Solving ‘wicked’ problems: can social learning catalyse adaptive responses to climate change?

Social learning approaches can catalyse knowledge co-creation and action, so have the potential to help solve complex ‘wicked’ problems such as climate change and food insecurity. This working paper synthesises evidence from five diverse initiatives employing social learning approaches in response to such problems using the Climate Change and Social Learning initiative’s monitoring and evaluation framework. It finds initial evidence that key factors in social learning approaches can lead to clear learning outcomes with resulting positive changes in values and practice. Links to longer-term development outcomes are also evident in several completed initiatives

Monitoring and Evaluating Social Learning: A Framework for Cross-Initiative Application

The Climate Change and Social Learning Initiative is a cross-organisation group working to build a body of evidence on how social learning methodologies and approaches contribute towards development targets. Together with a select number of participating initiatives from a variety of organisations, we are working towards establishing a common monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for new projects and programmes using a social learning-oriented approach. The aim is to more systematically collect evidence, analyse results and share learning on when and how research initiatives and beneficiaries may benefit from a social learning-oriented approach in the context of climate change adaptation and food security. This working paper presents an M&E framework consisting of a theory of change and 30 primary indicators across four key areas: iterative learning, capacity development, engagement, and challenging institutions. This framework will be accompanied by a forthcoming implementation guide for participating initiatives, as well as a strategy for peer assist, data collection and analysis by the CCSL Initiative

Global Futures

Describes experience of: IFPRIGlobal Futures aims to improve the capacity of the CGIAR centres to evaluate and prioritise research investments, and to support the decision-making of international development partners and national policymakers by giving those who work in agricultural development the kinds of information they need to make the best decisions to support small farmers so they can boost their yields, increase their income, and develop a better understanding of how to adapt to climate change. Lead institution: IFPRI IFPRI’s mission focuses on identifying and analysing alternative international, national, and local policies in support of improved food security and nutrition, emphasizing low-income countries, poor people and the sound management of the natural resource base. Key areas of priority that support agriculture are; contributing to capacity strengthening of people and institutions in developing countries that conduct research on food, agriculture, and nutrition policies; and actively engaging in policy communications, making research results available to all those in a position to apply or use them, and carrying out dialogues with those users to link research and policy action. Climate communication aims: The communication aims of this project are to help policy makers better understand climate impacts through visual modelling and scenarios. Feedback from policy makers is shared with the modellers for new iterations. IFRI have a specific focus on modelling climate change impacts on agricultural crops and shape their scenarios around this. Different variables are introduced to the model like trade and openness. Communications/social learning characteristics: Global Futures is an amalgamation of a number of different tools and projects that has ambitions to reach out beyond researchers to policy makers and eventually to farmers. The initiative takes a number of climate modelling tools that have been developed by IFPRI and others and is experimenting how these tools can be combined to better engage with policy and practice. Tool 1 – IMPACT (International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade) a software based economic model that projects the future production, consumption, and trade of key agricultural commodities, and can assess the effects of climate change, water availability and other major trends. Started in the 1990’s looking at a few commodities across a few regions, it evolved to the current version which has 40 commodities across 115 national areas and 281 food production units. It is also being ported to a lighter web-based version. Tool 2 – D-SAT A tool developed by the University of Florida that models crop yields with respect to changed environmental conditions. This has been integrated/combined with the IMPACT tool to produce a wider set of available variables for modelling. Tool 3 – Food security CASE maps are interactive web based Climate, Agriculture, and Socio-Economic Maps that present IFPRI’s latest research on the future of food security, farming, and climate change to 2050. The principle idea behind Global Futures is to provide all the rights kinds of information to support small farmers so that they can boost their yields, increase incomes and build better lives. This is essentially a top down, information supply mechanism on a global scale which can be tailored (using the ICT tools) to regional areas. It is an example of a “push” project which has elements of “pull” by holding workshops and dialogues with policy makers, where data is presented and discussed in a regional context using visually appealing formats. While there have been good attempts at bringing findings and dialogue to farmer communities it is not clear that the datasets or research agenda has been built through an assessment of farmer’s needs and their adaptation to difficult environments. Although this project is engaging at national policy level and has aspirations to reach community level, it does not demonstrate what we are calling “triple loop learning”. Audience: Global Futures states that that it aims to benefit small farmers, providing them with information so that they can make better decisions to boost yields and improve livelihoods (the assumption here is that increased yields automatically assume improved livelihoods). There is also a research and policy audience as part of the chain of support for farmers and it appears that policy makers, rather than farmers, are currently the main target. The theory of change assumes there will be spill-down from the national level to farmers. IFPRI have aspirations to target farmers more directly but it is not clear how the farmers will receive this information as much of it is presented through an online platform and would need some interpretation for context and use of local language. Getting research into use (how this case study does or does not contribute to that): Global Futures represents a good example of one of the key challenges faced by CGIAR centres and CCAFS. It is a challenge faced by similarly large, sophisticated, and well- resourced scientific/technical institutions. Researching, gathering and collating sophisticated & comparative datasets that can stand up to rigorous comparison the world over can end up by providing “lowest common denominator” information at the local level because it lacks context, and no easily accessible means of interpreting the data. The scenarios workshops however are an encouraging way to bring this information, more visually, in to a dialogue setting. The challenge is how to bring this to the local level (at scale) and create learning loops that impact the model itself by building in local learning and context. Evolution of the project (how has the project evolved or developed if known): IFPRI has evolved these tools from focusing more on climate change researchers (IMPACT) to also engage more with policy makers (CASE maps). The Global Futures initiative has held a number of workshops in East Africa testing out a participatory “scenarios building” exercise which maps out different futures scenarios based on different start conditions e.g. good transport/bad transport, open markets/protected markets to allow more nuanced discussion based on numbers that can be made visual for easier interpretation e.g. what would a 10% increase in trade barriers due to farmer costs and hence consumer prices? What would be resultant impacts on demand taking in to account modelled climate change impacts

