Review of the performance of Zambia's national system of innovation for the period 2001 to 2010

It is widely agreed globally that innovation, knowledge and learning is a vital part of economic development. It creates and promotes competitiveness at the firm level, national and regional levels. Furthermore, innovation processes are dependent on relationships and the interaction of various actors thus, it is necessary for policy makers to strengthen the innovative environment so that collaboration is encouraged and facilitated. However, in order to develop relevant policies, the innovation system in question needs to be reviewed; in this case, Zambia's national system of innovation (NSI). Science, technology and innovation (STI) in Zambia is described as relatively underdeveloped. The country gained independence in 1964 and only after 32 years of independence (1996) did it draft its first STI policy document. Sound economic policy accompanied by efficient institutions plays a key role in shaping a country's economic development. Therefore, it is believed that a timely national STI policy and mobilization of supporting institutions in Zambia could have helped the country exploit its abundant natural resources, to drive sustainable economic development. This study, which is the first of its kind, provides a review of the performance of Zambia's NSI during the period 2001 to 2010. The study starts by examining comprehensive literature on STI and NSI, particularly in relation to developing countries such as Zambia. Thereafter, key concepts from the literature are applied to the Zambian case to formulate a framework for analyzing the country's NSI. The framework involved organizing the NSI into three hierarchal levels namely; micro, meso and macro. Under these levels, system functions were selected namely; knowledge development at the micro level, business, industrial and entrepreneur activities at the meso level and resource mobilization at the macro level. Thereafter, indicators were selected to measure the performance of each system function. Subsequently, trend analysis was conducted on the set of indicators. The results of the analysis suggest that during the period 2001 to 2010, there has been significant increase in innovation input (government funding of R&D activities) and a significant growth in output (scientific research publications) at the micro level. The rise in the ratio of input to output suggests a level of efficiency in knowledge development, because the output indicator was increasing more rapidly than the increases in the input indicator. On the contrary results at the meso level, particularly with regards to exports of goods and services, revealed comparative advantage of merchandise exports, manufactured exports and high-technology exports, suggest that knowledge and innovation is not being exploited efficiently and effectively for commercial purposes. These results imply that there are some significant constraints and factors in scarce supply. In addition, the policy environment may not be favourable. Finally despite significant growth in government funding at the macro level, the results of this study show that it is still limited. The National Science and Technology Policy initially proposed that government allocates 3% of GDP annually as funding for science, technology and innovation activities. However, this has not been the case. The study indicates that an average of only 0.04% was annually allocated during the period under analysis

Cohort 1 - Call for Applications Report

The Call for Applications resulted in a total of 849 applicants, out of which 288 met the high-quality standards for prequalification. The accelerator program successfully attracted women-led or co-led agribusinesses, with 69% of applicants featuring at least one woman in the founding team. The majority of applicants (72%) indicated that they were targeting smallholder farmers in their business model, and 52% claimed to have a digital innovation, highlighting the potential for technology in transforming the food systems sector. The most mentioned crops were maize, beans, soya beans, potatoes, livestock, and rice, underscoring the importance of diversifying food production. The accelerator program core team analyzed the performance of the Call for Applications and recommended several strategies to improve the next Call. Based on the insights gained, the team suggested reducing the number of required attachments to increase the completion rate of applications. The team also plans to target previous applicants who almost made it to the shortlist with personalized emails to encourage them to reapply. In addition, the team recommended exploring alternative marketing strategies to reach potential applicants who are not active on social media, and partnering with local accelerators and incubators to leverage their networks and resources

