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Annual Report 2009
Strengthening Capacity for Rural Innovation
Building skills, changing outlooks
ICRA Central Office and Anglophone ProgrammeLawickse Allee 11, PO Box 88
6700 AB WageningenThe Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0) 317 422938; fax: +31 (0) 317 427046; email: [email protected] Website: www.icra-edu.org
Francophone ProgrammeAgropolis International
Avenue Agropolis34394 Montpellier CX05
FranceTel: +33 (0) 467 047527; fax: +33 (0) 467 047526; email: [email protected]
ICRA Regional Representative Southern AfricaARC-Technology Transfer Department
PO Box 8783Pretoria 0001South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 12 427 9919; fax: +27 (0) 12 430 5814; email: [email protected]
ICRA Regional Representative Latin AmericaFUNDACITE-Lara
Capanaparo 215, FUNDALARABarquisimeto, Lara
Venezuela Tel: +58 412 510 7097(cell); email: [email protected]
International Centre for development oriented Research in Agriculture
Annual Report 2009
Strengthening Capacity for Rural Innovation
Building skills, changing outlooks
Contents
Foreword iii
Acronyms and abbreviations vi
PART 1 – HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED 1 Summary of achievements 3
Capacity strengthening programmes in West Africa 17
Design and management of innovation-oriented learning programmes 20
PIAL: linking learning to rural development in Cuba 23
Managers matter: the senior managers’ exchange tour 24
Addressing innovation challenges: South Africa leads the way 27
PART 2 – WHAT ARE ICRA AND ARD? 29
Introducing ICRA 31
ICRA’s ARD 31
ARD means thinking and behaving differently 32
ICRA’s partnership strategy 34
National and regional ARD learning partnerships 34
ICRA’s comparative advantages 35
PART 3 – ORGANISATION AND FINANCES 39 Governance and management 41
Trustees and personnel 42
Income and allocation 44
Financial statements 49
Projects 50
ANNEX 1 – PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION 51 Benin 53
Burkina Faso 57
Ethiopia 60
Ghana 61
Kenya 64
Mali 67
Nigeria 69
Senegal 71
South Africa 72
Uganda 80
The SUCAPRI Project (Kenya, Uganda) 81
Latin America 83
ANNEX 2 – PARTICIPANTS OF PROGRAMMES AND SUB-REGIONAL MEETINGS ORGANISED BY ICRA IN 2009 89
Senior Manager’s Exchange Tour 91
Design and Management of Innovation-oriented Learning Programmes
in Wageningen and Montpellier 92
Preparatory sub-regional meetings 94
ANNEX 3 – PUBLICATIONS, PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS 97 Publications and papers 99
ICRA-related publications 100
Presentations 100
Presentations by ILAPIR 101
Presentations by ILAPIR associates 104
iii
Foreword
ICRA – the International Centre for development oriented Research
in Agriculture – has a track record of nearly three decades of
strengthening the capacity of inter-organisational and interdisciplinary teams to
put their collective knowledge to work for agricultural and rural innovation that
reduces poverty and promotes sustainable resource use. Its work has always
been inspired by the conviction that development and innovation can only
come from people and organisations empowered to address their collective
challenges – at global, national, sectoral and local level – by working together
and sharing their knowledge to achieve solutions that thereby become their
own.
From this perspective, development is not a matter of simply transferring
technologies, organisational or institutional models from one context to another
and training people to produce specific things in specific ways. It is about
strengthening the capacity of people and organisations to integrate these
elements in new ways that work in their specific context, and to proactively
adapt what they produce and how they do this to rapidly changing challenges.
Learning and learning to learn from each other are therefore essential for
development and for overcoming the current exclusion of a large majority of
the world population from the power to participate and make a difference.
These and similar ideas are embodied in the notion of ‘innovation systems’
that has gained prominence in recent years and is now, for example, guiding
the policies of the World Bank, the European Initiative for Agricultural Research
for Development (EIARD), the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
and the European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development (EFARD).
Innovation is now seen as a social learning and change process based on
knowledge sharing among the stakeholders involved in enhancing food
security, competitive market access, ecosystem resilience, and so on.
Many countries are trying to change the ways in which they generate
knowledge for rural development and how they transfer technology. Where
these currently resemble a knowledge pipeline with clear separation of roles
between the generation, transfer and use of knowledge and technologies,
the envisaged new arrangements resemble dynamic networks in which new
iv
knowledge emerges from sharing and joint experimentation. Experience shows
that these networks do not emerge spontaneously, however, even where there are
strong market incentives for collaboration. Insights into the conditions that help
such networks emerge are scarce, but do suggest that brokers play an important
role.
Over the past five years, as part of its ‘Move South’, ICRA has engaged
as a neutral broker in building innovation networks, both at national and at
local or sectoral levels in a dozen countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. The
national level networks form around a joint interest to enhance the relevance of
higher education and research to rural innovation, which demands changes in
knowledge, skills, behaviours and attitudes of both people and organisations.
These networks often also include policy makers, farmers’ organisations and
private sector associations. The local or sectoral networks emerge when these
national organisations participate in rural innovation with stakeholders at the
community, ecosystem or value chain level and in learning to make more effective
use of each others’ knowledge and other competencies. Together with its national
partners in these ‘ARD-learning partnerships’, ICRA has gained considerable
experience in designing, facilitating and coaching such on-the-job participatory
learning processes, referred to as ‘ARD learning cycles’. ICRA uses the acronym
ARD to refer to collective innovation and as a synonym to FARA’s IAR4D
(Integrated Agricultural Research for Development).
This Annual Report summarises what ICRA has done and has learned together
with its partners, in 2009. This year, ICRA started an ambitious initiative to further
diversify its highly-professional training, coaching and advisory services, mainly
in order to better serve its ARD-learning partnerships. As part of this, ICRA
designed and organised a Senior Managers’ Exchange and Study Tour to expose
managers to innovation in the Netherlands and to promote organisational change
in support of ARD. ICRA also started a new international course on the Design
and Management of Innovation-oriented Learning programmes, both in the
Netherlands (Wageningen) and in France (Montpellier). The latter course targets
talented professionals involved in facilitating interactive learning to trigger and
out-scale pro-poor rural and agricultural innovation. To improve efficiency and
accessibility, ICRA also decided to organise the ‘conventional’ ARD-learning
programme mainly in the South, in collaboration with ICRA partners and alumni.
Occasionally, the course will still be given in Wageningen and in Montpellier, but
once every two years and specifically targeting an audience outside the realm of
v
existing partnerships. The increase of tailor-made capacity strengthening activity
in the South combined with shorter high-leverage visits and training sessions in
Europe is a natural consequence of ICRA’s strategic move South.
In conclusion, ICRA remains highly committed to its original cause, i.e. to
promote interactive learning in support of innovation systems that contribute
to a fairer and better world. It is doing so, increasingly within the South, in
collaboration with its partners and through a growing network of alumni.
Bernard Hubert Jon Daane
Chair Board of Trustees Director
vi
Acronyms and abbreviations
ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific Adaf-Gallé Association pour le Développement des Activités de
Production et de Formation AgriBEE Agricultural Black Economic Empowerment AgriSETA Agricultural Sector Education Authority ANAFE African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural
Resources Education APPRI Apprentissage, Production et Partage d’Innovations ARC Agricultural Research Council ARD Agricultural Research for Development ASARECA Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in
East and Central Africa ATTA Agricultural Technology Transfer Academy BIRD Bureau of Integrated Rural Development BSS Business Support Services CAADP Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development
Programme CANR College of Agriculture and Natural Resources CASE Competitive Agricultural Systems and Enterprises CATALIST Catalyzing Acceleration of Agricultural Intensification for
Stability and Sustainability CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research CIAT Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical CIDA Canadian International Development Agency CINSA Collective Innovation Network for Southern Africa CLIA Centro Local de Innovación Agrícola CORAF Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le
Développement Agricoles CNIEP Conseiller National aux Initiatives Economiques
Paysannes CP Comité de Pilotage DFID Department for International Development DM-IoL Design and Management of Innovation-oriented Learning
programmes EC European Commission EIARD European Initiative for Agricultural Research for
Development ENDA ENvironnement et Développement Afrique
vii
ENRC Equipe Nationale de Renforcement des Capacités EPAC Ecole Polytechnique d’Abomey Calavi EPMR External Programme and Management Review EU European Union FAAP Framework for Africa Agricultural Productivity FANRPAN Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis
Network FARA Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa FEPAB Fédération des Professionnels Agricoles du Burkina FSA Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques FUNDACITE Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Ciencia y Tecnología GUCID Gestión Universitaria del Conocimiento y la Innovación
para el Desarrollo HARENA HArmonisation des Recherches et Etudes Novatrices
pour les Actions de développement de Madagascar IAR4D Integrated Agricultural Research for Development ICRA International Centre for development oriented Research
in Agriculture IER Institut d’Economie Rurale IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development IFDC International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural
Development IHC In House Committee ILAPIR Iniciativa Latino Americana de Procesos de Innovación ILRI International Livestock Research Institute INCA Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas INIA Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agrícola INRAB Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Bénin INRM Integrated Natural Resources Management ISE Institut des Sciences de l’Environnement JKUAT Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology JOLISAA Joint Learning on Innovation Systems in African Agriculture KAPP Kenya Agricultural Productivity Programme KENFAP Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers KIT Royal Tropical Institute KNUST Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology KKM PLS Kano-Katsina-Maradi Pilot Learning Site LNV Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality MAAP Ministère de l’Alimentation, de l’Agriculture et de la
Pêche MAE Ministère des affaires étrangères et européennes MAEP Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Elevage et de la Pêche
viii
MAK Makerere University MDG Millennium Development Goals MoARD Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development MUCG Methodist University College of Ghana M&E Monitoring and Evaluation NAADS National Agricultural Advisory Services NARDTT National ARD Task Team NARO National Agricultural Research Organisation NARS National Agricultural Research System NCST National Capacity Strengthening Team NDA National Department of Agriculture NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NIP National Innovation Platform NPT Netherlands Programme for the Institutional Strengthening
of Post-secondary Education and Training Capacity NRM Natural Resources Management NUFFIC Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in
Higher Education PAEPARD Platform for African-European Partnership on ARD PCT Programme Coordination Team PDA Provincial Department of Agriculture PIAL Programa para Fortalecer la Innovación Agropecuaria
Local P-IAR4D Platform for Integrated Agricultural Research for
Development PIR Procesos de Innovación Rural PNISA Plateforme Nationale pour l’Innovation dans le Secteur
Agricole PROLINNOVA Promoting Local Innovation RAP Realizing the Agricultural Potential of inland valleys RCPB Réseau des Caisses Populaires du Burkina ROPPA Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et des Producteurs
Agricoles de l’Afrique de l’Ouest RUFORUM Regional Universities Forum for capacity building in
agriculture R&D Research and Development SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SRL Sustainable Rural Livelihoods SSA-CP Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme SUCAPRI Strengthening of University CApacity for Promoting,
facilitating and teaching Rural Innovations processes
ix
TBI Tropenbos International UAC Université d’Abomey Calavi UDS University of Development Studies UNU-MERIT United Nations University – Maastricht Economic and
social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology
UO Université de Ouagadougou UPCB Union des Producteurs du Centre Bénin USE Union pour la Solidarité et l’Entraide WB World Bank WI Wageningen International WU Wageningen University WUR Wageningen University and Research Centre ZARDI Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute 1000s+ IFDC’s From Thousands to Millions project
Part 1
HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
3
HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
Summary of achievements
ICRA aims to support leadership and to develop critical mass in facilitating
innovation. It therefore works with numerous partners in countries of the South to
strengthen interactive learning, involving research, higher education and rural and
agricultural stakeholders.
Over recent years, ICRA has moved its centre of gravity South through the
national and regional multi-stakeholder partnerships in which it is involved. A
significant part of the activities took place in partner countries in 2009. Several
in-country ARD (Agricultural Research for Development) learning cycles were
facilitated or co-facilitated with southern partners (see Part 2). Whereas exposure
to the North is still seen as an effective way to stimulate interaction between
southern and northern researchers and development professionals and to
promote ‘out of the box’ thinking (like in the Senior Manager’s Exchange and
Study Tour, see below), the emphasis has irrevocably shifted towards learning in
action in the South. ICRA’s work in the South is also gradually evolving and more
explicitly intends to contribute directly to rural and agricultural innovation and to
the empowerment of rural populations.
As a European instrument, ICRA aims to provide leadership in developing an informed and coordinated European approach to ARD capacity building; an
approach that gives more weight to the strengthening of innovation systems
and organisational capacity in the South, rather than the current emphasis on
individual degree training.
ICRA’s capacity strengthening programme impacts upon the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), in particular MDGs 1 (eradicate extreme poverty),
3 (gender equality), 7 (environmental sustainability) and 8 (global partnership for
development). ICRA contributes directly to MDG 8 by promoting collaborative
learning and action at local, national and regional levels.
Major achievements in 2009, presented along the lines of the six generic
outcomes of ICRA’s partnership programmes (see Part 2), were:
1) Development of a shared vision on rural innovation and agreement on the
contours of an enabling environment, with key actors at national and regional
level:
� PNISA (Plateforme Nationale pour l’Innovation dans le Secteur Agricole),
a national level innovation platform in Benin, which has been supported
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1 HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
by ICRA from its inception in 2005, is proceeding towards a formal
status. PNISA has gained recognition in Benin as a significant alliance of
stakeholders from private and public spheres that coordinates ARD capacity
building and promotes its use in Benin. ICRA alumni play an important role
in the coordination and evolution of PNISA.
� In Kenya, ICRA supported and co-facilitated a series of meetings
to transform the informal task force on ARD into a more formal and
permanent arrangement. The initiative, led by eight national level member
organisations, is tentatively labelled as the Platform for Integrated
Agricultural Research for Development (P-IAR4D).
� A programme coordination team was established in Uganda, under the
leadership of the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO),
to revitalise the ARD partnership. The team, which now also includes a
representative of the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS),
received support from ICRA to review and document changes within zonal
agricultural research and development institutes (ZARDIs), resulting from
previous ARD capacity strengthening, as well as to finalise a national plan
to mainstream ARD into partner organisations.
� Members of the National Capacity Strengthening Teams (NCST) of Benin,
Burkina Faso and Mali, who participated in ICRA’s Francophone ARD
learning programmes in 2006–2007 and 2008, frequently represent and
advise the members of the national steering committees of the ‘From
Thousands to Millions’ (1000s+) project, coordinated by the International
Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC). This project
aims to improve the livelihoods of 1 million smallholder farmers in West
Africa (see below, “Tailor-made capacity strengthening programmes in
action in West Africa”). The steering committees play an important role in
identifying and selecting business ideas for rural and agricultural innovation
and provide a concrete example of a vibrant multi-stakeholder innovation
platform at national level.
� ICRA finalized, with participation from the Royal Tropical Institute of
Amsterdam (The Netherlands), a ‘White Paper’ on Integrated Agricultural
Research for Development (IAR4D), commissioned by the Forum for
Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). FARA will use the document as
a state-of-the-art paper, and to stimulate discussion between African
researchers and research organisations on the role of research in
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HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
agricultural and rural innovation. The final paper, which has gone through
a series of peer reviews, will be published before the end of 2009.
� The National Research Foundation in South Africa has offered to house the
(new) National ARD Task Team (NARDTT), probably within the realms of its
new Directorate for Applied Research and Innovation. The NARDTT was
established under the ‘Institutionalizing ARD in South African Agricultural
R&D & Tertiary Education System’ project, which is coming to an end in
2010. The new NARDTT will re-focus on knowledge sharing and policy
advocacy for ARD, and is tentatively labelled as the Collective Innovation
Network for Southern Africa (CINSA).
2) Strengthening of capacities of (teams) of ARD learning facilitators:
� ICRA organised three subregional meetings, in Benin, Cuba and South
Africa, conducted in French, Spanish and English, respectively, to further
develop the contents of its new professional capacity strengthening
course, known as Design and Management of Innovation-oriented
Learning Programmes (DM-IoL, see below). The subregional meetings were
Participants of the sub-regional workshop for ARD learning facilitators in Pretoria, South Africa, April 2009
11
6
successful in bringing together 45 ICRA alumni and (potential) partners for
ARD and innovation-oriented learning programmes, and in defining a range
of learning needs.
� Thereafter, ICRA successfully organised its new course (DM-IoL) for
19 Anglophone participants in Wageningen (The Netherlands, 7–25
September), and for 17 Francophone participants in Montpellier (France,
21 September–9 October). The programme was developed specifically for
facilitators to enhance their skills in the design and delivery of on the job
action-research and interactive learning programmes. The majority of the
participants had already been exposed to ICRA’s regular – introductory
– ARD learning programme. All participants will take up new and greater
responsibilities in facilitating learning in complex, dynamic and often highly
competitive multi-stakeholder environments (e.g. 11 participants were
sponsored by IFDC/ 1000s+ and will be deployed as agribusiness coaches
in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Togo). Detailed action plans
and follow-up coaching activities were initiated during the course and
further developed and fine-tuned immediately after (see also the Chapter
on “Designing and managing innovation-oriented learning programmes”
in Part 1).
� IFDC/ 1000s+ implemented, in collaboration with ICRA staff, a Training-of-
Trainers in Sogakope (Ghana, 17– 28 August) for 35 participants from seven
West African countries on the CASE (Competitive Agricultural Systems and
Enterprises) approach. The participants, all staff of producer organisations
and local and national level training organisations and NGOs, will add to
the critical mass of CASE trainers available (and needed) in the mandate
countries of the 1000s+ project, coordinated by IFDC.
3) Designing and/or delivering of tailored in-country ARD learning programmes
together with national (teams of) facilitators:
� NCST members in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Mali have been
involved in IFDC’s 1000s+ project training programme for business support
service providers involved in agribusiness cluster formation and value
chain development. The training programme was based on capacity
strengthening needs assessment workshops held in all the four countries
(in 2009 in Burkina Faso and 2008 in the other countries). The learning
facilitators received substantial coaching from ICRA staff throughout 2009.
1 HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED IN 2008
7
� ICRA facilitated, within the framework of IFDC/ 1000s+, training for about
30 members of national level producer organisations from seven West
African countries. The training was provided upon request from the West
African network of producer organisations (ROPPA), and financed by
the Dutch agri-agency Agriterra. The programme was held in February,
in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The programme highlighted the CASE
approach, and was targeted specifically to the needs of the CNIEPs
(Conseiller National aux Initiatives Economiques Paysannes). These CNIEPs
work in tandem with the cluster advisors of IFDC/ 1000s+, with a specific
responsibility to contribute to farmer empowerment and professionalisation,
and strengthening of farmer–market linkages.
� ICRA facilitated a tailor-made programme for IAR4D facilitators in Nigeria,
involving 25–30 participants. The participants were all facilitators of sub-
national level innovation platforms (Maize–Legume, Rice, Vegetables,
and Livestock), initiated by the Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme
(SSA-CP), and coordinated by FARA. In this Niger/ Nigeria pilot learning
site, ICRA is partnered with IFDC and the International Livestock Research
Institute (ILRI). Two workshops were organised to strengthen the capacities
of researchers and other facilitators in each innovation platform to
implement action research to improve productivity and build competitive
agro-food supply chains jointly with key stakeholders (i.e. smallholder
farmers, traders, processors).
� The South African Agricultural Research Council (ARC) trained over 20 ARD
facilitators through its in-service ARD learning programme, developed with
ICRA. The participants were mainly staff located within the ARC itself, the
University of Limpopo, the Provincial Department of Agriculture (PDA) of
Limpopo and Venda University.
� ICRA co-facilitated two workshops in Uganda to initiate an ARD learning
cycle with teams from innovation platforms established under the SSA-CP of
FARA, and a team of local stakeholders involved in livestock production and
marketing in Kiruhara District.