Communicating Carbon

Describes experiences of: ICRAF, CCAFSCommunicating Carbon is a workshop approach which brought together carbon project practitioners who are already working closely with farmers to discuss how to better communicate the concept, risks, and benefits of carbon initiatives aimed at smallholders – based around the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). These practitioners act as “brokers” between carbon buyers and farmers who may have the means to plant more trees or sequester more carbon in the soil to help offset emissions. Developing better communication tools and approaches is a way to ensure FPIC in carbon projects. Institution: World Agroforestry Centre, CCAFS (led) The World Agroforestry Centre works towards more productive, diversified, integrated and intensified trees and agroforestry systems that provide livelihood and environmental benefits. Climate communication aims: The communication aims of workshop were to pool knowledge of practitioners on communication approaches to carbon sequestration and to promote social learning between practitioners so as they can improve their communication and learning approaches with farmers. Communications/social learning characteristics: The workshop was an interactive discussion of best approaches to improving communication on the concept and issues around carbon initiatives aimed at smallholders. The process focused on the principle of FPIC of the smallholders and exchanged ideas, tools, and approaches on how to raise awareness of smallholders on sequestration and carbon credit schemes. The workshop approach demonstrates an element of social learning by refining tools and approaches collectively and developing a toolkit as a shared output. The resulting policy brief/toolkit, although widely shared through the CCAFS website, has not yet provided the basis for repeat discussion and feedback that would lead to a more truly representative looped learning model i.e. have practitioners continued to learn together on the effectiveness of what is laid out in the workshop toolkit after the workshop testing out with communities what has worked best in a particular context. In a repeat exercise could communities be involved in agenda setting for these higher level processes? At this stage it looks like the workshop is a one off rather than a systematic approach to improving communication on this topic but there is interesting potential for this to change if there is further interest within CGIAR and elsewhere. Audience: The direct audience at the workshop was mainly practitioners interested in better communicating issues of carbon sequestration and carbon offset initiatives more effectively with smallholders. Getting research into use (how this case study does or does not contribute to that): This is more about getting communication tools and approaches discussed and their effectiveness analysed. The second logical stage would be to take this toolkit and work with communities to better understand if it is the right approach. Evolution of the project (how has the project evolved or developed if known): All participants have been working in East Africa, and are good contacts of CCAFS. There are lots of projects coming up that focus on carbon markets (particularly in Kenya) and not much has been done on communicating carbon markets at grass roots level – hence CCAFS saw an opportunity for a workshop to foster learning on communicating carbon markets. Developing a successful looped learning model using more of this methodology could be something that CCAFS can facilitate

