program

=The Overall Program= For the most complete overview of the program, read the **Africa RISING Program Framework** and read //about// it here.

About Africa RISING
The Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) program comprises three regional research-in-development projects supported by the United States Agency for International Development as part of the US Government’s Feed the Future initiative. Inaugurated in late 2011, and currently in its second phase (since September 2016), the purpose of Africa RISING is to provide pathways out of hunger and poverty for smallholder farm families through sustainably intensified farming systems that sufficiently improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and conserve or enhance the natural resource base.

The three regional projects are:
 * Africa RISING East and Southern Africa Project (Sustainable intensification of cereal−legume−livestock integrated farming systems in East and Southern Africa). Implemented in Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia, led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
 * Africa RISING Ethiopian Highlands Project (Sustainable intensification of crop−livestock systems to improve food security and farm income diversification in the Ethiopian highlands). Led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
 * Africa RISING West Africa Project (Sustainable Intensification of Key Farming Systems in the Guinea-Sudano Sahelian Zone of West Africa). Implemented in Ghana and Mali, led IITA.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is responsible for data management, evaluation, and impact assessment across all three projects.

These regions were chosen based on analysis of cropping systems, poverty, population, country development priorities, and the potential for successfully improving agricultural productivity. The program’s focus is on sustainable intensification of production from small-scale, crop−livestock farming systems, through integrated multidisciplinary research to deliver a basket of technological innovations that will be disseminated to farmers through complementary development partnerships. The demand-driven research ensures that the program’s outputs are ultimately scaled to receptive and informed beneficiary households.

Implementing partners are drawn from international and national agricultural research and extension systems, development organizations, farmers, community-based organizations, and input/output dealers. Guided by the farming systems, national priorities, and the household typologies identified during Phase 1, the program aims to scale Africa RISING innovations to at least 1.1 million households by 2021. The evidence base generated through this widespread dissemination will help catalyze further partnerships that will put the promising technologies and integrated interventions into the hands of millions of rural people in Africa.

Important pointers for the program in phase 2

 * Africa RISING phase 2 umbrella proposal
 * Africa RISING East and Southern Africa project phase 2 proposal
 * Africa RISING West Africa project phase 2 proposal
 * Africa RISING Ethiopian Highlands project phase 2 proposal
 * Africa RISING Monitoring and evaluation scope of work for Phase II

Important pointers for the program in phase 1

 * Research framework - see the program framework (current) and see initial ideas about the program research approach (2012) including research design, criteria for selecting research sites, hypotheses, scale, scope, approaches and links to related events and conversations, and engagement standards for participatory research ..
 * Overall Purpose (2012)
 * Overall Objectives (2012)
 * Overall Outcomes (2012)
 * Overall Targets (2012)
 * Critical Milestones (2012)

Important components of the program

 * Science Advisory Group (external members focusing on overall strategy and direction of the program, program coherence and opportunities for partnership)
 * Program coordination team
 * Project specific coordination and management
 * Overall Monitoring and Evaluation (2012)
 * M&E in Africa RISING is also related to the Sustainability Working Group: Definition and Metrics for Africa RISING (2012)
 * Overall Communication and Knowledge Sharing

**Background information (the history of the program)**

Key elements emerging/decided from the three inception workshops


 * We call this the Africa RISING 'Program' [Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation]
 * The Program has three constituent 'Projects' [in West Africa, Ethiopia Highlands, East and Southern Africa]
 * The Program has its own Impact Targets, Purpose, Objectives and Outcomes that are addressed through the Projects
 * The Program is developing a common 'research design approach' or framework that generally specifies the assumptions and hypotheses being tested, sets out a conceptual framework - as well as target scale, scope and boundaries of the projects. This to ensure maximum spillover.
 * Each Project has its own Activities and Outputs, including planned 'early wins' for 2012.
 * The Program has a light 'Program Coordination Team' (PCT) and a linked M&E Project (led by IFPRI)
 * Each Project has its own coordination and management mechanisms, typically a steering committee, and is working on revised concept notes and detailed workplans for 2012 and beyond.

Early win projects
In the first nine months of the program (January-October 2012), each of the three Projects conducted 'Early win' projects (see related 'Early win' call for proposals ) to test out some hypotheses, firm up research questions and prepare the ground for later program research. These early win projects are documented in the aforementioned link and on the Africa RISING website.

Additional information about the program design and the Africa RISING program

 * [[file:africa-rising/ftf_slides_programdesign.ppt|Some slides on Program design]]
 * Criteria for selecting research sites
 * Inventory of projects (carried out in 2012 to identify synergies with ongoing initiatives
 * Other background literature informing our approach
 * Discover the institutional history of the Africa RISING program