� ICRA co-facilitated a six-week capacity strengthening programme in
Havana, Cuba, as a follow-up to an earlier programme in Venezuela in
2008, and upon request from the Programa para fortalecer la Innovación
Agropecuaria Local (PIAL). Twenty-one Cuban professionals, all supported
by PIAL and involved in ARD learning at the community level, participated.
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1 HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
4) Coaching and mentoring of (teams) of ARD practitioners involved in rural and
agricultural innovation:
� NCST members from Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Mali have integrated
(elements of) ARD principles into their organisations, strengthening
organisational capacities to interact with grassroots actors, both within
and beyond the realm of the 1000s+ project, and to provide more tailored
services (e.g., microfinance for agricultural production). NCST members also
facilitated, within the framework of 1000s+, a series of planning workshops
at local levels to develop agribusiness cluster formation action plans. They
also directly contributed to cluster formation and value chain development
through facilitation of action research (on technology issues, but also
on institutional arrangements, i.e. to strengthen coordination in clusters
and along specific value chains), and through networking and brokering
services. IFDC/ 1000s+ is supporting over 200 agribusiness clusters in West
Africa, involving a wide range of commodities.
� ICRA provided, in collaboration with Wageningen International (WI),
support to the ‘Realizing the Agricultural Potential of inland valleys’ (RAP)
project, initiated and coordinated by the AfricaRice Center (AfricaRice).
ICRA co-facilitated the launching workshops in Cotonou (Benin) and
Sikasso (Mali), in March 2009, and coordinated the establishment of local-
level multi-stakeholder platforms in Mali that are responsible for design
and implementation of research activities jointly with researchers on three
themes: ‘agronomy/ productivity’, ‘resource management’ and ‘value chain
development’. ICRA and WI staff provided on-the-job training and coaching
to the four ICRA alumni and NCST members, who were contracted to kick-
start the action research and interactive learning organised through the
multi-stakeholder platforms in the two countries.
� ARD field studies, and action-research programmes, implemented by
several institutes affiliated to the NARDTT, established in South Africa, and
in particular in the Limpopo province, have been integrated in community
outreach programmes. In collaboration with the Limpopo provincial hub of
organisations and individuals engaged in ARD, PROLINNOVA (Promoting
Local INNOVAtion) has been instrumental in following-up on several of
these field studies.
� PIAL is supporting a series of local innovation platforms (CLIAs) that bring
grassroots research, higher education and development organisations
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HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
together. Over 40 professionals participated in ICRA’s ARD training
programmes in Venezuela (2008) and Cuba (2009). Follow-up is provided
by ICRA. At the end of 2009, a workshop was facilitated by ICRA in
Havana, Cuba, to reflect on the lessons learned and to design follow-up
strategies.
� ICRA and IFDC/ 1000s+ staff jointly facilitated a reflection workshop
for the CATALIST project, a large regional development programme
coordinated by IFDC and active in Rwanda, Burundi, Dem. Rep. of Congo,
and Uganda. The backstopping centred on the strategic orientation
of CATALIST’s market development division, and more specifically, on
the capacities needed for, and on the approach itself, to boost the
development of grassroots-based (and owned) agribusiness clusters.
5) Introducing ARD learning in academic programmes, and linking education
to Research and Development (R&D) (see box):
� ICRA supported the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR)
at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST),
Ghana, in agreeing on a roadmap for the institutional set-up to coordinate
and execute the second phase of a project to mainstream an Integrated
Natural Resource Management (INRM) approach. The project, implemented
through a partnership agreement between CANR/ KNUST and a Dutch
consortium led by Tropenbos International (TBI), experienced quite some
delay in 2009. Institutionalising INRM is a complex challenge, and hinges,
among other things, on the buy-in from higher management levels, a culture
of commitment to trans- and inter-disciplinary research, and the effective
engagement of rural stakeholders. ICRA facilitated several reflection
sessions, involving university staff at all levels and several representatives of
rural stakeholder organisations, which have led to the joint formulation of,
and agreement on, a work plan for 2010.
� With the support of ICRA staff, ICRA alumni from the University of
Development Studies (UDS, Ghana) and the Methodist University College of
Ghana (MUCG) are embarking on a process to incorporate elements of ARD
learning and of value chain development and agribusiness cluster formation
into their curricula.
� ICRA has been involved in the formulation and implementation of a
pilot for AGRINOVIA, a programme on rural innovation and partnerships
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1 HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
Introducing ARD learning in academic programmes
Through a number of activities and projects, ICRA is helping to introduce ARD
learning in academic programmes, and link education to R&D. One example is
the EDULINK supported project on “Strengthening University Capacity for Rural
Innovation Processes”, under the leadership of Makerere University in Uganda. The
purpose of this project is to strengthen the capacity of five universities in Kenya and
Uganda to participate in decentralised national agricultural research systems (NARS),
and to prepare professionals with the competencies needed to promote agricultural
and rural innovation processes.
In 2009, ICRA supported ‘learning cycles’ in both Uganda and Kenya. In Kenya,
the ‘university based learning learning cycle’ is aimed at creating a core group
of practitioners in each of the four partner universities. In Uganda, the ‘multi-
stakeholder learning cycle’ helped strengthen the establishment of the innovation
platforms created by the FARA SSA-CP, as well as identify areas where the teaching
programmes of Makerere University can better prepare future professionals to
facilitate and manage such innovation plaforms.
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HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
intended for both students and development practitioners, led by the
University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. AGRINOVIA wants to evolve
into an international MSc programme. The pilot programme combined
classroom training and field work and tried in particular to bring the
divergent competencies and ideas of students and development
practitioners together. Several organisations have worked together on
this initiative, including IFAD, and universities in Belgium, France, Italy
and Switzerland. The pilot programme was formulated at a workshop in
May and implemented in October–December 2009. ICRA’s contribution
specifically focused on partnership development.
� In South Africa, the universities of Venda, Limpopo and Fort Hare have
successfully integrated elements of ARD learning in existing curricula, with
assistance from ICRA staff. The In House Committees (IHC), established
by NARDTT to guide organisational change from within the universities,
are making use of a curriculum auditing process developed with the
ARC, to assess and improve ARD integration in university curricula. ICRA
staff are backstopping the universities with the design and delivery of
ARD learning programmes that inspire students and equip them with the
knowledge, skills and the capacity to effectively engage with rural actors
and other stakeholders in processes of change.
� Within the framework of the European Union – African, Caribbean
and Pacific (EU–ACP) EDULINK, ICRA co-facilitated the Strengthening
of University CApacity for Promoting, facilitating and teaching Rural
Innovations processes (SUCAPRI) project, two workshops as part of the
university-based learning cycle intended to form core IAR4D teaching,
and research groups at four Kenyan Universities. Twenty-one teaching staff
from Egerton University, Kenyatta University, Jomo Kenyatta University of
Agriculture and Technology, and the University of Nairobi, participated.
6) Promoting exchange of experience and learning from others at national and
international levels.
� In collaboration with ICRA and with funding from the Netherlands
Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFFIC),
the NARDTT in South Africa organised a regional symposium to present
and discuss the results and lessons learned of more than 10 years
of collaborative activity in support of ARD. The symposium entitled
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“Enabling collective innovation in agrarian research and development
– lessons learned from the last decade” was held in the Agricultural
Research Council Convention Centre, from 27 to 30 October. Several
examples of co-innovation through joint learning and action in South
Africa were showcased. The ARD resource book, developed with
significant support from ICRA, was formally launched at this symposium
as well.
� ILAPIR (Iniciativa Latino Americana de Procesos de Innovación Rural),
the Latin American ARD, initiative, published its first newsletter in
November 2009. ILAPIR, established by ICRA staff and alumni in 2004,
is demonstrating leadership in exchanging experiences and lessons
learned with regards to ARD. ILAPIR has been invited to workshops and
seminars in Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela to share information, identify
opportunities for, and kick-start ARD learning cycles. In Cuba ILAPIR has
also been instrumental in informing policy-makers and senior managers
in higher education on ARD mainstreaming through GUCID (Gestión
Universitaria del Conocimiento y la Innovación para el Desarollo), a
nationwide programme that aims to strengthen the capacities of the new
Municipal University Centres to support local innovation.
� ICRA and the Institut des Sciences de l’Environnement (ISE) facilitated a
workshop to share experiences and finalise the documentation on two
ARD learning cycles, one in the Matam Region and one on the Thiès
Plateau in Senegal.
� Having participated in the formulation of the Action Fiche for EC-support
to the Platform for African-European Partnership on Agricultural Research
for Development-Phase II (PAEPARD II) in 2008, ICRA played an active
role in the formulation of the proposal for this intercontinental multi-
stakeholder action this year, and joined the implementing consortium
led by FARA. In this process, ICRA extensively shared its experience of
multi-stakeholder capacity strengthening with European and African
partners, and particularly with FARA and the Regional Universities Forum
for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), with which ICRA is co-
leading the Work Package on capacity building.
� The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) invited ICRA
to its headquarters in Bern to capitalise on the experience that ICRA had
accumulated over 27 years of Swiss core funding and to present ICRA’s
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Senior managers’ exchange tour in the Netherlands
In 2009, ICRA organised, for the first time in its existence, an exchange tour
specifically designed for senior managers of research and higher education
institutions. The participants arrived in the Netherlands in June, and followed
an intensive programme of interactive workshops, seminars and field visits.
The major aim of the programme was to jointly explore leadership issues and
organisational change strategies to achieve joint learning and interaction
amongst and between researchers, to improve knowledge management, and
to strengthen dialogue with and relevance of research for rural stakeholders.
Through this programme and its follow-up in 2010 and beyond, ICRA hopes
to stimulate leadership and manager’s buy-in to support alternative multi-
stakeholder approaches to rural development.
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views on ‘the challenges that international development is facing in its
work on innovation systems and rural advisory services in the current
context’. This exchange and reflection session was attended by 15 SDC
staff from various regional development desks and identified potential
opportunities for collaboration with the West Africa desk and regional
offices.
� Having identified ICRA as a non-CGIAR (Consulative Group on
International Agricultural Research) organisation that could offer an
interesting case for more harmonised European donor support, the
European Initiative for Agricultural Research for Development (EIARD)
invited ICRA to present its work on innovation systems and ways in
which this contributes to EIARD’s policy objectives at their European
Consultative Group meeting.
� The African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources
Education (ANAFE) invited ICRA to share its work and experience at
the Regional West and Central African workshop for leaders of ANAFE
member institutions and partners on ‘Enhancing the involvement of
tertiary agricultural education institutions into CAADP: strategising
through ANAFE’.
ICRA reformulated its vision (see Part 2) and ambitions for the future as a
response to the independent External Programme and Management Review
(EPMR), which was held in 2008. The resulting document, entitled “Realising
ICRA’s full potential in building innovation systems: ICRA’s vision for the future”,
developed through extensive consultation with the Board, management,
staff, donors and partners in Europe and the South, is available from the ICRA
Secretariat. For a summary of the arguments involved, and the major lines of
action, see the box below.
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Realising ICRA’s full potential in building innovation systems The ‘new’ vision for ICRA (see Part 2) follows from an in-depth external review of ICRA carried out in 2008. The
review recognised ICRA’s impressive achievements and value, but at the same time called for urgent changes
to enable it to take advantage of its evolving context and to fulfil its full potential to strengthen pro-poor
innovation capacity in the South. The vision will serve as the main strategic guideline for ICRA’s Board of Trustees
and management. It also presents ICRA’s view of the way ahead to its many European and southern partners in
research and development, education, policy-making, the private sector, farmer organisations, non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), and funding agencies, as well as ICRA’s alumni.
ICRA’s view of the way ahead, though inspired by recent trends and evolutions that have put innovation systems
approaches in the rural areas at the top of the development agenda, has not dramatically changed: the need for
effective ARD is as great as ever. However, there seems to be much more consensus on and urgency for a reversal
in thinking about innovation systems at global, national and local levels, involving both European and southern
organisations.
The 2008 ‘food price crises’ abruptly ended a period of neglect of the agricultural sector’s primary role in ensuring
food security, reducing poverty and environmental degradation, and generating a surplus to fuel overall economic
growth. Even if the crisis seems to have faded away and recently been overshadowed by the credit crunch, the
consensus view is that food availability will tighten in the near to mid-term under the combined effects of increased
demand for high-energy and protein foods, fossil fuel uncertainties, climate shocks, diversion of land and water to
bio-fuels and deteriorating natural resource quality and availability. It is clear that the goals of poverty alleviation,
food security, social stability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable agro-ecologies cannot be
reached unless the speed and effectiveness of rural and agricultural innovation are hugely increased.
This calls for new ways of generating and exchanging knowledge, bringing users and producers of knowledge
together as ‘co-innovators’, and for a renewed commitment to a more integrated and effective ARD.
In Africa, continental policy guidelines, such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development’s (NEPAD)
Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) and the corresponding Framework for Africa
Agricultural Productivity (FAAP), in which FARA plays a leading role, explicitly call for making a paradigm shift away
from a technology package approach to a truly integrated agricultural research for development approach. The
idea being to ensure that researchers (national and international) work together with smallholders, pastoralists,
extension agencies, the private sector, government and NGOs to have impact on the ground. These policy
guidelines also recognise the need to strengthen corresponding capacities in people and organisations in Africa.
At European Union (EU) level, the modes of collaboration with the South are changing in line with the principles
of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness – ownership, alignment and harmonisation – and with the EU Code
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of Conduct on Division of Labour in Development Policy. Important aspects of this changing context include the
future of European support to agricultural research in general and to ARD capacity development in particular.
At policy level, the new EIARD strategy acknowledges that the impact of agricultural research on development is
limited by the weakness of research institutes in many countries; the shortage of researchers, in particular in most
of sub-Saharan Africa; insufficient liaison between agricultural research and broader rural development efforts: the
lack of involvement of the users of research results in the definition, implementation and monitoring of research;
and fragmentation and duplication of effort that results from a lack of coordination between the ARD investments
of European member states and the European Commission (EC). The EIARD strategy explicitly recognises capacity
development, innovation systems approaches and stronger European collaboration as priorities for responding to
the current challenges in the South. Consequently, it mentions ICRA as a potential collaborative instrument that
could be supported by European member states and the EC.
In 2009, ICRA started a series of initiatives to strengthen its position, both within the European landscape – as
a centre of excellence in the area of rural and agricultural innovation and, in particular, the strengthening of
individual, organisational and institutional capacities to foster pro-poor innovation – and in the South, through its
ARD partnerships and ICRA alumni network. These initiatives comprise:
1. The re-structuring of ICRA – as an employing organisation – to strengthen its ability to attract new staff, in
particular from and in the South. ICRA is also broadening the composition of its Board of Trustees in order
to benefit from double guidance from both Europe and the South.
2. A re-positioning of ICRA in Europe, as a unique institute to source European ARD expertise and to promote
cross pollination between the different ARD traditions of European donor countries, and between higher
education and R&D institutes involved in rural and agricultural innovation.
3. The expansion of ICRA’s position and network in the South, through investment in its alumni network
of effective change agents. ICRA will also, in close collaboration with its southern partners, invest in its
capacity to design and deliver tailor-made in-country capacity strengthening courses and programmes that
address the individual, organisational and institutional dimensions of ARD more effectively.
4. A stronger emphasis on documenting lessons learned. ICRA has, for instance, started to intensify its efforts
to collaborate with European and southern institutes to jointly tender for action research projects, to
deepen understanding of ARD and facilitate capacity building for pro-poor rural innovation systems.
5. The development of a communication strategy to improve ICRA’s visibility. While this has not been given
much attention in the past years, international visibility for ICRA, and in particular of its ARD partnerships
and grassroots activity, needs to be raised to inspire alumni and partner organisations in Europe and the
South, and to attract donors to consolidate successes and to achieve the goal of sustained growth of
ARD.
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Capacity strengthening programmes in West Africa
In 2006, ICRA started supporting IFDC’s ‘From Thousands to Millions’ (1000s+)
project, funded by the Netherlands, which aims at up-scaling agribusiness cluster
formation and value chain development in seven West African countries (Benin,
Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo). The project mobilises business
ideas proposed by rural actors at the grassroots (farmers, small and medium
enterprises) and provides small grants for them to access business support
services (BSS) including, for instance, strengthening of producer groups, collective
marketing, and financial intermediation.
ICRA’s support specifically aims at strengthening the capacities of a core team of
learning facilitators (the National Capacity Strengthening Team, NCST), composed
of members from various organisations. Since 2006 the NCSTs of Benin, Burkina
Faso, Ghana, and Mali have participated in ICRA’s Francophone and Anglophone
capacity strengthening programmes for ARD. The agribusiness environment
of 1000s+ was explicitly incorporated into ICRA’s ARD learning programme, as
exemplified, for instance, by the choice of the European case studies (agribusiness,
industry, clusters), and the inclusion of a specific module on value chain analysis
and development. Obviously, grassroots agribusiness development re-appeared in
the field work carried out in the home countries as well.
As part of the ICRA programme, the NCSTs gained substantial experience in
facilitating inter-organisational collaboration in competitive playing fields. The
teams were also involved in the development of strategic partnerships to establish
agribusiness clusters and value chain linkages on commodities like rice (Benin),
sesame (Burkina Faso), pepper and meat from small ruminants (Ghana), and tiger
nut (Mali).
Upon completion of the field assignments the NCST members were sub-
contracted by IFDC/ 1000s+ to assist the national steering committees with
the appraisal and selection of business ideas. NCST members have also been
instrumental in facilitating workshops to transform the business ideas into
consistent action plans for agri-business cluster formation and value chain
development.
With backstopping from ICRA, all of the NCSTs organised national-level
workshops to identify capacity strengthening needs of the business support
services (BSS) and producer organisations (POs) involved in 1000s+. Specific
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attention was given to the strengthening the capacities of BSS to perform as
‘catalysts’ for agribusiness cluster formation and in fostering competitive strategies
involving multiple stakeholders. These workshops have led to the development
of action plans for capacity strengthening of the BSS. In the case of Benin and
Mali, selected members of the NCSTs have already been actively involved in the
implementation of these capacity strengthening plans.
With a view to further developing the capacities of targeted NCST members to
provide coaching and mentoring services to BSS (as agribusiness coaches) and to
leverage the work of IFDC’s cluster advisors, IFDC and ICRA invited them to ICRA’s
new professional capacity building programme, the DM-IoL, in Wageningen and
Montpellier (see next section). Members of the NCSTs of Benin (3), Burkina Faso (3),
Ghana (2) and Mali (3) attended this three week programme. Two participants from
Niger and Togo participated as well.
The participation of these ‘agribusiness coaches’ in the DM-IoL tied perfectly
with a new proposal for ICRA’s support to IFDC/1000s+, as formulated after an internal mid-term review, in which the following four lines of action were proposed:
1) Support a Training of Trainers programme run by IFDC to increase capacity
for introducing and presenting CASE (‘Competitive Agricultural Systems and
Enterprise’, a grassroots approach to agribusiness development, developed
by IFDC) to a wide audience in West Africa, and to facilitate action-planning
workshops at sub-national levels.
2) Support the establishment and strengthening of agribusiness development
coaches (NCST members and other capable individuals) able to provide
mentoring/coaching to BSSs involved in 1000s+.
3) Provide follow-up backstopping to NCST members – in particular oriented
towards organisational strengthening (i.e. of their own organisations).
4) Support the establishment and functioning of national-level steering
committees in all target countries (i.e. including Niger, Nigeria and Togo).
The proposal specifically addresses the challenges of strengthening the role of
NCST members and their organisations so that they can support the development
of (grassroots) agribusiness within the framework of the1000s+ project, and
building up the critical mass of CASE trainers/ facilitators needed. The proposal
also enables ICRA to provide support to IFDC, until the end of the first phase of the
1000s+ project.
The NCST members are currently re-designing and/or implementing capacity
strengthening programmes for targeted BSSs. In consultation with IFDC, ICRA
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HIGHLIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
will provide on-the-job training and coaching to the NCSTs for the effective
implementation of these programmes. The capacity building programme is
designed as a series of learning cycles (see Figure 1). As clusters are at different
levels of development, BSSs may move at a different pace.