Social learning in practice: A review of lessons, impacts and tools for climate change

The aim of this report is to provide a detailed review of documented social learning processes for climate change and natural resource management as described in peer-reviewed literature. Particular focus is on identifying (1) lessons and principles, (2) tools and approaches, (3) evaluation of social learning, as well as (4) concrete examples of impacts that social learning has contributed to. This paper has sought to contribute to reflections on the role that social learning might play and the impacts it might have in supporting decision making on climate change, agriculture and food security. Understanding social learning is important if we wish to respond effectively to increasingly complex and “wicked” problems such as climate change; to break down barriers between producers and users of research, and increase the capacity of organisations to learn. This study, conducted on behalf of the Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) program of the CGIAR, offers a range of framings and evidence of successful social learning approaches. It reflects on how this evidence relates to the existing change areas already being pursued by the CCAFS programme and on the gaps that are revealed through an analysis of a bounded set of literature

HEDON, the Household Energy Network

Describes experiences of: Practical Action, Engineers Without Borders UK, GVEP International, Shell Foundation, IIED, ECO Ltd.A website that informs and empowers practices on household energy, by addressing knowledge gaps, facilitating partnerships and fostering information sharing. The website tries to be a place where practitioners, policy-makers, funders, and business-owners actively pursue a cleaner, affordable and more efficient household energy sector. They share their experiences, learn from one another, and create new knowledge. The HEDON web-portal has discussion forums, wiki-pages on household related energy services (focused on renewable energy), as well as a single repository for blogs, resources, data on renewable projects, and a collection of contact members. Climate communication aims: This projects aims to bring together interest groups on household energy solutions for the poor. It combines an online membership directory with a regular discussion forums, newsletters, and articles. Some offline-online bridging has been fostered with HEDON encouraging local interest group discussions followed by online report back and follow-up. Lead organisation: Practical Action; Engineers Without Borders UK; GVEP International; Shell Foundation; IIED; ECO Ltd. HEDON evolved out of an identified gap by a number of organisations (see evolution below). Communications/social learning characteristics: Discussion topics that appear on the website and in issues of Boiling Point, the networks’ publication, are generally selected by one or more of the core support organisations. However other members of the network are encouraged to submit general articles also for publication in Boiling Point and to create their own interest group networks. The construction of the project is largely linear with elements of single-looped learning between core participants of the network in their discussions on what should be presented in forthcoming material. Core network members also work to encourage the wider network to generate new interest topics. HEDON also encourages online discussion on particular topics as well as hosting local physical meetings. These meetings assist social learning by encouraging debate on particular interest topics – for example learning from indoor air-pollution and stove use. Audience: HEDON attracts a mixture of larger development organisations (including donors) and local practitioners. Many of the local members do not have online access and their contact point with HEDON is through print copies of Boiling Point and feedback letters. There is no clear strategy on audience mix or in attracting or keeping audiences. Boiling Point has developed an audience over many years and HEDON has provided a vehicle to create more of a community of practice building on that history. Getting research into use (how this case study does or does not contribute to that): Boiling Point (and HEDON) is aimed at practitioners. Authors are encouraged to use language and illustrations that are friendly to these audiences. The online discussion forums also facilitate learning within these audiences but are clearly restricted to those who have online access, and a good understanding of English. Articles are also formulated around interviews with “experts” on how to solve real world problems. While there is informal anecdotal feedback little been done to really monitor or evaluate how much of the “practical “content has been used in practice as a result of HEDON. Evolution of the project (how has the project evolved or developed if known): This is the first website of its kind to focus on household energy issues for the poorest. HEDON was born out a gap identified by Practical Action and others who saw the need for comprehensive access to information on household energy. Practical Action also saw this as a natural home for their publication Boiling Point ensuring that it became the heart of a network rather than just a pdf publication

