pct2

Program coordination team meeting #2 24 June 2013

Virtual meeting -3.30-5.30pm EAT,1.30-3.30pm Ibadan,8.30-10.30am DC

toc =Agenda=
 * Follow up from the January meeting action points
 * USAID Update
 * Africa RISING Project update
 * Eastern and southern Africa and West Africa
 * Research update
 * Staff update
 * Work plans and priorities
 * The Ethiopian highlands
 * Research update
 * Staff update
 * Work plans and priorities
 * M & E update
 * Communication update
 * AOB
 * Next Meeting : At learning event in Addis.

=Overall action points=


 * || **Action** || **Status** || **Notes** ||
 * 1 || Develop program-level good practice ‘rules of engagement’ with farms and households (including data practice); || Peter Thorne to recruit a consultant; circulate TOR. || PT met with some people in Addis (Beth Cullen and Steffen Schulz) to discuss. There is already stuff out there (and some in ILRI) that could be adapted. Suggestion: we engage someone on short-term consultancy to do a full draft. ||
 * 2 || Revisit the program logic in one year + organize a learning event around this. || **Learning event planned Addis in September**

Objectives looks fine; agenda flow looks ok. Dates are fixed.

Field trip on 23rd (limited number, not all. Need to decide who; and where to go.)

Irmgard and PeterT to decide final participant lists for the meeting

Finalise the lists of invitees asap keep the focus on ARISING people include some national partner reps

Get the people invited asap

Simret to lead all of this. ||  ||
 * 3 || Develop the regional logframes || PeterT and Irmgard to coordinate at the learning meeting. Extra day if needed (26th). ||  ||
 * 4 || Malawi meeting || **Meeting held.** ||  ||
 * 5 || Program document updates and edits || **Document updated and online.** ||  ||
 * 6 || Update online events lists || See events list. Send updates to Simret

we need to restructure this. Better identify different types of events (project versus program); link to relevant external event calendar. Action Simret, ||  || Is a useful mechanism; need detailed TOR.
 * 7 || Science Advisory mechanism || Is there a pressing need for this?

PeterT/Gerry/Irmgard/Gerry to develop TOR and proposals for next PCT meeting (perhaps build on draft TOR from Humidtropics and others) ||  ||
 * 8 || Gender strategy || This seems to be made more explicit and concrete. We could draw from other CRPs.

ET just recruited a gender scientist (50%) from august.Maybe ask Annette to lead a strategy on this for ARISING?

Need something very specific for ARISING and associated to FTF indicators.That helps guide activities on the ground. Beyond data collection.

Annette to try and develop a preliminary draft (draw from humidtropics model) for the learning event; and have a session on this in the learning event and at the M&E meeting. Final draft for December PCT meeting. ||  ||
 * 9 || Framework for livestock integration || Would a program-wide framework be useful. To help explain. Is action needed on this?

Current participatory baselining etc (in ET) will show livestock up where they are important.

Add to the learning event agenda. Explore formation of a working group.

Try to pull out what livestock research is actually happening in ARISING.

ARISING could be a good vehicle for AID to develop such a framework; but not sure this is actually needed by ARISING for own activities.

Gerry to further specify and focus this (with PeterT and Irmgard) ||  ||
 * 10 || Guaranteed funding for partners || Some CG partners not interested to participate as budgets were too small. They seek a minimum guarantee of income per year, over 3 years.

Need to determine plans based on needs and demands. ||  ||

=USAID Update= Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks in Nairobi || Several interviews with USAID commissioned companies held; Tracy will need to follow up later on this ||
 * **Task** || **Status** || **Notes for PCT review** ||
 * Tracy to report on discussion about FtF indicators for Africa RISING - and all of us in the project to share possible questions to Tracy for that discussion. || Tracy in meeting
 * Jerry to connect comms team with branding team at USAID. || in process || Branding guidelines recently revised; will work with Peter B. and Ewen; seems like we are mostly OK so far on meeting guidelines ||
 * **Other news:** || 1. || USAID will likely announce major US university-led Small Scale Irrigation grant in next couple of months; required collaboration with Africa RISING ||
 * || 2. || ACIAR-USAID-BMGF Sustainable Intensification workshop Accra 10-13 July ||
 * || 3. || In process of developing SI & IPM Innovation Labs; US university led; SI Innovation Lab replaces SANREM CRSP; is expected to complement/support CGIAR SI investments ||
 * || 4. || MOUs with USAID/Ghana signed; MoU in Ghana needs to be renewed [IHZ]; with USAID/Malawi in process; with TZ in process [IHZ], ET? ||
 * || 5. || Likely investment of USAID/Africa Bureau in aligning Global Climate Change/Sustainable Landscapes investments with Africa RISING in Malawi & Zambia; initial pilot project (~$300,000) with possible expansion into Ethiopia in near future ||
 * || 6. || USAID has created the Food Security Innovation Center; SI Innovation Center is one "pillar" that includes CSISA, Africa RISING; IPM & SI Innovation Labs; Small Scale Irrigation grant; Coordination & Alignment is key ||
 * Oral update

