Pct30

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Africa RISING PCT meeting #30[edit | edit source]

03 July 2018 Skype

Participants: Present

  1. Bernard Vanlauwe (BV)
  2. Beliyou Haile (BH)
  3. Siboniso Moyo (SM) - Chair
  4. Peter Thorne (PT)
  5. Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon (IHZ)
  6. Jonathan Odhong'

Apologies

  1. Carlo Azzarri (CA)
  2. Jerry Glover (JG)

PCT page PCT follow-up action points

Agenda

  1. Update on funding situation
  2. Revised Data Management Plan
  3. Annual learning event
  4. SI Indicator workshop
  5. SAG revival
  6. CoP revival
  7. Peer exchange visits

Conversation

Update on funding situation[edit | edit source]

Summary: PCT Chair briefed members regarding email from JG about the funding situation. In summary, in the coming 2 weeks, a written approval for spending will be forthcoming from USAID and funds will then be available from World Bank shortly thereafter.

Conversation:

  • Members were grateful to JG for the update and his constant support to Africa RISING in spite of the funding situation.
  • SM & PT noted that the situation at ILRI (Africa RISING Ethiopia) was precarious with the Finance Unit not allowing the project team to sign agreements with partners. This had resulted in delays with meeting certain project obligations.
  • IHZ noted that the situation at ILRI was similar to IITA and was affecting renewal of staff contracts.

ACTION: All PCT members to keep engaging management at respective institutes and share with them the regular updates from JG to secure approvals to spend. PT and IHZ to fiollow up with JG on planning phase. IITA, ILRI and IFPRI should aim to stretch incoming funds until March to 2019.

Revised Data Management Plan[edit | edit source]

Summary: The revised data management plan draft had been shared with PCT members 3 months ago. What is the latest update regarding progress?

Conversation:

  • BH noted that there were some pending issues that needed to be clarrified – e.g. embargo period, data upload etc. IFPRI had sought clarification from JG and USAID. Most of the issues are now now resolved and feedback from USAID incorporated into the draft. Also some new additions have been done to the plan in light of the new EU open access data requirements. BH also noted that, there was still general reluctance among AR partners to upload data and more advocacy work still needs to be done within the project about this issue. IFPRI will sign confidentiality agreements with data owners to demonstarted that data will not be used while still in the embargo phase.

ACTION: BH to share the current version of the revised data management plan with PCT members next week (week of 9 July).

Annual learning event[edit | edit source]

Summary: A viable week for this meeting was earmarked as 22 – 26 October 2018 during PCT 29. PT, IHZ & JO were tasked with fleshing out the details of the event.

Conversation

  • PT & IHZ noted that after discussions they felt that having a learning event (as we have traditionally had) may not be feasible due to the funding situation and how that had affected implementation of activities by partners in the 3 project regions. There will be limited activities over the next few months, yet we need interactons between the projects. An exchange visit may be a better option particularly if it can be linked to the proposed SI indicator workshop which has been slated for October 2018.
  • BV posed two questions to the group – (a) are we (Africa RISING) really on track in terms of systems research in agriculture (SRA) and (b) do you need systems research to move towards sustainable intensification? He noted that after reading the draft SRA document being written jointly with colleagues from SIMLESA; select individuals from the Africa RISING team probably need to have a meeting and evaluate these questions and make recommendations for any course re-adjustments where/if necessary.
  • IHZ in response to the question by BV explained that AR has over the years implemented improvements to ensure that it is on track in implementing SRA. The only challenges, she pointed out, were that we have not documented it properly and haven’t showcased it well enough.

ACTION: Details of proposed cross-learning visit to be finalized by JO, IHZ & PT. Keep the dates as they are (22 – 26 October 2018). The cross-learning visit should be done in any of the 3 regions where the teams would be able to make meaningful field visits. Also consider the possibility of integrating a side event on data management during the cross-learning visit.

SI Indicator workshop[edit | edit source]

Summary: The SI indicator workshop will not hold on 10 - 13 July as had been communicated earlier. Discussion between IHZ, PT and Sieg Snapp are still ongoing to get a consensus on the shape and form of the meeting.

Conversation

  • A new proposal is for it to hold at the end of October 2018.

ACTION: PT and IHZ to continue discussions on this with all other concerned parties to agree on the finer details.

SAG revival[edit | edit source]

Summary: The scientific advisory group was revived in mid-2017 after a long period of dormancy, but almost immediately after this revival, uncertainties emerged about program funding thereby affecting its operation.

Conversation

  • PT had a brief meeting with the Chair of the SAG - Jim Ellis Jones and updated him about latest developments with the program’s funding situation. SAG members are still enthusiastic and would be glad to resume their advisory role.

ACTION: Keeping in touch with SAG members and occasionally offering updates is a reasonable thing to do for the moment, at least until the funding situation is clearer. PT was urged to continue checking in with Jim and other SAG members with the view of re-engaging them more actively at the end of October 2018 when everything is clearer.

CoP revival[edit | edit source]

Summary: Five Communities of Practice had been inaugurated by the program at the begging of Africa RISING phase II. However, they have been dormant. Should they be revived?

Conversation

  • IHZ noted that if the PCT still thought the COPs are good to continue with, then the champions who were already identified needed to be consulted whether they would still be interested in leading them.

ACTION: PCT members to review the relevant information about the CoPs in the meantime. The issue will be revisited at the next PCT meeting. More info. about the CoPs is available here: https://africa-rising.wikispaces.com/CoPs

Closure of the wiki[edit | edit source]

Summary: The wiki platform will be closing all its sites by the end of 2018. Africa RISING has extensively used the wiki for the past 6 years as a collaboration space and an events documentation portal. The Africa RISING wiki is a rich source of information and knowledge for the program that we can't afford to lose upon closure of the wiki. Since March 2018, the ILRI CKM team has been tasked with migration of the contents of Africa RISING wiki to another appropriate and equally user friendly platform.

Conversation

  • JO noted that per the latest notice the 30 September was the deadline for closure of the Africa RISING wiki. No response was forthcoming yet from ILRI CKM team charged with the migration process thereby causing anxiety.

ACTION: SM and PT to follow up with the relevant colleagues at ILRI regarding this issue. SM will talk to the DDG Tarawali about this and PT will follow up directly with the officer in charge of the process.

Revision of sections for SRA advocacy document[edit | edit source]

Summary: A draft write up had been finalized and reviews done by different individuals including Tracy Powell from USAID. The comments were very helpful and some revisions need to be made on the document.

Conversation

  • BV noted that he had given the document a look and in addition to his feedback (sent via email), he was in agreement with most of the other comments from JG and Tracy Powell.
  • JO proposed that if the technical team could only address the technical comments/feedback recieved, then he would be ready to take over and address the other comments that relate to how the document is organized and the language.

ACTION: SM to write an email to technical team requesting them to address the ‘technical comments’ and then send the document to comms. team for revision.

Upcoming events[edit | edit source]

No upcoming events at the moment.

Next PCT meeting[edit | edit source]

Tuesday 18 September from 18:00 East Africa Time/ 16:00 Nigeria Time.