Evidence and Lessons from Latin America (ELLA)

Describes experiences of: DFID, Practical Action, KITE, Ghana with Networks, Knowledge products, Community of practice, Learning alliance, Study tourEvidence and Lessons from Latin America (ELLA) was established as a programme in 2009 by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) as a way to synthesise research and policy lessons from Latin America and discuss them with a global audience – as part of a responsible exit strategy from bilateral aid to the region. The DFID conception of ELLA was “extracting” lessons from LA for the rest of the world and the regional centres developed knowledge topics that were pushed out to a network that was set-up to discuss the issues. Practical Action led this work and identified that any “knowledge push” should be matched by demand. Working with KITE in Ghana on a 2 year inception phase - consisting of online surveys, structured interviews and desk-research - topics of interest to Africa and South Asia were identified that Latin America could offer learning on. The climate change agenda was a key demand topic. Latin American partners consisted of regional centres of expertise across three broad areas of economic (growth) learning, governance, and environmental issues. However, inside the topic areas that have been introduced, participants themselves have come together to co-construct learning through an online platform and local meetings of participants with video-conference links to Latin American interest groups, and through learning tours. This is an example of a constructed network that was reasonably well resourced to gather and synthesise knowledge to “push” to networks of interested groups around particular topics. There is a sense here that this is more of an individual rather than network approach to learning through “knowledge transfer” – in particular when considering knowledge to implementation. However the networks are evolving. Within the constructs of the network, there are examples of group level learning occurring which stem beyond the materials pushed in to the network and there is emerging evidence that new alliances have been formed focused on South-South learning and implementation projects. What remains to be seen is whether the ELLA constructed networks or any spin off learning alliances will continue significantly after the formal end of the project – and of the funding that supports it

Africa Adapt

Describes experience of: ENDA, FARA, ICPAC, IDSAfrica Adapt is an online/offline knowledge sharing platform that was designed to share local African knowledge and experience on climate change. It was set up after a scoping of partners, through a number of regional forums in Africa, to discuss the idea of a knowledge hub and to identify what was needed and who best could develop and run it. Phase 1 was launched in 2008 by IDS with partners ENDA, FARA and ICPAC. In 2011 there was an evaluation of what has worked and not worked and re-launch with IDS stepping back to a capacity support role and the partnership being devolved to lead partner ENDA to ensure implementation. Lead institution: ENDA, FARA, ICPAC and IDS Climate communications aims The communication aims of the project are fourfold: • To increase inclusion and raise visibility of African knowledge on climate change • To facilitate flows of information on climate change in Africa • To broker relationships between different communities of practice • To add value to the culture of how we share knowledge Communications/social learning characteristics: Africa Adapt is managing to achieve, in part what other web-based initiatives often fail to achieve, a good balance in terms of engagement and the potential for social learning. Right from the beginning during the initial scoping phase the project team was careful to assess needs and to identify what kind of knowledge sharing and engagement would be possible and relevant. It has made deliberate attempts to build up and strengthen the online presence and the offline presence. Online it provides a wealth of information presented in a number of different formats – for example film, web photo albums, online discussion groups, as well as thematic browsing of projects. Although its presentation of information requires the user to spend some time looking through the collection rather than sourcing information immediately, the counter balance is that this has been done to ensure that a full range of voices, types of knowledge and information are representative of a wide group of stakeholders. Offline the project has worked hard to resource knowledge sharing officers in country partner officers who have developed the offline engagement work. This includes activities, like “Meet and Greet” where staff set up fairly impromptu meetings to discuss particular issues or visit a particular village to share experiences. These events are then shared on the website by film It is felt that one of the reasons for this growing success is that there is a strong culture of reflection and learning within the project team itself and regular meetings and discussions on what Africa Adapt’s USP is and how it fits with the range of other climate change information and networking projects take place. This has helped to keep the focus and really look where engagement works and where it does not. This kind of project is expensive but knowing where you add value helps to justify the support. Audience: It was originally intended to speak to policy makers and others working in climate change adaptation in Africa and elsewhere. It considers that the audience that has responded the most to this format has been practitioners or those working one step away from communities. It is not so much of a recognised tool for policy makers. Getting research into use (how this case study does or does not contribute to that): Africa Adapt is an attempt at getting local and global climate change knowledge discussed more widely and that knowledge put in to practice. As part of the monitoring and evaluation of the approaches Africa Adapt has taken in getting research in to practice, they carried out interviews to assess where people in the network had seen real world behaviour change: “stories of change”. The stories of change help to act as supporting evidence and demonstrate a number of uses of material from the Africa Adapt website that communities have used as teaching aids or opportunities for learning. Evolution of the project (how has the project evolved or developed if known): The project has put in mechanisms to help learn what is working well – for example the stories of change process mentioned above. The phase one project evaluation also encouraged a re-think on how to integrate the online and offline activities. One outcome was a decision to take more time to have online discussions using DGroups to bring the physical network and communities of practice together virtually. This emphasis on trying to build up further engagement and learning is well on its ways to providing a good platform for increased social learning

