Platform for African – European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Operationalizing an EU Approach to ARD Research and Innovation

7 November 2014. Brussels, The Square. Operationalizing an EU Approach to Research and Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture and Food and Nutrition security: Drawing on lessons learned. This workshop was held during the week of the meetings of the CGIAR Fund Council and Funders’ Forum – meetings that deliberated on the mid-term review of the CGIAR reforms, and the revision of the CGIAR Strategy and Results Framework that is intended to link the outputs of CGIAR research programmes to development outcomes.

DEVCO’s approach builds on lessons learned and reviews and evaluations of research under its current AR4D portfolio. It is focused around four main pillars, which provided the structure for the workshop:
  1. Ensuring the success of global and regional AR4D initiatives, building on AR4D initiatives such as those led by the CGIAR, the Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR), and on African research organisations supporting the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) process, both through funding and engagement with governance bodies.
  2. Improving European leadership, coordination and influence, in particular complementing the Horizon 2020 programme of Directorate General Research and Innovation (DG RTD), and also with Member States and the broader donor community. 
  3. Exploring new strategic directions to put research into use and achieve impact, particularly on innovation and value chains, engaging with new partners as appropriate, and on building nutrition targets into AR4D programmes. 
  4. Ensuring that AR4D delivers impact at country and local level, implying a much greater emphasis on working with EU Delegations in country to support national agricultural research and innovation systems and to foster better linkages between national priorities and the AR4D agenda at regional and global levels.
Pictures of the event forthcoming.

Related:
Final Report from the MTR Panel of the CGIAR Reform October 22.pdf
CGIAR. October 2014. 101 pages
Description: Funders Forum Documents

The Mid-Term Review Panel began its works in January 2014. Following a comprehensive review of available information, analysis of specifically-commissioned studies on particular issues, and extensive interviews with CGIAR representatives and outside partners, the Mid-Term Review Panel prepared a Consultation Draft Final Report. 

A number of preliminary comments, in particular from the Consortium Board and Directors General of the Centers, were issued prior to the development of the Consultation Draft, largely based on discussions between the Panel and the Reference Group at the second meeting of the Panel in London in July 2014. Several donors and other stakeholders also provided comments and suggestions regarding the Panel’s draft findings and recommendations. 

The Panel has taken these inputs into consideration in this report, particularly in order to improve clarity of conclusions and recommendations. The Panel proposes the following key recommendations:
  1. Develop a clear CGIAR Vision and Mission
  2. Prioritize to achieve maximum impact with the least cost
  3. Strategy and Results Framework (SRF)
  4. Governance structure
  5. Optimize the strengths of partners
  6. Scale up partnerships capable of tackling mega-challenges
  7. Scale up financing
  8. Optimize political impact
  9. Optimize knowledge impact
Related:
7 November : Brusssels' Launch of the FARA book:
Maximizing Impact from Agricultural Research: Potential of the IAR4D
This book provides the needed guidelines to put the IAR4D concept into motion by setting-up effective Innovation Platforms; it also illustrates the pathway for the functioning of the innovation platform and the achievements of the SSA CP project in the Lake kivu Pilot learning sites.
Through this publication the FARA Secretariat provides an evidenced based guide for the application of IAR4D concept in order to foster progress for the African farmers, input dealers, agricultural service providers and market agents in agriculture.

Related:
6-8 October 2014. Progress on defining EU-Africa Research and Innovation partnership on food & nutrition security and sustainable agriculture
Having agreed to prioritise research and innovation on food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture at its second plenary meeting in November 2013, a decision that was endorsed by the Heads of State at the 2014 EU-Africa Summit, the EU-Africa High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) recently established a group of 10 experts from Europe and Africa to work on a roadmap towards this EU-Africa Research and Innovation Partnership on an ambitious theme.

The ten experts are: Helena Gómez Macpherson, Philippe Petithuguenin, Joachim von Braun, Luís Goulão and Jeff Waage from Europe and Johnson A Ekpere, Paco Sereme, Daniel Nkoola Kisauzi, Ibrahim RM Benesi, Filipe Luis Bendeira Bonfim, Mohammed Jeenah from Africa.

The group of expert has met several times over the past few months and another round of meeting occurred from 6-8 October at the headquarters of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa to further develop the roadmap.

Related:
Research and innovation for sustainable agriculture and food and nutrition security.
Published by Unit C1: Rural Development, Food Security and Nutrition, Directorate General, Development and Co-operation – EuropeAid (DEVCO), European Commission, June 2014. 28 pages.

This working document presents the DEVCO approach to AR4D in the context of current policy priorities in sustainable agriculture, nutrition and resilience and how it is positioned within the European and global agenda to achieve maximum impact. 

It is focused around four main pillars:
  1. Ensuring the success of global and regional AR4D initiatives, building on AR4D initiatives such as those led by the CGIAR, the Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR), and on African research organisations supporting the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) process, both through funding and engagement with governance bodies.
  2. Improving European leadership, coordination and influence, in particular complementing the Horizon 2020 programme of Directorate General Research and Innovation (DG RTD), and also with Member States and the broader donor community.
  3. Exploring new strategic directions to put research into use and achieve impact, particularly on innovation and value chains, engaging with new partners as appropriate, and on building nutrition targets into AR4D programmes.
  4. Ensuring that AR4D delivers impact at country and local level, implying a much greater emphasis on working with EU Delegations in country to support national agricultural research and innovation systems and to foster better linkages between national priorities and the AR4D agenda at regional and global levels.

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