Research Strategy
Ranjitha Puskur
September 2011

Objectives
• Piloting organizational and technical
models for goat value chain
development
• Documenting, communicating and
promoting appropriate evidence-based
model(s) for sustainable, pro-poor goat
value chains
2

Research = Systematic Learning
Good Rigorous scientific
development research
project
•Action research
•Theory
•Participation
•Hypotheses
•M+E
•Sound methods
Aim: Improve performance and
optimise local outcomes
Aim: General lessons and
understanding to improve global
outcomes

Research framework
• designing and implementing active
and prospective research to improve
the value chain
• not just to improve understanding of
the livestock issues, but being able to
influence actions of relevant
stakeholders
• impact taking priority over mere
knowledge generation

Research System diagnosis
Framework
Livestock system context
-Biophysical -Technical
-Social -Economic
-Political - Institutional
Drivers/Factors
-Preferences -Policy and institutions
-Knowledge -Culture
-Risk and vulnerability -Infrastructure
-Environment
-Markets - Technology
Current state of a Current actors, alignment
livestock issue and practices

Research
Framework Baseline
(contd..) Context Drivers
Actors Linkages
Lessons
Design of interventions and
-Capacity building of actors
-Enrolment and alignment of actors
principles
-Changes in institutions/incentives
-Technical options
Pilot testing
of interventions
M&E and
Learning
Changes
-Actors -Institutions
-Alignment -Organizations
-Practices -Policy

Major methodological challenges
• addressing diversity in innovation
and livestock systems contexts
• how more generalizable results can
be generated from location-specific
research
• how to do this at larger scales

Innovation
Platforms Producer
Hubs
Improved communication
and co-ordination among Improved access of producers to
VC actors services and markets
Changes in Knowledge, Attitudes, Capacity
and Practices of VC actors
Improved productivity through Improved benefits
technical & service delivery from VC for various
interventions actors
•Improved Incomes
•Reduced poverty
•Enhanced food security and nutrition

Key Research Questions
Understanding effectiveness of models and
generating evidence:
• What is the potential of Innovation Platforms
and Goat Producer Hubs as mechanisms to
changes in practices of goat VC actors and,
enhance market access and performance of goat
value chains?
• Do IPs and Hubs lead to equitable and
sustainable benefits for the value chain actors?
• What determines the performance of IPs and
Hubs? In what contexts and under what
conditions can such models be replicated? 9

Key Research Questions
• How have the technical and organizational
interventions contributed to increases in
productivity of and incomes from the goat
systems?
• What are the enhanced value added and
benefits to actors in the value chain due to
interventions?
• How may the changes in practices of VC actors
potentially lead to welfare gains?
• What are the potential environmental
implications of goat value chain development in
the project areas? 10

The approach
– Learning-oriented M&E
– Baseline studies
– Outcome mapping
– Focused research/studies (ILRI, BAIF,
CARE, students, consultants)
– Value chain analysis
– Others based on
information/knowledge needs
identified by IPs and partners –
technical and marketing aspects

Baseline studies
+
VCA
Inform intervention Identify further
planning in IPs knowledge needs
intervention testing -
M&E of processes,
outputs and Focused studies
outcomes
Impact assessment

A hybrid approach to M&E
• a participatory M&E framework (including
quantitative and qualitative dimensions)
which is focused on changes in behaviours ,
practices and capacities of value chain
actors
• + logframe based indicators to generate a
project baseline for measuring the
performance of the value chains, innovation
platforms and hubs

People and outcome oriented M&E..
OM is people and outcome-oriented and
focuses on behavioral change within those
partners that a project or programs aims to
influence directly
OM can be used to develop a map of what
progress towards success would look like in
terms of changes in behaviour of, for example,
goat producers and other actors in the value
chain including traders and actors providing
support services and enabling environment,
which are not easily handled through the
logframe

Outcome mapping –
as a tool to support action and learning
• What do we want to achieve through this project and
how – Define Vision and Mission
• Identify partners we work with – boundary and strategic
• What kind of changes do we want to see in their
practices and behaviours, to achieve the vision and
mission?
• What strategies can the project use to influence these
changes?
• What kind of indicators (progress markers) will help us
track the progress in achieving this?
• How and when to monitor these indicators and how to
analyse them?