In Ghana, the programme focuses on the following modules: ‘chain assessment’
(i.e. the mapping of the actors in commodity chains, market and channel analysis
and appraisal of the business environment), ‘building engagement’ (i.e. identifying
‘champions’, strengthening linkages and building trust among chain actors,
developing joint business plans), ‘chain development’ (i.e. process, product, and
chain up-grading), ‘chain monitoring’ (e.g. transaction costs, profitability, and
income stability) and ‘chain learning’ (i.e. learning from the current situation, from
consumers and consumer/ market trends, and from competitors).
In Burkina Faso and Mali, the programme mainly focuses on market and value
chain analysis and then deals with the development of partnerships among
cluster actors, of strategies to access markets and specific market segments. The
programme also includes support to the development of multi-stakeholder action
plans. The NCST members will provide coaching and on-the-job support to BSS.
Figure 1. Example of a sequence of learning cycles designed to support local facilitators involved in the training of business support services
Reflection
Field task Field task
Field reviewField review
ReflectionPreparationPreparation
Workshop (Chain
Mapping)
Workshop (Building
Engagement)
Agribusiness Development – Business Clusters, Value Chains –
BSS
ICRA
National Capacity Strengthening Team (NCST)
Initiative led by ICRA Initiative led by NCST members
led by BSS Joint responsibility NCST members and BSS
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They will be involved in the organisation and facilitation of ‘reflection’ workshops,
bringing together various field experiences to analyse specific field cases, draw
lessons for the future and work out basic process principles and steps to efficiently
catalyse agribusiness cluster development. The NCST members in Burkina Faso
also provide guidance to the (sub-)contracting process.
In Benin and Mali, the capacity strengthening process began with the
implementation of a series of workshops focusing on value chain analysis; these
workshops, designed with backstopping from ICRA, were facilitated by NCST
members in three areas in each country. The next stage will focus on hands-on
coaching of BSS. ‘Reflection–analysis–capitalisation’ workshops have also been
planned, to share experiences between the BSSs involved in facilitating action
research and interactive learning for grassroots agribusiness development.
NCSTs have not been established in Niger or Togo. The participants of the DM-
IoL course will however be assisted to link up with other relevant individuals (and
organisations) to make a start with a NCST. On-the-job training and coaching will be provided to strengthen their capacities as agribusiness development coaches, with particular attention for inter-organisational collaboration and the development of strategic partnerships in agribusiness clusters and along targeted commodity value chains.
Design and management of innovation-oriented learning programmes
ICRA is creating substantial space to practice facilitation of ARD learning. ICRA’s
current Anglophone and Francophone capacity building programmes provide
hands-on knowledge, skills and confidence in ARD, but experience has shown
that additional knowledge and skills are needed for alumni to effectively facilitate
ARD, as well as more general, innovation-oriented learning in multi-stakeholder
settings.
In 2009, ICRA therefore developed a new programme to strengthen the
capacity of the current partnership core teams to design, organise and facilitate
innovation-oriented learning activities in their countries. This programme took
place in three stages:
1) In the first half of 2009, ICRA organised sub-regional workshops with
mainly ICRA alumni in each of its main language areas (Anglophone and
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Francophone Africa, Hispanophone Latin America). These workshops
enabled ICRA to reflect on and capture the partners’ experience with
facilitation of ARD learning, and to identify the competencies needed
to plan, design and manage on-the-job, innovation-oriented learning
programmes.
2) In May, ICRA staff and an invited colleague from one of our partner
organisations reflected on the sub-regional workshop outputs and used
the lessons learned as inputs to plan and design the new capacity building
programme.
3) In September and October, ICRA staff facilitated a three-week capacity
building programme for ARD learning facilitators in Wageningen
(Anglophone) and Montpellier (Francophone) – the previously mentioned
DM-IoL. The programme involved the following stages:
� In the first week, participants analysed the development context
in which their local innovation-oriented learning programmes are
embedded, analysed the need for individual, organisational, and inter-
institutional (system-wide) changes, and identified desired outputs,
outcomes and impacts in the short and longer term.
� In the second week, participants designed experiential, innovation-
oriented learning programmes that integrated knowledge acquisition
Workshop of the Design and Management of Innovation-oriented Learning Programme, Wageningen, September 2009
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with practice of skills and development of attitudes. The Anglophone
programme focussed specifically on developing guidelines to prepare
and design learning frameworks for specific learning activities. The
Francophone programme put more emphasis on the development
of learning objectives, the identification of structure, sequence and
learning steps, formulation of learning activities and selection of
learning materials and tools.
� In the third week, participants on the Anglophone programme practiced
facilitation skills with their colleagues as ‘guinea pigs’ and reviewers
of their performance. They also shared and analysed experiences
on organisational, logistical and planning issues (including budgets)
of innovation-oriented learning programmes. The Francophone
programme focussed on three simulation exercises: the first relating
to the position and role of the facilitators and types of facilitation, the
second specifically to the facilitation of decision-making, and the third
to a multi-stakeholder process and conflict management in natural
resources management. Both programmes ended with participants
initiating an action plan to implement their local learning programmes
back in-country.
The experience of this three-stage process has helped ICRA clarify what it
believes are the key competencies needed to facilitate multi-stakeholder learning
(Figure 2). These include the ability to:
1) Analyse the needs for individual, organisational, and inter-institutional
(system-wide) change
2) Link learning to the development context (embedding within projects,
programmes, etc.)
3) Integrate knowledge acquisition with practice of skills and development of
attitudes
4) Design learning processes and activities for groups of mixed backgrounds,
abilities
5) Support individual and group learning, through processes of reflection
During 2010, ICRA will continue to support the participants as they continue to
practise these competencies and implement their innovation-oriented learning
programmes with local stakeholders. These collaborative experiences will in turn
enable the Centre to continue to develop and improve its own ability to develop
the capacity of its partner organisations to facilitate innovation-oriented learning.
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PIAL: linking learning to rural development in Cuba
ICRA has played an important facilitating role in bringing key actors in Cuba
together in a national stakeholder platform. Through this platform the Instituto
Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas (INCA), Instituto de Investigaciones Jorge Dimitrov
and the universities of Granma, Las Villas and Pinar del Rio facilitate collective rural
innovation processes. The partners in this platform (in Spanish called Programa
para Fortalecer la Innovación Agropecuaria Local – PIAL) coordinate their activities
to strengthen innovation capacity and learn from each other. The main donors to
PIAL are the SDC, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and
several international NGOs.
Using experience gained from an in-service learning programme in rural
innovation that partners in Cuba and Venezuela facilitated, with technical support
from ICRA, in 2008 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, PIAL (in conjunction with ICRA)
designed and is implementing its own experiential learning programme in Cuba
to create an enabling environment for collective innovation at grassroots level.
Figure 2. Competencies required for facilitating learning in rural innovation (ARD)
Link learning to knowledge, skills,
attitudes
Design learning process
Competencies to promote ARD
learning
Support learning process
Analyse needs for (more) learning
Link learning to context
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The programme targeted 20 professionals from organisations participating in
local innovation processes promoted by PIAL to enhance their teamwork and
leadership skills to facilitate multi-stakeholder partnerships.
The initial residential phase of six weeks of the learning programme in May
and June 2009 linked the learning process to four local innovation processes,
using these real cases in all the learning modules of the programme and in the
embedded field work, and finished with the development of action plans for four
local CLIAs – local innovation platforms promoted by PIAL. Now, in the follow-up
phase of this learning programme, PIAL has launched a small competitive grants
scheme to support the action plans in the CLIAs.
The experiences in Cuba proved to be a rich source of experience and learning
for ICRA and the main lesson learned is the importance of embedding learning
in the real life context of the participants, providing them with the opportunity
to integrate knowledge acquisition with practice of skills and development of
attitudes that strengthen innovation capacity and enable continuous learning
from each other. As a result, the CLIAs have become the nucleus for local rural
development and innovation in Cuba. PIAL is aiming for a second follow-up
programme (2010–2014) to embed these local activities in an institutional change
process at national level aimed at changing the attitude towards rural innovation
at policy level.
Managers matter: the senior managers’ exchange tourTowards the end of 2008, ICRA invited a group of senior managers from its
partner organisations to the Netherlands to exchange on the role of agricultural
research and higher educational organisations in stimulating innovation. The
first senior managers’ exchange tour took place in June 2009 in Wageningen,
the Netherlands. The participants were selected because of the pivotal role
they play in agricultural research and education, in particular by providing
leadership in shaping the organisational ‘culture’ and through coaching and
mentoring of their staff. All 15 participants came from organisations involved in
nationwide partnerships on rural innovation. Several of their staff members had
received training from ICRA. Some of these ICRA alumni were invited as well to
comment on their experience in promoting ARD from within the organisation.
Representatives of producer organisations also participated. The participants
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came from the five countries in sub-Saharan Africa where ICRA is most active, i.e.
Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.
The objective of the exchange tour was twofold. First, to bring a senior
manager’s perspective from the South to a debate previously dominated by
northern researchers on the actual (and potential) role of agricultural research
and education in rural innovation. Second, to assess existing and alternative
avenues for capacity strengthening of rural development professionals (i.e.
individuals), ICRA’s core competency, so that it would stimulate organisational
change, improve knowledge management and achieve joint learning amongst
and between rural stakeholders. The programme was spread over four days of
intensive interaction and was organised around three major activities:
1) Meetings with ICRA staff to share experiences and lessons learned and
to discuss pathways for making agricultural research and education more
flexible and responsive to the needs of smallholder farmers and other rural
and agribusiness stakeholders.
2) Presentations and a field trip to the ‘Flevopolder’ to come to grips with
the way the research agenda (generic and applied, private and public) in
Research, education and farmer organisation leaders share experiences of rural innovation in The Netherlands
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the Netherlands, and more specifically in the potato sector, is set jointly by
producers, consumers, the agro-food industry and policy-makers.
3) A seminar on rural innovation and organisational change with Bram
Huijsman, Director of Wageningen International, and Andre de Waal,
Associate Professor of the Maastricht School of Management (MsM) as
eminent guest speakers.
Progressively ARD became more concrete for the participants and its objective
more or less synonymous with the adage of ‘Science for Impact’. All participants
clearly expressed the need for change. They also underlined their responsibility
in promoting ‘Science for Impact’ and expressed their desire, on behalf of the
national research and educational organisations, to be in the driver’s seat of
change.
Innovation involves new knowledge or new ways of applying existing
knowledge. It is a dynamic, continuous and multi-stakeholder process. It was
acknowledged that knowledge generation and use follow curious non-linear
pathways. Moreover, knowledge is power, and mechanisms for knowledge
sharing and joint learning in the agricultural sector, and in particular in the
agribusiness industry, may need careful design and implementation. Public
agricultural research organisations sometimes lead, but mostly participate in,
knowledge generation. The participants stressed that any pathway to learn and
mainstream ARD would need to consider both individual and organisational
capacities. Eventually, such pathways should also strengthen inter-individual (i.e.
teams) and inter-organisational relationships (e.g., platforms, alliances) to foster
an enabling institutional environment (including policies) for ARD. For a long time
the emphasis has been on the capacity strengthening of individuals – researchers,
lecturers – without adequate consideration of ‘how’ these individuals could bring
about change beyond their own immediate sphere of influence.
Changes of such a magnitude require leadership to guide the necessary
organisational change processes and, for instance, to coach inter-disciplinary,
results-oriented research task forces. This point was repeatedly made by the
participants. Bottom-up individual changes are important, but complementary
investment in managerial capacity and knowledge exchange is crucial too. This
shows that managers need to understand and buy-in to ARD so that they can
develop the framework within which a new blend of researchers and educators
can emerge.
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Addressing innovation challenges: South Africa leads the wayThe South African ARC plays a crucial role in South Africa, and has a nationwide mandate to generate, co-develop and share knowledge – including the knowledge embedded in specific technologies – that helps enhance the natural resource base, sustain a competitive agricultural economy, and ensure high quality and safe food. The ARC has a particular role as a knowledge broker – ensuring an informed South African public and encouraging national growth and development.
ICRA has been developing capacity for ARD with the ARC for over ten years. With support from ICRA, more than a hundred professionals have been trained through in-country ARD learning programmes organised by the ARC. A number of action research projects have been initiated as a result of these training programmes. Now, the ARC is moving on to strengthen its technology transfer division, and to advance innovation through community outreach programmes. Interdisciplinary and inter-organisational teams build engagement among multiple stakeholders, and jointly design action research programmes to foster technology development.
In the past, field projects implemented through the ARC were carried out for various reasons, ranging from purely research purposes (on-farm trials) to testing of research outputs (during prototype stage) and training on the proper use/adoption of a technology. These activities, although well meant, were not designed jointly with the rural stakeholders they targeted, and as a result were received without much engagement. Overall, the projects had limited impact, offered little value to the communities involved, and were frustrating for the implementer/technology inventor.
A change to conducting technology transfer through community projects has been given leadership by the ARC Technology Transfer Director, following ICRA’s senior managers’ exchange and study tour to the Netherlands, which provided a real-life experience of ARD practice. The community strategy has been approved by management and the leadership of ARC. The change will generate:
� Socio-economic benefits to society (e.g. to new or poorly-resourced farming communities) through joint experimentation and learning, with a focus on stakeholder influence on identifying potentially relevant technologies (R&D output) for adoption, combined with community-based capacity building and adequate tracking of impact (social and economic).
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� Income for the ARC through accessing local funds for development of
communities.
Expected outcomes of ARC’s community projects are:
� Increased engagement between the various actors, as ARC engagement
with community projects should stimulate people to engage with each
other, in testing, adopting and re-designing ARC technologies; it should
also stimulate institution building and networking building social capital
through agricultural action.
� Empowerment of agricultural actors and confidence building, through co-
innovation.
� Enhanced incomes for communities, through gains in knowledge, skills,
attitudes and (social, commercial) networks.
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Part 2
WHAT ARE ICRA AND ARD?
WHAT ARE ICRA AND ARD?
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WHAT ARE ICRA AND ARD?
Introducing ICRAThe International Centre for development oriented Research in Agriculture
(ICRA) was founded in 1981 by European members of the Consultative Group
on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a consortium of countries, donor
agencies and other organisations committed to ending world hunger, poverty and
environmental decline.
ICRA is supported by the governments of France, the Netherlands, Switzerland
and the UK. It is governed by an international Board of Trustees. ICRA has offices
in Wageningen (the Netherlands) and Montpellier (France), but works mainly
through strategic partnerships and networks in the North and South. Permanent
regional representatives are currently based in southern Africa and Latin America,
while resources are being sought to base others in eastern and West Africa.
Since 2006, ICRA has been listed as a centre of excellence on the additional
knowledge centres list managed by NUFFIC. This list was created to provide
knowledge centres conducting professional non-degree programmes with a status
similar to regular degree awarding higher education institutes.
ICRA’s ARDSuccessful innovation requires continuous mutual adjustment of technology,
policy and institutional environments, credit support, markets, and competencies
ICRA’s vision is to be a centre of excellence that supports the building of effective pro-poor rural
and agricultural innovation systems, and that is jointly owned and governed by the agricultural
research for development stakeholder communities in Europe and the South, especially in sub-
Saharan Africa.
ICRA’s mission is to strengthen the capacities of people and organisations involved in
development, research and education, to jointly realise knowledge-based rural and agricultural
innovation in support of the Millennium Development Goals, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
ICRA’s goal is to help end poverty and hunger and to promote sustainable resource use, by
supporting balanced partnerships between stakeholders in pro-poor innovation from Europe and
the South.
32
2 WHAT ARE ICRA AND ARD?
and objectives of key actors – both people and organisations. The knowledge
needed for this continuous adjustment arises from interactive learning among
R&D organisations, producers and their organisations, policy makers, financial
organisations, agro-industries, retailers and consumers, and others. This
collaboration and interactive learning is not easy, because the actors hold different
world views and have different ideas of what is desirable. In addition, once they
are agreed on common objectives, they need to dovetail their actions to improve
policies, institutions, markets and technologies, and to empower key actors. Many
approaches have been developed to facilitate this collective action, which ICRA
refers to as ARD (see box).
Although these approaches and principles have been established for some time
and applied successfully in specific cases, they have seldom been mainstreamed
to establish effective innovation systems. An important reason for this is that the
people and organisations involved are not sufficiently equipped for interactive
learning. New professional competencies and (inter-)organisational capabilities are
therefore needed.
Collective approaches to rural innovation (and organisations promoting them)�� ARD�(ICRA)
�� IAR4D�(FARA)
�� Territorial�and�Enterprise�Development�(Enabling�Rural�Development)�(CIAT)
�� Integrated�Natural�Resources�Management�(CGIAR)�
�� Sustainable�Rural�Livelihoods�(DFID)
�� Competitive�Agricultural�Systems�and�Enterprises�(IFDC)
�� Client�Oriented�Research�Management�Approach�(KIT)�
�� Innovation�systems�approach�(UNU-MERIT)
ARD means thinking and behaving differentlyTo ICRA, the most important defining aspect of ARD is the application of the four
principles (see box). ARD is not a methodology or stepwise set of guidelines that
can be followed in all circumstances. Neither is it a question of simply gaining
knowledge of the underlying concepts or even skills in suitable methods. Rather, it
requires a change in mentality: a different way of looking at the world; of thinking
and analysing; of interacting with others.
2
33
WHAT ARE ICRA AND ARD?
These paradigm shifts include:
� A shift from seeing knowledge generation as a final objective, to seeing it
as a means to achieve change; from research to innovation; from a focus on
technology to a focus on people
� A shift from mainly reductionist understanding of the parts to systemic
understanding of the relationships between the parts
� A shift from mainly ‘hard systems analysis’ (improving the mechanics of the
system) to inclusion of ‘soft systems analysis’ (negotiating the meaning of
the system and desirable transformations)
� A shift from seeing participation as a matter of consulting beneficiaries to
one of facilitating interactive learning between stakeholders, resulting in
joint analysis, planning, and hence collective action
� A shift from working individually to working with others, in ever-changing ad
hoc teams and partnerships
� A shift from teaching to learning; from being taught to learning how to
learn; from individual learning to social learning
� A shift in the culture of R&D organisations from an exclusive focus on
individual merit and competition to one that also favours collaboration and
teamwork, both within and between organisations
� A shift from agricultural research systems to agricultural innovation systems.
These new ways of thinking, new attitudes and new forms of collaboration
between organisations cannot be achieved by conventional knowledge transfer
or management courses. They require ‘learning by doing’ in the real world by
addressing complex development challenges with the key stakeholders and
learning from each other. They mean developing an ability to reflect collectively
Common principles of ARD:1. ARDintegratestheperspectives,knowledgeandactionsofdifferentstakeholdersarounda
commontheme
2. ARDintegratesthelearningthatstakeholdersachievethroughworkingtogether
3. ARDintegratesanalysis,actionandchangeacrossthedifferent(environmental,social,
economic)dimensionsofdevelopment
4. ARDintegratesanalysis,actionandchangeatdifferentlevelsofspatialandsocial
organisation.
34
2 WHAT ARE ICRA AND ARD?
on experience and draw lessons, and an openness to question the assumptions
that have underpinned one’s actions or career to date. They also require
uncomfortable confrontations: both with oneself and with others. Such shifts affect
the essence of the current paradigms that underpin the way in which universities
educate students and in which professional organisations are organised and
managed. Such changes require continued and long-term effort.
ICRA’s partnership strategyICRA’s strategy is to promote these paradigm shifts and collective innovation
by enhancing the capacities of key actors – both people and organisations – to
learn from each other, and exchange and integrate their knowledge.
