ethiopia_planning_nov2016

=Africa RISING Ethiopia Review and Planning meeting=
 * Date : 29-30 November 2016 **
 * Lalibela Auditorium **
 * ILRI, Addis Ababa **

Photo report from the meeting [|Blog Post from the meeting] Agenda items (detailed agenda below):


 * 29th morning / early afternoon: review Phase I outputs and achievements. Bus stop format. Seven stops, one for each research theme. Brief summary presentation by a theme lead with research posters clustered around the theme bus stop. Visitors assigned to interest groups (e.g. scaling to date, potential for future partnerships etc).
 * Field crops: Nigussie, Kalpana
 * Feed and forage: Melkamu, Aberra
 * High value crops: Aster
 * Systems integration: Tilahun, Job
 * Land and water: Lulseged, Petra
 * Knowledge management: Zelalem, Simret
 * Cross cutting: Annet, Girma
 * Interest group questions
 * What scaling has there been to date and with / by whom?
 * What are the R4D gaps for future consideration?
 * Where is the real potential for scaling and who should the partners be?
 * What were the big three achievements under this theme?
 * What were the big lessons regarding implementation (CG and non-CG partners, logistical challenges etc.)?
 * How can we better capture successes (M and E, documentation)?
 * What CapDev has been done and what is needed as we move to Phase II?
 * 29th late afternoon: synthesis and report back by interest groups.
 * 30th morning: Overview of Phase II project and approach (memory jog for most attendees).
 * 30th morning: review and refine existing scaling proposals. Market place. Four regional stations. Scaling teams visit each to pitch their proposals. Checklists for what is still needed, status of proposals, credibility, solid partnerships etc.). Regional stations rank their visitors' pitches. Regional feedback will be use to fine-tune the final proposals (these requirements have already been shared with the proposers).
 * 30th afternoon: general discussion of implementation processes for Phase II (learning from Phase I challenge, gap analysis). How we will deliver on our ambitious targets.
 * 30th afternoon: needs for continuing generic research (technology development / strategic research around SI) that aligns with or learns from the scaling partnerships.
 * 30th afternoon: final show and tell / round up.

Aims and objectives || Siboniso Moyo Peter Thorne || 4 ‘pitching’ groups visit and engage each regional team to ‘pitch’ their ideas and proposals for phase 2. Ideally the pitchers ‘present’ for 5-8 minutes. Then they are interrogated by the regional teams using the checklist questions || Participants || Peter Thorne / Kindu Mekonnen ||  ||
 * **Time** || **Activity** || **Responsible person/s** ||
 * 08:30 || Registration || Organizers ||
 * 09:00 || Welcome and opening
 * 09:20 || Icebreaker and process introduction || Peter Ballantyne / Simret Yasabu ||
 * 10:00 || Process for the phase 1 outputs, achievements and scaling exercise; group tasks and formation. || Peter Ballantyne ||
 * 10:30 || Break || Organizers ||
 * 11:00 || Phase 1 outputs, achievements by research theme
 * What scaling has there been to date and with / by whom?(Site coordinators)
 * What are the R4D gaps for future consideration?(Tesfaye Hagos )
 * Where is the real potential for scaling and who should the partners be?( Adamu Molla)
 * What were the big three achievements under this theme?( Agathe Martineau)
 * What were the big lessons regarding implementation; CG and non-CG partners, logistical challenges etc?( Likawent Yiheyes)
 * How can we better capture successes (M and E, documentation)?(Beliyou Haile)
 * What CapDev has been done and what is needed as we move to Phase II?( Iddo Dror ) || Poster presenters ||
 * 13:00 || Lunch || Organizers ||
 * 14:00 || Phase 1 outputs, achievements and scaling exercise (continued) || Poster presenters ||
 * 15:30 || Break ||  ||
 * 16:00 || Plenary feedback and review – what are the most important lessons and achievements from phase 1 that we can take forward to phase 2 || 7 interest groups representatives ||
 * 17:00 || Reflections on the day (5 minutes each) || Polly Ericksen /EIAR/ATA ||
 * 17:30 || Reception || Organizers ||
 * ** Day 2 ** ||  ||   ||   ||
 * **Time** || **Activity** || **Responsible person/s** ||
 * 08:45 || Process recap and introduction to the day || Peter Ballantyne ||
 * 09:00 || Phase 2 proposal – summary presentation || Peter Thorne ||
 * 09:30 || Process for phase 2 scaling opportunities and priorities exercise. || Peter Ballantyne ||
 * 10:00 || Break ||  ||
 * 10:30 || Phase 2 scaling opportunities and priorities exercise
 * 12:00 || Lunch ||  ||
 * 13:00 || Phase 2 scaling opportunities and priorities exercise || 4 regional stations leaders ||
 * 14:00 || SWOT exercise
 * learning from Phase I challenge, gap analysis
 * what possible continuing generic research exist
 * What should we do differently
 * What should we consider || Simret Yasabu ||
 * 15:00 || Break ||  ||
 * 15:30 || Beyond scaling: A continuing research agenda and priorities for phase 2 || Peter Ballantyne ||
 * 16:30 || Sharing and learning across the program: Ideas for CoPs || Suggest who to facilitate ||
 * 17:30 || Close- Summary and take home messages/actions || Participants

