pct13

=Africa RISING PCT meeting= 18 November 2015 Virtual 1600-1730 (EAT)

Participants

Boni Moyo (BM) - chair Peter Thorne (PT) Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon (IHZ) Bernard van Lauwe (BvL) Carlo Azzarri (CA) Peter Ballantyne (PB) - notes

Apologies: Jerry Glover (JG)

PCT page


 * Agenda **
 * 1) Phase 2 writing team activities and actions
 * 2) External evaluations process and updates/actions
 * 3) Phase 1 science symposium? - reconfirm previous discussion: DEFER TO THE START OF PHASE 2 (Oct/Nov 2016). But regions can do own as needed.
 * 4) Other business
 * 5) Next PCT meeting - 9 or 10 December?

= Overall action points =


 * || **Action** || **Status** || **Notes and Actions update** ||
 * 1 || Phase 2 proposal || Largely addressed in program strategy workshop

See also timetable and milestones for this


 * Suggested writing team**: Project coordinators (PT, IHZ, BvL, CA + PB). Lead author: **Peter Thorne**.

20/11 – PT to circulate brief **format** for proposals; umbrella programme document + individual project proposals (x3) for comment / agreement. 27/11 – Feedback on format from writing team 04/12 – PT to produce zero draft of umbrella document (including various contributions from Washington, Wageningen and Bamako) and circulate to writing team 31/12 – Inputs received from writing team.
 * Updated Schedule from Peter T:**


 * 3 regional proposals will be very similar (structure etc) with some local customizing
 * Need to be sure we work towards what USAID really want.
 * Raw content more or less there - PT will point to any gaps in zero draft.
 * Research questions need some work still; maybe some others?
 * need to recruit a specialised writer to assist with proposal
 * Need to get SAG inputs to the proposal, once we have a reasonable draft - right timing and role is critical.

See link to resources || SEE ALL ACTIONS BELOW +: **ACTION**: Involve the SAG in the phase 2 proposal || Ethiopia planning for Feb-Mar visit; but no updates. Need to prepare the documentation well ESA planning ||  || ESA/WA: We have 11 draft evidence briefs, need to be re-formatted and approved by chief scientists, some still pending, all will be completed by early January
 * ACTION**: PCT team to review all outputs
 * ACTION ** : Connect Boni with a USAID champion writer
 * ACTION ** : The PCT needs to devise a consultation process.
 * || External evaluation reviews and updates || Visit to West Africa - review team writing up notes
 * 2 || Theory of change and impact pathways || By and large finalized. Not many comments on the document that was generated in Wageningen and presented in Bamako || Integrate as part of proposal
 * ACTION ** : PT to provide clean template to insert xyz (see more notes on that above) ||
 * 3 || Systems research || Well covered at program strategy workshop in Bamako. See results in proposal phase 2 work || Integrate as part of proposal ||
 * 3a || Evidence of success / narratives || Ongoing collection of stories/possible briefs - to check continually at PCT (what could be added to this pipeline)

> = = || ** ACTION: ** ELB to share template and criteria with chief scientists IHZ has a revised version. Final version of 1/2 page text available. Engagement standards expanded to beyond farmers revised. Final draft almost done. || ** ACTION ** : IHZ will be working on this with Patrick Okori and Gundula Fischer next week: done
 * 1) Smallholder small ruminant productivity and livelihood can be improved markedly through feed and health interventions
 * 2) Doubled-up legume technology: Boosting land productivity by intercropping two grain legumes with different growth habits
 * 3) Small Ruminant Corralling Density, Plant Density and Nitrogen Rate Effect on Maize Yield
 * 4) Situation analysis and operational feasibility of promoting the production and consumption of locally available micronutrient-rich foods in northern Ghana
 * 5) Reducing the high cyclical losses after harvest: the neglected input in the production chain
 * 6) How are Africa RISING Interventions Affecting Production Diversity and Dietary Quality? Evidence from Northern Ghana
 * 7) Web-Based Project Monitoring and Data Management: What did we learn from Africa RISING?
 * 8) Soil Nitrogen Management and Farming Systems Analysis in Malawi
 * 9) Diversify Production, Improve Diets? Evidence from Malawi
 * 10) Targeting and Bias in Participatory Research: Evidence from Malawi
 * 11) A comparison of statistical and participatory clustering of smallholder farming systems - a case study in Northern Ghana
 * ACTION: ** PCT to table, on an ongoing basis, the identification of potential brief topics. ||
 * 3b || Cost-benefit analysis || Nearly there. Good model for Ghana and the methodology is there but we need to improve this. Once we improve it it's usable. ||  ||
 * 3c || Engaging multi-stakeholders into program activities || Nearly there.

