program_strategy_workshop_narratives

(//We// //set out to: identify possible brief ideas, agree on the template, develop an action plan for these briefs. We also identified some criteria that guide the selection of these briefs' topics//).

Success stories/narratives of success should cover issues like:
 * Technologies that can be scaled;
 * Stories of integration and other 'big picture' narratives of good work emerging from the regions;
 * All evidence-based;
 * Reviewed by chief scientists, PCT or another quorum of scientists that approve the publication of these;
 * Research that is based on at least 2 years of data;
 * Including testimonies from farmers;
 * Targets and how we come to these.

> And consider Africa RISING peer-reviewed journal articles? Including Job Kihara's and Lulseged Desta's articles...
 * __Possible topics for briefs__:**
 * Doubled-up legumes in Malawi;
 * Comparison of statistical and community-based typologies;
 * Impact of productivity and women empowerment in Ghana - but we need photos and perhaps qualitative feedback from the farmers
 * Intensification of farm productivity through agro-forestry in Mali (combining fruit trees and vegetables) – based on 3-year data
 * Evidence brief on communications / impacts
 * Watershed work in Mali - Birhanu, ICRISAT team (data available, but still not complete)
 * Water management brief/ shallow wells –( water accessibility/scarcity; providing water lifting systems) Survey done; established a research protocol out of the survey; have one season data
 * Agronomic survey to assess crop yield, controlling factors and management implications: a case-study of Babati in northern Tanzania – Job Kihara
 * Sustainable use of nitrogen fertilizer for intensive maize production in northern Ghana
 * Productivity of Hybrid Maize-cowpea Cropping Systems in northern Ghana
 * Intensifying maize production in integrated crop-livestock farming systems in northern Ghana
 * Child malnutrition in northern Ghana: evidence, factors and recommendations from a new study
 * Modeling of intensification and extensification scenarios in Africa RISING villages
 * The impact of Africa RISING technologies on production, diversity and nutrition in Malawi and Ghana - IFPRI (Sara)
 * Intercropping in Hosanna, Ethiopia - __Resource person__: Peter Thorne/Kindu Mekonnen, Aberra Adie. Full data available.
 * Crop residue management including inputs etc. in Ethiopia - __Resource person__: Melkamu Derseh.
 * Integrated soil fertility management in the Ethiopia Highlands. __Resource person__: Tilahun Amede. Some evidence available.
 * ICARDA-CIMMYT-CIP work in Endamehoni (becoming a benchmark in the region). __Resource person__: Fred Baudron, Seid Kamal, Kalpana Sharma.
 * Joint watershed management (adapting landscapes). __Resource person__: Lulseged Desta, Kindu Mekonnen, Tilahun Amede
 * How are Africa RISING Interventions Affecting Production Diversity and Dietary Quality? Evidence from Northern Ghana - IFPRI
 * Soil nitrogen management and farming systems analysis in Malawi - IFPRI
 * Web-Based Project Monitoring and Data Management: What did Africa RISING Teach Us? - IFPRI
 * Diversify Production, Improve Diets? Evidence from Malawi - IFPRI
 * Targeting and Bias in Participatory Research: Evidence from Malawi - IFPRI

__For later (data missing)__:
 * Tradeoff analysis (Zambia now and later Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi)... __Resource person__: Jeroen Groot.
 * Intensification of farms through agro-forestry in Mali. __Resource person__: Catherine Dembele.
 * Contour bunds work in Mali. __Resource person__: Birhanu Zemadim.
 * Participatory technology selection and testing through technology parks and innovation platforms in Mali. __Resource person__: Birhanu Zemadim + Joachim Binam.
 * Water management practices in Mali. How to reduce water scarcity even in the rainy season, using water lifting technology. __Resource person__: Birhanu Zemadim.
 * Nutrition activities in Mali. __Resource person__: Caroline Sobgui.
 * Communication impact? __Resource person__: Jonathan Odhong.
 * For Ethiopia: list of briefs generated in the writeshop.


 * Format/template of the briefs **
 * Use (adapted) brief template developed by ILRI for the whole series of these briefs.
 * Perhaps highlight some (or most) of the stories on e.g. Adobe Slate.


 * Guidelines for the briefs and process/planning**
 * **What** || **Who** || **When** || **Notes** ||
 * Share the template + brief guidelines for review with all chief scientists || JO / SY || **09/10** ||  ||
 * Circulate template to activity leaders for filling their briefs (based on identified stories) || JO / SY || 16/10 ||  ||
 * Generate stories || Scientists / authors || 15/11 ||  ||
 * Review list of stories and identify what is missing (story, evidence, photos, graphs) || JO / SY || 30/11 ||  ||
 * Review stories technically (chief scientist + as and when technical scientists) || Chief scientists || 30/11 ||  ||
 * Adapt briefs/stories on the basis of the feedback || Scientists / authors || 15/12 ||  ||
 * Send to comms folks for formatting & review || Scientists / authors || 15/12 ||  ||
 * Identify members for the selection committee || PCT members || **09/10** ||  ||
 * Select best stories based on the reservoir of stories || Selection committee || 31/01 ||  ||
 * Develop the SLATE stories || JO / SY and ILRI CKM (+CIAT?) || 28/02 ||  ||
 * Identify new candidate stories for briefs - at every PCT meeting || PCT members || Ongoing ||  ||

By the scientific symposium, next year, we will have to turn a lot of the scientific outputs into comms products and distill some more of these great evidence narratives.

__Guidelines for the template__: These are based on the ILRI template and they will be reviewed by the chief scientists from all three regions.

We already have a general brief series that covers all sorts of stuff. This needs to be focused on ‘evidence’ – ideally hard, but can also be soft, eg from MSC stories.


 * 2 pages
 * Same style as existing briefs. 2-3 photos; some data/tables/evidence, if possible linked to GIS data;
 * Think about audience – higher level (evaluators; donors, USAID administrators that are bored to read reports and want good information);
 * Technologies that can be scaled;
 * Stories of integration and other 'big picture' narratives of good work emerging from the regions;
 * All evidence-based;
 * Reviewed by chief scientists, PCT or another quorum of scientists that approve the publication of these;
 * Research that is based on at least 2 years of data;
 * Including testimonies from farmers;

See the template file here: See a filled example here (which should have featured more photos):
 * TEMPLATE**

Title

Key messages – as bullets. Why the evidence in this brief is important/significant. Probably in a box.

Problem/Issue statement. What did we try to do? Why this piece of research or protocol or activity? What were we looking for?

Findings and Result(s). What did the research tell us. What did we find/learn. Ideally with data.

Meaning. The ‘so what’ statement. Why are these results significant? Who/what will be done with them?

Narrative. Ideally a short para that explains where the research took place, when, by/with whom, and methods. A link to any report/article this is associated with.

Credits box – authors, analysts, etc.

Standard AR contact block with address, author info, usaid attribution etc.


 * Comments from other groups**
 * This series of briefs will be referred to in the comms section and added as appendixes.
 * There are many other journal articles from Ghana etc.
 * Kindu and Lulseged are happy to join this discussion...
 * 5 more possible topics from IFPRI