The backbone of ICRA’s strategy is the national (and regional) level ARD
learning partnerships that help ICRA move its centre of gravity South. These
multi-actor partnerships are complex, but ideally perform six functions (shown
in Table 1). ICRA has also identified six desired outcomes from national (and
regional) partnerships (shown in Figure 3). These outcomes correspond roughly
(Ideal) Functions (Generic) Outcomes
1. Achieving agreement between key national stakeholders in rural innovation on a vision, strategies and action plans to strengthen collaboration in ARD learning
National partners develop a collective vision of rural innovation
2. Strengthening the capacity of facilitators from the R&D and education sectors, and their organisations, to design and implement ARD learning cycles
A core group of facilitators designs, implements and evaluates learning programmes for collective innovation
3. Providing tailored ARD learning programmes, through which grassroots ‘innovation teams’ of R&D professionals and other stakeholders learn to develop collective rural innovations
Rural agencies learn to collectively generate innovation through in-service professional development
4. Coaching and mentoring of grassroots ‘innovation teams’ during the innovation process
Stakeholders collaborate to promote innovation and address complex development challenges
5. Introducing rural innovation competencies into academic programmes and linking educational organisations with the R&D sectors
Academic organisations include rural innovation competences in their programmes
6. Promoting exchange of experiences and research on ARD
Partnerships exchange experiences and learn from others at national and international levels
Table 1. Functions and outcomes of ICRA’s ARD partnerships
2
35
WHAT ARE ICRA AND ARD?
to the six functions of an ideal ICRA partnership, while Table 1 shows the
relationship between the functions and outcomes. Monitoring and evaluation
(M&E) of ICRA’s work is based on these desired outcomes.
Partnerships may begin with just one or two of these functions and it may
take time to build them up to include all of the different elements. ICRA is
often brought in through a specific request from one partner organisation to
help solve a problem which relates to one of the functions. Its strategy is to
use these requests as entry points and, through them, to begin building more
comprehensive and effective national partnerships. For example, national
agricultural research organisations may ask ICRA to assist with local capacity
Research Processors, Producer Communities
Policy Service Universities, institutes traders, etc organisations makers providers etc
A core group of facilitators designs, implements and evaluates learning programmes for collective
innovation
Rural agencies learn to collectively generate innovation through in-
service professional development
Partnerships exchange experiences and learn from others at national
and international levels
National partners develop a collective
vision of rural innovation
Stakeholders collaborate to promote innovation and address complex
development challenges
Academic organisations include rural innovation competencies in
their programmes
Improved rural livelihoods Sustainable use of natural resources Competitive agro–product chains
Equitable development
Goal:
Figure 3. Desired outcomes of national ARD learning partnerships
36
2 WHAT ARE ICRA AND ARD?
strengthening of their research staff. ICRA will encourage them to not only
strengthen the capacity of their staff, but also, and through the same experiential
learning programme, that of all other key stakeholders in the rural innovation
process. ICRA also promotes involvement of higher education organisations in this
local capacity strengthening process.
National and regional ARD learning partnershipsICRA is currently involved to different degrees in national multi-actor
partnerships in 14 countries: eleven in sub-Saharan Africa and three in Latin
America (see Figure 4 and Table 2). It also works with partners in Europe, and
regional and international organisations. In addition to the activities in the
southern partner countries, ICRA operates Anglophone and Francophone
capacity strengthening programmes from Wageningen and Montpellier,
respectively. The ICRA website (www.icra-edu.org) offers a platform for
exchange of experiences and learning materials.
ICRA’s comparative advantagesCompared with other, more conventional, capacity-building and institutional
change organisations, ICRA takes a different approach, with several distinguishing
features:
� An emphasis on working within multi-stakeholder partnerships
� Simultaneously strengthening the capacity of major stakeholders of an
innovation system, helping them to work together better and learn from
each other � Working at different levels within stakeholder groups (policy, managerial,
operational, support); thus not only engaging with multiple stakeholder groups, but also at multiple levels within these
� Promoting institutional change alongside capacity strengthening – changing mindsets, attitudes and behaviour – of individuals and organisations to stimulate concerted action and joint learning
� Building a long-term engagement with stakeholders, rather than providing one-off services in response to demand
� Promoting the role of universities in the development of effective and sustainable innovation systems, and attempting to help narrow the gap between education, research and development.
2
37
WHAT ARE ICRA AND ARD?
Figure 4. ICRA’s ARD learning partnerships
Kenya
MexicoVenezuela
Cuba
Ethiopia
WageningenMontpellier
South Africa
Madagascar
Senegal
Ghana
MaliBurkina Faso
NigeriaBenin
Uganda
ICRA offices in Wageningen (Netherlands) and Montpellier (France) ICRA’s ARD learning partnerships
Table 2. ICRA’s partners
Sub-Saharan Africa
Africa Rice Center (ARC)Association for Strengthening
Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA)
Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le Développement Agricoles (CORAF)
Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
Pan African Federation of Farmers’ Organisations
Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)
BeninFédération des Unions de Producteurs
du Bénin
Institut National de Recherche Agronomique du Bénin
Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Elevage et de la Pêche
Organisation Béninoise pour la Promotion de l’Agriculture Biologique
Plateforme Nationale d’Innovation dans le Secteur Agricole
Université d’Abomey-Calavi
Burkina FasoAssociation des grossistes et détaillants
d’intrants agricoles Fédération des Professionnels
Agricoles du Burkina Fédération Nationale des Industries
de l’Agro-Alimentaire et de Transformation du Burkina
Réseau des Caisses Populaires du Burkina
Université de Koudougou
Université de Ouagadougou
EthiopiaAgri Service Ethiopia Amhara Regional Agricultural Research
Institute (ARARI)Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural
Research (EIAR)Haramaya University Mertule Mariam Agricultural Technical
and Vocational Education and Training College
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
GhanaApex Farmers Organization of GhanaGhana Agricultural Business
Information CenterKwame Nkrumah University of Science
and TechnologyMethodist University College Ghana
38
2
Table 2. ICRA’s partners (ctd)
Opportunities Industrialization Centers – Tamale
Savanna Agricultural Research InstituteUniversity for Development Studies
KenyaEgerton UniversityJomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture
and TechnologyKenya Agricultural Research InstituteKenya National Federation of
Agricultural ProducersKenyatta UniversityMinistry of AgricultureMinistry of Livestock and Fisheries
DevelopmentUniversity of Nairobi
MadagascarAide et ActionCentre d’Echange et de
Documentation et d’Information Interinstitutionnelles
FIANTSOProvincial Departments of Agriculture,
Education and YouthRegional Civil Society Platforms of
Fianarantsoa and TuléarUniversité d’AntananarivoUniversité de FianarantsoaUniversité de Tuléar
Mali ADAF-Gallé – CREDO Assemblée Permanente des Chambres
d’Agriculture du MaliAssociation des organisations
professionnelles de producteursAssociation Malienne d’Eveil au
Développement Durable Association pour la Promotion des
Filières AgricolesDirection Nationale de l’AgricultureFédération Nationale des
Transformateurs de produits Agro-alimentaires
Institut d’Economie RuraleInstitut Polytechnique Rurale de
KatibougouONG Solidarité à l’Autopromotion de
la BaseProjet d’Appui à la Commercialisation
des Céréales au MaliUnion Locale de Producteurs de
Céréales et de Karité
SenegalAssociates in Research and Education
for Development Environnement et Développement
Afrique- Groupe Recherche, Action, Formation
Environnement et Développement Afrique – Groupes de Recherche Action et d’Appui aux Initiatives Mutualistes
Institut des Sciences de l’Environnement de l’ Université Cheikh Anta Diop
Union pour la Solidarité et l’Entre Aide
South AfricaAgricultural Research CouncilMadzivhandela Farmer Training
InstituteNational African Farmers UnionNational Department of AgricultureNational Department of Science and
TechnologyPromoting Local Innovation
(PROLINNOVA), The NetherlandsProvincial Departments of Agriculture
of Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape
Tompi-Seleka Farmer Training InstituteUniversity of Fort HareUniversity of the Free StateUniversity of KwaZulu NatalUniversity of LimpopoUniversity of PretoriaUniversity of Venda
UgandaMakerere University National Agricultural Research
Organisation National Agricultural Advisory Services
Latin America
CubaGestión Universitaria del Conocimiento
y la Innovación para el DesarrolloInstituto de Investigaciones Jorge
DimitrovInstituto Nacional de Ciencias AgrícolasPrograma para Fortalecer la Innovación
Agropecuaria Local Universidad Central de Las VillasUniversidad de GranmaUniversidad de Pinar del Río
MexicoColegio de Postgraduados
VenezuelaFundación para el Desarrollo de la
Ciencia y Tecnología del estado LaraInstituto Nacional de Investigaciones
AgrícolasUniversidad Nacional Experimental
Simón Rodríguez
Europe & International
African Highlands Initiative, UgandaAgropolis International, FranceCentre de coopération internationale
en recherche agronomique pour le développement, France
Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Colombia
Department for International Development (DFID), UK
ETC International Group, The Netherlands
European Initiative for Agricultural Research for Development, Belgium
International Fertiliser Development Centre, Africa Division
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Italy
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
Ministère de l’Alimentation, de l’Agriculture et de la Pêche, France
Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Food Safety, The Netherlands
Ministère des Affaires Étrangères et Européennes, France
Promoting Local Innovation (PROLINNOVA), The Netherlands
Royal Institute of the Tropics (KIT), The Netherlands
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Switzerland
Tropenbos International, The Netherlands
University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Wageningen University and Research Centre
Wageningen International, The Netherlands
Welthungerhilfe, Germany
2
Part 3
ORGANISATION AND FINANCES
ORGANISATION AND FINANCES
41
ORGANISATION AND FINANCES
Governance and managementICRA is an autonomous, non-profit, internationally operating legal entity, registered in
the Netherlands as a foundation under Dutch law. It is governed by an international
Board of Trustees. A Director is responsible for daily management of the organisation.
ICRA’s Central Office and the Anglophone Programme are located in Wageningen,
The Netherlands, while the Francophone Programme is located in Montpellier, France.
Permanent Regional Representatives are based in Southern Africa and Latin America.
ICRA is in the process of converting from a non-employing organisation into a
centre with its own personnel. Currently, its personnel consists of employees seconded
by its donors or employed for ICRA by sister organisations, and of professional
associates on consultancy contracts. ICRA’s Anglophone and Francophone
Programmes are each headed by a Coordinator. The centre’s involvement in each of
the national or regional partnerships is managed by a small team of ICRA personnel,
Figure 5. ICRA’s organisational structure
Francophone Programme
Regional Representative
Partnership team
convenor
Regional Representative
Partnership team
convenor
ICRA Latin America team
ICRA South Africa team
ICRA Uganda team
ICRA Benin team
Board of Trustees
Director
Finance and accounts
DeputyDirector
Country-specific partnership governance bodies (external to ICRA) (National Innovation Platform, National Task Team/ Force, Steering
Committee, …)
etc....
Overlapping teams of ICRA personnel
Anglophone Programme
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3 ORGANISATION AND FINANCES
Trustees and personnel
Trustees
Dr Christine Akoth Onyango: Senior Lecturer JKUAT, Kenya,
Alumni representative
Dr Pascal Bergeret: Head, Department of Research Education Relations,
Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, France
Dr Bernard Hubert (Chair): President, Agropolis International and
Coordinator French Initiative for International Agricultural Research, France
Dr Bram Huijsman: Director, Wageningen International, The Netherlands
Dr Monty Jones: Executive Director FARA, Ghana
Mr Sander van Opstal: Senior Policy Officer, Ministry of Agriculture,
Nature Management and Food Safety, The Netherlands
Mr Philippe Petithuguenin: Senior Advisor on ARD, and EIARD secretariat,
Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture Directorate, Directorate General for
Research, European Commission, Belgium
Dr Didier Pillot: Representative for European and International affairs
and Agris Mundus coordinator, SupAgro, France
coordinated by a team ‘convenor’ or a Regional Representative. These teams have
overlapping members to promote cross partnership learning. The Anglophone and
Francophone Programme Coordinators, Regional Representatives and team convenors
report to the Deputy Director, who is responsible for internal staff management, M&E
and learning, and reports to the Director.
The management of each of the eleven national partnerships and of the regional
partnership in Latin America is the responsibility of the partners in each country
or region and is external to ICRA. ICRA provides primarily support to national and
regional level partnerships for innovation, but is in some cases also a plain member
of the partnership. Different governance mechanisms are used to manage these
partnerships according to the institutional culture in each country or region.
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43
ORGANISATION AND FINANCES
ICRA personnel
CENTRAL OFFICE
Dr Jon Daane, Director
Dr Arno Maatman, Deputy Director
Dr Driek Enserink, Senior Officer
Ms Ans Brom, Office Manager
Ms Saskia Vleer, Office Manager
ANGLOPHONE PROGRAMME
Mr Juan Ceballos-Müller, Programme Coordinator
FRANCOPHONE PROGRAMME
Dr Nour-Eddine Sellamna, Programme Coordinator
Ms Françoise de Chevigny, Office Manager
REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
Ms Colletah Chitsike, Southern Africa
Dr Leonardo Salazar, Latin America
PARTNERSHIP CONVENORS and PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATES
Ms Marie-Jo Dugué, Benin, Senegal
Dr Richard Hawkins, Uganda, Ethiopia
Dr Toon Defoer, Burkina Faso, Mali
Dr Robert Booth, Kenya
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3 ORGANISATION AND FINANCES
Income and allocationICRA’s strategy, launched in 2004, to invest reserves in moving its centre of gravity
South as rapidly as possible, and to work more in partnership with organisations
in the South, has paid off. In some countries new funding was attracted, in
collaboration with partners, specifically to finance the partnership activities. In
other countries, ICRA obtained funding for its role in the partnership from existing
projects or by bidding for service contracts where this offered good potential
to develop a partnership and attract dedicated funding. This has substantially
changed the balance of core and external funding over recent years (Figure 6).
Figure 6. Trend in income and income sources (€ million)
Core funding External income
€ m
illio
n
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.02005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Due to the rapid expansion of external income, the need for use of ICRA’s
reserves was quickly negated, and it was found wiser to adjust expenditure to
actual income. From 2007 onwards this cautious policy was also reflected in the
budgets. As a result, the gap between budgeted and actual expenditure and
income has been narrowing in recent years (Figure 7).
France, The Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom contribute to
ICRA’s core income, through both in kind and cash contributions. External income
in 2009 came mainly from NPT (Netherlands Programme for the Institutional
Strengthening of Post-secondary Education and Training Capacity) projects in South
Africa and Ghana, funded through NUFFIC, an EDULINK project in Kenya/Uganda,
funded by the EU, and service contracts, among others with IFDC/1000s+ (Figure 8).
3
45
ORGANISATION AND FINANCES
Figure 7. Budgeted and actual expenditure and income (€ million)
Figure 8. Sources of income – 2009 (€ million)
Actual expenditure Budgeted expenditure
Actual income Budgeted income
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
2005€
mill
ion
2006 2007 2008 2009
Core funding External income
Interest and miscellaneous
France (MAP, MAE)
Switzerland (SDC)
The Netherlands (LNV)
UK (DFID)
Projects, service contracts
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
Expenditure for the partnerships in 2009 has been largely in line with the budget, except for Benin, Ghana, Mali and Eastern Africa (Kenya/Uganda), and for cross-cutting partnership development activities in the South (Figure 9).
In Benin and Mali, the activities had to be adjusted to the pace of the
partners, in particular those related to the formal establishment of the national
innovation platform (PNISA) and the strengthening of education and research
at the Université d’Abomey Calavi (UAC). In Ghana, the CANR/ KNUST staff
46
3 ORGANISATION AND FINANCES
faced significant difficulties commencing the new NPT project, which aims
to institutionalise ARD principles from within the institute. ICRA staff mainly
contributed through facilitation of awareness raising and planning workshops with
CANR/ KNUST staff and targeted rural stakeholders. However, a new work plan
has been finalised and adopted, and capacity strengthening and mainstreaming
activities are expected to speed up in 2010. In Eastern Africa the activities within
the framework of the SUCAPRI project took off well, but came to a standstill when
Makerere University did not receive the second disbursement of funds. Partnership
development in the South received much attention, among other things through
increased collaboration with FARA, within the PAEPARD framework, and other
funding proposals. Progress was more limited, however, in ICRA’s attempt to
Figure 9. Budget, expenditure and external income per partnership in 2009 (€ thousand)
Budgeted expenditure Actual expenditure Total income
450400350300250200150100500
Partnership development South
Partnership development North
Learning materials and website
Latin America
RAP WARDA (Mali/Benin)
Eastern Africa (Kenya/Uganda)
Uganda
South Africa
Senegal
Kenya
Nigeria
Ethiopia
Mali
Ghana
Madagascar
Burkina Faso
Benin
3
47
ORGANISATION AND FINANCES
formulate new programmes together with, or tender for capacity strengthening
activity within projects coordinated by regional agricultural research organisations
in sub-Saharan Africa (e.g., CORAF and ASARECA).
It is noted that much of the expenditure in the ARD partnerships is covered
through partners, showing a substantial leverage effect of ICRA’s contribution.
Partners often pay directly for most of the costs of tailor-made, in-country
capacity strengthening programmes (e.g. costs of the venue, travel/lodging of
participants). ARD learning cycles are, in many cases, simply part of an ongoing
programme, with dedicated funds available, like in the case of IFDC’s 1000s+
programme. ICRA strives to obtain service contracts to finance its complementary
capacity strengthening services, though it may use part of its institutional funds
to complement such activity. This is being done, in particular, in areas for which it
is difficult to obtain external funds, but which lay the foundations for a solid ARD
partnership (e.g. by establishing multi-stakeholder platforms to identify innovation
challenges and to trigger inter-organisational collaboration). The remainder is
invested in staff and alumni network development, and in achieving a firmer
presence in the South.
The distribution of expenditure over the six desired outcomes from ICRA’s
partnerships (Figure 10) clearly shows the emphasis given to the training of ARD
facilitators, through ICRA’s new course (DM-IoL). This course involved participants
from Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, South
Africa, Togo, Uganda, and Latin America. The participation from Niger and Togo
is captured by the more generic ‘partnership development in the South’ label.
Expenditure in South Africa has been high compared to the other partnerships.
For a very large part, these expenditures fostered the further integration of
ARD modules in university curricula. In Ghana, where ARD mainstreaming within
higher education institutes is also central, these expenditures were much less
than expected, for reasons that were explained above. In-service ARD learning
cycles were important in Latin America, Ghana, Nigeria (SSA-CP) and Eastern
Africa (SUCAPRI project). Mentoring and coaching of field work appears clearly
in the new RAP/AfricaRice project, and in Latin America. As explained above, this
does not mean that ARD learning cycles are not implemented elsewhere. ARD
learning cycles, as in the case of agribusiness cluster formation in West Africa, are
happening throughout Africa. ICRA however is not handling the costs of these
cycles. In the particular case of the 1000s+ project, the facilitators (including the
agribusiness coaches) are also directly sub-contracted by IFDC. ICRA provides
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3 ORGANISATION AND FINANCES
Figure 10. Expenditure by partnership and outcome in 2009 (€ thousand)
Training of ARD facilitatorsVision, strategy and plan developmentOverheadChange university programsMentoring mainstreaming of ARDIn-service ARD learning cycles
Admin supportExchange of experience and learning
450400350300250200150100500
Partnership development South
Partnership development North
Learning materials and website
Latin America
RAP WARDA (Mali/Benin)
Eastern Africa (Kenya/Uganda)
Madagascar
Nigeria
Uganda
South Africa
Senegal
Kenya
Ethiopia
Mali
Ghana
Burkina Faso
Benin
backstopping to these learning facilitators (tagged under ‘Training of ARD
facilitators’). Expenditures for ICRA’s successful Senior Managers’ exchange and
study tour, with participation from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and
Uganda, are classified under exchange of experience and learning.
3
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ORGANISATION AND FINANCES
* Operating expenses for 2008 and 2009 include respectively €135 000 and €120 000 of project income channelled to consortium partners via ICRA and these partners account for it via ICRA.
