Week 5- Question 2: CGIAR’s catalyst role?

We have highlighted the role of the CGIAR as a catalyst, recognizing that we can make a small but strategic contribution by helping generate the evidence for change and catalyzing the alignment needed to stimulate development of our target value chains. Does this underplay or overplay the role the CGIAR should be playing at country … Continue reading →

Week 5- Question 3: What information needs and communications challenges

Connecting the people and partners working in the different value chains and technology development activities will require effective flows of information and innovative communication strategies to inform and engage all the partners involved. What kinds of information and knowledge should the project generate and share? How do you think we might get the lessons and … Continue reading →

Week-5 Question 4: Building a learning orientation

What kinds of participatory Partnership Monitoring and Evaluation methods would help build a learning orientation in the program (through the working groups and innovation platforms)? What would be some indicators of changes in the habits, practices and behaviours of the partner organizations and individuals – including the CGIAR – that support innovation in value chains? … Continue reading →

Integrating technology development with value chain development in a Mega Program

Value chain development and how it could be best linked to technology development was one of the ‘hot’ issues debated at the recent ILRI-hosted livestock fish Mega Program stakeholder meeting. To help focus the conversations, colleagues from ICARDA and the WorldFish Center illustrated real-life value chain development and how they interface with the envisaged technology … Continue reading →

Debating the Livestock Fish Mega Program

On August 24, participants from around the world converged on Addis Ababa to discuss the proposed CGIAR ‘Livestock-Fish’ research Mega Program. Participants attending came from 4 CGIAR Centers – CIAT, ICARDA, ILRI, and WorldFish; others came from Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia. They represent governments, national research organizations, regional and sub-regional bodies (FARA, IBAR, … Continue reading →

Livestock Fish Stakeholder Consultation – Introducing the Mega Program Proposal

During the ILRI-hosted livestock fish Mega Program stakeholder meeting in August, ILRI’s Tom Randolph introduced the proposed Mega program in more detail. The overarching goal of the Mega Program is to “sustainably increase productivity of small-scale livestock and fish systems so as to increase availability and affordability of ASFs for poor consumers and, in doing … Continue reading →

Livestock Fish Stakeholder Consultation – CGIAR Change Process Update

During the ILRI-hosted livestock fish Mega Program stakeholder meeting in August, Steve Hall, Director General of the WorldFish Center introduced the process of change in the CGIAR. He highlighted four major changes in the new CGIAR: from 15 independent centers to 1 consortium from diffuse priorities to 15 Mega Programs from funded Centers to funded … Continue reading →

Livestock and fish Mega Program: What the feedback tells us

In the past weeks, we have asked you for comments on the directions and shape of the proposed CGIAR livestock and fish Mega Program. Check the original invitation to comment and the process timetable for more details. In the past month, this web space and the related wiki have been viewed some 7000 times and … Continue reading →

Feedback: Impact through focus on value chains?

We sought comments on the question: “The proposed approach commits the CGIAR Centers to achieve impact by catalyzing development and research interventions in a few value chains in a few countries. Is it an effective approach for the CGIAR to take? Please comment: What are the risks of such an approach, and how could we … Continue reading →

Feedback: Achieving wider impact?

We sought comments on the question: Is it reasonable to expect that the focus on working to transform specific value chains in specific places will generate measurable local impact AND facilitate subsequent scaling out regionally AND generate technologies and research findings that will benefit international development efforts more widely? Please comment: What strategies could we … Continue reading →