Bridging the gap between science
and policy: Experience of multi-
scale platform approach in West
Africa
Edmond Totin
Social scientist - ICRISAT

Outline
Background
Different steps of the project
Results
Lessons learned

Background
Bridging the science-policy gap through climate exchange platforms in West Africa
… mainstream climate, agriculture and food security priorities into development policies
… foster development of responsive institutions and policies
… co-design development processes for more impact, under climate change
“… provide what is needed, valuable and meaningful, not what “we” think is useful”

Diagnostic at early stage of the project
 Inclusion in the process did not reach the
grassroots  Poor grassroots’ inputs in
the policy formulation process
 Lack of awareness and knowledge about
the policy especially in the decentralized
levels
 Disconnect of the policy content and the
local priorities

Formation of sub-national
platforms (Nov 2014)
 Multi-stakeholders’ platforms can be effective
to enhance resilience of agricultural and food
systems in environmental change
 Promotion of 9 sub-national platforms (in the 3
West African pilot countries) charged with:
 facilitating climate change responses at the
local level
 channeling community priorities into national
climate change policy.
National
Sub-national
• Exchange of:
• Experience
• Knowledge
• Feedback
process

Case-study
 Different kind of organization was chosen by
members to convene and coordinate the
platform in each district:
Ghana
the traditional chief council
a local NGO
a public agricultural service
 We examined how the organizational position
of facilitating agents contribute to shaping
platform agendas, functions, and outcomes.

Multi-stakeholder Scenario Planning (to design climate responses & local
priorities)
Encourages:
• Social learning
• New knowledge
• Innovation
• Social networks
• Coordination
• Leadership
• Action
• Adaptive capacity

• Scenario planning has the potential to
enable networking and learning across
boundary
BUT,
•…. Scenario process alone may not be
sufficient to stimulate policy change
•…. For institutional and policy transformation
to occur, a more extended learning process is
required
•…. Need for “actions” to strengthen local
dynamics
Result (of joint scenario planning)
https://ccafs.cgiar.org/blog/scenarios-help-guide-discussions-wha

Follow up …
 Policy engagement
 … Advocacy for increased support to high-yielding
seed sector in Mali
 … Engage MPs  information sessions
 …. Training session to MPs understand the
implication of gov. support to seed sector
 … High-level meeting with donors (EU, WB..) to
explore ways for supporting the process in Mali
https://ccafs.cgiar.org/news/sowing-seeds-better-
adaptation

Main lessons learned
 Establishing formal science advisory
mechanisms in policy arenas enables
strategically-targeted investments
 Processes of translation science evidence into
policy
 … are far from straightforward with many
contingencies
 … require time to happen (staff availability)
 … discrepancy of political agenda with research
timelines

Main lessons learned…
 Important to involve policy makers in the process from the very
beginning knowledge co-creation and meet their needs
 Important to build on existing “infrastructure”  capture more
opportunities
 Evaluation of outcomes in policy change should consider its
complexity and context difference

Thank You
e.totin@cigar.org
https://ccafs.cgiar.org/bridging-science-policy-gap-
through-climate-exchange-platforms-west-
africa#.WfmMi7NOc4E