Gerry to continue updating ||  || Many new projects and activities in USAID pipeline. Need to be aware of the possible extra load in terms of relating to all these. Looking for more alignment among different AID funding streams (and with them and ARISING). ||

=ESA Update= Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks
 * **Task** || **Status** || **Notes for PCT review** ||
 * Annual review and planning meeting || 3-5 September, Malawi ||  ||
 * Finalise regional logframe || will be done before the next season, after completing new workplans.

26 September meeting Irmgard/PeterT in Addis ||  || 240 surveys completed, entering of data in FarmDESIGN in progress, secondary data are being collected, paper for presentation at Farming Systems Design Symposium in China submitted by WUR ||  || carried out by IITA, CIAT and ICRISAT, 2 unknown pests found in common beans, maize lethal necrosis disease (MLND) confirmed in some fields, new virus so far unknown in Africa identified; final report outstanding, findings will be presented at Review and Planning meeting ||  ||
 * Oct 2012 - Mar 2013 report || submitted ||  ||
 * April 2013 - Sep 2013 report || will be prepared and submitted in October ||  ||
 * 2013 -2014 workplan and budget || will be prepared after Review and Planning meeting in September ||  ||
 * Farming Systems Analysis by WUR || ongoing
 * Pest and Disease Diagnostic Survey in Tanzania || completed
 * Workplan implementation || Field season in ESA almost over, data analysis will start; AfricaRice withdrew from project, no alternative partner could be identified, rice systems research suspended ||  ||
 * Africa RISING - SIMLEZA || First meeting took place end of May to get to know the two projects and explore potential areas of collaboration.

Next meeting will take place 6-7 September. Workplan cannot be developed until funding level for SIMLEZA is known. A proposal will be developed in August and brought to the meeting for discussion.

Irmgard to organize September meeting with Gerry.

Carlo and Gerry to meet to discuss further formal collaboration. ||  ||

=WA Update= Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks it is the 2013 workplan, our season here is just starting and will end in December; AfricaRice withdrew from project; all rice-related work is implemented by national research institute ||  || will be based in Tamale but work in ESA and WA ||  || Start in July ||  || 13-17 July Include local M&E coordinator (IFPRI) ||  ||
 * **Task** || **Status** || **Notes for PCT review** ||
 * Annual review and planning meeting || 23-25 January 2014, Sikasso or Bamako, Mali ||  ||
 * Finalise regional logframe || 26 September meeting Irmgard/PeterT in Addis ||  ||
 * Oct 2012 - Mar 2013 report || submitted ||  ||
 * April 2013 - Sep 2013 report || will be prepared and submitted in October ||  ||
 * 2013 -2014 workplan and budget || finalized
 * Formulation of regional hypotheses || finalized ||  ||
 * Scientist visit || implementers from Ghana will visit field work in Mali 21-25 October ||  ||
 * Recruitment of agricultural economist || position advertised
 * Farming system analysis || planned
 * Field visit in Ghana by Jerry and Tracy || planned

=Ethiopia Update= Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks
 * **Task** || **Status** || **Notes for PCT review** ||
 * Development of SLATE tool || In progress

A current version + software manual and can be shared if required. Some revision / reprogramming needs identified from ToT and AR field site exercises ||  ||
 * Training of Trainers (Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis) || Complete

Workshop held at ILRI (April 1 - 5). We now have a cadre of around 20 fully trained implementers spread across our CG and national partner organisations. It looks like we will be using the approach during the Humidtropics CRP startup phase so AR can claim to have delivered a tangible output (or is this an outcome?) to the mother program. ||  || Field work completed at all eight sites. Currently completing data entry and have started analysis and typology identification (one site complete - the approach appears to work delivering a meaningful and interpretable typology) ||  || Two sites completed (Basona Werana). Field team currently operating in Endamehoni (S. Tigray). ||  || Protocols finalised around a series on-farm adaptive demonstrations. Focus on improving water supply for value crops, fodder production and technologies for increasing yield and the interactions amongst these. ||  || We need to finalise based on the outcomes of the Livelihoods and PCA studies ||   ||
 * Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis at AR field sites || In progress (half way through)
 * Participatory community assessment (PCA) || In progress
 * On farm research || Establishing
 * Finalise regional logframe || 26 September meeting Irmgard/PeterT in Addis ||  ||
 * Oct 2012 - Mar 2013 report || Behind schedule ||  ||
 * April 2013 - Sep 2013 report ||  ||   ||
 * 2013 -2014 workplan and budget || Partially complete
 * Field visits || Focused one-day field visit before learning event (23 sept) To be planned. (Simret/PeterT)