Climate Airwaves

Describes experiences of: IDS, Ghana Community Radio, Africa AdaptClimate Airwaves is a project for building capacity among community radio broadcasters to investigate the local impact of climate change. The vision behind the project was to build the confidence of broadcasters to do stories by developing their skills in doing action research with communities on how climate change is changing their lives and to identify areas where they felt they could have an impact. The result of the process and the programming was also designed to engage with the research and policy communities highlighting to highlight these impacts and push for change. Lead institution: IDS, Ghana Community Radio, Africa Adapt Climate communication aims: The communication aims are to improve the ability for radio broadcasters, who are able to reach to a much wider audiences, to communicate with and engage with their audiences on climate change issues. It is also designed in a way that encourages the broadcaster and audience to learn together and feed this learning into wider research and policy communities to influence new thinking. Communications/social learning characteristics: Good community radio already has good strong ties to local knowledge and a lot of experience of investigating and advocating for different local issues. However, it was discovered that lots of local broadcasters felt they did not have the legitimacy or confidence to investigate an issue like climate change. Comments like “I am not a scientist so I cannot investigate climate change” were a familiar refrain. This lack of confidence was exacerbated by not having enough understanding of the global context in which to situate the local implications. This lack of understanding of the drivers of global climate change meant Broadcasters were actually blaming communities for the environmental degradation etc. Climate Airwaves was a pilot that tried to encourage a more participative environment for learning about climate change by turning some of their thinking towards a more rights based, social justice angle which is a familiar angle for community radio. The action research dimension encouraged broadcasters to play more of an intermediary role between the community who they were researching and the policy makers or other local stakeholders that they needed to talk to. The 18 month pilot was implemented in three phases, all of which have a relevant dimension for social learning. The First phase was about building the basic understanding of climate change through training workshops - multiple training sessions – first one from a local partner and then from IDS. As much different and varied information as was felt relevant was provided on a pen drive. The content was aimed at Climate Justice – but with good information on the global context, the impacts of this for Ghana as well as an understanding of the relevance for development – a total of 5.5 days of training time. Baseline assessments carried out by Ghana Radio of the broadcaster’s knowledge and that of the local stakeholders helped IDS know who they were working with in order to give them the right support. The second phase – piloted with one station - was an action research workshop where the team went together to trial an action research methodology framework using real issues. This included mapping as well as investigation. The broadcasters then came together for a production workshop to choose their themes. The themes were then shared in a “durba” or regional forum and refined with their audience resulting in a next iteration. This process managed to attract people to come and share their ideas and get involved from the district assemblies who had hereto refused to connect over the issue. This event was followed by a national forum with stakeholders and donors – 130 people - participating in a big meeting in Accra where the findings and methodology of the project were presented. A lot of documentation on project methodology is now in the process of being shared through AMARC – World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters to try and persuade other radio broadcasters to get involved. This project demonstrates more about developing an environment for social learning than simply a linear process of sharing information. It demonstrates a number of successful criteria for a social learning project – embedding communications in local processes and structures, responding to communities needs and empowering people to develop their thinking around the issues relevant to them and feeding these back for further reflection and development together. Audience: The audience for the broadcasts were the local listeners – the community itself and their local policy makers. The stakeholders involved in contributing to the process of building the stories and sharing the knowledge are a critical part of those engaged in the process. In this context they are the audience also. Getting research into use (how this case study does or does not contribute to that): This project demonstrates a good example of developing an action research project relevant to a very local context, investigating the key issues with the right local stakeholders and then sharing their knowledge in the most appropriate ways. The increased dialogue and discussion refined the knowledge further. Three local radio stations closely situated in a region came up with three different story lines that were very locally context specific demonstrates the importance of relevance for getting ideas adopted. Evolution of the project (how has the project evolved or developed if known): Climate airwaves started with three radio stations chosen on their proximity to one another. This was a factor of cost - if there had been more money more stations could have been included. Each of the stations identified different issues but ended up talking about different things – sea level rise, low crop yields, droughts and flood. Three different languages were used for the three different stations