Financial statements
Assets 2009 2008
Property, plant and equipmentReceivablesLiquid assets
0244
3 031
0 173
3 376
Total assets 3 275 3 549
Liabilities and net assets
Unappropriated unrestricted net assetsAppropriated unrestricted net assets (operating reserves)Permanently restricted net assets (special fund)
1 825998393
1 860984373
Total net assets 3 216 3 217
Current liabilities 59 332
Total liabilities and net assets 3 275 3 549
Statements of revenue and expenses, 2009 and 2008 (€ thousands)
Revenue 2009 2008
Core donor grantsContract incomeInterest and miscellaneous
953579114
814 957113
Total revenue 1 646 1 884
Expenses
Programme related expensesManagement
1 366280
1 441292
Total expenses 1 646 1 733
(Deficit) Surplus 0 151
Expenses by budget category, 2009 and 2008 (€ thousands)
2009 2008
PersonnelTravel and subsistence personnel and BoardTravel and subsistence participantsRent of office space and workshop venuesCapital expensesOperating expenses*
997188190
6125
185
984287204660
192
Total 1 646 1 733
Balance sheets for the years ended 31 December 2009 and 2008 (€ thousands)
50
3
ProjectsProjects implemented directly by ICRA and partners*
Country Project Duration Funding source
South Africa Institutionalising Agricultural Research for Development in Post-Secondary Education and Training: Multi-stakeholder capacity building in service of the 2nd agricultural economy of South Africa
2006–2009 NPT
Latin America (Cuba, Venezuela)
Programa de Aprendizaje y Fortalecimiento de Capacidades para la Gestión de Procesos de Innovación Agropecuaria y Rural
2007–2010 Welthungerhilfe, Germany
Projects in which ICRA is a contractual partner or service provider*
Country Project Duration Funding sourceBenin Appui au Renforcement des Programmes de Formation
et de Recherche en Agriculture à la Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques et à l’Ecole Polytechnique d’Abomey-Calavi
2006–2009 NPT
Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali
From Thousands to Millions: Accelerating Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Economic Growth in West Africa (1000s+)
2006–2010 International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
Benin, Mali Pilot stage of the RAP Project (Realizing Agricultural Potential of inland valley lowlands in sub-Saharan Africa)
2009–2011 Africa Rice Center - Consortium for the Sustainable Development of Inland Valley Agro-ecosystems IVC
Burkina AGRINOVIA, inter-university partnership for strengthening capacities to support innovation
2009/2010 IFAD
Ghana Phase 2: Approaches for mainstreaming INRM into University Curriculum of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
2008–2012 NPT
Latin America (Cuba)
Programa para Fortalecer la Innovación Agropecuaria Local (PIAL programme)
2007–2010 SDC, CIDA
Senegal Strengthening Capacity for Collaborative Management of Rural Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Exploring New Tools and Partnerships
2006–2008 (extended to
2009)
IFAD
Uganda Learning Together for Change in Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) in Uganda
2004–present
DFID, EC, World Bank
Uganda, Kenya Strengthening University Capacity for Promoting, Facilitating and Teaching Rural Innovation processes (SUCAPRI)
2008–2010 EDULINK ACP-EU
South Africa Development of Learning Materials: ARD resource book 2007–2008 (extended to
2009)
ARC
Nigeria SSA-CP
IAR4D in the Kano-Katsina-Maradi (Nigeria/ Niger) Pilot Learning Site of the Northern Guinea Savanna Task Force/ SSA-CP
2008–2010 FARA (IFDC is leading the Task Force)
South Africa, Kenya, and Benin
Research on ARD and co-innovation through the Joint Learning about Innovation Systems in African Agriculture (JOLISAA) Project
2010–2011 EC (7th Framework Programme of the EU)
* See Table 2 for list of partners
Annex 1
PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION
PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION
53
PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION
Benin
Context and evolution of the partnership
Up to 2009, demand for ICRA’s involvement in Benin came from two different
quarters. On the one hand, there was a request from two departments of the
country’s main university (the Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques – FSA – and the
Ecole Polytechnique d’Abomey-Calavi – EPAC) to help develop ARD competency
within these departments and establish a national-level innovation platform that
could act as a broker between the university (and research in general) and (other)
rural stakeholders. ICRA has been able to partner with these departments through
a grant from NUFFIC (NPT-project). On the other hand, ICRA has been actively
involved in an IFDC-coordinated project that aims to promote agribusiness
development from the grassroots (IFDC/ 1000s+).
NPT Project
FSA and EPAC obtained Dutch funding for a four-year project (2006–2010) to
strengthen the development focus of their research and adapt their educational
Sub-regional workshop for ARD learning facilitators, Cotonou, Benin, May 2009
54
ANNEX PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION
programmes to better meet the dynamic demands of the agricultural sector.
ICRA assists the research component of this project as a member of a Dutch
consortium led by WI. The project offered the opportunity to revamp a
national-level innovation platform, initiated with support of ICRA in 2005 –
but developing a consolidated framework for action had its difficulties. The
platform, known as PNISA, and initially composed mainly of representatives
from university departments, research organisations and NGOs, has successfully
expanded its membership base to producer organisations and representatives
from business associations (see box below). In 2008, PNISA organised a series
of meetings to broaden its membership base and to work on the legal status
of the platform and draft its by-laws. In November 2008, a consultative meeting
was organised, which prepared the constitutive general assembly in December
2008. ICRA acted as a facilitator in the process, as a partner of the various
stakeholders.
IFDC/1000s+
In 2006, IFDC obtained Dutch funding for a regional project that allows for the
scaling up of their CASE approach. This project essentially aims to strengthen
local agribusiness clusters and to enhance market access and competitiveness
of smallholders. ICRA is involved in this IFDC project, “From Thousands to
Millions” [of farmers] – also called the “1000s+” project – in four West African
countries: Benin, Burkina Faso Ghana, and Mali. Another major partner in
this project is Agriterra. ICRA’s role is to strengthen the capacity of an inter-
institutional NCST or Equipe Nationale de Renforcement des Capacités (ENRC)
of six to eight members in each country. These teams learn:
1) To design, organise and implement capacity strengthening services
for multi-actor platforms and/ or business support services involved in
agribusiness cluster formation and value chain development
2) To strengthen the capacities within their own organisations – e.g.
producer organisations, business associations, chambers of agriculture,
NGOs, ministries of agriculture, research and educational institutes – to
engage with multiple stakeholders in promoting rural innovation
3) To develop advocacy/lobbying strategies that create enabling
environments (for agribusiness development and rural innovation).
ICRA signed an interagency agreement with IFDC for three years (2006–2009)
with a budget of €785 000 for the four countries.
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PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION
Members of PNISA (and the number of people involved from each stakeholder group)
�� Policy�makers�(4)
�� Public�advisory/technical�services�(10)
�� University�(18)
�� National�Platform�of�Producer�Organisations�(PNOPPA)�(15)
�� Other�producer�organisations�non-members�of�PNOPPA�(2)
�� Agri-food�(processing)�companies�and�artisanal�enterprises�(16)
�� NGOs�(11)
�� International�organisations�including�ICRA�(4)
Though the projects are different in scale and scope, ICRA stimulates synergy
between them, as they have overlapping partners and, to a certain degree,
similar objectives. As a result, two staff members from the FSA and EPAC
participated in ICRA’s Francophone ARD learning programme together with the
IFDC-funded members of the NCST. ICRA also engaged the NCST members in
National Capacity Strengthening Team (NCST)�� Mr�Alphonse�AGBAKA,�Ecole�Polytechnique�d’Abomey�Calavi�(EPAC)
�� Mrs�Isabelle�AHOUANDJINOU-MEGBLETO,�Association�Nationale�des�
Semenciers�du�Bénin�(ANASEB)
�� Mr�Mathias�Dotou�AHOUNOU,�Ministère�de�l’Agriculture,�de�l’Elevage�et�
de�la�Pêche�(MAEP)�–�as�from�2008�staff�member�of�IFDC,�from�December�
2009�1000s+�project�coordinator
�� Mr�Jules�B.�BIO�BAGOU,�Union�des�Producteurs�de�Coton�(UPC)�–�Borgou
�� Mr�François�DOSSOUHOUI,�Département�d’Economie,�de�Socio-
Anthropologie�et�de�Communication�pour�le�Développement�(DESACD)/
UAC
�� Mr�Laurent�Camille�GLIN,�Organisation�Béninoise�pour�la�Promotion�de�
l’Agriculture�Biologique�(OBEPAB)�
�� Mr�Houndjinhou�C.�KINHA,�Union�des�Producteurs�de�Coton�(UPC)�–�Zou-
Collines
�� Mrs�Afi�E.�KPOGAN�(IFDC)
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co-facilitating an ARD learning programme for university staff and students in
Benin.
Achievements in 2009
IFDC/1000s+
In 2009 ICRA concentrated on follow up to the collaboration with IFDC’s 1000s+
project, and in particular the coaching and mentoring of NCST members. After a
capacity building needs assessment workshop, held in October 2008 in Possotomè
with partners of the 1000s+ project (e.g., business support services, and producer
organisations), the NCST developed a proposal to improve agribusiness cluster
formation capacity of business support services, with backstopping from ICRA.
This programme was implemented in 2009 through a series of workshops and
training sessions (e.g. on value chain analysis, multi-stakeholder processes,
negotiation) throughout the country.
Three members of the NCST also contributed to the regional preparatory
workshop for ICRA’s DM-IoL course. The same three members attended the
course in Montpellier, France, from September 21–October 10, to strengthen their
capacities in facilitating interactive learning – with specific emphasis on learning in
competitive playing fields characteristic of agribusiness development.
‘Realizing the potential of inland valleys’ (RAP) Project
In 2008, ICRA was approached by AfricaRice to join a taskforce (also involving WI)
to develop and facilitate an action research programme, which aims to make better
use of the potential of inland valleys in West Africa. RAP, funded by IFAD and the
EC, started in 2009 for an initial period of two years, and targets the inland valleys
in two countries (Benin and Mali) in West Africa. RAP comprises 4 lines of action:
1) Establishment of rural stakeholders’ platforms for interaction with
researchers involved in the three ‘technical’ components mentioned
hereunder;
2) Technological innovation to increase agricultural productivity and improve
post-harvest (processing, storage) management;
3) Natural resource management;
4) Value chain development.
ICRA and WI have led the implementation of the first component. Local level
multi-stakeholder platforms have been established in both Benin and Mali in 2009.
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ICRA alumni from the NCSTs (see the IFDC/1000s+ section above) were selected
to facilitate the platform building process. These ICRA ‘affiliates’ contributed to
the identifying the members for the multi-stakeholder platforms; co-facilitated the
launching workshops; and facilitated the action planning. Currently, the emphasis
has shifted to facilitation of learning and exchange both within the platform and
between the platform members and the researchers (from the national research
organisations, i.e. INRAB in Benin and IER in Mali).
Upcoming research on ARD
ICRA joined a consortium led by CIRAD, and also involving ETC (PROLINNOVA),
the Agricultural Economics Research Institute/WUR (the Netherlands), KARI
(Kenya), University of Pretoria (South Africa) and UAC to tender for the
implementation of a 2.5-year action research programme on ‘Agricultural
Innovation Systems and Traditional Knowledge’ (funded by the EU, FP7-
KBE-2009-3). The proposal, submitted early 2009 and approved mid-2009, will
allow for in-depth research and capacity strengthening activities in three target
countries (Benin, Kenya and South-Africa) and networking with R&D organisations
in Europe and SSA. ICRA will particularly focus on the capacity strengthening of
local level learning facilitators, who in turn will organise sessions with relevant rural
stakeholders to share experiences for selected ‘innovation-cases’, identify lessons
learned, and collect information. A major aim of the proposal is to set an agenda
for future research on innovation systems, and help bridge gaps between local
knowledge and formal research.
Burkina Faso
Context and evolution of the partnership
The Burkina partnership is essentially based on the collaborative framework
between ICRA and IFDC/1000s+ established in 2006, in which ICRA has been
engaged to strengthen capacities of selected rural stakeholders to promote
competitive agri-business clusters at the grassroots level (see also Benin).
Within the framework of 1000s+, an informal network was set up, composed
of a wide diversity of R&D stakeholders, including non-conventional stakeholders
such as credit services and private business organisations. This network selected
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a steering committee (CP, Comité de Pilotage) for all activities related to the
1000s+ project in Burkina Faso. The CP-1000s+ is chaired by the Fédération
des Professionnels Agricoles du Burkina (FEPAB). Established in 2007, the inter-
institutional NCST completed the Francophone ARD learning programme in
December 2008.
ICRA is also a partner of the University of Ouagadougou, IFAD and universities
in Belgium, France (SupAgro-Montpellier), Italy and Switzerland in a pilot project,
which ultimately aims to develop an international professional master’s degree
programme on rural and agricultural innovation. The pilot project is coordinated
by the University of Ouagadougou and entitled ‘AGRINOVIA’.
Achievements in 2009
1000s+ Project
ICRA supported the NCST in the design and development of a capacity
strengthening needs assessment workshop, organised by the cluster advisor of
the 1000s+ project. The workshop was intended for business support services
and producer organisations involved in agribusiness cluster formation and
value chain development. The workshop provided a very good opportunity
for NCST members to practise and demonstrate facilitation skills in a multi-
stakeholder setting. ICRA supported the day-to-day and general evaluations of
the programme and provided backstopping to the NCST members. The NCST
members quickly learned to adapt the workshop programme to the needs and
National Capacity Strengthening Team (NCST)�� Mr�Stéphane�BAYALA,�previously�Fédération nationale des Industries Agro-
alimentaires et de transformation du Burkina (FIAB),�now�Fédération des
Professionnels Agricoles du Burkina (FEPAB)
�� Mrs�Elisabeth�BASSONO, Fédération des Professionnels Agricoles du Burkina
(FEPAB)
�� Mrs�Haoua�COULIBALY, Réseau des Caisses Populaires du Burkina�(RCPB)�
�� Mr�Alphonse�SANOU, Association des Grossistes et Détaillants d’Intrants Agricoles�
(AGRODIA)
�� Mr�Désiré�YERBANGA,�Fédération des Professionnels Agricoles du Burkina (FEPAB)�
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diversity of the participants, and demonstrated ability in managing the dynamics
of the assessment process within the allowed timeframe. The participants stressed
the need for capacity strengthening of business support services, both with
regards to the ‘contents’ and the ‘process’ of agribusiness cluster formation and
value chain development.
The NCST members were regarded as potential facilitators and also as resource
persons for the capacity strengthening programme that would be developed as a
result of the workshop. The participants also stressed that in several cases the so-
called agribusiness clusters are still single-actor driven, and do not yet adequately
involve other relevant stakeholders. The NCST was invited to strengthen
the capacity of selected business support services in particular in the area of
negotiation of multi-stakeholder arrangements, in competitive playing fields, to
help establish effective (and real) partnerships. IFDC is still working on a document
that summarises the main outcomes of the workshop and proposes priority areas
for capacity strengthening. As a result, the NCST has not yet been able to follow-
up on the workshop and implement a capacity strengthening programme for
business support services. However, some NCST members have provided services
to IFDC/1000s+ on an ad-hoc basis. The NCST has also supported the steering
committee in the evaluation of potential agribusiness cluster action plans.
Finally, three of the six NCST members have participated in the sub-regional
workshop organised in May in Cotonou in preparation for the DM-IoL. The same
three members participated in the DM-IoL course in Montpellier in September/
October.
Beyond the 1000s+ project
The NCST has helped FEPAB develop a strategic plan. They gained substantial
experience in developing scenario-based strategic planning with province-level
farmer organisations, using ARD tools.
AGRINOVIA
Invited by IFAD, ICRA has played an active role in initiating what will ultimately
become a Master’s Course in Rural Innovation, to be based in a Francophone
West African university. Institutions involved in the development of the course are
universities and research centres from the region (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast,
Niger, Senegal, Togo) and Europe (Gembloux, Lausanne, Louvain, Rome, SupAgro
Montpellier, ICRA) and several local actors.
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In May 2009, ICRA participated in a workshop held in Ouagadougou to develop
a strategic plan for building partnerships, networking and fleshing out a pilot
course to lead up to the Master’s course itself.
ICRA staff also participated in the pilot course by facilitating a session on
partnerships, entitled ‘Creating an enabling environment for innovation’.
Participants came from several countries, mostly Burkina Faso and Niger. Three
European students also participated. Field work was conducted within the
framework of regional projects (e.g. IFAD investment projects) that are willing to
accept and coordinate the participants’ visit. NCST members were invited to assist
with the organisation of the final workshop in December, which drew conclusions
from the pilot phase, and to prepare for the follow-up of this pilot phase.
Ethiopia
Context and evolution of the partnership
A number of ICRA alumni have achieved senior managerial positions in the
Ethiopian agricultural research, development and education system. At their
request, the first tailor-made, in-country ARD training by ICRA was organised
in Ethiopia in 1999. This successful training is also cited within Ethiopia as
motivation for requesting ICRA’s renewed support to the country.
During 2007–2008, ICRA partnered with the Amhara Regional Agricultural
Research Institute, Haramaya University, Bahir Dar University, and Agri Service
Ethiopia to implement a training course for staff of Mertule Mariam Agricultural
Technical Vocational Education and Training College in Amhara Region. This
training course (‘Agricultural Research Development, Implementation and
Extension’) aimed to strengthen staff capacity in participatory needs assessment,
the identification of research and development themes, and the formulation and
implementation of (action) research and agricultural development proposals.
Also during 2007, the current Ethiopian State Minister for Agriculture and
Rural Development (MoARD) – an ICRA alumnus from 1994 – invited ICRA
to assist in supporting reforms underway in Ethiopia aimed at developing a
national agricultural research system (NARS) that responds rapidly to changes in
environment, markets and policies, is more demand-driven, and creates strong
linkages with partners within a broader innovation system. To initiate this process,
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ICRA, the MoARD and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research organised
a brainstorming workshop in February 2008 to assess needs and develop a
strategy for strengthening capacity in ARD.
Achievements in 2009
In 2009, Haramaya University was assigned by MoARD to follow-up the 2008
workshop and, in collaboration with ICRA, developed a concept note that is
currently being discussed with an inter-organisational working group prior to
submission to suitable financing agencies.
Ghana
Context and evolution of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology partnership
In order to effectively address environmental problems in Ghana, the College
of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) of the Kwame Nkrumah University
of Science and Technology (KNUST) identified the need for improved skills and
competences among current and future professionals to deal with complex and
multifaceted environmental issues. In their view, professionals are needed who
are not only specialised in their respective disciplines, but also have a broader
understanding of environmental and development issues and can combine
different perspectives in an INRM approach. KNUST obtained Dutch NPT-funding
for a three-year project (2005–2008) with a budget of €0.6 million.
In 2008, CANR was successful in getting a follow-up NPT project of four
years (2008–2012) with a budget of €1.6 million. Technical assistance is provided
by a Dutch consortium led by Tropenbos International and including ICRA,
Wageningen International and the Dutch network for sustainable development in
higher education, Duurzam Hoger Onderwijs.
The first project, has created capacity at CANR so that it in turn can build
capacity in INRM approaches and use INRM approaches. Emphasis has been
on training of CANR staff in INRM approaches and principles. The capacity
of CANR has also been strengthened so that it can design and deliver INRM
learning programmes for current and future professionals. Through joint
implementation, the focus is on ‘learning by doing’. However, INRM has yet to be
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fully institutionalised, hence the request for a follow-up project to fully integrate
the INRM approaches and principles into the programmes of the College.
The institutionalisation of INRM approaches at CANR needs strong attention.
At the level of CANR/ KNUST itself, the integration of INRM has profound
implications not only for the management but also for the programmes it offers
and the products. These changes are yet to be fully realized and well internalised,
not only by the staff directly involved but also by the higher management of
KNUST and CANR.
