Presentation at the RTB Annual Review and Planning Meeting (Entebbe, Uganda, 29 Sep-3 Oct 2014)

1. Overview of Theme 7: Enhancing
impact through partnerships
Gordon Prain and Inge van den Bergh
RTB Annual Meeting
29 September – 3 October, Entebbe, Uganda

2. Theme 7…
 Cross-cutting issues in social sciences,
communications and capacity development
 Five Linked Products
o Targeting and setting priorities
o Building effective partnerships, including around gender
o Communication and knowledge sharing
o Capacity strengthening
o Impact assessment
 The future of Theme 7 content in the Flagship
era?

3. PL1: Priority and impact assessment
Priority assessment
 A model of collaboration between
Centers
 Also with external partners
through the expert consultation
process
 Build on this with feedback?
 Sell it better!
 CGR a missing element?
 Gender: weak early on, but real
responsiveness later
 Use of the results? Informal and
ad hoc “source of numbers”?
 More formalized but flexible part
of proposal reviews, dialogue
with Centers?

4. Impact Assessment
• Welcome emphasis on Asia
• Proposals prepared for varietal adoption studies
through joint financing with SPIA.
• Gender impact studies?

5. PL2: Building effective partnerships
SNA of RTB published
 A path finding study of R&D
collaboration within, between
and outside Centers and
CRPs
 Now taken up at Consortium
level
Evaluating effectiveness of banana networks
Recommendations:
 increased M&E of networking processes
 More intensive capacity strengthening by regional networks of
local networks
 Increased diversification of the expertise of the different
networks

6. Gender research
• Complementary funding for capacity strengthening in
gender integration research ($110,000): Three courses,
81 RTB researchers trained, of whom 15 from partner
organizations
• Approximately $1M for gender integration research from
complementary funding, 2013 (Oct) – 2014
• Capacity strengthening in strategic gender research
through the global study on gender norms and agency
and agricultural innovation. Ten RTB researchers
trained.
• Preparation of follow-on proposal for gender integration
research

7. Strategic gender research
CRP
# cases
2014
Appprox. CRP investment @
USD 20,000 per case*
A4NH 2 40,000.00
AAS/L&F 9 180,000.00
CCAFS 4 80,000.00
Dryland Cereals 10 200,000.00
Dryland Systems 9 180,000.00
FTA 5 100,000.00
Grain Legumes 4 80,000.00
Humid Tropics 6 120,000.00
MAIZE 12 240,000.00
RTB 13 260,000.00
WHEAT 30 600,000.00
Total 2014 104 2,040,000.00
Gender norms, agency and agricultural
innovation
 Robust empirical evidence on
relationships between gender norms,
agricultural practice and the capacity for
testing and uptake of innovations
 Use of evidence to strengthen CRPs’
theories of change and research
portfolios to contribute to lasting and
equitable development outcomes
 Evidence based on a rigorous design,
core comparable variables and large,
cross-regional sample
 Capacity building of CGIAR gender
researchers in strong qualitative
strategic research skills (11 RTB
scientists trained)
 Major tangible investment by 12 CRPs
Total cases completed in 2014 so far = 60

8. PL3 – Communication & Knowledge Sharing
RTBMaps:
• Brings together spatial information on RTB
crop distributions, abiotic/biotic constraints, socio-economic
conditions and other
relevant information
• Recently recognized by ComputerWorld 2014 for
innovative use of big data analytics
Rapid response to TR4 (Fusarium spp):
• Online web portal for AC4TR4
• Musapedia page on TR4

9. Communication & Knowledge Sharing (cont)
• Online banana cultivar names checklist
launched with >5000 banana names
• 2013: online Knowledge Resource Center received
83,796 visits
and 201,018 page views, from 209 countries
• New audiences via Facebook and Twitter
• Latest banana research results presented during ISHS-ProMusa
symposium on “Unravelling the Banana's
Genomic Potential” held at 29th IHC in Brisbane last
August, with >100 participants

10. PL4 – Capacity Strengthening
• Contribution to gender CS via complementary grant
• Integration into evolving flagships to support the theory
of change
• Already a component in pilot flagships, e.g. in the Quality
Seed Potato Flagship in Africa
• Based on recommendations of banana network impact
study, ProMusa to examine options to facilitate/catalyze
capacity building efforts
• Need for strategy for RTB-wide strategic support for CS

11. The future of Theme 7 content
7.
Partnerships
+ gender
Comms/CS
Priority/impact
assessment
“Holding things
together….the glue…”

12. Learning and Support Flagship
Existing Activity Cluster (in Extension Proposal)
• Development Store – New knowledge, skills,
competencies, tools, apps, shared with those who
need them in the form that they want them
New proposed Activity Cluster
• Development Clinic – Supporting Delivery Activity
Clusters to reach development outcomes at scale
through joint learning around:
o Science translation
o Development brokerage
o Gender responsive and transformative outcomes
o Collaborative advantage and PPPs
o Partnership health check ups
o Impact culture and measurement

13. Final thought: “Activity clusters”?
TUGS = Thematic Units
for Generating Science –
and pushing the Flagships
towards impact
Thank You!