Innovation Platforms Explained

Empower & engage actors in RWM strategies

Gov’t Line Depts:We want to make a di�erence for our people but there are no incentives for di�erent departments to work together to achieve our common goals.

NGOs: We want to support development activities but we can’t address the structural factors that underlie rural poverty with our limited resources and time

Development Agents: We spend time working with farmers but we have no budget, transport, incentives and little control over major decisions so can’t facilitate development process e�ectively

So what can we do to improve this situation?

An Innovation Platform is a need-based network bringing together stakeholders from di�erent interest groups, disciplines, sectors and organizations to exchange knowledge, generate innovation and develop joint action. Platforms are more than just places to talk; they create opportunities for stakeholders to test solutions to common problems.

But how do innovation platforms changehow things are done?

Empowersactors

Addresses wide range of issues

Leads to joint action

Involves wider institutions, policies and markets

Encourages local actors to own the process

Improves communication between stakeholders

Achieve sustainable landscapes & improved livelihoods Push RWM interventions & technologies

Achieve short term quotas

But stakeholders are not coordinated

Farmers: We want to improve landscapes and livelihoods but we are not involved in planning process and our concerns are not recognized.

Facilitates learning

Contributes to new knowledge

Builds capacityto innovate

Includes di�erentsources of knowledge

Changes habits and practices

Local Administration: We have good policies for improving local livelihoods and landscapes but we have problems in implementation

Private sector: We see many business opportunities but we can’t realize the bene�ts in the absence of favorable enabling environment

Research Institutes & Universities: We have many useful research results and technologies but we have di�culty ensuring their uptake at local level

Create an Innovation Platform!

NBDC

Local Research

NGO

Private sector

Woreda extension

Woreda water

Woreda admin

Champion farmers

Woreda offices

NBDC research

outputs

Indigenous knowledge

Business ideas

National

research

Community Community

Community

Action 3

or

Coordination

failure

Coordination

failure

NileInternational Livestock Research Institute

ILRIBeth Cullen and Kebebe Ergano Licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. Produced by ILRI KMIS, November 2011.

Prepared for the International Forum on Water and Food, South Africa, 14-17 November 2011.