USAID field visit (14-18 Nov) site visits after M&E meeting. To be planned (Simret/PeterT) ||  ||

=M&E Update= Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks
 * **Task** || **Status** || **Notes for PCT review** ||
 * Joint Africa RISING (AR)-Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) M&E meeting:

AR-related AR/CSISA-related
 * review and planning of AR M&E activities
 * baseline survey results (Tanzania and Malawi) and planning (Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Zambia)
 * coordination between Wageningen, IFPRI, and research teams on modeling efforts (crop-modeling, livestock modeling)
 * innovating on conventional approaches to technology promotion and extension, i.e., what is/is not working at the field level;
 * managing valuable data and information collected from the field level for use in project monitoring, management decision-making, and stakeholder outreach;
 * assessing project interventions, with a focus on the household and landscape level outcomes of both technologies/practices and promotion/extension modalities;
 * addressing challenges related with M&E and impact assessment needs and efforts, including design of quantitative household surveys;
 * evaluating impact, either in an ex post manner or in an ex ante; and
 * enabling cross-hub (cross-mega-site) learning of success stories and lessons learned. || Planned for Nov 11-13 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia || Carryover funds? ||
 * Web-based monitoring platform (Project Mapping Tool PMT)
 * upload data onto the monitoring platform by authenticated users (M&E team and research teams)
 * view sites and community-level reports, including FtF indicators, baseline survey data, and bio-physical characteristics
 * edit project- and site-specific information by authenticated users
 * download data (summary of FtF indicators, baseline survey data, bio-physical characteristic, and maps)
 * linked with AR wiki

Actions: Web interface to be ready early september Organize training/awareness session on the platform for ARISING (end August). eg: In the ESA review and planning meeting? || Under update || FtF indicators to be compiled by the research teams || When can this be done? ||
 * Local M&E coordinator staffing
 * ESA: Ainsley Charles (based in Arusha) since March 18, 2013
 * WA: Justic Ajaari (A Ghanaian to be based in Tamale) starting July 1, 2013 || Done ||  ||
 * AR baseline surveys (planning)
 * July/August, 2013 - Malawi and Tanzania (CAPI surveys, interviewer training in Malawi on 8th of July)
 * Nov/December 2013 - Ghana and Ethiopia
 * Dec 2013/Jan 2014 - Mali
 * Zambia-possibly in the summer of 2014 (?) || ongoing || The issue of data use agreement (between AR and SIMLEZA) needs to be settled asap for the M&E team to deliver accurate site characterization result to guide the selection of SIMLEZA sites for AR intervention
 * Collaborations
 * FAO/ Economics and Policy Innovations for Climate-Smart Agriculture (EPIC)--reviewed AR survey tool, contributed questions on climate smart agricultural practices, likely to provide funding for a survey in Zambia (MoU)
 * ACDI/VOCA--ongoing discussions with M&E managers at headquarters and in Ethiopia--possible collaborations in data collection efforts in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Ghana where ACDI/VOCA sites overlap with AR sites
 * Vital Signs--reviewed AR survey tool and provided feedback, potential collaboration ??
 * MSU (meetings w/ Thomas Jayne, Mywish Maredia et al.)--MSU provided resources on household/community/quantitative agricultural surveys, they reviewed AR survey tool, M&E team is expecting feedback on the tool (e.g., how to measure cultivated area/yield accurately with intercropping) || ongoing ||  ||
 * Site/field visits
 * Tanzania, Malawi (2), Zambia, Ethiopia
 * Ghana, Mali (local M&E coordinator) || done

TBD ||  ||
 * Carlo, PeterT and Irmgard to decide about the custom indicators

We are still tied to the 9 principle ones. Or do we want to look for more? We can decide later.