The first project has shown ample evidence of the willingness of CANR staff to
adopt and apply the advocated INRM approach, and tangible outputs (increased
capacity of staff) are visible. However, the activities are still largely regarded
as project activities, and not fully absorbed by the existing CANR/ KNUST
management systems. This process of embedding will be the prime focus of the
follow-up project. A second major focus of the follow-up project will be to involve
external (outside KNUST) stakeholders in strengthening the capacity of CANR to
offer learning programmes based on INRM principles. The underlying principle of
the project is the notion that stakeholders in NRM in the region can enhance their
effectiveness and impact when managing natural resources in a more problem-
oriented and integrated (inter-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder) manner than they
currently do. The assumption made is that this gap in competencies creates a
demand for CANR learning programmes based on INRM principles.
Achievements in 2009
In 2009, ICRA staff provided input to the process of establishing the project organs
(working groups with activity sub-groups and coordination committee), including
selection of external stakeholder representatives to these organs. This input was
Partners involved in the NPT project at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
�� College�of�Agriculture�and�Natural�Resources�(CANR)
�� Tropenbos�International�(TBI)
�� Wageningen�International�(WI)
�� Duurzam�Hoger�Onderwijs�(DHO)
�� ICRA
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not part of ICRA’s initial workplan for 2009 but necessary to help get the project up
and running.
Most other planned ICRA activities for 2009 have not been carried out yet due
to the fact that these organs are not yet completely operational. However, with
support of ICRA, a reflection process is in place, and this year ICRA suggested
that CANR and consortium staff start the reflection process in reverse (instead of
looking backwards to better plan forwards, do it the other way around), starting
with the proposed/ planned activities for 2010 (looking forward first) and discussing
what has been learned from the 2009 activities (looking backwards), specifically in
view of the fact that many activities could not be carried out in 2009 and needed to
be postponed. This reverse process worked quite well and a revised workplan 2010
is now available.
Context and evolution of the IFDC partnership
ICRA also became involved in Ghana through its role in the multi-country project
‘From Thousands to Millions’ (1000s+) with IFDC, mentioned in the report on Benin,
Burkina Faso and Mali. Whereas in Benin, ICRA was able to promote synergy between
this IFDC-project and another NPT project in which it is involved there, a similar
National Capacity Strengthening Team (NCST) – members�� Mr�Amadu�ALHASSAN,�previously�Opportunities�Industrialization�Centers-
Tamale,�now�IFDC�focal�person�of�the�Ghana�School�Feeding�Programme�
in�the�North
�� Mr�Joseph�BAPULE,�SEEDPAG,�member�of�Apex�Farmers�Organisation�
of�Ghana�(APFOG),�and�Deputy�Director�Millennium�Challenge�Account,�
Northern�Region,�run�by�IFDC�and�Savanna�Agricultural�Research�Institute�
(SARI)
�� Mr�Gabriel�MILLS,�Ghana�Agricultural�Association’s�Business�Information�
Centre�GAABIC,�coordinating�IFDC/1000+�M&E�activities�for�agribusiness�
clusters
�� Mr�Joseph�NKETIAH,�Methodist�University�College�Ghana�(MUCG)
�� Dr�Richard�YEBOAH,�University�of�Development�Studies�(UDS)
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opportunity has not yet occurred in Ghana and these constitute separate activities
and partnerships, one focusing on value chains and the other on natural resource
management.
An inter-institutional NCST of initially six members (now five members) is – with
the support of ICRA – strengthening its capacity to design, organise and implement
capacity building services for multi-actor processes in grassroots business clusters
aimed at developing the integrative competencies needed to apply, mainstream and
out-scale the CASE approach in Ghana within the IFDC/1000+ initiative.
After initial training during 2007 in the ICRA Anglophone Capacity Building
Programme, in 2008 the NCST and its members played an important role in the
formation of agribusiness clusters and development of value chains in Ghana.
Achievements in 2009
In 2009, based on identified capacity building needs of both NCST and BSS
involved in agribusiness cluster formation, ICRA supported the NCST in putting
together a capacity building programme to strengthen the capacity of the BSS sub-
contracted by 1000s+, to perform a catalyst function in value chain development and
agribusiness cluster formation.
Two NCST members participated in the new ICRA course on DM-IoL programmes
and, with their newly acquired knowledge and skills, the NCST is improving the
design and delivery of the capacity building programme for the BSS.
Also with support from ICRA, the NCST members are raising support
(‘buy-in’) of the CASE approach in their own organisations to create a critical mass of
professionals able to support the out-scaling of the CASE approach. And the NCST
members from higher education institutions (UDS and MUCG) are currently analysing
how to incorporate ‘value chain development’ and ‘design and management of
innovation oriented learning’ into their curricula.
Kenya
Context and evolution of the partnership
The IAR4D initiative in Kenya, which began in 2004, came at a time when the
country launched its 10-year Strategy for Revitalising Agriculture (2004–2014),
as well as the Kenya Agricultural Productivity Project (KAPP). Both of these put
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emphasis on coordinated pluralism in research and development and on moving
towards a national agricultural research system, a reformed national agricultural
extension system, and farmer empowerment. These new orientations called
for new competencies of both the member organisations of this system, their
personnel and farmers, farmer organisations and other private partners in the
agricultural sector to improve collaboration and interactive learning.
The IAR4D Initiative in Kenya is a multi-institutional effort now comprising
of nine institutions (see box). The Initiative recognises the need for a holistic
approach, integrating a wide range of stakeholders and disciplines in order to
enhance its contribution to the national goals of food security, poverty reduction
and sustainable natural resource management. Varying capacities and experiences
in IAR4D exist in different institutes and organisations, but what was lacking was a
mechanism to link them up and expand and fully use available knowledge bases.
It builds upon a long history of engagements between ICRA and Kenya, during
which many Kenyans were trained at ICRA and a number of ICRA field projects
were conducted in Kenya.
An Initiative Task Force, comprising of representatives of each of the member
organisations has been established. It facilitates inter-institutional collaboration
and the establishment and implementation of a national IAR4D plan. The Task
Force established a core team of IAR4D facilitators and advocates to help
them achieve their objectives. Members of the core team participated in ICRA’s
ARD learning programmes in 2005 and 2006 (13 persons in total), and have
also established a Pilot Learning Site at Katulani in Kitui District focussing on
Members of the Kenya IAR4D partnership �� Kenya�Agricultural�Research�Institute�(KARI)
�� Ministry�of�Agriculture
�� Ministry�of�Livestock�and�Fisheries�Development
�� University�of�Nairobi
�� Egerton�University
�� Kenyatta�University
�� Jomo�Kenyatta�University�of�Agriculture�and�Technology
�� Kenya�National�Federation�of�Agricultural�Producers�(KENFAP)
�� ICRA
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the improvement of dryland agriculture through improved water harvesting
technology.
Throughout 2009 Kenya continued to suffer from political leadership problems,
illustrating that there was still a long way to go to fully recover from the aftermath
of the 2008 post-election violence and social unrest. This resulted in many
trickle down effects, including some student unrest, which negatively impacted
on society as a whole and the operation of some member organisations of the
IAR4D partnership. These politically based difficulties were further exacerbated
by a severe drought giving rise to yet further stresses on the agricultural sector
and efforts towards rural development and poverty alleviation.
Achievements in 2009
Within the IAR4D partnership initiative, emphasis throughout 2009 continued to
be placed on the processes of transforming the informal Task Force and Core
Team which has coordinated and implemented the initiative activities since 2004
into a more formal and permanent arrangement. To guide these processes, the
Task Force and Core Team agreed, at a number of meetings held over the year,
that any new structure should:
1) Accommodate all eight existing national member organisations and also
allow for expansion and the engagement with additional stakeholder
organisations, particularly with representatives of the private sector and
civil society (including NGOs).
2) Allow for and accommodate both corporate and individual membership.
3) Build upon and make full use of the advances made, lessons learnt and
outputs produced during the initial informal phase of the partnership
initiative, particularly those related to the Katulani IAR4D pilot learning
site, and the ones that resulted in the draft national IAR4D plan and in the
design of learning programmes and needed learning materials.
Task Force and Core Team members finally agreed to explore further the
potential of transforming the current informal arrangements into an Association.
Several member organisations have experience with housing associations
within their organisations and KENFAP in particular has broad experience
with establishing multi-partner organisations. Because the two Ministries,
as government bodies, are not allowed to be formal/official members of a
nongovernmental organisation/ association, alternative types of affiliation
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arrangements are now being explored. The proposed name of the Association
is ‘Platform for Integrated Agricultural Research for Development’ (P-IAR4D). A
website for the Association has also been established (www.iar4d-kenya.org) and
is managed from Kenyatta University.
Other activities planned for the final quarter of the year include an evaluation
of Katulani as an IAR4D national pilot learning site, and a workshop to follow-up
on the need for development of learning materials. The evaluation of the Katulani
collaborative initiative as a national pilot learning site is planned to involve
both grassroot stakeholders at the site location and a workshop for the national
organisations involved. The follow-up workshop on development of learning
materials will train the persons nominated for the development of particular
learning resources on how to use the Kenya IAR4D website, preparation of
materials, editing, and management of the learning resources portal.
Additionally, Kenya opted to participate fully in the two new programmes
offered by ICRA in 2009: the exchange tour on ARD/IAR4D for senior managers
(four participants), and the workshops related to the DM-IoL course (five
participants at the regional preparatory meeting in South Africa, and five, of
which four had also participated in the South Africa workshop – at the DM-IoL
capacity strengthening programme. Participation in these two programmes
has strengthened both individual and organisational commitment to the IAR4D
partnership initiative.
Mali
Context and evolution of the partnership
Interest in ARD capacity strengthening and support from ICRA was first expressed
in 2005 and resulted in the formation of an informal National Innovation Platform
(NIP). Members of the NIP share a common interest in ARD for value chain
development and come from government ministries, research, education, farmer
organisations, NGOs and the private sector. In addition, in 2006, ICRA also
became involved in Mali through its role in IFDC’s 1000s+ project.
With the involvement of ICRA in 1000s+, a link was established between the NIP
and the management of the IFDC project. The NIP has supported IFDC in setting
up a farmer-led committee, called the comité de pilotage 1000s+ (CP-1000s+),
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that plays a key role in the governance of the IFDC project in Mali. It is composed
of six member institutions of the NIP, and headed by a national level association
of farmer organisations (AOPP). A group of six persons was selected to form the
NCST, who participated in the Francophone ARD learning programme of 2006/07.
In order to strengthen this team, four additional NCST members were selected
who participated in the ICRA 2008 Francophone programme. The full NCST
participated in a capacity strengthening needs assessment workshop, held in
2008, for providers of BSS who are involved in agribusiness cluster formation and/
or value chain development. This workshop was facilitated by ICRA.
National Capacity Strengthening Team (NCST)�� Mr�Joseph�DIARRA,�Association Malienne d’Eveil au Développement Durable (AMEDD)
�� Mrs�Aoua�DICKO, Solidarité pour l’Autopromotion à la Base�(SABA)
�� Mr�Dramane�KEITA,�Union locale des Producteurs de Céréales de Dioïla
�� Mrs�Fatoumata�KEITA,�IFDC
�� Mr�Bernard�KONE,�Association des Organisations Professionnelles Paysannes�(AOPP)
�� Mr�Amidou�SANGARE,�Direction Nationale de l’Agriculture�(DNA)
�� Mr�Abdoulaye�SIDIBE, Institut Polytechnique Rural de Katibougou
�� Mr�Mady�SIDIBE,�Association des Organisations Professionnelles Paysannes (AOPP)
�� Mrs�Mama�Anna�TRAORE,�Association pour le développement des activités de
production et de formation – Galle (ADAF-Gallé)
�� Mr�N’Golo�S.�TRAORE,�Assemblée Permanente des Chambres d’Agriculture du Mali
(APCAM)
National Innovation Platform (NIP) members�� Association�pour�le�Développement�des�Activités�de�production�et�de�
Formation-Galle�(ADAF-Galle)
�� Association�des�Organisations�Professionelles�Paysannes (AOPP)
�� Assemblée�Permanente�des�Chambres�d’Agriculture�du�Mali�(APCAM)
�� Coordination�Nationale�des�Organisations�Paysannes (CNOP)
�� Institut�Polytechnique�Rural�de�Katibougou
�� Ministère�de�l’Agriculture
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Achievements in 2009
Three members of the NCST have been actively involved in the implementation
of a 1000s+ training programme for business support service providers in Mali,
as a follow-up to the capacity strengthening needs assessment workshop. The
three NCST members were selected by the cluster advisor (IFDC staff) on the basis
of their availability and also because their employing organisations are directly
involved in the 1000s+ project as business support services. The NCST members
have successfully prepared and conducted three workshops: on systems analysis,
stakeholder identification and analysis, and value chain analysis. ICRA has coached
the NCST members to prepare and implement the workshops, and supported the
day-to-day and general evaluations of the programme. ICRA staff also provided
feedback on the NCST members’ facilitation skills.
The same three NCST members have been involved in ICRA’s new product,
the DM-IoL. They first participated in a sub-regional workshop, held in Cotonou
in May, to identify major learning needs in preparation for the programme.
Thereafter, the same three members also participated in the DM-IoL programme
in Montpellier in September/October.
The RAP Project
(See under Benin)
Nigeria
Context and evolution of the partnership
In 2006, IFDC won a bid to lead an IAR4D project in the Kano-Katsina-Maradi Pilot
Learning Site (KKM PLS) of the SSA-CP, implemented by FARA. The KKM PLS is
one of three pilot learning sites for the SSA-CP in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRA is a full
member in the task force for this project and pilot learning team, together with
ILRI, and several organisations from both Niger and Nigeria, including universities,
agricultural R&D and producer organisations.
The SSA-CP aims to establish the feasibility of IAR4D in Africa, to characterise
it, and derive principles for its implementation. The project in the KKM-PLS is
working through four innovation platforms (maize–cowpea, rice, vegetables, and
livestock) established within the framework of the project.
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The implementation of the project was substantially delayed,due, among other
reasons to a decision of the Science Council of the CGIAR to build in an element
of ‘proof of concept’ into all the winning proposals after these had been selected
on the basis of a competitive call. This insistence on proof of concept required a
considerable reformulation of the proposals and renegotiation with non-research
partners interested in results rather than the proof of concept. The KKM-PLS has
three major aims in terms of outputs:
1) To develop models for implementing IAR4D, within the specific context of
the Northern Guinea Savanna
2) To trigger innovation in both cropping and livestock systems, following
IAR4D principles.
3) To evaluate the impact of IAR4D on the development process, in
comparison with more conventional approaches to agricultural research and
development.
After the substantial revisions of the initial proposal, ICRA and IFDC agreed
on a series of capacity strengthening activities, to be implemented in-country (in
Nigeria), and specifically targeted to the facilitators of the innovation platforms,
who are mainly university lecturers, researchers and extension staff.
ICRA implemented a workshop on participatory value chain analysis and
market linkages for a group of 35 participants, in Zaria in Northern Nigeria, as a
start to this capacity strengthening programme. Unfortunately the target areas
(villages) and communities for action research had already been selected, based
mainly upon criteria related to the ‘proof of concept’ challenge (‘virgin’ villages)
and logistic arguments, and much less on a line of reasoning that would allow
for grassroots agribusiness development (e.g. communities with a history of
innovation, potential competitive edge to produce for certain markets).
Achievements in 2009
ICRA has designed and implemented two follow-up workshops for – more or
less – the same group of facilitators of the four innovation platforms. The first
workshop, held in Zaria (Nigeria) for a period of 14 days, concentrated on IAR4D
principles and the design of ARD learning cycles. The second workshop took
place in Kaduna (Nigeria) and was entirely devoted to team-building. Although
late in the process, with the action research programme already well underway,
IFDC and the innovation platform members were all keen to acknowledge that the
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lack of teamwork skills was severely limiting the innovativeness and impact of the
whole exercise.
The evaluations of the programme so far demonstrate that the participants
are appreciating the effort of ICRA and IFDC, and that they are learning a lot.
However, it is also quite clear that the incentive structure to really work and learn
together as a team and between organisations is not in place, and that, under the
present circumstances, the participants – facilitators – are having major difficulties
really engaging differently with rural stakeholders in a process of co-innovation.
ICRA has started, in collaboration with IFDC, a reflection process to analyse the
capacity strengthening and the action research programme, and identify the major
bottlenecks that need to be addressed in order to give IAR4D a ‘real’ chance. The
third workshop that ICRA is supposed to facilitate (in 2010) will concentrate on
this reflection process, and will also strengthen the capacities of the facilitators
to guide reflection sessions in the field, together with rural stakeholders, and to
document learning (and change).
Senegal
Context and evolution of the partnership
In Senegal, ICRA ensured the international coordination of a small two-year
IFAD technical assistance grant with a budget of US$200 000 formally granted to
CIAT. This project, which ended in December 2008, aimed “to make an impact
on poverty reduction through strengthening the capacities of research and
development professionals and organisations from Senegal for the collaborative
management of innovation.”
This was to be achieved through the development and testing of a learning
cycle that combined field projects on a development challenge with face-to-
face workshops (modules, reflection) and elearning. The teams of participants
were composed of stakeholders involved in ongoing rural innovation processes
in the Matam Region and the Thiès Plateau, linked to IFAD investment projects.
ICRA’s main partners in this project have been ISE (Institut des Sciences de
l’Environnement) of the University Cheikh Anta Diop and two NGOs: Environnement
et Développement Afrique and Union pour la Solidarité et l’Entraide. These
and other R&D institutions at national level (such as the Institut Sénégalais de
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Recherches Agricoles) and Innovations Environnement Développement Afrique
were involved in a steering committee (comité d’Orientation). ICRA supported
the process (learning needs assessment, learning cycle concept, approach to
experiential learning, reporting, etc.), partly from a distance.
Achievements in 2009
The field activities of the project ended in late 2008 with two workshops, one
in Matam and the other in Thiès. These workshops were facilitated by the
Senegalese partners of the project without direct intervention from ICRA.
Given the delay in implementation of planned activities, several end-of-project
activities were postponed to 2009: reporting for year two was achieved in January,
with the involvement of ICRA. A capitalisation workshop was held in Dakar in
February, prepared and facilitated by ICRA and ISE: it brought together all of the
Senegalese partners in the project (coordinators of learning cycles, implementing
NGOs, representatives of stakeholders from Thiès, and staff of the IFAD project in
Matam). The editing of training and learning materials is still to be achieved.
Finally, two Senegalese partners participated in the DM-IoL preparatory
workshop in Cotonou in May.
South Africa
Context and evolution of the partnership
South African government policy aims to redress the inequalities of the apartheid
era in the agricultural sector by developing small-scale agriculture through land
reform and agricultural black economic empowerment (AgriBEE) schemes. This
demands a paradigm shift in agricultural education and R&D organisations. These
have not been set up to serve this new clientele and lack insight into the livelihood
systems and motivations of the target populations. Poor social organisation
of target populations has limited their inclusion in policy making and design
of interventions. Weak linkages between policy makers, policy implementing
agencies – Land Bank and National and Provincial Departments of Agriculture
(NDA and PDAs) – R&D and education organisations have hampered the creation
and provision of coherent support services and effective policy making and
implementation.
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ICRA’s partnership with South African organisations aims to contribute to
overcoming these limitations by promoting ARD learning within the framework of
the AgriBEE programme.
Collaboration started in 1995 with the capacity strengthening of R&D staff
in ICRA’s Anglophone programme. From 1999, more South African R&D staff
participated in this programme. Several ARD field studies were supported,
through ICRA and its alumni, leading to stronger collaboration between the
Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and their main clients, the PDAs. To further
this collaboration, the ARC created the Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (SRL)
Division in 2003, which then initiated an informal National ARD Task Team
(NARDTT, see box) to serve as an inter-institutional discussion forum and planning
mechanism. One of the functions of the SRL Division was to offer in-service ARD
learning programmes for ARC and PDA staff. For this purpose, the SRL Division
South African university staff engaged in community outreach projects
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set up the Agricultural Technology Transfer Academy (ATTA), in 2004, managed
by an ICRA alumnus, and contracted ICRA to enhance ATTA’s capacity to facilitate
ARD learning. ICRA trained ATTA staff together with a team of university staff to
support ATTA in facilitating ARD learning. ICRA also provided technical support to
the design and delivery of three in-service ARD learning programmes.