Improving bean production and consumption in Zimbabwe baseline report

This report presents descriptive information from a baseline study conducted in 2016 to benchmark the indicators of outcomes of the flagship initiative in Zimbabwe, understand the drivers of bean improved technology adoption and potential impacts of the initiative. The primary data from 752 bean growing households that were selected from 15 districts with highest bean area were used. These districts were selected from a list of 60 districts because they allocate the largest area to bean production in 2013-2015. Study findings revealed increased severity of bean production constraints that significantly reduce bean productivity, thus PABRA focus on Zimbabwe as a flagship country for improving bean production and productivity will help poorer households access more bean for consumption. So far, households demonstrate limited awareness of improved technologies including varieties, which calls for enhanced dissemination in terms of geographical scope and capacity of farmers on how to implement it profitably. Interventions should also account for the risk of rainfall failure by putting emphasis on climate smart technologies. Irrigation is one of climate smart technologies that have been promoted in Zimbabwe and is helping farmers make huge profits from bean production. These farms have a potential to produce more surplus for marketing after expanding their area under beans. Simulations under various scenarios revealed that for the new technology to be attractive to farmers, they should generate at least yield increase of 30%. Technologies will be attractive even with 10% yield increase if adoption is accompanied by irrigation. However, use of irrigation is associated with increased demand for hired and family labour, with women likely to bear more burden of extra unpaid labour. All interventions need to be sensitive to gender as women and men contribute unpaid labour and participate in decision making for bean production and marketing but with varying intensities in specific activities or decisions

Info Note: Strengthening Food Systems Transformation in East and Southern Africa: Leveraging Science Driven Business Acceleration to Catalyse Private Sector Finance

• Agriculture in Africa has untapped potential to meet regional and global food demands, but it faces challenges like fragmentation, inefficient value chains, and climate shocks. Transforming food systems will come at a cost. • There is an opportunity to harness business acceleration as a catalyst for private sector financing food systems transformation, and a powerful scaling mechanism for climate-smart agriculture (CSA). • Science and research have a role to play in business acceleration to support the adoption and strengthening of CSA practices, benefiting both agribusiness performance and smallholder farmers. • Combining tailored CSA technical assistance with investment readiness in an integrated approach holds significant potential for driving regional food systems transformation because it ensures that agribusinesses not only have access to the necessary knowledge and expertise but are also well-prepared to secure the financial resources required for implementing sustainable and climate-smart solutions. • Selecting appropriate funding partners and mechanisms, acquiring investment knowledge, nurturing relationships with capital providers, and showcasing social and environmental impact are vital for successful financing in the agriculture sector

CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator Kick-Off Workshop

This report provides an overview of the CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator (CFSA) program’s Kick-off workshop held at Norrsken House in Rwanda. The Kick-off workshop serves as a key milestone for the program because it is the official commencement of the technical assistance of the first cohort of 10 selected agribusinesses. It highlights the program’s objectives, addresses the challenges faced by agribusinesses in securing private sector investment, presents an outline of the needs for the APs as input for the program curriculum co-creation, and sets clear intentions for achieving WP 3’s objectives through the CFSA program

Leveraging food system transformation in Latin America through scaling high impact business models

Key messages: 1) A framework was developed and applied to identify Climate-Smart Food Systems (CSFS) business models in the Latin America (LATAM) region with the potential to implement and scale climate mitigation and resilient practices across several food production systems. 2) Through the analysis, a pipeline of eight high-impact potential companies were identified to facilitate matchmaking with private sector investors. 3) Selected CSFS companies include agroforestry (i.e., coffee and cocoa), regenerative livestock production and silvipastoral systems, with positive impacts on social (e.g., gender and youth) and economic aspects. 4) Some of the most important challenges identified for implementing and scaling CSFS include: 1) access to capital, especially for long-term projects; 2) access to information and technical assistance; and 3) market validation for some products, especially fruits. 5) Regarding technical assistance, focus should be on implementing measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of emissions, accessing carbon markets and providing guidance for adoption of CSFS practices and project review and discussion for up- and middle-stream companies. 5) The CIAT-CCAFS Impact Assessment Tool showed potential for evaluating CSFS performance of companies (i) potential impact assessment and (ii) additionality of investments regarding mitigation, adaptation and productivity

Library Support Services at the University of Zambia amid the Covid-19 Pandemic: A SWOT Matrix

