12:00 Market Place of project level technologies/achievements (in poster format) organized around three thematic SI entry points: (i) genetic intensification, (ii) ecological intensification, and (iii) socio-economic intensification.

• Genetic intensification

• Improved crop varieties (Faba bean with bread wheat) in Ethiopia – Zewdie Bishaw
• Improved forage varieties in Ethiopia – Melkamau/ Kindu Mekonnen
• Drought tolerant quality protein maize – Patrick Okori
• High yielding disease resistant groundnut – Patrick Okori
• High yielding drought-tolerant common beans – [Rowland Chirwa]
• Resilient variety of tomato – [Justus Ochieng]
• Dual purpose sorghum varieties – Folorunso Akinseye/ Bouba Traore/ Birhanu Zemadim
• Improved/diseases tolerant vegetable varieties adapted to northern Ghana – Jean Baptiste Tignegre

• 13:00 - 14:20: Lunch break
• 14:30 Market Place Cont'd...

• Ecological intensification

• Landscape-scale rehabilitation in Ethiopia – Degefie Tibebe
• Site-specific fertilizer recommendations – Getachew Agegnhu
• Doubled up legumes – Regis Chikowo
• Targeting crop sequencing – Regis Chikowo
• Mbili mbili – [Job Kihara]
• Soil fertility management through fertilizer application – [Job Kihara]
• Soil and water conservation in Tanzania – Fred Kizito
• Conservation agriculture in Malawi and Zambia – [Christian Thierfelder]
• Cowpea living mulch in Ghana – Nurudeen Abdul Rahman
• Contour bunding in Mali – Kalifa Traore/ Birhanu Zemadim
• Soil and Water Conservation in Ghana – Wilson Agyei

• 15:30 Coffee break and group photo

• Socio-economic intensification

• Feed trough in Ethiopia – Melkamu/ Kindu Mekonnen
• Small scale mechanization (2WT tractors) in Ethiopia – Rabe Yahya
• High value fruit trees in Ethiopia – Endalkachew Woldemeskel
• Technologies for reducing post-harvest losses – [Christopher Mutungi]
• Improved household nutrition – [Seetha Anitha]
• Vegetable gardens in Mali – Mahama Saaka/ [Jean Baptiste]
• Maize shellers in Ghana – Bekele Kotu
• Advisory services in Ghana and Mali – Fred Kizito
• Efficient feed utilization through feed troughs in West Africa – Sadat Salifu

• 16:30 Participants go back into the room for an online Menti reflections exercise
• 16:45 End of day 1

• 18:30 Welcome Cocktail

DAY TWO, 8 February [Wednesday]

• 08:30 Overview of Day 2 agenda
• 08:40 Recap of previous day
• 09:00 Fishbowl session: Discussion on implementing the SIAF: What challenges were faced? What were the key lessons? the broader implications of SI as an approach for agricultural development?
• 10:30 Coffee break
• 11:00 Data management, Ex-ante evaluation, and Returns on Investment [start with ppt on exante analysis, followed by poster session incl. technology based RoI studies done in the regional projects] - Carlo Azzarri
• 12:00 Program-wide synthesis study results [introd. pres by Carlo, followed by country-based discussion tables to discuss summary results by the M&E Team] - Carlo Azzarri [Tsehay and Jonathan to follow-up with Carlo about the process for these sessions]
• 13:00 Lunch
• 14:30 Discussion: Partnerships in Scaling – Lessons from selected scaling partners - Million Gebreyes (ILRI), Haroon Sseguya (IITA), Patrick Kiao (Mwanga), Leonard Sabula (NAFAKA), Betty Maeda (frmr. USAID Tanzania), Nana Ntiamoah (Degas), Aminata Coulibaly (Mali Mark)
• 15:30 Coffee break
• 16:00 Experiences and lessons in harnessing diversity and research partnerships in projects like the Africa RISING partnerships (how to take research to farmers/deliver more effectively)? – Chief Scientists, M. Bekunda/ K. Mekonnen/ F. Kizito
• 16:45 Wrap up day 2

DAY THREE, 9 February [Thursday]

• 08:30 Overview of day 3 agenda
• 08:40 Recap of day 2 [a well-designed, light + fun exercise]
• 09:00 Panel discussion: How to conduct systems research and showcase value – experiences from Africa RISING, CSISA, SIIL and One CGIAR Mixed Farming Systems Initiative. Suggested panel: Peter Thorne (AR), Santiago Lopez (Mixed Farming Systems Initiative), Vara Prasad (SIIL),Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon, Jerry Glover/ Zach Stewart (USAID), Martina Cavicchioli
• 10:30 Coffee break
• 11:00 Building upon Africa RISING successes - F.Kizito, K. Mekonnen and M. Bekunda [Intro. pres showcasing how the regional projects have leveraged on previous investments (partnerships, sites, and also technologies validated under AR) during the transition to One CGIAR Initiatives) + followed by a discussion after to showcase how other Initiatives have benefited from Africa RISING]
• 12:30 What to expect in the upcoming end of program report - Jonathan Odhong
• 13:00 Lunch
• 14:30 Fun debrief exercise with all participants
• 15:00 Closing remarks

• USAID Ghana Mission Representative
• USAID – Jerry Glover
• High level leadership from the lead centers

• Siboniso Moyo, ILRI / Iain Wright, ILRI
• Leena Tripathi & Robert Asiedu, IITA

• Min. of Ag. Representation from the host/implementing country

• 16:00 Wrap up of event