A New Way to Conceive IFAD-CGIAR Partnerships
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The document discusses a new approach to IFAD-CGIAR partnerships, with a focus on a case study from Lao PDR highlighting the need for strategic collaboration in research communication and project design. It emphasizes the importance of designing partnerships at the country level from the outset to better align with local contexts and investment portfolios, while outlining both the advantages and challenges of this collaborative model. Key elements include improved knowledge exchange, co-design of interventions, and addressing barriers to partnership development.
A New Way to Conceive IFAD-CGIAR Partnerships
- 1. A new way to conceive IFAD – CGIAR Partnerships An example from Lao PDR By Michael Victor & Stefania Dina
- 2. Conventional Research Communication Scientists... Ignorant Target groups... ...possess all expert knowledge and scientific wisdom ... will gladly change their attitudes and behaviour accordingly
- 3. IFAD-CPWF mainstreaming innovations Theory of Change IMPACT Re-/Packaged Materials Used by: Outcome Stories Main change agents Key messages - Smart card/ posters IFAD Country Program Managers Know about CPWF work & people most relevant to their work Engage and interact with our networks Sourcebook (articles) IFAD in-country project staff Interested towards our work and social capital and partnership networks Adapt and contextualize what is useful for their work Briefing/ insight notes Metasynthesis Institutional Histories Any other materials Knowledge, attitude and skills changes Changes in behaviour and practice Project Activities Improved food security and livelihoods of poor rural communities OUTCOMESOUTPUTS Other partner development & implementation professionals Have the skills to pick the suitable findings/ technologies CPWF Mainstreaming tested out new ideas but still: • Supply driven • Not jointly designed with country investment portfolios
- 4. Current IFAD technical projects – difficult to retrofit in country portfolios Technical/thematic project often are designed with little inputs from country portfolios • Lack of buy-in ownership from CPMs • Difficult to find synergies • Research results hard to adapt to IFAD project interventions
- 5. Moving toward a strategic partnership: Example from Lao PDR between IFAD and WLE A simple solution: Design partnerships at the country and investment portfolio level from the start. Different entry points: • Technical inputs in project design, implementation and evaluation • Action research around key problems identified in projects • Strategic entry points based on country context
- 6. Activities to date Project level • Supervisory mission by WLE staff member • Identification of key entry points for project interventions • Inputs on KM related issues in one project • Greater interaction of WLE/IWMI researchers in IFAD missions. Joint work around policy dialogue: • Coordinated support to the Lao Policy Think Tank, not silo’d • Joint organization of National R4D Forum
- 7. Innovations Co-design based on common interests Flexibility in contracting Focus on knowledge and engagement: • Simple technical advice • Action research to delve deeper and find solutions Drawing on a pool of expertise wider than IWMI Focused on solving local problems
- 8. Advantages of this approach Fulfil mutual objectives Large return on investment – • Small investment (100-200k) can directly influence large investment projects Developing long-term relations & institutional memory Access to a pool of expertise that is locally appropriate Independent and constructive advice
- 9. Challenges Getting over initial resistance and myths: • Myth 1: Researchers are just acting as consultants • Myth 2: Hard to create innovation if you are just responding to demand Developing such a relationships takes interest and trust from both CPM and CG institute Developing flexible contracts has been difficult
- 10. Questions for discussion How can such an approach be used in other countries and regions? What are barriers or incentives for such partnerships to develop?
Editor's Notes
- #2: This presentation shows a potential innovative pathway for IFAD and CGIAR to develop new partnerships based on an experience in Laos - the idea is quite simple but also takes some flexibility and commitment to trying to work in a different mode from both CPMs, Technical backtoppers and resaerchers.
- #3: Conventional research communication is one-way passive – with the expectation that everyone reads a policy brief or journal article and will use the information.
- #4: CPWF and IWMI with IFAD technical specialists has been trying new ways to make sure that resaerch knowledge and expertise get shared. This is what many of the presentations these past two days are showing. But what we have seen in Laos is that getting resaerch knowledge and expertise transferred to development agents or being applied within IFAD investments can only be done through a one-on-one engagement process where resaerchers are directly involved in IFAD investment projects
- #5: From CPM perspective current technical projects that most CGIAR grants are done through are not aligned to investment projects in the countries Regional or thematic project often are hard for CPMs to retrofit into their investment portfolios. They almost become a burden upon CPMs who have to find ways to integrate results or findings into the projects. Often the research carried out is not relevant or cannot be adapted to the conditions in the investment portfolio’s (working in remote areas with poor farmers Investment portfolios rarely have a strong learning and action research focus which can help to improve project implementation and fix problems and issues as they arise.
- #6: We initially approached Stefania with the Sourcebook and other materials and ideas for collaboration but this did not really seem to meet her needs and it was not clear where we could find mutual interest. We discussed a number of areas but nothing really gelled on either side – typical discussion in many ways…About a year later Stefania approached me to do a supervision mission – she was struggling to find appropriate expertise which understood the context of the projects. As we discussed the mission, we started to think more long-term and saw other options for collaboration. The mission itself identified a number of areas where both government staff and technical experts agreed, IWMI/WLE could play a big role particularly in water management, knowledge management and gender. We also identified both IFADs and WLE’s support to the National policy think tank as another area of collaboration.
- #8: Co-design based on common interests - Signing flexible contracts which allow for IFAD CPMs to draw upon wealth of knowledge and experience – both global and local Focused on knowledge and engagement: Researchers work directly with extension and development – rather than providing materials Simple technical advice Action research to delve deeper and find solutions to problems Focused on solving local problems
- #9: As the discussions have evovled, we see a number of advantage to this approach 1. In Lao PDR taking a new approach to partnership between WLE and IFAD Country Investment Portfolio. Developing a long-term partnership which fulfils both partners interest: IFAD – IFAD needs technical inputs which are relevant and based on country context. Stefania has mentioned that it takes a lot of time to identify and source proper assistance which understands local context. By having arrangements with local experts it is more efficient and effective. CGIAR/WLE/IWMI – we are interested to get to outcomes by engaging directly with investment projects we have opportunity to influence and strengthen these projects –a quick easy win. 2. Its quite clear that this is a great opportunity. If we compare simliar technical grants which can be millions of dollars, a flexible grants of 100-200k could easily influence large scale grants. From stefania: IFAD is moving away from small grants considering them too costly in terms of transaction costs. What we need to work with you is a facility that is flexible enough to mobilize expertise when CPMs need it. Maybe an institutional contract or a large grant designed in this way. 3. WLE is moving ot a more contextual and locallized program through its focal regions and such a partnership helps to develop long-term relationships on both sides. From IFAD perspective provides institutional memory as CPMS move from country to country and having long-term experts (as researchers tend to stay in a coujntry/region for a number of years)
- #10: Point 2: -- in Laos we have been able to develop but maybe more difficult in other instances. Point 3: Institutional and contractual issue from IFAD and CG institutes side –