SSA challenge program: Lake kivu pilot learning site : Overview. Meeting objectives and expectations

Overview, Meeting Objectives and Expectations Presented at the Cross-Site Regional Review & Writeshop Meeting of LKPLS, November 08-12, 2010, Kigali, Rwand

SSA challenge program: Lake kivu pilot learning site : Highlights, updates, observations and comments on the ended reviews

Highlights, Updates, Observations and Comments on the Ended Reviews Presented at the Cross-Site Regional Review & Writeshop Meeting of LKPLS, November 08-12, 2010, Kigali, Rwand

SSA challenge program: Lake kivu pilot learning site : Projected workplans and budgets for 2011-2012

Project Work plans & Budgets for 211-2012 Presented at the Cross-Site Regional Review & WriteshopMeeting of LKPLS, November 08-12, 2010, Kigali, Rwand

RESILIENCE OF INNOVATION PLATFORMS WITHIN ARMED CONFLICTS: THE CASE OF INTEGRATED AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT FROM NORTH KIVU PROVINCE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

The North Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has sporadically, and more recently, been disrupted by ethenic wars. These wars have caused displacement of people and destruction of economic resources in the Province. Many development initiatives have been arrested and others completely derailed. The Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Program moved into the Province in 2008 and established four innovation platforms (IPs) under Integrated Agricultural Research for Development concepts, in Masisi and Rutshuru districts. The objective of this study was to identify mechanisms and strategies used by IPs to continue operating in amidst of wars and limited partner support. It is clear that the IAR4D concepts are functional even in times of conflicts, and without interventions of partners. The involvement of local authorities in the activities of IPs helped to preserve the property of the latter. The various mechanisms that were put in place to ensure continuity of IP activities included regular meetings at the antennae (sub-IP) levels, adoption of perennial crops to fight crop-raiding, moving seed stocks storage into more secure environments, solidarity among members of the IP and establishment of a communication system for securing people and property among others. It is observed that the IAR4D concept is a practical framework and a model for development of agricultural research for impact and provides a means of resilience that strengthens the cohesion of the population even in situations of conflicts.La province du Nord Kivu dans l\u2019Est de R\ue9publique D\ue9mocratique du Congo, a sporadiquement, et plus r\ue9cemment, \ue9t\ue9 perturb\ue9e par des guerres d\u2019ethnies. Ces guerres ont caus\ue9 les d\ue9placement des personnes et la destruction des ressources \ue9conomiques dans la province. PLusieurs initiatives de d\ue9veloppement ont \ue9t\ue9 arr\ueat\ue9es et d\u2019autres ont completement \ue9chou\ue9. Le programme d\u2019Enjeu de l\u2019Afrique du Sub-Saharienne a \ue9t\ue9 amen\ue9 dans la province en 2008 et mise en place pour les plate-formes d\u2019innovation sous les concepts de Recherches Agricoles Int\ue9gr\ue9es pour le D\ue9veloppement, dans les districts de Masisi et Rutshuru. L\u2019objectf de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019identifier les m\ue9canismes et strat\ue9gies utilis\ue9s par les IPs pour continuer \ue0 op\ue9rer au beau milieu des guerres avec de supports limit\ue9s des partenaires. C\u2019est clair que les concepts de IAR4D sont fonctionnels m\ueame en p\ue9riode de conflits; et sans interventions des partenaires. Les implications des autorit\ue9s locales dans les activit\ue9s des IPs ont contribu\ue9 \ue0 pr\ue9server les propri\ue9t\ue9s de ces derni\ue8res. Les divers m\ue9canismes qui ont \ue9t\ue9 mis en place pour assurer la continuit\ue9 des activit\ue9s de l\u2019IP comprenaient des rencontres r\ue9guli\ue8res aux niveaux des antennes (sub-IP), l\u2019adoption des cultures p\ue9rennes pour lutter contre les ravages de cultures, les d\ue9placements des stocks de semences des magasins vers des lieux mieux s\ue9curis\ue9s, la solidarit\ue9 entre les membres de l\u2019IP et l\u2019\ue9tablissement d\u2019un syst\ue8me de communication pour la s\ue9curit\ue9 des personnes et des biens entre autres. Il a \ue9t\ue9 observ\ue9 que le concept de IAR4D est un cadre pratique et un mod\ue8le d\u2019impact pour la recherche agricole et de d\ue9veloppement et fournit un moyen de r\ue9silience qui renforce la coh\ue9sion de la population m\ueame en situations de conflits

PARTNERSHIPS IN HIGHLANDS OF RWANDA UNDER INTEGRATED AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT (IAR4D) ARRANGEMENTS

The Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) concept was proposed to respond to the failures of Agriculture Research and Development (ARD) systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. The key element of implementation and success of IAR4D was action sites called agricultural Innovation Platform (IPs) and their counterfactual sites. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is used to explain social relationships and partnerships. This study explored the patterns of agricultural partnerships among stakeholders in the highlands of Rwanda under IAR4D. Data were collected in action sites that included Mudende, Gataraga, Remera and Rwerere; and in their counterpart counterfactual sites that comprised of Bigogwe, Nyange and Gacaca. Results showed that in action sites, stakeholders were linked to different and diversified partners. Furthermore, many stakeholders were connected to several partners through agricultural partnerships, hence creating complex social networks with high density and degree of distribution. In the counterfactual sites, however, stakeholders were exclusively linked to the same kind of partners, and one stakeholder was connected to one partner through probably non-agricultural partnerships. These facts demonstrated that IAR4D created dense interfaces, significantly improved the networking system, and delivered technologies and innovations.Le concept de Recherche Agricole Int\ue9gr\ue9e pour le D\ue9veloppement (IAR4D) a \ue9t\ue9 propos\ue9 comme solution aux \ue9checs des syst\ue8mes Recherches Agricoles et D\ue9veloppement (ARD) en Afrique Sub-Saharienne. L\u2019\ue9l\ue9ment principal de la r\ue9ussite et du succ\ue8s d\u2019IAR4D \ue9tait l\u2019\ue9tablissement des sites d\u2019action appel\ue9s Plateformes Agricoles d\u2019innovation (IPs) ainsi que leurs sites t\ue9moins. L\u2019analyse du R\ue9seau Sociale (SNA) est utilis\ue9e pour expliquer les rapports et les relations sociaux des acteurs et des partenaires. La pr\ue9sente \ue9tude avait pour objectif d\u2019explorer les structures des relations socio-agricoles parmi les acteurs et les partenaires dans les hautes altitudes du Rwanda soumises \ue0 l\u2019IAR4D. Les donn\ue9es ont \ue9t\ue9 r\ue9colt\ue9es dans les sites d\u2019action comprenant\ua0: Mudende, Gataraga, Remera et Rwerere ainsi que dans leurs contreparties sites t\ue9moins incluant Bigogwe, Nyange et Gacaca. Les r\ue9sultats ont montr\ue9 que dans les sites d\u2019action, les acteurs \ue9taient associ\ue9s aux partenaires de natures diff\ue9rentes et un acteur \ue9tait li\ue9 \ue0 plusieurs partenaires a la fois. Dans les sites t\ue9moins par contre, les acteurs \ue9taient li\ue9s aux partenaires de m\ueames natures que ceux-ci et un acteur \ue9tait rarement li\ue9 \ue0 plus de deux partenaires. Ces faits ont montr\ue9 que l\u2019IAR4D a cr\ue9e un r\ue9seau socio-agricole tr\ue8s dense et sophistiqu\ue9 et ainsi a consid\ue9rablement am\ue9lior\ue9 le r\ue9seau socio-agricole. Par cons\ue9quent, l\u2019IAR4D peut \ueatre recommand\ue9 pour le transfert the technologies and des innovations agricoles

Principles, design and processes of integrated agricultural research for development: experiences and lessons from LKPLS under the SSACP

With increasing recognition holding the promise of overcoming the outstanding problems faced byAfrican agriculture, IAR4D faces the danger of being ‘blurred’ by past approaches and falling short of its potential to deliver the desired impacts in diverse multi-stakeholder, biophysical, socio- economic, cultural, technological and market contexts unless its actualisation and working is clearly understood. In this paper, we present the conceptualisation and principles of and knowledge-based experiences and lessons from the implementation of the sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme (SSACP) in the Lake Kivu Pilot Learning Site (LKPLS). The presentation covers the formation and facilitation of IPs for the actualisation of IAR4D to evolve mechanisms for the early recognition of interlinked issues in natural resource management, productivity and value addition technologies, markets, gender and policy arrangements. These have autonomously triggered flexible, locally directed interactions to innovate options from within or outside their environment for resolving the challenges, and have moved along a new institutional and technological change trajectory. Emerging lessons point to the endowment of IP members with selfhelp knowledge interactions, training in IAR4D, quality of facilitation and research to be key determinants of the power behind of self-regulating mechanisms

SSA challenge program: Lake Kivu pilot learning site: review of the Lake Kivu pilot learning site project and purpose of the meeting

Remarks on Review of the Lake Kivu Pilot Learning Site project and purpose of the meeting at the Cross-site Regional Review Meeting of the LKPLS, 12-15, July 2010, Kabale, Ugand

Integrated agricultural research for development ...from concept to practice

This publication presents a synthesis of methods and lessons learnt in the implementation of the Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) concept within the Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Program (SSA CP). It relates lessons learnt and impact gained from the program between 2005 to 2010. The SSA CP is the only Challenge program of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) program that is targeted at a particular region and it represents an important partnership between the stakeholders in African Agriculture, represented by FARA, and the CGIAR. The IAR4D concept utilizes the principles of innovation systems approach to foster significant changes in agriculture through wholesome engagement of stakeholders in useful partnership, market integration and participatory innovation along technological, institutional and infrastructural realm