pct4

Program coordination team meeting #4 10 January 2014 Venue: Virtual Time: 16:00 pm EAT, Nigeria 14:00 pm, DC 08:00 am

=Agenda=


 * Overall 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
 * Scientific Advisory Committee
 * AOB: Next Learning Event date and place
 * Next PCT meeting

= Overall action points = - Ethiopia also to be finalized by February || THE EVENT PAGE HAS BEEN RESTRUCTURED ||  ||
 * || **Action** || **Status** || **Notes** ||
 * 1 || Develop program-level good practice ‘rules of engagement’ with farms and households (including data practice); || the final version is reviewed by all || Peter Balalntryne needs to see it befor is attached ||
 * 2 || Develop the regional logframes || MEETING TOOK PLACE AND FIRST LOGFRAME DEVELOPMENT WAS STARTED. CHIEF SCIENTISTS OF ESA AN WA FELT THEY COULD NOT COMPLETE BEFORE HAVING THE LONGER TERM RESEARCH PLANS FROM THEIR REGIONS. THESE HAVE JUST BEEN FINALIZED IN ESA AND WILL BE IN WA AFTER THE FEBRUARY PLANNING MEETING. I AIM FOR END OF FEBRUARY TO HAVE THE TWO LOGFRAMES. || - Irmagrd to finalize by February for ESA
 * 3 || Update online events lists || See events list. Send updates to Simret
 * 4 || Science Advisory mechanism || All invitees agreed in principle

See details || Date for the next meeting – Iain to circulate provision date First chair – Maggie Gill Iain to ask Maggie and inform the PCT meeting ||
 * 5 || Gender strategy || Peter and Annet have a complete draft gender strategic plan for Ethiopia to be discussed and finalised for circulation next week.

