Presented by Mateete Bekunda at the Africa RISING East and Southern Africa Phase II Planning Meeting, Lilongwe, Malawi, 5-8 October 2016

1. AR-ESA project, from phase I to phase II:
What is different?
Mateete Bekunda
Chief Scientist, Africa RISING East and Southern Africa
Project
Africa RISING Phase II planning meeting
5 - 8 October, 2016
Lilongwe, Malawi

2. Action research will be supported by extension
material and rural development strategies that will be
developed to stimulate technology and educational
dissemination activities, and extend to about 300,000
households by the year 2021.
Key driver: Partnership with Development
projects…which are willing to, and are capable of
taking AR (attractive) innovations to scale.
Phase II: Vision of success

3. Approach - Summary (Page 3)
1. Phase II to be underpinned by research outputs of Phase I (Table 3):
• Including tying-up of loose ends, and
• Turning these outputs into science informed decision-guides and
principles as a base for engaging development partners
2. Explore new research areas:
• Labour-saving (mechanisation) solutions for small scale farmers
• Climate smart solutions
• Market-based solutions
• Strengthen crop-livestock integration
3. Strengthened Approaches:
• Iterative communication with farmers and other stakeholders
• Operationalize R4D/I Platforms
• Systems research and typology/targeting

4. Key Changes (Table 4)
Operational
Issue
Phase I Phase II
Operational
Areas
Few districts (3 - Tz;
2 - Mw; 3 - Zm.
New HHs in research districts. Expand R-
in-D to Development Partner Areas of
operation
Research
Approach
Mainly discipline
technology
identification, testing
and validation
• More multi-discipline action
• Validation of innovations based on the
SI framework (Phil)
• Backstopping scaling initiatives
Partnerships Primarily research
experts
Strengthen development and private
sector partnerships
Scaling Ad hoc dissemination Systematic dissemination of innovations
with development partners (including
beyond FtF – supported)

5. Key Changes (Table 4)
Operational
Issue
Phase I Phase II
Targets Beneficiaries engaged in
technology development
• Add those engaged with
development partners and spillovers
• Address custom targets
Platforms Strategic at (District level) Extend to village level (Operational)
Capacity
development
Mainly short-term farmer,
and long-term graduate.
Strengthen capacity for private and
public sector extension
Research
coordination
Coordinated at action site
level
Add cross-site and cross-region
integration (Communities of Practice)
Monitoring and
evaluation
Ad hoc; opportunistic; FtF
indicator – based.
Quantitative: based on beneficiary
tracking, the SI indicator framework
and custom indicator monitoring

6. Other Changes
Operational
Issue
Phase I Phase II
Research &
scaling activities
Mainly disciplinary Systems thinking (New Officer)
Communication
& knowledge
management
Strategy focused on
publicity and outreach
among stakeholders.
Refreshed strategy adds a more
significant role of facilitating scaling;
i.e. achievement of development
objectives.
Commitment Carrot and stick Take away the carrot
Logframe
construction
Guided by program
Research Outputs.
Limited attention to it.
Guided by project target outcomes.
To be used, effectively, as a
management tool, together with...
Annual Planning Based on site
proposals
Consensus workplans

7. Planning material in the proposal
Outcomes Related SI
Domains
#
objectives
Research
questions
#
Outputs
#
activities
Productivity of crop-
livestock systems enhanced Productivity 3
12
5 11
Technologies that lessen
hunger and poverty under
CC conditions adopted
Environment 2 3 4
Options for food and feed
safety improved Human 4 3 3
Functionality of markets
and institutions associated
with SI improved
Economic 4 2 5
Delivery and uptake of SI
innovations through develpt
partnerships enhanced
Social 2 5 6

8. Thank you