Lessons and Insights from CCAFS Results-Based Management Trial

Lessons learned from Flagship 4's Results-Based Management trial, based of an extensive survey to the trial project managers, coordinators and partners

Moving from Knowledge to Action: Blogging research and outcome highlights

This blog book tells the story of CCAFS research theme ‘Linking Knowledge with Action’; its approach and lessons learned throughout the years, especially 2014, while illustrating its many achievements through blogs and photos

Lessons in Theory of Change from the Introductory Training on Theories of Change, Impact Pathways and Monitoring & Evaluation

The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) is using theory of change (TOC) planning to specify research outputs, the partnerships needed to produce the outputs, and a plausible hypothesis on how these outputs will contribute to CCAFS and CGIAR development outcomes. This brief reports back from the first training workshop with the team on developing TOCs, Impact Pathways and Monitoring and Evaluation

Barriers to effective climate change policy development and implementation in West Africa

This Info Note explores major barriers for effective climate change policy implementation in Ghana, Mali and Senegal with a particular focus on agriculture and food systems. It aims to provide insights to researchers, policy makers and development practitioners working on climate change issues and activities as to what hampers successful climate policy implementation in West Africa and how identified barriers could be over-come

Antinomies in the formation of contemporary food routines : an analysis grounded on social practices

O presente artigo analisa a formação das rotinas alimentares com foco nas práticas sociais a partir das antinomias entre o dentro/fora, prazer/obrigação e as constâncias/ mudanças, comparando dados de três países, Brasil, Reino Unido e Espanha. Os dados provêm de três projetos de investigação, conduzidos em cada um dos países, entre os períodos de 2014, 2015 e 2016, gerando informações a partir de 183 entrevistas, tratadas e codificadas. As rotinas alimentares aqui compreendidas envolvem regularidade, sequência e uso recursivo do tempo. As antinomias quanto ao comer dentro/fora e ao prazer/obrigação demostram aspectos relativos à fuga da rotina, à divisão social do trabalho e às influências que os menus de fora, ou mesmo de dentro de casa, exercem sobre a dieta alimentar, diferenciando-se, em alguns aspectos, entre os três países. É possível verificar que os condicionantes das mudanças/constâncias em torno das rotinas alimentares convergem parcialmente entre os países analisados, com mudanças mais “bruscas” na presença de filhos, nos aspectos quanto à saúde e na fase de independência dos filhos. Porém, mudanças mais “graduais” foram percebidas quanto ao paladar, à oferta de alimentos, à renda e às dinâmicas laborais. Destaca-se o cosmopolitismo britânico, o tradicionalismo espanhol, e uma “mescla” entre o cosmopolitismo e tradicionalismo no Brasil.The present article analyses the formation of food routines with a focus on social practices. The analysis is based on the antinomies between inside/outside, pleasure/ obligation and constancy/changes, and compares empirical results obtained from three countries: Brazil, the United Kingdom and Spain. The data come from three research projects, conducted in each country, from 2014 to 2016, which generated information from 183 interviews that was treated and coded. The considered food routines include regularity, sequence and recursive use of time. The antinomies regarding eating home/out-of-home and pleasure/obligation showed aspects related to escape from routine; social division of labour and influences that either out-ofhome or home menus have on the diet; such aspects showed differences in some respects among these three countries. It was observed that the determinants of changes/constancy in eating routines somewhat converge among the three countries, with more “abrupt” changes in the presence of children, in terms of health and in the stage of children’s independence. On the other hand, more “gradual” changes were noted in connection with taste, food supply, income and work dynamics. Empirical findings point to a British cosmopolitanism, Spanish traditionalism, and a “mix” of cosmopolitanism and traditionalism in Brazil

Selected outcome-focused monitoring tools for communication and engagement

Key messages The development and research sectors have begun monitoring communication and engagement efforts over the last decade, with the result that there are now a number of tools available. It is rare that blueprints of tools can be applied across a variety of communication and engagement activities in development and research. Analysis and skill are required to select the right tool and adapt it to the research for development context to be monitored. Additional efforts are needed to go beyond monitoring outputs of communication and engagement activities. It is recommended to integrate the use of tools into the actual communication and engagement activities rather than have them stand alone

Measuring how communication and engagement efforts help deliver outcomes

Key messages Initial steps towards outcome-focused monitoring, evaluation & learning (MEL) on communication and engagement can be small, but they must be systematic. To achieve broad participation, MEL needs to be lean and do-able. Well-designed MEL adds value by feeding information and lessons into future work and decision-making. Adequate time must be devoted to embedding MEL into the initial activity plan and following it throughout the communication engagement activity and afterwards. MEL is easier when it is done more often. It is helpful to draw upon resource persons. Preparatory work and capturing feedback through mechanisms built into the communication- engagement activity is more informative than soliciting responses afterwards. Peer exchanges about MEL practices and adaptable templates are beneficial. Aligning specific communication activities with the established impact pathway can ensure more strategic and focused activities and products that contribute to outcomes and impact

Introducing EDEN ISS - A European project on advancing plant cultivation technologies and operations

Plant cultivation in large-scale closed environments is challenging and several key technologies necessary for space-based plant production are not yet space-qualified or remain in early stages of development. The EDEN ISS project foresees development and demonstration of higher plant cultivation technologies, suitable for future deployment on the International Space Station and from a long-term perspective, within Moon and Mars habitats. The EDEN ISS consortium will design and test essential plant cultivation technologies using an International Standard Payload Rack form factor cultivation system for potential testing on-board the International Space Station. Furthermore, a Future Exploration Greenhouse will be designed with respect to future planetary bio-regenerative life support system deployments. The technologies will be tested in a laboratory environment as well as at the highly-isolated German Antarctic Neumayer Station III. A small and mobile container-sized test facility will be built in order to provide realistic mass flow relationships. In addition to technology development and validation, food safety and plant handling procedures will be developed. This paper describes the goals and objectives of EDEN ISS and the different project phases and milestones. Furthermore, the project consortium will be introduced and the role of each partner within the project is explained