The in-service ARD learning programmes were highly appreciated and useful
to meet the capacity strengthening needs of targeted R&D personnel. But they
also raised awareness that the institutionalisation of ARD learning in South Africa
required more than the establishment of a small training unit within the ARC.
The ARC and the NARDTT also realised that universities needed to develop their
capacity to equip future professionals with adequate competencies for ARD.
In 2005, the ARC obtained support from NUFFIC for an NPT project entitled
“Institutionalizing ARD in the South African Agricultural R&D and tertiary
education system” (2006–2009). The project was given a budget of €1.55 million to:
1) Support the NARDTT and link with other R&D stakeholders
2) Strengthen capacities of teaching staff of member universities of the
NARDTT, and to
3) Enable these universities to facilitate ARD learning and integrate this
into their academic programmes.
The project is jointly managed by the ARC and ICRA. ICRA leads a
consortium that involves WI and WU. The project also supports an ICRA
Members of the National ARD Task Team (NARDTT)�� Agricultural�Research�Council�(Secretariat)
�� University�of�Fort�Hare
�� University�of�the�Free�State�
�� University�of�KwaZulu-Natal�
�� University�of�the�Limpopo
�� University�of�Venda�
�� National�Department�of�Agriculture
�� National�Department�of�Science�and�Technology
�� National�African�Farmers�Union
�� 5�Provincial�Departments�of�Agriculture
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Regional Representative for southern Africa with offices provided by the ARC.
The NPT project has, among other things, supported:
� Senior staff of organisations involved in the NARDTT to participate
in short courses at WI and in the ICRA Anglophone ARD learning
programmes (2006, 2007, 2008). As a result, there is an inter-institutional
pool of over 20 ARD facilitators available, largely concentrated in the
universities of Limpopo and Venda, and PDA Limpopo.
� The NARDTT to finalise a strategic plan (ratified in 2007), and to forge
collaboration between universities, PDAs and ARC at provincial levels,
in particular in Limpopo province. The NARDTT also supported the
establishment of In House Committees (IHCs) to spearhead change
from within the universities.
� ARD awareness creation workshops involving staff of all the NARDTT
member organisations, as well as other targeted R&D staff, and policy
makers.
� Five South Africans to start a development-oriented (ARD) MSc at WU,
and one to complete an MA at Van Hall Larenstein (Wageningen, the
Sub-regional workshop for ARD learning facilitators in South Africa, April 2009
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Netherlands). All six followed previous training in ICRA’s ARD learning
programme and four of them do their MSc research on topics resulting
from their ICRA fieldwork.
� The development of ARD modules and courses at the universities
of Limpopo, Venda, Fort Hare and KwaZulu Natal, which have been
followed by hundreds of students. The IHCs have also implemented,
with backstopping from ARC (ATTA) a comprehensive audit of curricula,
to appraise courses, methods of teaching and stakeholder interaction.
� The ARC to obtain accreditation for their in-service ARD learning course
from the Agricultural Sector Education Authority (AgriSETA) (submitted,
but the decision is still pending).
� The editing of an ARD resource book, commissioned by the ARC.
Partly as a result of the in-service ARD learning programmes, networks for
action research and knowledge sharing have been established, in particular
in the Limpopo province, and to a lesser extent in the Eastern and Northern
Cape.
Sub-regional workshop for ARD learning facilitators, South Africa, April 2009
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Some results of the internal evaluation of the NPT project“The project has largely achieved all activities as planned. The results of the linkage strategy,
capacity development strategy and the curriculum development strategy have equally been
achieved, as measured by the output indicators […]. The outcome of the project will depend on
the implementation and use of ARD-infused modules in agricultural courses at universities and
short courses for in-service training by ARC. This in turn depends on capacity development of
ARD facilitators, which can only take place through strong links between the different partners.
The project was successful in establishing sufficient links to allow a well implemented capacity
development strategy, achieving all its expected outputs, but the curriculum development strategy,
although strongly underway in both ARC and at least three universities is not yet turning out large
numbers of ARD trained graduates, hence no direct outcome yet. This can be expected at the
earliest towards the end of 2010 (in University of Venda in particular).”
The authors (W. Heemskerk from KIT and J. Njuki from ILRI) signalled a few shortcomings as well, in
particular in the linkage strategy: “The project was efficient (also due to additional ICRA and ARC
contributions) in its capacity development strategy, performed well in the curriculum development
strategy in three universities, but performed relatively poorly (but just enough not to derail the other
two strategies) in its linkage strategy.”
From the point of view of the evaluators, the NARDTT has been strong enough to forge the
relationships between the members necessary to implement the capacity strengthening and
curriculum development activities of the project, but weak in facilitating community outreach
programs (i.e. beyond the Limpopo area) and in the mainstreaming of ARD (and ARD awareness)
beyond its own network. The NARDTT has not been able to foster linkages with, for example, the
National Agricultural Research Forum and Departments of Education and Science and Technology,
and did not succeed in broadening the membership base (only NAFU joined recently, which was
rightfully considered an important success). The challenge for the coming years lies, according to
the authors, in the scaling-up and out of ARD principles. This involves organisational and inter-
institutional change in support of ARD, enabling ARD-minded individuals and alumni to engage
in rural community development programs beyond a ‘field research project’; it also implies a
rethinking of the composition and role of the NARDTT; a rethinking that seems to be already taking
place. In recent discussions, for instance, the establishment of a collective innovation network for
Southern Africa (CINSA), with knowledge sharing and policy advocacy functions, was proposed –
as a follow-up to the NARDTT. The National Research Foundation has offered to house the (new)
NARDTT. To be continued!
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Achievements in 2009
NPT project
A seminar was organised in Wageningen, the Netherlands, linking students
and their supervisors from South Africa and WU. South African professors
were also exposed to the Academic Consultancy Training organised as a
curriculum element for MSc students at WU. Three of the six MSc students
have now started their field research in South Africa. Preparatory and follow-up
workshops were held in South Africa to monitor and provide feedback on the
students’ work.
An in-service ARD facilitation course was organised by the ARC for 17
staff members. The participants will receive further on-the-job training and
coaching to make them (accredited, see above) trainers for R&D professionals
and representatives of farmer groups in the agricultural sector.
The ARC developed a community project strategy, based on ARD principles,
to upscale the use of its technologies. ICRA provided backstopping to
the development of this strategy. The strategy will be spearheaded by the
Technology Transfer Division of the ARC. The technology transfer component
of research has been given a predominant place in the ‘new’ ARC, which
underwent a thorough re-structuring process to strengthen dissemination of
research results, stakeholder interaction and general outreach. In this process,
the SRL Division and ATTA were dissolved.
An ‘ARD Resource Book’, based on the experiences with ARD learning in
South Africa, was edited with substantial backstopping and input from ICRA.
The ARD Resource Book (Hawkins, 2009, see Annex 3) was launched at the
NARDTT Symposium (see below) and is currently being distributed.
In October, the NARDTT successfully organised a Regional Symposium
“Enabling Collective Innovation in Agrarian Research Development and
Education – Lessons from the Last Decade”, with over 50 participants,
including some selected R&D staff from neighbouring countries. ICRA
presented a key note address, and the symposium provided ample opportunity
to share experiences and lessons learned from R&D, action research and
ARD learning. The presentations also revealed of a wide variety of cases of
co-innovation in South Africa. However, many of the actors and organisations
involved in these processes have done so with limited exchange and there
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seems to be an important opportunity to go beyond the ‘islands of success’,
and to develop a much broader alliance for interactive learning, involving
actors from different regions, sectors, and with different mandates and
backgrounds.
All the reports on ARD field projects were reprinted and distributed to
educational and R&D institutions; the ARD website hosted by the ARC was also
finalised (visit www.arc.agric.za, and follow the link to ARD).
The NARDTT, on behalf of ARC and ICRA, commissioned an internal
evaluation of the NPT project. This evaluation was done in November 2009.
The report is quite positive and mentions several important and strategic
achievements, triggered through the NPT project, and under the leadership of
the ARC, ICRA and through the NARDTT. See the box above for a summary of
the authors’ findings with regards to the efficiency of the project, as related to its
three major strategic intervention areas.
Beyond NPT
� The NARDTT, in collaboration with ICRA, prepared and selected the
participants in ICRA’s sub-regional workshop, organised in Pretoria.
This workshop was held to develop the contents of ICRA’s new course
(DM-IoL). Four South Africans participated in ICRA’s DM-IoL course in
Wageningen.
� Two managers from South Africa (ARC and Fort Hare) participated in the
Senior Managers’ study and exchange tour, organised by ICRA.
� ARC and ICRA signed a new MoU and a service contract for 2010. ARC
and ICRA will also join forces to tender for a new NUFFIC (Netherlands
Initiative for Capacity Building in Higher Education) project, as follow up
to the NPT.
� Lupane State University in Zimbabwe signed an Memorandum of
Understanding with ICRA to trigger the implementation of ARD field
projects and to embed ARD in the curriculum.
� PANOS Southern Africa, an association of African journalists, signed a
contract with ICRA to produce three case studies on ARD learning ‘at
work’.
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Uganda
Context and evolution of the partnership
In 2004, ICRA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the NARO and
Makerere University (MAK) to build capacity in IAR4D.
NARO, MAK and ICRA, along with the African Highlands Initiative,
implemented the first IAR4D learning cycle in 2004–2005. This programme
included all the researchers of the ZARDIs, together with other staff from MAK,
NARO and organisations collaborating with the ZARDIs. This learning cycle
accompanied significant organisational changes within NARO during 2005–2007,
and was followed by two years of occasional visits to ZARDIs by national IAR4D
facilitators (‘mentoring’). This ZARDI experience with IAR4D is currently being
documented.
The impact of this ZARDI learning cycle has been significant. Citing the
training, NARO recently recognised the need to adopt the IAR4D approach as
a key paradigm shift in order to justify investment on science and technology
development in its Ten-Year Strategic Plan (2008–2018). The challenge is now how
to institutionalise this approach, and strengthen capacity of key stakeholders in
key innovation platforms at national and zonal level.
Achievements in 2009
In 2009, the partnership was renewed with the formation of the IAR4D Programme
Coordination Team (PCT), under the leadership of the NARO Director of Research
Coordination. A representative of the NAADS also joined this team. A national
IAR4D plan, developed during 2009, is currently being integrated within the next
phase of World Bank support to NARO/NAADS (2010–2015), and will provide
direction to the work of the PCT as well as a basis for a renewed Memorandum of
Understanding between the partner organisations.
Also in 2009, the PCT was further strengthened by participation of five
representatives (from NARO, NAADS and MAK) on the ICRA programme for
“Design and Management of Innovation-oriented Learning Programmes”, held
in Wageningen in September (with a preparatory 3-day workshop in Pretoria in
April). As follow-up to this programme, the team has given immediate priority to
capacity strengthening activities in the Mbarara Zone needed in order to establish
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three functioning, multi-stakeholder innovation platforms on livestock production.
These platforms will then provide the experience necessary to launch a wider
programme of scaling up of IAR4D approaches in Uganda.
The SUCAPRI Project (Kenya, Uganda)
Context and evolution of the partnership
Within the scope of the Uganda and Kenya partnerships, ICRA assisted MAK and
four Kenyan Universities (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology,
Nairobi University, Kenyatta University and Egerton University) to obtain
approximately €500 000 of financing from EDULINK (EU-ACP Secretariat).
The resulting project on “Strengthening of University Capacity for Promoting,
Facilitating and Teaching Rural Innovation Processes” (SUCAPRI), provides
€136 000 for ICRA’s services, and assumes a further €25 000 of in-kind input from
ICRA over 3 years (January 2008–January 2011).
Participants of the SUCAPRI workshop April 2009, Uganda
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The project consists of six main activities that approximately correspond to
ICRA’s six outcomes of national ARD learning partnerships:
1) Planning and project management
2) A ‘university-based learning cycle’ to create core teams of staff competent
in facilitating the development of rural innovation skills in the four Kenyan
universities
3) ‘Multi-stakeholder learning cycles’ to develop innovation systems skills in
university staff and practising agricultural R&D professionals in Uganda and
Kenya
4) Improvement and development of curricula and management/incentive
procedures
5) Development of learning resources for facilitation processes and rural
innovation
6) An international workshop on “Capacity Strengthening in Rural Innovation”.
Achievements in 2009
Following a slow start in the early months of the project (Jan–Mar) 2008, progress
was then substantial during the remainder of 2008 and the beginning of 2009.
A project steering committee was established with representation from the
five universities, ICRA, research (Kenya Agricultural Research Institute), advisory
services (NAADS), and farmers’ organisations (Kenya Federation of Agricultural
Producers).
The ‘university-based learning cycle’ was initiated, with teams from all four
Kenyan universities and facilitation input from MAK, and the second of four
planned workshops was held in February 2009. The ‘multi-stakeholder learning
cycle’ in Uganda was initiated with two workshops in Kabale and Mbarara (in
April and July 2009, respectively), with teams from the two Ugandan innovation
platforms established under the SSA-CP of FARA, and a third team from local
stakeholders involved in livestock production and marketing in Kiruhura District.
However, problems with the second disbursement of funds from EDULINK
to MAK effectively halted project activities in Kenya after February 2009, and in
Uganda after July. At the time of writing (December 2009), funds had still not
been received by the project coordination unit (MAK). These delays will require
substantial re-planning and readjustment of project activities in 2010.
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Latin America
Context and evolution of the partnership
In Latin America, ICRA’s concept of ARD is adapted to regional perspectives and
referred to as PIR – procesos de innovación rural. With some ups and downs,
ICRA has maintained a small presence in the region for the last 12 years, which
nonetheless has had a significant influence in specific countries. ICRA’s activities
in the region started with a series of four annual ARD learning programmes in
Spanish. These were offered in partnership with the Colegio de Postgraduados
of Mexico, the Latin American farming systems research network and the
Mexican Ministry of Rural Development, which paid for most of the costs. The
current PIR Initiative was launched in late-2004 when ICRA appointed a Regional
Representative. The active members of the initiative are Cuba, Mexico and
Venezuela.
Sub-regional workshop for ARD learning facilitators, Havana, Cuba, April 2009
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The PIR Initiative aims to link and scale up various successful local initiatives,
launched by ICRA’s institutional partners and alumni, at both the national and the
regional levels, in order to promote mainstreaming of the principles of ARD into
R&D and education organisations.
The first years of the Initiative focussed on raising broader awareness of ARD
and its advantages among R&D and education organisations, their decision
makers and staff. This was mainly achieved through national and regional
workshops linking people and organisations both horizontally (at the level of
local innovation partnerships) and vertically (between local, national and regional
levels). Many of these workshops have catalysed joint activities to incorporate
ARD principles into higher education programmes. Emphasis has been placed on
expanding and consolidating a regional team and national teams of professionals
who can facilitate ARD learning processes. Cross participation of these teams in
each others’ activities has facilitated exchange and mutual learning and promoted
the feeling of being part of a regional programme. The initiative has also actively
sought for external funds.
The three active countries in the PIR Initiative show important progress in
embedding ARD in their institutional practices. They have accessed both internal
Sub-regional workshop for ARD learning facilitators, Cuba, April 2009
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and external sources of funding. The Colegio de Postgraduados of Mexico
created a funding window that offers seed money to formulate ARD proposals for
which external donor funding can be sought for implementation. Several partners
have secured funds to ensure the continuity of the initiative. These include the
Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agrícola and the Fundación para el Desarrollo
de la Ciencia y Tecnologiá del estado Lara (FUNDACITE-Lara) in Venezuela
(respectively the national agricultural research institute and a regional foundation
for the promotion of science and technology), and the innovative PIAL programme
in Cuba. The University of Granma organised a “Congress on Sustainable Human
Local Development” with a strong ARD component. Also in Cuba, four ARD field
projects were funded by the government and international donors. Negotiations
are underway with Alternativa Bolivariana para América Latina y El Caribe, a
Venezuelan programme that finances development activities with allied countries.
ARD capabilities at different institutions have been strengthened by
implementing a variety of workshops for mixed groups of university professors,
researchers, extension staff and decision makers. In Venezuela, the collaborative
implementation of a six-week ARD learning programme in 2008 was a milestone
in stimulating exchange of experiences between R&D professionals from
Venezuela and Cuba, and exploring pathways to strengthen capabilities further.
In Cuba, after four workshops on curriculum development, the Universities of
Granma and Villa Clara decided to introduce ARD principles and tools in courses
of the agronomy curriculum, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The research institutes Jorge Dimitrov of Granma in Cuba and the Colegio de
Postgraduados of Puebla in Mexico have started PIR Diplomados.
Achievements in 2009
The Latin American PIR Initiative (ILAPIR) continued to strengthen professional
capabilities in the facilitation of collaborative action learning aimed at triggering
sustainable rural innovation. ICRA’s institutional partners have contributed
significantly to capacity strengthening programmes on ARD theory and practice,
involving many new professionals.
The collaborative implementation of a six-week ARD learning programme in
Havana, Cuba built upon the work done in Venezuela in 2008. The programme
was designed to strengthen the capacities of 21 Cuban R&D professionals so
that they could address concrete innovation challenges, all linked to the CLIAs of
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the PIAL Programme. The innovation themes were selected and formulated in a
preparatory workshop, in which all the facilitators also participated. The team of
facilitators was formed by Venezuelans, Cubans (among whom one producer), a
Mexican and one European facilitator from ICRA. Most of them are members of
the PIR Regional Team.
In Cuba, the consolidation of ARD orientation is under way with the
incorporation and acknowledgment of complementarities with new partners
such as the GUCID programme, one of the three Programas Ramales (transversal
programmes) of the Ministry of Higher Education, which opens important
doors for ARD to become fully integrated at the national level through the new
Municipal University Centres, under the umbrella of GUCID. ILAPIR participated
in a general meeting of GUCID at the beginning of the year and coordinated a
workshop to reflect and draw lessons from the GUCID programme.
Cubans, Mexicans and Venezuelans, all professionals associated to ILAPIR,
participated in a workshop on ARD facilitation held in Havana in order to define
capacity strengthening needs for ICRA’s new programme: DM-IoL.
Another workshop was held in Bayamo to discuss and collect the basic
materials for a new PIR book.
ILAPIR also participated in the second “Congress on Local Human
Development” held at the University of Granma in Bayamo, and in a seminar
on sustainable agriculture held by Indio Hatuey Experimental Station in the City
of Varadero. ILAPIR organised a symposium on rural innovation processes as a
side event to the “IVth International Conference on Agriculture and Livestock
Development” (22–24 April) at the Central University Marta Abreu of Las Villas,
Cuba. One hundred and fifty Cubans and over forty people from outside Cuba
participated.
In Venezuela, the PIR initiative furthered collaboration with networking
organisations like FUNDACITE-Lara, which proposed starting a programme over
the next three to four years to strengthen capabilities of Redes Socialistas de
Innovación Productiva at Lara State and to develop a strategy to scale up ARD
work to the national level.
A workshop to strengthen ARD capabilities at the INIA Research Centre of the
Anzoátegui State in Venezuela was held and follow-up activities initiated. A PIR
forum for sharing experiences and learning in Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela was
held in Barquisimeto. These two last activities were financed by FUNDACITE-
Anzoátegui and FUNDACITE-Lara, respectively.
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PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION
A high-level managers meeting, with participants from Cuba and Venezuela,
was held at La Alianza, a model peasant cooperative. The meeting identified
possibilities for further collective collaboration to strengthen ARD and ARD
capabilities, and to improve interaction between the local, national and regional
levels.