-It was suggested to have an overall strategy || - Jerry to connect with the USAID gender person - Peter ,Annet and Irmgard to meet with USAID person to look in to a program level strategy - To look at the humidtropics and use it as a basis gender strategy - Irmgard and Peter to get the copy of the humidtropics Gender strategy - f each project feels there needs a separate one they can work on it and attached to the generic strategy || for livestock integration || **JERRY:****(Update 01/09/14) I'M NOT SO CONCERNED ABOUT THIS NOW GIVEN THIS YEAR'S** -We need few specific indicators for research projects, indicators that we could measure in the short project time We needs to be focused -Before USAID commission an external evaluators || - Irmgard to follow up with Asmoha (from the learning event ) - Iain to ask the convener to come up for a draft report by March -Peter T. to feedback from the vital science meeting in London in February || -Peter talked to Eric and he said that we will get the same amount of allocation of the last year || Jerry to check with Eric an give us update || =USAID Update= Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks for scaling up || - 4th year of the ftf and push on impact on the group and USAID is looking for scaling up .So if AR woks on scaling up there could be money channel for that purpose - Thought AR is a research project there are other CG center that work on scaling up Jerry suggested for AR cg partners to develop a concept note on What could be scaled up that Africa RISING project could help on the scaling up || - Jerry to send some of the concept note already submitted - Jerry to discuss with the USAID mission in Mail and Tanzania on what they want to focus and how much they will spend Project coordinators to give a thought and also discuss with their team and project partners and if there are ideas to develop a 2 pager concept note and discuss with the relevant mission || for application for sustainable intensification innovation lab || - That serves as a coordinator as sustainable intensification work - It will be announced next Applicants will have 90 days to submit application || Jerry to keep the team in the loop || management and curation || - There seems no scientist providing data about soil… - There has not been any transfer to IFPRI - This needs to happen soon - There is a plan to have data management protocol and a training by M&E coordinators || - M&E will contact the relevant people - The management protocol will be finalized by March - Training will be organized by early April - Data management plan to be finalized by the next PCT meeting - Peter and Irmgard to work with Carol || =ESA Update= Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks to go to Zambia to check what has been implemented || education and environment. There has not been any identification who to implement it but hopefully through Africa RISING will ||  || visit in Tanzania ||  || 3rd week of March || =WA Update= Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks =Ethiopia Update= 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) ||  || on Facilitation for IP ||  || Planned for the 23rd and 24th of January, for the site coordinators and other relevant people || =M&E Update= Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks
 * 5 || Framework
 * WORKPLANS WHICH MORE CLEARLY & CONSISTENTLY INCLUDE LIVESTOCK ACTIVITIES.** || it was agreed to drop this off ||
 * 6 || Participation of Africa RISING in the ASARECA General Assembly, Scientific Conference and Exhibition to take place 9-13 December in Bujumbura || **Simret and Catherine to follow up with ASARECA. Irmgard to provide contact.** || This meeting has been conducted, we have sent some Africa RISING materials to be displayed . ||
 * 7 || Formation of small working group on sustainability to come up with a framework and indicators || Peter and Tracy have discussed this in November
 * 8 || Preparation for project program review? || it was suggested to have an evaluation Before USAID commission an external evaluators || -Suggested to sure that the first advisory committee picks this up for their first meeting ||
 * 9 || New fund allocation || - Oct 2013- Sept 2014(USAID financial year )
 * **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. || **IHZ and Carlo agreed that IHZ will continue entering the data for ESA and WA. IHZ will request access to FTFMS for IFPRI colleagues.** ||  ||
 * Funding
 * Request
 * Data
 * **Task** || **Status** || **Notes for PCT review** ||
 * April 2013 - Sep 2013 report || REPORT PREPARED AND SUBMITTED TIMELY ||  ||
 * 2013 -2014 workplan and budget || WAS ONLY COMPLETED RECENTLY. MOST NEW CONTRACTS ISSUED. IMPLEMENTATION PARTLY STARTED. RAINS ARE NOT YET REGUALAR. PARTNER MEETING ON IMPLEMENTATION CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE IN BABATI. ||  ||
 * USAID FIELD VISIT TO TANZANIA || ASARECA AND COSTECH (STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS) WILL BE INVITED. ||  ||
 * Africa RISING - SIMLEZA || AGREEMENT WITH SIMLEZA SIGNED, FUNDS DISBURSED. DATA SHARING STILL TO BE DISCUSSED (LED BY TRACY). MATEETE AND I WILL VISIT THE SITES LATER THIS MONTH. || Irmgard
 * New partnerships || In DC, USAID has signed partnership agreement with, food security, economic growth and
 * Field
 * **Task** || **Status** || **Notes for PCT review** ||
 * Annual review and planning meeting || MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE 3-5 FEBRUARY IN BAMAKO ||  ||
 * April 2013 - Sep 2013 report || PREPARED AND SUBMITTED TIMELY ||  ||
 * Scientist visit || VERY GOOD EXCHANGE VISIT TOOK PLACE. USAID WASHINGTON COULD NOT ATTEND. ||  ||
 * USAID visit to project sites in northern Ghana || From 6-9 July Jerry, Tracy, Biniam, together with Justice (M&E officer), Asamoah, Irmgard and partners visited project activities in Upper East and Northern Region ||  ||
 * Implementation of workplan || THE SEASON IS OVER AND PARTNERS ARE ANALYZING DATA. ||  ||
 * **Task** ||< **Status** || **Notes for PCT review** ||
 * Development of SLATE tool ||< Reasonably stable version of software now available (contact PT). Will be used at HT action sites too. Does this qualify as an example of scaling innovation by AR? ||  ||
 * Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis at AR field sites ||< Limited progress since last report due to time constraints.
 * Oct 2012 - Mar 2013 report ||< Completed ||  ||
 * April 2013 - Sep 2013 report ||< Ready to review and submit next week. ||  ||
 * 2013 -2014 workplan and budget ||< See below ||  ||
 * IP establishment || Training of site coordinators and site partners 23-24 January. Establishment activities from 27 January ||  ||
 * Field visits for USAID team ||< done ||  ||
 * 2013 Field activities || Complete. Reporting in progress. ||  ||
 * Planning meeting ||< Work plans currently being finalised to feed into IP establishment. ||  ||
 * Training
 * **Task** || **Status** || **Notes for PCT review** ||
 * Joint Africa RISING (AR)-Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) M&E meeting: || Completed || Custom indicators ||
 * Web-based monitoring platform (Project Mapping Tool PMT)

Version 2.0 demo at the M&E meeting PMT updated based on feedback at the M&E meeting AR data management protocol Actions: Version 3 to be ready by end of March PMT training early April Finalize data management plan by March (for April PCT meeting) || Completed Ongoing Ongoing || Level of reporting for FtF indicators ||
 * AR baseline surveys (planning)
 * Malawi
 * Tanzania
 * Ghana
 * Mali
 * Ethiopia

