EBPDN

Research Criteria

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Dear all, I hope you have signed up already A summarized before, the criteria are below. I have some comments to add/ask: Purpose of workshop from web site 1) To examine past partnerships efforts, peer learning and experience sharing and to explore causes of success or failure 2) To develop the capacity of staff in improving the impact of the research being produced by their research institutes and universities and to examine how this is done by their peers. 3) To facilitate the sharing of knowledge among key research institutes and to discuss ideas on how to strengthen this exchange [b:f13b008032]Selection criteria of individuals for the event:[/b:f13b008032] [b:f13b008032] [/b:f13b008032] • Relevance of research to agricultural innovation and development/spread of ideas into action in Africa • Role or responsibility of the participant. Will he or she be able to influence communication practices in their organisations? Participant should be either a key staff member actively involved in doing it or someone who can directly allocate resources within an organisation in order to develop the staff capacity and research communications • Knowledge/experience of research communications • Membership and participation in regional and global networks Selection of the overall group • Gender balance • Balance between those with a lot of experience to share/those who need to be persuaded to do more and be more innovative those who are interested but need some initial support • University/thinktanks (or policy research institutes) • Balance of those creating knowledge (researchers and thinktanks) with users of knowledge (e.g. head of national farmers groups like EAFF, private companies, seed producers associations, networks of agricultural NGO’s, para-statals, Government controlled extension services, international development partners working across Africa. In my view this is not going to work. First, it will be difficult to bring in policymakers and development partners. Second it would alter significantly the dynamic of the group and the discussions. WE should focus on knowledge producers and these could be based in public or private institutions. • Balance of those involved in plant based research with some of those involved in Livestock (dairy, poultry and fisheries) (This might be too detailed, we need to see what proposals we have) • Cross section of Anglophone countries (Large countries, smaller countries, ICT proactive (Mauritius/ Rwanda) ICT less active (Zimbabwe, Sudan??) • Strong within country Agricultural research base versus weak agricultural research base. Again, I think this will alter the dynamic of the group. If by weak we mean quality I would advice against. But if we mean that they have limited resources at their disposal, then ok. For reference: Anglophone countries include Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. (Rwanda is also now officially Anglophone) Next step is to agree and use with list of candidates prepared by GDN Note that in the project page, I have added all the members of this email group who have signed up to the network. I hope you have been able to sign up to the forum and that you’ll get the email through it. If[b:f13b008032] you attach a document to an email when sending it to the forum it will come as a link at the bottom of the email. [/b:f13b008032] Best ---------------------------- Enrique Mendizabal Research Fellow Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) www.odi.org.uk/rapid Latin America and the Caribbean Group (LACG) www.odi.org.uk/lacg tel +44 (0)2079220313 fax +44 (0)2079220399 e.mendizabal@odi.org.uk skype: quiquemendizabal _________ ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email ______________________________________________________________________ [Message posted by email]

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Hi I am Enrique Mendizabal, Research Fellow at the Research and Policy in DEvelopment (RAPID) Group at the ODI. I focus on policy influence and on networks. I won;t be able to attend the workshop in Ethiopia but I'll be working with you over the next month to help organise it. John and Fletcher from ODI will attend and facilitate the process. Best quique

Introduction

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Dear colleagues, I’m posting this quick note to introduce myself as one of the organizers of the upcoming event titled “Maximizing the Impact of Agricultural Research in Africa: A Workshop on Research Communication.” I am currently a research fellow with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and have been based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia since 2004. My research agenda covers a range of topics including agricultural science, technology and innovation policy; markets and systems for promoting improved seed; and community-driven rural development programs. Prior to my work at IFPRI, I worked on agriculture and rural development issues for the World Bank (Washington, D.C.), the Aga Khan Development Network (Pakistan), and several other organizations. I received a Ph.D. in Economics from American University in 2003, an M.Sc. in Development Studies from the London School of Economics in 1993, and a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University in 1992. We are looking forward to hosting everyone here in Addis Ababa. It should be an exciting workshop. [Message posted by email]

1220436174

Dear Jeff and Quique Thank you for setting this up. Please point out where the 'new subscriptions' link is. I presume this is to establish the email link. Thank you Sue (Canney Davison, Nairobi)

