Building an online platform in support of outcome-focused results-based program management

• The online platform is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of CCAFS as well as the requirements of CGIAR. • Consensus is needed from the outset about the requirements of such a platform, as the right balance has to be struck between detail and leanness. • We started with a complex, idealistic vision, which was radically simplified through time to promote partner buy-in. The platform was constantly being challenged to be lean and intuitive. • Several testing rounds are needed to get to the right level of minimum requirements and maximum flexibility; at the same time, the conceptual structure of the online platform needs to be robust enough to allow for adjustment. • The conceptualisation of the online platform took the most time and effort; inputs were needed from program managers, project leaders, research and development partners, and monitoring, learning and evaluation experts, to achieve buy-in from an early stage

Data management support pack

This pack is designed to help you produce high quality, reusable and open data from your research activities. It consists of documents, templates and videos covering the different aspects of data management and ranging from the overarching concepts and strategies through to the day-to-day activities. For each of the videos in the pack we have included a transcript of the narrative. The Data Management Support Pack was created to support the implementation of the CCAFS Data Management strategy

Guiding principles or "propositions" on Monitoring and Evaluation in CCAFS

Guiding monitoring and evaluation within the CCAFS program. A CCAFS Planning & Reporting platform (P&R) has been developed so that it works for the Results Based Management (RBM) trial for Flagship 4, i.e., allow Flagship project reporting for 2014. This objective has been extended to the creation of a one-system platform for the new CCAFS portfolio of projects, starting with planning for 2015 (new projects) and reporting for 2014 for all projects

Data Management Plan: Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA)

This global data management plan’s primary purpose is to help AICCRA support evidence-based decision-making by ensuring that the research data, which is essential for the integrity, quality, and value of research, is appropriately managed at the project level. It also strengthens the culture of results-based project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) by ensuring the reporting of high-quality information products. AICCRA will make these information products available for the long-term to partners and the scientific community following an Open Access Policy. The CGIAR and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT also recommend the implementation of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles for each output. Additionally, this plan also includes establishing data sharing and management processes from legal agreements through research operations and reporting. This “conveyor belt” process will be applied to AICCRA through the MIS reporting system (MARLO). The system identifies the generated data and information products and verifies that products are made publicly available within timeframes agreed upon contractually with partners. Simultaneously, these processes will guide and support scientists and CGIAR Centers to facilitate the production of well-managed and documented datasets that are easy to use both now and in the future. AICCRA aims to provide a centralized place to collect all information products generated by its research activities. It expects to attract contributions into the platform from scientists working in related thematic areas even if they are not directly managed or funded by AICCRA. It is expected that this will increase accessibility and visibility of scientific outputs to a global community for adding even more value to the products of research with development outcomes in mind

CCAFS Web and Statistics Report for 2017

This document reports on the statistics related to the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) website and data platforms from January to December 2017. The report includes statistics on the main CCAFS website –including publication downloads –and on data and tools platforms managed by CCAFS. Generally the statistics show that traffic and use of the CCAFS website and material was positive (both in terms of the number of hits and the proportion of those that were from “new visitors”) and that social media plays a role in referring users to the CCAFS site and materials. Most hits originated from a handful of the same countries. The US, Colombia, India, Kenya, and the UK appeared frequently on the top 5 country list.If you have any comments or questions or would like to request other statistics to be featured in future reports, please contact David Abreu ([email protected])

Conflictos y paradojas de la trova antioqueña. Trasegares rurales-urbanos en el siglo XX

This article focuses its attention on the historical development of the Antioquenean trova, an improvised poetic musical expression of the tradition of the Northwestern Andean region of Colombia. The trova delves into the twentieth century rural and urban contexts in which, by communicating a regional and national reality, which is marked by the relationship between the armed conflict, violence, displacement, drug trafficking and information media explosion, the trova transits as one of the social mechanisms with which society seeks to communicate and to be communicated.Este artículo centra su atención en el devenir histórico de la trova antioqueña, expresión poético musical improvisada de la tradición del noroccidente andino colombiano, la trova ahonda en los contextos rurales y urbanos del siglo XX en los que, comunicando una realidad regional y nacional, marcada por la relación entre conflicto armado, violencia, desplazamiento, narcotráfico y explosión mediática. La trova transita como uno de los mecanismos sociales con los que la sociedad busca comunicar y comunicarse

CCAFS Knowledge by the Numbers 2019

2020 has been a challenging year; however, thanks to your efforts in reporting your outputs in MARLO, we are pleased to share with you the stats and analysis of CCAFS knowledge and data sharing achievements in 2019.We would like to highlight that in 2019:We increased the number of reported deliverables by approximately 25%;We registered 6% more open access publications;We increased the number of successfully reported deliverables by 4% and decreased the number of incomplete deliverables.We have included relevant statistics that can help better position our research among different audiences, taking into consideration our compliance with Open access and FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable). We hope this report will encourage you to continue reporting your deliverables in MARLO and using the suitable repositories which we have available, so our research achieves more impact at scale

Conflictos y paradojas de la trova antioqueña. Trasegares rurales-urbanos en el siglo XX

This article focuses its attention on the historical development of the Antioquenean trova, an improvised poetic musical expression of the tradition of the Northwestern Andean region of Colombia. The trova delves into the twentieth century rural and urban contexts in which, by communicating a regional and national reality, which is marked by the relationship between the armed conflict, violence, displacement, drug trafficking and information media explosion, the trova transits as one of the social mechanisms with which society seeks to communicate and to be communicated.Este artículo centra su atención en el devenir histórico de la trova antioqueña, expresión poético musical improvisada de la tradición del noroccidente andino colombiano, la trova ahonda en los contextos rurales y urbanos del siglo XX en los que, comunicando una realidad regional y nacional, marcada por la relación entre conflicto armado, violencia, desplazamiento, narcotráfico y explosión mediática. La trova transita como uno de los mecanismos sociales con los que la sociedad busca comunicar y comunicarse

Webinar - CCAFS Annual Reporting 2018

A webinar covering CCAFS Data Management Strategy including planning and reporting processes

CCAFS Guide to Dissemination of Research Outputs

This is an info graphic for all of MARLO users