Actions: Ghana: Review the additional proposal submitted by ISSER (on Jan 9) and sign contract (ISSER or Panafield) in January Mali: Finalize discussions with Marikani and sign contract in January Ethiopia: Review proposal submitted by BDS (Dec 31st), finalize negotiation with BST (that did FTF-Ethiopia, and AGP surveys) and sign contract in January Follow up with Zambia team (for data access and site characterization/justification) --with Tracy's help || Completed Ongoing Feb-April Feb-April Feb-March ||  || Vital Signs VS shared documentation on indicators, data use policy, shape files for TZ and Ghana done ||  || Talks b/n IFPRI Finance and IITA/IWMI for WA and ESA M&E coordinators (positions) M&E coordinator for Ethiopia (consultant) A survey resident for WA (consultant) A consultant to assist with all the upcoming surveys
 * Collaborations
 * Chief scientist to review VS agricultural intensification thread and select key indicators
 * IFPRI aligned AR control sites with Vital Signs sites in northern Ghana
 * But access to VS's household-level data can become a problem || Ongoing/
 * Site/field visits
 * Tanzania, Ethiopia
 * Ghana, Mali || ongoing//completed ||  ||
 * Update
 * Update

Actions Finalize negotiations and sign contracts for the new positions in January || ongoing Identified Identified Identified ||  ||   || =Comms Update= Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks Suggest regular review and update as part of each annual learning event (living document) || ELB: This is supposed to be addressed early this year again but is not strictly a 'Comms' item || http://africa-rising.wikispaces.com/program_comms_plan_2014 )and comment - the three project pages in the wiki to get updated - what to be done about the action points from the learning event -to comment on the institutional history (also on Yammer ) - to see the new websit and give feedback/comment || Simret to send all the links for the PCT
 * **Task** || **Status** || **Notes for PCT review** ||
 * 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 ||
 * Program generic presentation en and fr || drafted and will be shared to the concerned people for review ||  ||
 * Wiki usage guidelines || Not yet started || ELB: What is this? Clarify and I'm happy to help. The wiki structure and content have been majorly overhauled over the turn of the year ||
 * Program framework || Version 1 published
 * IITA comms person for ARISING || Being recruited by IITA || Will start on 1 November - (ELB) done (Faith Afolabi). However, she needs to go through training on the various comms tools/approaches we use in Africa RISING ||
 * Virtual comms catchups || Irregular || Simret/Ewen/ comms people ||
 * Half-yearly comms metrics/stats ||  || Latest report ||
 * Blog updates || ongoing || Need regular stories from all regions. ELB: However for 2013 very balanced inputs from all regions (granted, thanks to the 3 posts about Ghana, otherwise WA would be lagging behind): 8 from ESA, 10 from Ethiopia, 10 from West Africa, 10 from program level. ||
 * Wiki gardening/management || regular || (ELB) Major update done on the wiki over the turn of the year. Data management and M&E pages have to follow (ELB in touch with M&E team about this shortly) and regional project pages need to be updated by respective comms officer with regional management's help. ||
 * Documents to CGSPACE || regularly updated || IITA to join cgspace training late october (tbc) ||
 * Use of yammer for internal updating || initiated || Needs wider promotion and buy-in. (ELB) This would be a useful topic to discuss properly in a PCT at some stage - we need a good platform to share information on a regular basis, it's not a 'nice to have' it's a 'non-negotiable' for a program which has to show strong integration across components, teams and regions... ||
 * Photo sharing on flickr || regularly updated || Simret to follow with Catherine and Katy - to inform partners to send four-five pictures with captions ||
 * Presentations shared on slideshare || regularly updated ||  ||
 * ARISING calendar updating || regularly updated ||  ||
 * Branding Guidline || Finalized ||  ||
 * Template and banners revison || due to the ftf logo change we have revised most of our templets and logo banners ||  ||
 * Website revision || the website now has a new look, still open for comments ||  ||
 * wiki revision || we have revised the wiki || See above ||
 * Photojournalist work -Next year, Ethiopia || Informed the PCT that the Next Photographer will be commistion to take pictures in ethiopia and planned for October 2014 ||  ||
 * **Key things to be considered by the PCT** || - PCT to look at the global communication plan (

- PCT to give comment on the communication plan by the end of January - To Update the project page of the wiki – mid February and WA and EA mid-march - Simret to circulate the action points from the learning and PCT to look at them and decide how to go about them - Simret to send the institutional history link and the website and the PCT members to send feedback as soon as they can ||
 * **Next Learning Event** (when and where ) || Tanzania, September || Irmgard and her team to come up with the date ||