Project Implementation issues and actions identified by the participants
- Long and short term training - Experience sharing (in country and outside ) - Facilities(different facility for cooperatives ,maintenance equipment for Mechanization) || - Training of new staffs /AR activities) || - Activities in line with development partners || - Farm - Sector || - Management need to force integration and joint implementation - With clarity on expected roles and responsibilities || - Need to identify SMART - Indicators for level integration || - Implement together || - Communicate back - Document in local language || - Make the partners full engagement in the research activities || - Proper planning of activities by IRIs || - Clear role identification for all partners - Each project should have focal person in the action sites || - Proposal need integration from the start before funding || - Ahead planning || - Discuss and ensure commitment with partners || - Use regional ,national and woreda level platformes(ADPLC) || - Be strategic in the creation of partnership || - Commitment and work overload - Incentive expectations - Inclusiveness regional partners || - Clear roles and responsibilities /MoU/ - Regional/Zonal IP - Include AGP - Resource mobilization || - Shoulder on site coordinators || - CG partners should participant in the important process || - Availing resources for functional partnership || - partnerships facilitated by IPs || - institutional awareness ||
 * ** Issues ** || ** Action ** ||
 * Capacity of non CG staffs or local partners is low || - Strong CapDev
 * Staff turnover of partner institutions || - Continues awareness creation/Africa RISING activities
 * Partnership commitment to AR activities || - Memorandum of understanding
 * Integration
 * Planning budget
 * Incentive
 * Clarity on roles and responsibilities
 * Site integration ||
 * Partnership || - Identify strategic partners willing to put resources
 * M&E- clarity indicators || - Clarity on the M&E roles of different actors
 * Integration(synergy) || - Plan together
 * Documentation and communication || - Involve communication experts
 * Approach || - Avoid re-testing technologies
 * Site coordinators are overwhelmed overload || - Assistant site coordinators needed
 * Lack of ownership of the activities by local partners || - Assignments of focal person at partners level ||
 * Staff turnover at partner level is too frequent || - Proper handover mechanisms ||
 * Limited capacity of site coordinators to respond to demands from the implementing teams || - Support staff to site coordinators better equipment e.g vehicles
 * Limited capacity building of local partners : training ,assets || - Expertise sharing, budget ||
 * Joint planning /issues || - Planning /action plan / should be finalizing and disseminate /shared to site partners timely so that seasons are not missed ||
 * Integration || - MoU between partners activity specific
 * Stakeholder time demanding AR versus other || - Joint planning at all steps
 * Competition on the group resources (car, staff, how ,when upscaling) || - Phase II is about support not implementation on the ground ||
 * Resource mobilization || - Mapping the key actors
 * Integration of intervention || - Advisory group
 * Partnership identification || - Identify key partners based on their role
 * Partnerships
 * Gender participation gaps – focus on male and female || - Gender analysis ||
 * Participation of CGIAR centers in implantation process (at site level )
 * Weak partnership seed supply || - Ensure all relevant partners are on board from the beginning
 * Lack of equal commitment from partners(CGIAR ,Non CGIAR) || - Action oriented M&E for agreed outputs
 * Staff turnover || - ensure partnership commitment