A survival guide to the CGIAR change process

8/4/2019 A survival guide to the CGIAR change process

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Boru Douthwaite, Innovation and Impact Director,CPWF

A Survival Guide to the CGIARChange Process


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1990s Eco-regional approach, system-wide

programs

2001 - Launch of Challenge Programs

2004

Generation Challenge Program

Harvest Plus

Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF)

2005

Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Program

2008

Climate change, agriculture and food security

CGIAR Challenge Programs


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Prototype nature of CPWF

A big experiment

Addresses a Global Challenge through a

programmatic approach

Emphasis on partnership

Impact focus

Key pillar of previous CGIAR reform program

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CRPs are not all the same, so CPWF is

prototype of what?

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CPWF aims to increase the resilience of social and

ecological systems through better water managementfor food production

Through its broad partnerships, it conducts research

that leads to impact on the poor and to policy change

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Understanding the Prototype


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CPWF Basins in phases 1 and 2

2

1


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Six basin development challenges(highly abbreviated versions)

Andes Benefit-sharing mechanisms

Ganges Floods and salt in the Delta

Limpopo Small reservoirs, rainwater and livelihoods

Mekong Dams and livelihoods

Nile Rainwater management in Ethiopia

Volta Small reservoirs, rainwater and livelihoods

Phase 2 finishes in 2014


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An example of a BDC R4D program the

Ganges the vision

Store more fresh season

water within polders

Use for high value post-rainy

season crops and aquaculture

Change in sluice gate

management to let water in

when it is fresh, but keep itout when it is saline

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An example of a BDC R4D program the

Ganges - projects

G1 Spatial targeting, which strategies for which polders

G2 On-farm water management: getting the most value out of scarce

stored fresh water

G3 Water governance: who gets how much water, when, and for whatpurposes and who gets to decide (sluice gate management)

G4 External consequences and global drivers, downstream consequences

of success, likely effects of global drivers

G5 Coordination and change: policy engagement, communications,

fostering change, M&E

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BDC structure

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CPWF MT

BL

G1 G2 G3 G4

G5 C&Cproject

Technical projects


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Ganges BDC Partners


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CPWF Phase 2 Partners


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NARES 26

University 17Government Organization 11

CGIAR Center 10

Network 9Advanced Research Institute 7

Non- Governmental Organization 7

Research Organization 5

Private Sector 3

River Basin Organization 1

No info 3

TOTAL no. orgs in network 99

CPWF Partners


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Experience from prototype testing

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50,000 B.C.: Gak Eisenberg invents

the first and last silent mammoth

whistle


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CPWFs guiding principles

1. Know you are a research for development program

2. Work on compelling development challenges in realplaces

3. Through co-developing theory of change

4. Through partnership

5. Through working at different scales

6. While ensuring integration of research and

knowledge management

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1. Know you are an R4D Program

Be crystal clear that you do research to achieve

developmental outcomesResearchers dont become development workers

But, do have responsibility to link to next users and

end users

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2. Work on compelling development

challenges in real places

Gets people on board

Motivates participation

It grounds the research, gives it context, relevance

and a purpose

Makes priority-setting easy

BUT must invest in the coordination and change;

leadership

dont overload it

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3. Co-develop and test theories of

change

What is TOC?

Description of how a project or program thinks it willachieve developmental change

Shows the logic; the assumed causal steps

Can be expressed in a number of ways

LogFrames; tables; graphic depictions; narratives; logic models

And developed in a number of ways

Top down, participatory

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Example of project ToC

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Benefits of ToC

Developing and agreeing project ToC with partners

and stakeholders helps build commitment; purposeHelps set priorities

Basis for M&E

Basis for comms and uptake strategy

Aids subsequent reflection; helps justify course

corrections

Improvements in poverty alleviation, food security and the state of natural resources

result from dynamic, interactive, non-linear, and generally uncertain processes of

innovation.

EIARD, 2003

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4. Work through partnerships

Duh!

Difficult to build, easy to break

Contract them in!

Commission not competitive

Set up the rules of the game

In basin research org, out-of-basin research org, next user

Budget share

Visualize themBe a network weaver, see collaborative research as a

means

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(a) Scattered clusters (b) Hub-and-spoke network

(c) Multi-hub small world network (d) Same multi-hub network, redrawn withnetwork weaver withdrawn

Theory ofNetworkWeaving(Krebs andHolley, 2004)


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What projects liked in CPWF Phase 1 had

much to do with working in partnership

Survey of PLs, principle scientists (n=79)

Greater diversity Multidisciplinarity

Complementarity

Wider geographic reach Adopting a basin-scale perspective

Smaller organizations could increase their reach (through

networks)

Sullivan and Alvarez, 2009


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Less positive aspectsPoor internal communication, worse further away

for CP SecretariatMismatch between length of project and expected

impact

Lack of continuity (changes in team composition,leadership)

Lack of coordination (time, many meetings,

unfunded mandates)

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5. Work at different scales

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CRESMIL Example: Impact needs

three outcome pathways

Pathway 3

Policy

enabling

environment

Reduction in poverty and increased food

security in the Ganges Delta

Pathway 1.

On-farm change in

technologies

Pathway 2

Improved water supply to

farms

Adapted from MacDonald 2008


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Pathway 1: On farm changes in the

technology

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Pathway 2:Improved

water supplyto farms

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Pathway 3: Enabling policy

environment

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A characterization of the CRPs

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Bangladesh Impact

Adapted from MacDonald 2008

2500 farmersincrease returnsby 50 to 100%

Rice-shrimpfarmers increasereturns by 157%

Farmer adoption ofdouble cropping,storage of water incanals, new varieties(incl. from Vietnam,fish culture withshrimp)

Local BWDB andLGED staff allowpolder infrastructureto be used to storewater

BWDB and LGEDchange poldermanagementpolicy


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Before and after the project.(Photograph by Olivier Joffre)

Mr. Nguyen Hoang BenAp Lung Chim, Xa Dinh Thanh, Dong Hai.

CRESMIL impact in Vietnam, showing what ispossible

6 I i f R h d


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6. Integration of Research and

Knowledge ManagementKnowledge management (KM)

Range of strategies and practices Support learning and reflection

Identify, create, represent, distribute and enable adoption of

insights and experiences

Insights and experiences = knowledge

Knowledge is embodied in individuals or embedded in

organizational processes and practices

Main pillars of KM in CPWF Communications, M&E, information management

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Normal versus CPWF view of KM

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Research

Planning M&E Comms, UptakeM&E

KM as a service and supportto Research

VEqual partnership


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The logic behind integrationWe do research for development

Developmental change comes through behavioralchange

Behavioral change is learned

Research must influence the learning cycles thatresearchers, next users and end users go through, to have

impact

KM is about designing and facilitating these learning cycles

KM and research must be planned together; happen

together

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Ensuring integration in practiceToC provides a common framework

Invest in leadership, coordination and makingchange happen, about 20% of program budget

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Coordination and change function

C&C Project and BL functions:

Ensure quality and relevance of science

Coordination

Facilitating change

Adaptive management

Innovation research40

BL

G1 G2 G3 G4

G5 C&C

project

Technical projects


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CRP Survival Guide1. Know you are part of a R4D program

2. Work on compelling development challenges in realplaces

3. Through co-developing theory of change

4. Through partnership5. Through working on technical, institutional and process

innovations at different scales

6. While ensuring integration of research andknowledge management

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Reasons to be cheerfulExperience to learn from

Successful test flightsDoes what it says on the label

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Thank you and enjoy the ride!

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A survival guide to the CGIAR change process

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