Climate analogues: finding tomorrow’s agriculture today

Describes experiences of: CIAT, CCAFS“Climate Analogues: Finding Tomorrow’s Agriculture Today” is an effort by CCAFS to make climate change adaptation a more tangible endeavour by encouraging the exchange of knowledge between communities. The idea is that the “analogues tool” helps to identify geographic areas where growing conditions today mirror future climates. Then to promote exchanges between the communities living in these areas so that learning can take place on agriculture practices that work well in those “future” climates and encourage discussion on how these practices can be adapted to local context to cope with potentially dramatic shifts in growing conditions over time. Lead institution: CIAT and CCAFS CIAT is an agricultural research institution. It focus on scientific solutions to hunger in the tropics, believing that eco-efficient agriculture—developing sustainable methods of food production—is the best way to eradicate hunger and improve livelihoods in the region. CIAT is also about partnerships and works together with likeminded organizations to enhance impact. Climate communication aims: The communications aims are to promote learning by interacting with peer groups and “seeing” what works. Dialogue how adaptive strategies can be used in the local context are also faciltated. Communications/social learning characteristics: Initially developed as a software tool (now with a web version), the idea is to make climate change more tangible by comparing similar geographic areas to those where a particular user lives and to demonstrate what their situation might look like in 30 years. Although an innovative idea, this is a top down information supply mechanism. In 2012, climate analogues plans to launch a second phase, where farmer exchanges are conducted between geographic locations. The goal is to build an inventory of local knowledge from around the world for regions that face similar challenges, and for those who take part in visit exchanges to learn and understand what adaptation options might be possible for them to adopt. If successful this has potential to develop into more of a triple loop social learning exercise where farmers learn from each other, implement changes and this in turn affects how exchanges and the “analogue tools” themselves are re-designed – bringing in local knowledge. Audience: Policy makers, farmers and other local stakeholders in particular areas are they key targets. Getting research into use (how this case study does or does not contribute to that): This is a good example of a project with potential. Research has started off in relative isolation and it has been recognised that it needs to be brought closer to target audiences. This has initially been done in a fairly top down and linear way, but there is potential for this to change with the forthcoming farmer exchanges. Evolution of the project (how has the project evolved or developed if known): The web-based tool was first released in 2011, and the exchanges are planned for 2012