Welcome to the Research Communications list

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The list for the Maximising the impact of Research in Africa workshop is now up. In order to join the list, users must be a member of the ebpdn. Users can register for the ebpdn at: [url=http://www.ebpdn.org/members/register.php]http://www.ebpdn.org/members/register.php[/url] by following the on-screen directions. All users are automatically subscribed to the general forum, but to subscribe to the Research Communications forum, select ‘Your Profile’ ([url=http://www.ebpdn.org/members/profile.php]http://www.ebpdn.org/members/profile.php[/url]) after logging in on the front page of the ebpdn. Follow the ‘change your email subscriptions’ ([url=http://www.ebpdn.org/forum/m2f_usercp.php]http://www.ebpdn.org/forum/m2f_usercp.php[/url]) link on the profile. Under the ‘new subscriptions’ section, select the tick box next to the Research Communications forum and click the ‘subscribe selected’ button. Posts can be sent to the forum by sending an email to rescomms@ebpdn.org ([email]rescomms@ebpdn.org[/email]) or it can be accessed online at: [url=http://www.ebpdn.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=10]http://www.ebpdn.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=10[/url] Jeff Jeff Knezovich [url=http://www.odi.org.uk/RAPID]RAPID[/url] Communications Assistant [url=http://www.odi.org.uk/]Overseas Development Institute (ODI)[/url] 111 Westminster Bridge Road London SE1 7JD T: +44.(0)20.7922.0392 F: +44.(0)20.7922.0399 [i:6c4f2071e1]Think before you print![/i:6c4f2071e1] ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email ______________________________________________________________________ [Message posted by email]

Food Crisis and Complex Livelihoods in the Horn, East and Central Africa

Thursday 01 January 1970 01:33:28

The attention generated by the �global food price crisis� is raising questions and concerns around food security and famine in the Greater Horn of Africa. A focus on this single issue however adds little to the understanding of what the multiple factors currently affecting complex livelihoods in this vast and diverse region. This paper was commissioned by the Oxfam Great Britain Horn, East and Central Africa (HECA) regional office in Nairobi to help programme and policy staff analyze, understand and communicate the complexity of factors driving the current livelihoods crisis in the Greater Horn of Africa. It is intended to help frame the issues and problems at the regional level, and outlines some general policy responses. It does not go into enough detail to map current interventions and resource gaps, as this analysis is better done at a country level. Originally drafted as an internal document, it can also be shared informally with food security and other colleagues in fellow NGO, UN and donor agencies.

The future for wildlife on Kenya's Rangelands: An economic perspective

Thursday 01 January 1970 01:33:28

The briefing paper creates an awareness platform focusing on Kenya's rangelands that are undergoing a fundamental transformation in land use from nomadic, transhumant pastoralism to a more sedentary agro-pastoralism. Current conservation policy in Kenya, as evidenced by the new Wildlife Act (2007), demonstrates little awareness by the Government of Kenya of either the magnitude of these problems or of any real commitment to redress them. Over half of the most productive rangelands in Kenya, which used to hold the great majority of wildlife, are now supporting agricultural production with an associated rapid evolution of property rights from large land parcels under communal or group ownership to small land parcels under private ownership. This is attributed to the economic process of transformation that is cascading down the rainfall gradient and is proceeding faster, and is more advanced, in the areas of higher agricultural potential. This transformation is being driven by macro and micro economic forces within the Kenyan economy which scarcely existed even 25 years ago. At the macroeconomic scale both domestic (primarily urban) and international markets are expanding, there are real gains in producer prices, ever-increasing opportunities for off-farm jobs and investment, and a wider availability and choice of goods and services. At the micro-economic level are improved market and transport networks, improved information networks about market conditions, and improved access to financial services. All of these create incentives for pastoral landholders to increase returns to land by investing in land development and production. While livestock seem to be generally absorbed within the expanding agricultural and settlement frontier, wildlife are being displaced and eliminated.

Survival of the fittest: Patoralism and Climate Change in East Africa

Thursday 01 January 1970 01:33:28

Climate change is having a destructive impact on many groups around the world. Pastoralists in East Africa have been adapting to climate variability for millennia and their adaptability ought to enable them to cope with this growing challenge. This paper explains the policies required to enable sustainable and productive pastoralist communities to cope with the impact of climate change and generate sustainable livelihoods.

Revitilizing African Agriculture

Thursday 01 January 1970 01:33:28

The paper takes a closer look at the highly political issues encompassing Africa on land tenure and secure property rights. These are highly political issues which Agricultural "experts" tend to shy away from. The analysis attempts to explore the agricultural inequalities within Kenya. There are abundant data showing the striking gains to be made in economic productivity and environmental management on land farmed under secure property rights. The data explored are of real significant to the debate on raising agricultural productivity and the standards of land management throughout Africa.