Progress markers – some examples
Production actors Post Production actors
Expect Producers (especially women, Attending meetings with
vulnerable, marginalized) joining other VC actors
groups Sharing information related
Representatives from producer to market demand with other
groups meeting with other VC VC actors
actors Acting on decisions taken at
Producers treating their animals IP meetings
regularly
Producers selling their animals
in a planned manner
Producers producing more goats
Producers selling more goats

Progress markers – some examples
Production actors Post production actors
Like Producers groups meeting Acting on decisions taken at
regularly to address VC issues IP meetings
Producer groups acting on Utilizing shared information
decisions taken at IP meetings and engaging in joint action
Producer groups acting on with other VC actors
decisions taken at (internal group)
meetings
Producer groups using innovative
environmentally sound
technologies for goat production
Producers selling animals to take
advantage of seasonality in
demand
Producers producing more goats
Producers actively seeking and
paying for para-vet/field guide
services

Progress markers – some examples
Lev Input and Service Providers Enabling Agencies
el
Exp Para-vets/field guides completing training Enabling agencies engaged in dialogue
ect course with VC actors and strategic partners
ISPs meeting with other VC actors about the development of goat sector
ISPs offering services (making services
available) at village level
Like ISPs acting on decisions taken at IP Public, private & NGO sector promoting
meetings and/or developing the goat sector
Collecting and disseminating market Carrying out market surveys to identify
new markets and opportunities for
information to others in the VC
expanding existing markets
ISPs providing timely, continuous, Enabling agencies investing in
reliable and affordable services at development of advanced technologies
village level Enabling agencies stimulating public-
Para-vets/field guides actively private sector joint investments
engaging in aggregating animals at Enabling agencies investing to establish
community for animal management infrastructure with all basic facilities
and marketing purposes Enabling agencies facilitating
documentation of diverse experiences and
dialogue amongst policy makers,
researchers and development practitioners

Tools and Protocols
• Tools and protocols being developed to
track indicators and processes

Orgnaizational VC actors have access to new Changes in KAP of VC actors, changes
and VC actor level knowledge and information in knowledge sources and type of
behavioural and, follow improved information received
changes/ practices
outcomes
Enhanced responsiveness of Number of demand driven
VC actors to needs articulated technologies and services developed
by producers for and used by the producers;
Process of the articulation of needs
documented
Enhanced innovation capacity Social networks,
of actors to respond to Changes in types of knowledge and
emerging opportunities and information they have access to,
challenges Access to services which enable them
to innovate,
Innovations tried

System and value Improved co-ordination among Improved two way flow of
chain level the VC actors information; synchronized supply-
changes demand; jointly planned market
events
More transparent and joint Changes in the level, types of
decision making strategies communication, and protectiveness of
through improved information amongst VC actors
communication among VC
actors including prodcers
Increased awareness of market Types of and content of information
conditions (consumer and knowledge sharing mechanisms
preferences and demand) amongst VC and IP actors
amongst VC actors
Equitable distribution of Changes in the net benefits accrued
benefits along the chain along the value chains
Reduced risk for VC actors Changes in risks as perceived by the
VC actors

Producer level Enhanced knowledge of improved KAP of producers
outcomes production and marketing
Improved access to and use of Access and level of use of services by target
services that enhance goat male and female headed households
productivitiy
Use of production technologies and Level of use of tested feed options; use of
practices that are productivity controlled breeding and improved housing;
enhancing and environmentally use of preventive and curative health options
sustainable
Improved productivity of goat % Changes in the productivity level of goat
enterprises meat, milk and skins - kid and adult mortality;
(include productivity indicators)
Enhanced access to old and new Increased market choices for input and output
markets/market segments markets
Number of new markets/market segments
being acessed
Higher offtake of live animals and meat
Improved enterprise profitability % change in net profits of target male and
(meat, milk and skins) female households that are producing goats
Improved innovation capacity of Social networks, changes in types of
producers knowledge and information they have access
to, access to services which enable them to
innovate, innovations tried

ILRI is creating and
integrating knowledge
to enable diverse
partners to find
innovative solutions to
make livestock a
sustainable
pathway out of poverty