When the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) forced learning institutions in Zambia to abruptly transition to virtual instruction, library services adapted quickly to provide research services, instruction, and access to collections. This paper details how the University of Zambia Library used a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis framework to evaluate academic support services of the Library in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Key variables included the library collections, staffing, services and technology. The analysis revealed that strengths comprised qualified staff, technology support and a rich collection of information resources. Weaknesses are in the areas of poor funding and low staffing at paraprofessional and non-professional levels. Opportunities comprised emerging technology and consortia opportunities. Poor funding, competition from other providers and Covid-19 restrictions are threats. It is hoped that this analysis will help define strategic directions important to the library in an emergency or disaster. The study recommends that the library should leverage digital platforms to enhance service delivery

CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator Entrepreneur Spotlight: Afri-Farmers Market – Leveraging Technology to Empower Rural Farmers

A blog profiling the Afri-Farmers Market which is one of the agribusinesses that the CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator (CFSA) is supporting to scale climate-smart innovations that address food system challenges

Educational Leadership at District Level: Women’s Reflections on Their Self-Perceptions

Self-perception constitutes an indispensable component of social life that might significantly contribute to one’s leadership ability. This study examined the perceptions that women in educational leadership at the district offices in one of the provinces in South Africa have about themselves and their leadership roles. It formed part of qualitative research aimed at exploring women’s experiences of career advancement into educational leadership positions at the district level in the North West Province of South Africa. The aim was to understand how district office women see themselves and their leadership responsibilities, as well as how they believe their own self-perceptions have helped them advance in their careers. The participants for this study were thirteen female managers in educational leadership positions who were selected using the purposive sampling method. Framework and thematic analysis methods were utilized in the analysis of the individual face-to-face interviews. The study adopted the self-concept theory as its core theoretical framework. The study revealed that women in educational leadership perceived themselves as competent and accomplished leaders who possessed the requisite leadership qualities to enable them to progress in their careers. The study's findings also demonstrated that women's self-perceptions and educational leadership capabilities have a substantial impact on their careers, as they serve as sources of motivation and propelling forces for advancement. Keywords: Self-concept, self-perceptions, educational leadership, career advancement La perception de soi est une composante indispensable de la vie sociale qui peut contribuer de manière significative à la capacité de leadership d'une personne. La présente étude examine les perceptions qu’ont les femmes qui occupent des postes de responsabilité dans le domaine de l'éducation dans l'une des provinces d'Afrique du Sud d'elles-mêmes et de leurs rôles en tant que leaders. Elle s'inscrit dans le cadre d'une étude qualitative plus large visant à explorer les expériences des femmes en matière d'avancement professionnel à des postes de direction dans le domaine éducatif au niveau du district dans la province du Nord-Ouest de l'Afrique du Sud. L'objectif était de comprendre la perception qu’ont les femmes des services publics du district de leurs responsabilités de leaders et de la manière qu’elles pensent que leur propre perception de soi les a aidées à progresser dans leur carrière. Les participantes à cette étude étaient treize femmes cadres occupant des postes de responsabilité dans le domaine de l'éducation, sélectionnées par la méthode de l'échantillonnage raisonné. Les méthodes d’analyse du cadre et d'analyse thématique ont été utilisées pour les entretiens individuels en présentiel. L'étude a adopté la théorie de l’image de soi comme cadre théorique de base. L'étude a révélé que les femmes ayant des responsabilités dans l'éducation se perçoivent comme des leaders compétents et accomplis qui possèdent les qualités de leadership requises pour leur permettre de progresser dans leur carrière. Les résultats de l'étude ont également démontré que la perception que les femmes ont d'elles-mêmes et de leurs capacités de leadership en matière d'éducation a un impact considérable sur leur carrière, car elle constitue une source de motivation et un encouragement à avancer. Mots clés : Image de soi, perception de soi, leadership éducatif, avancement de carrièr