Discussing Trade and Poverty in Latin America

Thursday 01 January 1970 01:33:28

Maximizing the Impact of Agricultural Research in Africa

2008-09-02 20:42:17

Research by itself does not necessarily lead to change either in the field or at the policy level. How can this link be strengthened? This workshop will explore in detail how research institutes working in agriculture can maximize the impact of their work through enhanced communication efforts. The Global Development Network (GDN) has partnered with the World Bank Institute (WBI), African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Bellanet , Busoga Rural Open Source and Development Initiative (BROSDI), Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), and Centre d'Analyse des Politiques Economiques et Sociales (CAPES), to organize workshops (held in Cairo, Kampala, Johannesburg, and Ouagadougou) to build the capacity of African research institutes and networks to better understand and apply the tools and approaches of knowledge management, thereby strengthening their research communication initiatives. The focus of these events was to share experience and insights on the challenges faced by research institutes in managing the knowledge that they are generating so that they can strengthen their operations and offer better services to their clients. Given the focus that agricultural research in Africa is getting, the need to communicate that research to the people who need it the most � policymakers and practitioners � is even more critical. The proposed workshop is an opportunity to take a concrete step in this direction. Workshop Objectives 1) To examine past efforts at partnerships, peer learning and experience sharing and to explore the causes of success and failure. 2) To develop the capacity of staff in improving the impact of the research being produced by their research institutes and universities, and to examine how this has been done by their peers. 3) To facilitate the sharing of knowledge among key research institutes and to discuss ideas on how to strengthen this exchange

Taking Power Project

2008-08-11 14:06:15

Taking Power is the main civic education project of YDF. It empowers young people aged between 15- 25yrs and the community in Chipata District to take action on human rights, HIV/AIDS and gender inequality at both the personal and community level. Zambia remains one of the world�s poorest countries, but despite the return of multi-party politics in 1991 most young people are disengaged from political routes to solve their problems. According to 2000 census and Human Development Report, Zambia has an approximated population of 11 million people of which 68% are young people between ages of 15 and 25. The aim of taking power project is to foster a culture of participation in political life within the target audience. To archive this aim, This project will target 40 schools in Chipata districts for a period of 3 years. In this time it will reach 1200 school pupils with information on Gender, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights and Youth Participation in developmental activities. These pupils will then form YDF clubs and will be trained further in Advocacy and lobbying, facilitation and community mobilization. Each year they will attend a conference to decide on a joint campaign, then lobby the government of Zambia on this campaign Each year YDF will conduct 160 workshops on human rights and the importance of participation, HIV/AIDS, and gender. This will bring to total 480 workshops for a period of 3 years, reaching 1200 pupils directly. The skills and knowledge acquired will then be put into practice with a mass lobby advocacy conference to the government of Zambia on one of the key issues.

Empowering Smallholder Farmers in Markets

2008-07-08 09:51:12

By articulating national farmers� organisations in developing countries with researchers and consultants, the ESFIM programme will strengthen their capacities in developing pro-active policy proposals for smallholder market access. Proposals that will be adapted to their specific national context, but enriched with the experiences of other farmers� organisations inside and outside their country.

Influencing policy and practice to support pastoral livelihoods

2008-06-23 11:09:38

Organisations working with pastoralists on practical and policy changes have not significantly changed thinking among policy makers and the media. The dominance of emergency response to crisis overshadows an urgent need for a more comprehensive understanding of pastoral livelihoods and their development needs as well as the constraints to change. Existing policies tend to remain unimplemented or inappropriate. Growing populations and a combination of other threats mask the potential to effectively utilize the natural resource base of these Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASALs) of the Region. The project aims to shed light on the constraints to change. Implementing partners will also work on 5 Thematic areas: 1. Climate change 2. Population and settlements 3. Social protection 4. Preparedness planning 5. Cross border trade, Vet services and conflict resolution as a means of networking with key audiences that influence policy. This will involve information gathering to develop evidence based policy briefs, increased policy dialogue, influencing policy and practice change and strengthening capacity to facilitate more effective communication with local partners and decision-makers. Join the debate: http://www.ebpdn.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=8

Contraceptive and Reproductive Health Technologies and Research

2008-04-12 12:16:51

FHI's work affects public health on a local, regional, and global level. In collaboration with our partners, we focus on high priority research and programs and strive to improve reproductive health policy and practice by generating evidence that affects international standards and host country norms and guidelines for the provision of services.