Output 2: Multi-stakeholder partnerships for innovation established and in operation

This output is designed to facilitate and support equitable multi-stakeholder partnerships for climate-relevant innovation, including uptake and scaling of technologies, innovations and management practices to achieve program targets. ASARECA undertakes to:

a) Promote, facilitate the formation of, and operationalize multi-stakeholder partnerships for innovation that focus on Climate Change.

As part of accomplishing this key activity, ASARECA will:

i. Map out exiting climate-relevant initiatives at national, regional and continental levels by:

(i) maping out current initiatives on CSA, including donors and documented impacts using co-developed mapping tools with FARA;

(ii) Convening a validation workshop for key national and sub-regional stakeholders; and

(iii) Developing a sub-Regional Synthesis Report to be shared with FARA.

ii. Convene periodic meetings with inclusive existing Climate Smart Alliances (CSA) and platforms to discuss mechanisms for improvement and impact:

(i) Hold annual CSA capitalization meeting for key stakeholders of the platforms to review progress made in managing CSA platforms, assess challenges faced in the platforms, and provide mechanisms for improvement in managing CSA platforms;

(ii) Convene annual meeting of targeted Research Forum Leaders in ECA for Director Generals and their deputies to deliberate on emerging scientific issues;

(iii) Consolidate sub-regional synthesis reports on CSA and associated platforms based on country reports, and sharing with countries for review and adoption; and

(iv) Share the consolidated and peer-reviewed sub-Regional Report with FARA and AFAAS for consolidation into the Continental Synthesis Report.

iii. Develop effective strategies for engaging with the private sector on climate-relevant issues in agriculture in Africa and design mechanisms for strategies’ operationalization.

(i) Organize a round-table with private sector and other actors on R&D priority setting for CSA in ECA;

(ii) Develop a regional strategy for engagement of private sector and other non-state actors including youth;

(iii) Hold dialogues with the private sector on commercialization of prioritized technologies, innovations and management practices;

(iv) Convene review and planning meetings with private sector partners and non-state actors; and

(v) Design a pilot intervention based on the priorities setting exercise.

vi. Provide market space for researchers, extension services and private sector to interact.

(vii) Establish a virtual platform and convene face-to-face meetings for dialogue and information sharing;

(viii) Analyze and synthesize information for dissemination to platform stakeholders;

(ix) Organize annual Regional Trade Fairs for key stakeholders in innovation and market in ECA to showcase and promote relevant innovations and enable interaction with and among private sector players;

(x) Co-organize Agribusiness Forums during FARA Science Weeks (AASWs); and

(xi) Identify existing initiatives and formulate new ones with opportunities for engagement with the private sector and farmers’ organisations.

b) Mobilise international expertise, exchange, and work collaboratively with international organisations, to strengthen the capacities of the targeted organizations.

As part of accomplishing this key activity, ASARECA will:

(i) Train country stakeholders on resource mobilisation and management in conjunction with international experts.

(i) Undertake mapping of organizations to be targeted;

(ii) Develop training modules;

(iii) Facilitate mobility of international experts to provide technical support on the identified institutional capacity gaps

(iv) Convene actual training workshop for the targeted stakeholders; and

(v) Develop a resource mobilization strategy and accompanying implementation plan

ii. Broker partnerships on climate-relevant satellite data/ information provision with the European partners. ASARECA will:

(i) Map out data sources and identify means of accessing data from various sources;

(ii) Participate in training led by EU partners on data access and analysis, including soliciting for specified services;

(iii) Leverage on existing partnerships to crowd-source experiences to understand farmers’ preferences and technology adaptation domains; and

(iv) Negotiate preferential access to satellite data and information for sub-regional R&D partners, and capacity development in use of the data by Member States.

iii. Develop program process manuals to facilitate and support the implementation of this activity and of other activity areas.