Action: Need to link these in the PMT. || not done ||  ||

=Comms Update= Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks Suggest regular review and update as part of each annual learning event (living document) ||  || Northern Ghana Maybe Mali ||  || needs to include program framework review ||
 * **Task** || **Status** || **Notes for PCT review** ||
 * Program brochure en and fr || En ready || Irmgard to check if IITA can get the French translation done ||
 * Program poster en and fr || En ready || Irmgard to check if IITA can get the French translation done ||
 * Ethiopia brochure || Done ||  ||
 * Ethiopia poster || Done ||  ||
 * ESA poster || preparation will start soon || May follow the one from Ethiopia ||
 * WA poster || preparation will start soon || May follow the one from Ethiopia ||
 * ESA brochure || preparation will start soon ||  ||
 * WA brochure || preparation will start soon ||  ||
 * Malawi video || in preparation || On agro-ecological intensification options to be used in training workshops for extensionists and development partners ||
 * Comms tools flyer || Done ||  ||
 * Materials for FARA science week ||  || Simret to prepare, brochures and posters en and fr / liaise with IITA and Ewen ||
 * Program generic presentation en and fr || not yet started ||  ||
 * Ethiopia generic presentation || Draft || Peter T to check ||
 * Powerpoint templates || Done || would like to remove logo of AfricaRice ||
 * Document templates en and fr || Done ||  ||
 * Wiki usage guidelines ||  ||   ||
 * Program framework || Version 1 published
 * Program framework || Version 1 published
 * ‘Matters ARISING’ newsletter || Draft issue 1 ||  ||
 * Photofilm training Ethiopia || Planned week 8 July ||  ||
 * Photo journalist visit 2013 || August
 * Learning event 2013 || in process || Agenda (simret and ewen) and participants (peter t and irmgard) to be finalised
 * IITA comms person for ARISING || Being recruited by IITA || applications are being received ||
 * Virtual comms catchups || Irregular || Simret/Ewen ||
 * Half-yearly comms metrics/stats ||  || Aim for Sep 1, 2013 ||
 * Blog updates || ongoing || need regular stories from all regions ||
 * Wiki gardening/management ||  ||   ||
 * Documents to CGSPACE || regularly updated || Are partners using this tools? IHZ still receiving requests for documents. ||
 * Use of yammer for internal updating || initiated || needs wider promotion and buy-in ||
 * Photo sharing on flickr ||  || needs photos from other regions ||
 * Presentations shared on slideshare || regulary updated || need more presentation from WA and ESA ||
 * ARISING calendar updating || regular updated ||  ||
 * Comms tools awareness ||  || Organize at learning event ||
 * Comms tools awareness ||  || Organize at learning event ||


 * || **Action** || **Status** || **Notes** ||
 * 1 || P. Thorne to meet with some people in Addis to build the first draft of the ‘rules of engagement’ with farms-household; ||  ||   ||
 * 2 || Revisit the program logic in one year + organize a learning event around this. ||  ||   ||
 * 3 || Peter and Irmgard to develop the regional logframe (with their team) and feed it back to the Malawi meeting ||  ||   ||
 * 4 || IITA will look into this office space issue. ||  ||   ||
 * 5 || IITA and ILRI to contact responsible folks in IITA project, ATA, Humidtropics team to source additional funding. ||  ||   ||
 * 6 || Irmgard and Mateete to look into allocation of contingency funds for M&E. ||  ||   ||
 * 7 || Jerry to connect comms team with branding team at USAID. ||  ||   ||
 * 8 || Comms team to provide quarterly stat reports. ||  ||   ||
 * 9 || Peter B, Peter T and Irmgard to track ideas about project contributions to program comms. ||  ||   ||
 * 10 || Ewen and Tracy to work together on program brochure. ||  ||   ||
 * 11 || Jerry, Irmgard and Peter to organize the Malawi meeting ||  ||   ||
 * 12 || Peter T. to spark the discussion again on the program document (sharing his comments on the comments) and Ken/Irmgard to share factual omissions and typos with Peter B and Ewen and with this PCT group ||  ||   ||
 * 13 || Shortly after the March Malawi meeting there will be a virtual PCT meeting to discuss the planning of this learning meeting further and to take stock of planned events. ||  ||   ||
 * 14 || All teams to review by 28 Feb the possible meetings to plan (stakeholder, review, planning, steering committee meetings) and share it with us - Ewen/Peter to identify possible overlaps and clashes. ||  ||   ||
 * 15 || Jerry / Peter B to collect information about the budget required. ||  ||   ||
 * 16 || Tracy to report on discussion about FtF indicators for Africa RISING - and all of us in the project to share possible questions to Tracy for that discussion. ||  ||   ||
 * 17 || Carlo, Peter T and Irmgard to decide about the custom indicators ||  ||   ||