Presented at the Africa Agriculture Science week in Accra, Ghana on July 17th 2013, during CPWF's side event ‘Engagement platforms for food and water security: opportunities to harness innovation to improve livelihoods and resilience in Africa’

1. Engagement Platforms for Food and
Water Security: Lessons Learned
Olufunke Cofie
CPWF Session
AASW, 16 July 2013

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Presentation Outline
1. What is Engagement Platforms
2. Why engagement platforms
3. Typology of engagement platforms
4. Lessons from CPWF African Basins
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Engagement Platform
An opportunity for individuals from different
organizations to come together to diagnose problems,
identify opportunities and implement solutions on
issues of common interest:
• as individuals
• in small groups
• or as a platform

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Diversity of Engagement platforms in CPWF Basins
Purpose / Scope Scale
•Input into policy making process
•Participatory action research
•Collective action and decision
making for resource management
•Local economic development through
value chain development
•Empowerment
•Combination of issues
• Local
• District
• National
• Basin
• Regional
• Multi-level
Process
Use of many different methods
Typology forms the basis for the selection of
engagement tools for maximum
participation and impact
Participants
• Policy makers
• Civil society
• NGOs and CBOs
• Farming communities
• Research and Educational Insts.

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Common Underlying Principles

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Generally Involve…
Communication

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Why Engagement
 Complex problems in
water and food
management
 Multiple actors are
implicated
 Need for integrated
solutions that are aligned
to stakeholders needs
 Thereby enhancing
ownership of research
result and use to improve
livelihoods

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Major Lessons-1
Successful engagement platforms are:
• Self-reliant
• Demand driven
• Evolve over time
• Embrace multiple perspectives
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Major Lessons-2: Engagement platforms are useful for dealing
with complex problems that require people to work together
Volta: answering a question collectively
Using conceptual models and role playing game
Collective identification of actors, resources and their
dynamics through multi-level consultation
Collective identification of socio-
ecological dynamics
Biophysical model

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Major Lessons-3
• Build on existing relationships and networks rather
than set up new platforms and systems.
• Example: use of platforms of GWP, VBA, LIMCOM,
WATERNET
 Make informal links to relevant people and
organisations.

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Major Lessons-4
• Engagement platforms are not neutral
mechanisms.
• They aim to promote change so they are
adaptive in nature.

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NBDC
Learning Alliance
Other Districts
Local level
Regional
National
Sites within
district
Other sites within
district
Learning
Scaling out
Major Lessons 5: Establishing a set of connected
engagement platforms horizontally and vertically
stimulates better integration and chances for
scaling up processes and impact.

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Example
Dialogue for water resources governance in the Volta
Promoting multi-level
interactions for IWRM at the
watershed level
Participatory support for IWRM
implementation
Local actors are aware of broader
issues, policies and strategies
National decision makers consider
local points of view and perceptions
Major Lessons 6:Platforms can empower local actors to influence
government Policy

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Major Lessons-7
• Markets provide clear incentives for investments in
production.
• Examples: IP for value chain development in the
Volta and Limpopo Basins

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Conclusions
– Need to understanding appropriate engagement
processes in each context- no blue print
– Quality of participation is very important
– Integration of multiple scale/sectors:
• Resources required
• Skills
– Flexibility, alignment
– Leadership versus Facilitation
– Ownership and sustainability, facilitating uptake beyond
research project life spans: the institutionalization of
sound research findings

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Thanks for your attention