 ASARECA will:

(i) Develop and validate the ASARECA Regional Project Implementation Manual;

(ii) Support implementation and periodic review of compliance with the Manual;

(iii) Identify training needs and determine appropriate resources based on donor requirements (EU, AfDB, DfID, IFAD/EC World bank etc.); and

(iv) Convening relevant trainings based on identified capacity gaps.

iv. Convene partners to answer climate-relevant calls and develop joint proposals, including:

(i) Assessing and identifying the main sources of climate-relevant Calls for Proposals;

(ii) Convening concept note / proposal development writeshops based on isolated/synthesized Calls and for selected specialists; and

(iii) Assembling evidence collected during the writeshops to make the case for increased investment in research, innovation and extension by public and private sector.

c) Support demand-driven climate-relevant innovation through South-South, North-South and North-South-South brokerage.

ASARECA will:

i. Develop joint response mechanisms capable of addressing emerging climate-relevant technical and innovation issues through:

(i) Co-convening community of practice meetings (virtually and physically) to address emerging national and sub-regional challenges;

(ii) Developing a joint-response framework that details how to address the emerging technical and innovation issues, and drawn from sub-regional and national interventions;

(iii) Establishing and strengthening sub-regional think tanks, and equip them to effectively respond to emerging issues;

(iv) Creating linkage between the Secretariat and its member countries with European partners for joint research and exchange of knowledge and technologies in response to emerging issues;

(v) Organizing partnership brokerage events with European partners; and

(vi) Sharing the findings with FARA and AFAAS in a sub-regional report for consolidation into continental joint response mechanism document.

ii. Establish, operationalize linkages and broker international exchange and cooperation in support of climate-relevant innovation by:

(i) Supporting/financing linkages of AR4D institutions with other continental partners to respond to emerging technological issues;

(ii) Developing and implementing staff exchange, technical visits and mentorship programs with African and European Partners;

(iii) Financing S-S, N-S, and N-S-S partnerships to operationalize partnership facilities;

(iv) Setting up and convening periodic meetings of European/African experts on thematic issues in African agriculture.

ii. Establish portals for funding opportunities and coordinate/facilitate the process of responding to calls together with AR4D actors through:

(i) Developing/upgrading a portal for resource mobilization; and

(ii) Linking the portal to existing portals and networks for resource mobilization globally.

(iii) Convening virtual meetings to plan how to, and to actually respond to placed calls.

iii. Establish a grants’ fund to provide equitable support to sub-regional and national organizations in proposal development using international expertise, particularly through:

(i) Developing guidelines for funding instruments and mechanisms;

(ii) Developing and consolidating existing innovative funding mechanisms (e.g. seed sector support fund);

(iii) Assembling evidence to make the case for increased investment in research, innovation and extension by public and private sector;

(iv) Conducting advocacy for increased investment in climate-relevant agricultural research, innovation and extension by both public and private sector;

(v) Creating consortia of actors to promote diffusion of communication on funding opportunities and participation to calls; and

(vi) Allocating resources to support establishment of equitable and multi-stakeholder partnerships to address priority research issues, market leverage, and innovative funding mechanisms.

v. Commission regional case studies on effective partnerships for innovation:

(i) Co-developing and reviewing survey/assessment tools or strategies;

(ii) Undertaking selected Case Studies on effective partnerships for innovation; and

(iii) Sharing new knowledge with AIS Community of Practice in stakeholder’s workshop.

(iv). Develop and implement an action plan based on the findings of the case studies to inform the operations of the multi-stakeholder partnerships.

(i) Convening stakeholder meetings to develop, validate and implement the action plan;  Tracking and reviewing progress on implementation; Identifying and promoting viable solutions for multi stakeholders’ formation at multiple levels (local, regional and global); Documenting/collating stakeholders experience on multi-stakeholders approach across the sub-region; Convening targeted trainings at sub-regional level for identified stakeholders; and Packaging and disseminating relevant knowledge products on identified delivery channels.