In Mexico, to share the work developed elsewhere in Latin America, a
PIR conference cycle involving various universities and research centres was
organised. A PIR workshop to create awareness among partners of the Colegio
de Postgraduados was also held in Puebla. The Colegio made a proposal to start
a PIR capacity strengthening programme within the framework of its new linkage
programme at the national level.
Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela continue to increase their share of the financial
contribution to all ARD activities in Latin America.
Expressions of interest in ARD continue to come in from different Latin
American countries such as Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador.
Annex 2
PARTICIPANTS OF PROGRAMMES AND SUB-REGIONAL MEETINGS
ORGANISED BY ICRA IN 2009
PARTICIPANTS OF PROGRAMMES AND SUB-REGIONAL MEETINGS ORGANISED BY ICRA IN 2009
91
PARTICIPANTS OF PROGRAMMES AND SUB-REGIONAL MEETINGS ORGANISED BY ICRA IN 2009
Senior Managers’ Exchange TourICRA Senior Managers Exchange, 1–5 June 2009, Wageningen, the Netherlands
1 Dr Belaineh Legesse, Zeleke Haramaya University Administration and Development Vice President
Ethiopia
2 Prof. Dr David Millar UDS Pro-Vice Chancellor Ghana
3 Dr Robert C. Abaidoo CANR/KNUST Provost Ghana
4 Dr Sampson Edusah BIRD/CANR/KNUST Project Coordinator Ghana
5 Prof. Esther Murugi Kahangi JKUAT Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Production and Extension, and Board member KARI
Kenya
6 Dr Mary Kamau Ministry of Agriculture Director Extension & Training Kenya
7 Dr Sam Mwonga Egerton University Core team member Kenya
8 Mr John Mutunga KENFAP CEO Kenya
9 Ms Anati Canca ARC Executive Director Technology Transfer South Africa
10 Dr Nomakhaya Monde University Fort Hare Head of Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension
South Africa
11 Mr Twesigye Morrison Rwakakamba
Uganda National Farmers Federation FFE
Manager Policy Research and Advocacy
Uganda
12 Dr Emily Kabushenga Twinamasiko
National Agricultural Research Council Secretariat
Director Research Co-ordination Uganda
13 Dr Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza
MAK First Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs)
Uganda
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ANNEX PARTICIPANTS OF PROGRAMMES AND SUB-REGIONAL MEETINGS ORGANISED BY ICRA IN 2009
Design and Management of Innovation-oriented Learning Programmes in Wageningen and MontpellierDM-IoL for ARD facilitators, 7–25 September 2009, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Names Institute Country ICRA Alumni
1 Mr Joseph Nketiah Methodist University College Ghana Ghana 2007
2 Dr Richard Yeboah University of Development Studies Tamale
Ghana 2007
3 Dr Christine Akoth Onyango Jomo Kenyatta University for Agriculture & Technology
Kenya 2006
4 Mr John Mwaniki Kenyatta University Kenya 2006
5 Mr Peter Mwangi Gitika KENFAP Kenya 2006
6 Dr George Chemining’wa University of Nairobi Kenya 2005
7 Dr Sam Mwonga Egerton University Kenya 2005
8 Ms Losira Nasirumbi NARO, Socio-economist/Researcher Uganda
9 Ms Frances Nakakawa NARO Uganda
10 Dr Charles Muyanja Makerere University Uganda
11 Dr Monica Karuhanga Makerere University Uganda
12 Dr Anthony Mugenyi NAADS Uganda
13 Ms Thembi Ngcobo ARC South Africa 2005
14 Ms Jessica Maimela ARC South Africa IC-SA2005
15 Mr Nelson Raidimi University of Venda South Africa 2006
16 Dr David Norris University of Limpopo South Africa 2008
17 Dr Leonardo Salazar FUNDACITE/ICRA Latin America 1996
18 Mr Francis Pierre INIA Venezuela
19 Dr Humberto Ríos INCA Cuba 2000
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PARTICIPANTS OF PROGRAMMES AND SUB-REGIONAL MEETINGS ORGANISED BY ICRA IN 2009
DM-IoL for ARD facilitators, 21 September–9 October 2009, Montpellier, France
Names Institute CountryICRA Alumni (F = Francophone)
1 Ms Salima Terranti Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique
Algérie 2001F
2 Mr François Dossouhoui FSA – Université d’Abomey Calavi Bénin 2006F
3 Mr Christophe Kinha Union des Producteurs du Centre Bénin
Bénin 2006F
4 Ms Isabelle Megbleto Association Nationale de Semenciers du Bénin
Bénin 2006F
5 Mr Stéphane Bayala FEPAB Burkina Faso 2008F
6 Mr Désiré Yerbanga FEPAB Burkina Faso 2008F
7 Mr Issa Zongo Université de Koudougou Burkina Faso
8 Mr Fidimalala Randriamandimbisoa Fikambanana Andrin’ny Tambazotra sy ny Olom-pirenena (FIANTSO)
Madagascar
9 Ms Amélie Razafindrahasy FIANTSO Madagascar
10 Ms Zaza Audoux Razanatafika FIANTSO Madagascar
11 Ms Aoua Dicko Solidarité à l’Autopromotion de la Base Mali 2008F
12 Mr Dramane Keita Union Locale de Producteurs de Céréales et de Karité
Mali 2008F
13 Ms Mame Anne Traoré ADAF-Gallé Mali 2006F
14 Mr Morou Issaka Action pour la Promotion des Groupements Ruraux
Niger
15 Mr Ali Mossi Centre de Prestations de Services-Mowa Alfaray Huwo
Niger
16 Mr Totétièbe Dametougle Recherche, Appui, Formation aux Initiatives d’Autodéveloppement
Togo
17 Mr Bienvenu Fayikandin Kombate CNIEP Togo
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ANNEX PARTICIPANTS OF PROGRAMMES AND SUB-REGIONAL MEETINGS ORGANISED BY ICRA IN 2009
Preparatory sub-regional meetingsICRA sub-regional workshop, 28–30 April 2009, Pretoria, South Africa
Name Institute Country ICRA Alumni
1 Dr Christine Akoth Onyango JKUAT Kenya 2006
2 Dr Gitonga M. Nkanata JKUAT Kenya 2006
3 Dr George Chemining’wa University of Nairobi Kenya 2005
4 Dr Samuel Mwonga Egerton University Kenya 2005
5 Mr Peter Mwangi Gitika KENFAP Kenya 2006
6 Ms Imelda Kashaija NARO Uganda 2004
7 Dr Charles Muyanja MAK Uganda 2004/2005
8 Dr Monica Karuhanga MAK Uganda -
9 Dr Chemeda Fininsa Gurmessa Haramaya University Ethiopia 1996
10 Mr Joseph Nketiah MUCG Ghana 2007
11 Mr Chrispen Murungweni Grasslands Research Station Zimbabwe 2004
12 Ms Thembi Ngcobo ARC South Africa 2005
13 Ms Yolisa Pakela Jezile ARC South Africa -
14 Dr Ntsikane Maine Tshwane Municipality South Africa 2006
15 Dr Obi Ajuruchukwu University of Forth Hare South Africa ARD task team
16 Dr Nelson Raidimi University of Venda South Africa 2006
17 Dr David Norris University of Limpopo South Africa 2008
Workshop convenors:
Ms Colletah Chitsike ICRA Zimbabwe
Dr Richard Hawkins ICRA UK
Dr Noureddine Sellamna ICRA France
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PARTICIPANTS OF PROGRAMMES AND SUB-REGIONAL MEETINGS ORGANISED BY ICRA IN 2009
ICRA sub-regional workshop, 14–21 April 2009, Havana, Cuba
Names Institute Country ICRA Alumni
1 Mr Wilmer Armas INIA Venezuela 2000
2 Ms Maria Elena Morros INIA Venezuela -
3 Mr Francis Pierre INIA Venezuela -
4 Dr Leonardo Salazar ICRA Venezuela 1996
5 Dr F.C. Agüero Universidad de Cienfuegos Cuba -
6 Ms Yanet Rosabal Universidad de Granma Cuba 2007
7 Dr Rubén Villegas Universidad de Granma Cuba -
8 Ms Idania Pérez Universidad de Granma Cuba -
9 Dr Humberto Rios INCA Cuba 2000
10 Ms Sandra Miranda INCA Cuba -
11 Dr Luis Rodriguez Larramendi Instituto Jorge Dimitrov Cuba Mexico 2000
12 Dr Juan Reta Colegio de Postgraduados Mexico 2006
Workshop convenor:
Mr Juan Ceballos-Müller ICRA
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ANNEX
ICRA Sub-regional workshop, 11–15 May 2009, Cotonou, Benin
Names Institute Country ICRA Alumni
1 Ms Nacima Benterki Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - Algérie
Algeria
2 Mr Ali Daoudi Institut National Agronomique Algeria 2003
3 Ms Salima Terranti Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - Algérie
Algeria 2001
4 Dr Kokou Djagni IFDC/1000s+ Benin
5 Mr François Dossouhoui FSA/UAC Benin NCST 2006–2007
6 Mr Christophe Kinha UPC Benin NCST 2006–2007
7 Ms Isabelle Megbleto ANASEB Benin NCST 2006–2007
8 Mr Stéphane Bayala FEPAP Burkina Faso
9 Dr Asseta Diallo IFDC/1000s+ Burkina Faso NCST 2008
10 Mr Désiré Yerbanga FEPAP Burkina Faso NCST 2008
11 Mr Issa Zongo Université de Koudougou Burkina Faso NCST 2008
12 Ms Bakoly Ranivoharifetra Harmonisation des Recherches et Etudes Novatrices
Madagascar NCST 2006–2007
13 Ms Amélie Razafindrahasy FIANTSO Madagascar
14 Ms Aoua Dicko Solidarité à l’Autopromotion de la Base Mali NCST 2008
15 M Dramane Keita Union des Producteurs Locaux de Céréales et de Karité
Mali NCST 2008
16 Ms Aissatou Nobre IFDC/1000s+ Mali
17 Ms Mame Anna Traoré ADAF-Gallé Mali NCST 2006–2007
18 Dr Assane Goudiaby ISE Senegal
19 Mr Mamadou Ly Associates in Research and Education for Development
Senegal
Workshop convenors
Dr Toon Defoer ICRA France
Dr Marie-Jo Dugué ICRA France
Dr Nour Eddine Sellamna ICRA France
ANNEX
Annex 3
PUBLICATIONS, PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS
PUBLICATIONS, PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS
99
PUBLICATIONS, PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS
Publications and papers
Chitsike, C., Ngcobo, T., Obi, A., Dube, S., Norris, D., Raidimi, N. and
Enserink, D. (2009) Aligning teaching and learning to development challenges:
Institutionalization of ARD in Agricultural Schools of five universities. Paper
presented at the Symposium on “Enabling collective innovation in agrarian
research, development and education – lessons from the last decade.” National
Agricultural Research for Development Task Team, Pretoria, 28–29 November 2009.
Daane, J. (2009) Enhancing performance of agricultural innovation systems. Key
Note Paper presented at the Symposium on “Enabling collective innovation in
agrarian research, development and education – lessons from the last decade.”
National Agricultural Research for Development Task Team, Pretoria, 28–29
November 2009.
Daane, J. (2009) Building capacity for agricultural research and innovation. Section
3 of Chapter 8: Food security and sustainable agriculture: Making science work for
innovation. In: Molenaar, H., Box, L. and Engelhard, R. (Eds). Knowledge on the
move. International Development Publications, Leiden.
Daane, J., Francis, J., Oliveros, O. and Bolo, M. (2009) Performance indicators for
agricultural innovation systems in the ACP region. Synthesis Report. International
Expert Consultation Workshop, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural
Cooperation ACP-EU, Wageningen, 15–17 July 2008.
Hawkins, R., Booth, R., Chitsike, C., Twinamasiko, E., Tenywa, M., Karanja, G.,
Ngcobo, T. and Verschoor, A.J. (2009) Strengthening inter-institutional capacity for
rural innovation: experience from Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. In: Sanginga,
P., Waters-Bayer, A., Kaaria, S., Njuki, J. and C. Wettasinha (Eds.). Innovation Africa:
enriching farmers’ livelihoods. Earthscan. London.
Hawkins, R. (Ed.) (2009) Agricultural Research for Development (ARD).
A resource book. In collaboration with invited members from the National
Agricultural Research for Development Network, ARC-LNR, ICRA and NUFFIC.
NARDTT, South Africa.
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Verschoor, A.J. and Enserink, D. (2009) Experiences in inter-institutional ARC
collaboration: what have we learned? Paper presented at the Symposium on
“Enabling collective innovation in agrarian research, development and education
– lessons from the last decade.” National Agricultural Research for Development
Task Team, Pretoria, 28–29 November 2009.
Verschoor, A.J., Ngcobo, T., Ceballos, J., Hawkins, R., Chitsike, C. and Chaminuka,
P. (2009) Shaping agricultural research for development to Africa’s needs: builiding
South African capacity to innovate. In: Sanginga, P., Waters-Bayer, A., Kaaria, S.,
Njuki, J. and C. Wettasinha (Eds.). Innovation Africa: enriching farmers’ livelihoods.
Earthscan. London.
ICRA-related publications
Orozco, S., Ramírez, B., Ariza, R., Jiménez, L., Estrella, N., Peña, B., Ramos, A.
and Morales, M. (2009) Impacto del conocimiento tecnológico sobre la adopción
de tecnología agrícola en campesinos indígenas de México. Interciencia 34(8):
551–555. Available at: http://www.interciencia.org/v34_08/index.html
Presentations
Daane, J. (2009) Enhancing performance of agricultural innovation systems.
Key Note presentation at the Symposium on “Enabling collective innovation in
agrarian research, development and education – lessons from the last decade.”
National Agricultural Research for Development Task Team, Pretoria, South Africa,
28–29 November 2009.
Daane, J. (2009) Enhancing performance of agricultural innovation systems.
Presented at a network meeting of SDC staff to reflect on the topic “Agricultural
advisory services and innovation”, Bern, Switzerland, 16 November 2009.
Daane, J. (2009) Evolution of ICRA’s approach to capacity strengthening for rural
innovation, ICRA’s impact and lessons learnt: 3 cases. Presented at a network
meeting of SDC staff to reflect on the topic “Agricultural advisory services and
innovation”, Bern, Switzerland, 16 November 2009.
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PUBLICATIONS, PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS
Daane, J. (2009) ICRA: A case for harmonised donor support. Presented at the
European Consultative Group meeting of the European Initiative for Agricultural
Research for Development (EIARD), Eschborn, Germany, 25 November 2009.
Salazar, L., et al. (2009) (Ed.) Boletín de la Iniciativa Latinoamericana de Procesos
de Innovación Rural. Presented at “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la
innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Salazar, L. (2009) Procesos de Innovación Rural: la urgencia de la articulación entre
actores. Inaugural Conference. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación
y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Salazar, L. (2009) La Necesidad de Articulación en PIR. “II Simposio Internacional
Extensionismo, Transferencia de Tecnologías, Aspectos Socioeconómicos y
Desarrollo Agrario Sostenible.” Varadero, Cuba, May 2009.
Salazar, L. (2009) La Gestión del conocimiento en PIR. “II Congreso Internacional
de Desarrollo Local.” Universidad de Granma, Bayamo, Cuba, February 2009.
Sellamna, N. (2009) Qu’est ce que l’ICRA ? Renforcer les capacités pour
l’innovation rurale en partenariat. Presented at the Regional West and Central
African workshop for leaders of ANAFE member institutions and partners on
“Enhancing the involvement of tertiary agricultural education institutions into
CAADP: strategising through ANAFE.” Cotonou, Benin, 10 December 2009.
Trujillo, I., Salazar, L., Morros, M., Bravo, C. and Blones, J. (2009) Capacitación
para Procesos de Innovación Rural: propuesta UNESR. Jornadas de Investigación
CDCHT. Caracas, Venezuela, January 2009.
Presentations by ILAPIR
Barranco, L. (2009) El CLIA de Villa Clara: articulando actores para fortalecer
PIR en la Universidad. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y
transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
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Blones, J. (2009) Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez: articulando
actores para fortalecer PIR en la Universidad. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para
la innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Blones, J., Trujillo, I., Brucato, M. and Rojas, S. (2009) Estudio etnobotánico sobre
el conocimiento tradicional en el uso de plantas medicinales en la población rural
de cocorote, Edo. Miranda, Venezuela. Vth International Congress of Ethnobotany.
Bariloche, Argentina, August 2009.
Blones, J., Trujillo, I., Brucato, M. and Rojas, S. (2009) Obtención de permisos
legales y oficiales de comunidades campesinas y nativas bajo la figura del
consentimiento fundamentado previo. Jornadas de Investigación CDCHT.
Caracas, Venezuela, January 2009.
Dominguez, D. (2009) Articulando actores para fortalecer los Procesos de Innovación rural en comunidades: Redes Socialistas de Innovación Productiva. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
García, E., Mendez, J. and Hernández, I. (2009) La Agencia de Desarrollo Rural como Facilitadora del Desarrollo Comunitario en la Región Sureste de Zacatecas (México). “III Congreso Internacional: Perspectivas del Desarrollo Rural Regional”. Oaxaca, México, September 2009.
Huerta, A. (2009) Articulando actores para fortalecer los Procesos de Innovación rural en comunidades: Proceso de articulación de actores en México. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela November 2009.
Matheus, J. (2009) Plan Estratégico Prospectivo para consolidar la Red Socialista
de Innovación Productiva de Artesanos del Municipio Palavecino del estado
Lara. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.”
Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Miranda, S. (2009) La Plataforma del Programa de Innovación Agrícola Local: articulación de actores, saberes y conocimientos en PIR. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
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PUBLICATIONS, PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS
Morales, M. (2009) Indicadores No-convencionales en Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación: articulando el discurso y la práctica para la innovación y transformación institucional. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Morros, M.E. (2009) Articulando actores para fortalecer los Procesos de Innovación rural en comunidades: Innovación Participativa. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Perez, I. (2009) El Programa Ramal GUCID: articulando la universidad municipalizada para fortalecer PIR. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Pierre, F. (2009) Una Experiencias de Articulación de Actores Internacionales para Solucionar Problemas Cotidianos de la Agricultura. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Reta, J. (2009) Articulación de PIR en la currícula: formación de capacidades
para facilitar la innovación. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y
transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Rodriguez, L. (2009) Articulando actores para fortalecer los Procesos de Innovación rural en comunidades: CLIA de Granma. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Salinas, B. (2009) La Gestión Institucional de PIR: potencialidades y paradojas
de la articulación organizacional. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la
innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Torrealba, C. (2009) La Institucionalización de una Ética de PIR en la
Organización: articulación de actores para el rescate y reciclaje de valores en lo
cotidiano. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.”
Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
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Trujillo, I., Blones, J., Brucato, M., Rojas, S., Silva, A., Morales, L., Comunidad de
Cocorote and Comunidad del Valle de Tucutunemo (2009) Desarrollo de bancos
de germoplasma in Vitro con especies de plantas medicinales de uso significativo
en comunidades rurales de Venezuela. Vth International Congress of Ethnobotany.
Bariloche, Argentina, August 2009.
Presentations by ILAPIR associates
Gonzalez, O. (2009) Gestión de PIR: articulación de saberes para la apropiación
de poder. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.”
Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
Ojeda, R. (2009) Socialistas de Innovación: articulación institucional para fortalecer
Redes Socialista de Innovación Productiva de Café de Simón Planas, Lara. “II
Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.” Barquisimeto,
Venezuela, November 2009.
Vargas, A. (2009) Redes Socialistas de Innovación: articulación institucional para
fortalecer Redes Socialista de Innovación Productiva de Agricultura Urbana en
Lara. “II Foro PIR: Articulando actores para la innovación y transformación.”
Barquisimeto, Venezuela, November 2009.
ANNEXANNEX
Credits
Writing: ICRAEditing, design and layout: Green Ink Ltd (www.greenink.co.uk)Photographs: ICRAPrinting: Information Press, UK
Annual R
epo
rt 2009