**ACTION**: IHZ to work with MB and Regis for ESA guidelines for paymen t, and with Asamoah and Birhanu for Mali: Not done
 * ACTION ** : BvL could ask Marc Schut (who works on M&E of platforms in HumidTropics) what is possible for a program like Africa RISING ||
 * 3d || Typologies || We will be producing the first typologies by end November and we will circulate these typologies to research teams. || ** ACTION ** : CA and Jeroen to circulate the typologies report in November


 * ACTION ** : Chief scientists to (ask their scientists to) provide a rationale about: "Under what circumstances are inputs provided that are subsidized or not"? including data to back this up. We need a trials list with 3 rows: inputs provided, subsidized, not provided.

**ACTION**: KM to circulate a format to chief scientist. || **ACTION**: PCT team to review these outputs || Had discussions with Ghana Mission || **ACTION**: Boni to table this high up on the next PCT agenda (PCT13) ||
 * 3e || Targets and SI benefits || Real progress made there but we need to be able to explain how we came up with target figures. Integrated with vision of success || ** ACTION ** : Carlo & Bernard to work further on this (DONE)
 * ACTION ** : Develop a brief on the targets. ||
 * 3f || SI framework and indicators || Sieg and her group took this on and refined the template, the framework (added indicators), refined definitions, dropped some indicators. They made progress but we need to keep on eye on the complexity. They're working on a more complex data collection for the research teams. It may make them reluctant to collect so we may have to balance these objectives with the capacity we have on the ground. ||  ||
 * 3g || Research questions || Not progressed much in Bamako - work pending on taking stock of all other inputs into phase 2 proposal || ** ACTION ** : Writing team to revisit these research questions once all other work streams have been reviewed by the team and brought together again. ||
 * 3h || Nutrition || All outputs delivered || **ACTION**: PCT team to review these outputs ||
 * 3i || Gender & diversity || All outputs delivered || ** ACTION ** : IHZ & PT to ask Annet, Gundula, Mariama and Caroline Sobgui to look into the nutrition experiences in Mali.
 * 3j || Data management and M&E || Plans elaborated with participants. See more details in the Bamako pages || ** ACTION ** : Specify, in the proposal, the data that will be collected and uploaded onto the data platform. ||
 * 3k || Comms || All outputs delivered || **ACTION**: PCT team to review these outputs ||
 * 4 || USAID commissioned external evaluation || Ongoing || **ACTION**: Project coordinators and chief scientists to ensure all key documents are made available for the evaluators ||
 * 5 || Strengthen relations with AID missions || To discuss
 * 6 || Strengthen national partners || To discuss || **ACTION**: Boni to table this high up on the next PCT agenda (PCT13) ||
 * 7 || Recruit AR program administrator/manager for program level work packages || To discuss || **ACTION**: Boni to table this high up on the next PCT agenda (PCT13) ||
 * 8 || Farm typologies work ||  ||   ||



= Parked for now - Phase 1 action list, some overlap with above =


 * Action || Discussion points/actions || Format || Team ||
 * Explain and document and capitalize on our system-level perspectives. Define AR identity and unique selling points - roles, beneficiaries, value added … ||  || info in the proposal || Irmgard, Peter T, Peter B., Kindu, Asamoah, Mateete, Bernard, Jerry, Carlo ||
 * Document and contextualize impact/adoption through data. Explain/document R&D impact and institutional impact. Carry out socioeconomic analysis ad risks. ||  || reports,flyers, materials with evidence, case studies per country, some for symposium? Selling our key USPs - systems, the 5 SI domains || Carlo+4, Bekele, Asamoah, Mateete, Peter T., Jonathan, Simret, Peter B., ||
 * Identify and document technology packages and protocols (link to farmer typologies) ||  || database of technologies; some other types of derivative products (factsheets) || ALL through the PMMT, Peter T., Jeroen, Carlo, bernard ||
 * Develop and use system-wide SI indicators; AR own small group to speed this up. || Discuss at October workshop ||  || Irmgard, Peter T., Bernard, Jerry, Carlo ||
 * Data management: farm/farmer data; queryable database of AR farmers || LATER || PT/CA to discuss soon || IFPRI team, ILRI, in collaboration with the research teams ||
 * Boosting cross-project science learning, science symposium || LATER ||  || Peter B., Irmgard, Peter T. ||
 * Projects to clarify R4D/IPs roles, objectives and approach - especially to IP members and participants. ESA and WA to document their platforms and guidelines and practices ||  || useful for the external review team / include in symposium maybe || Mateete, Asamoah, Peter T. ||
 * Recruit AR manager/administrator for program level work packages || LATER || July/aug pct meeting discuss further. || Irmgard, Peter T., Peter B., Carlo ||
 * Recruit M&E data staffing/people into each regional project || LATR || include in phase 2 based on phase 1 experiences. TOR by Carlo; recruitment joint effort || Irmgard, Peter T., Peter B., Carlo ||
 * Strengthen relations with AID missions || LATER || do streams B and C for missions. Use Tracey in Ethiopia || chief scientists; PT, IHZ ||
 * Strengthen national partners || LATER || YES || Mateete, Asamoah, Peter T. ||