Innovation platform experiences from the PROGEBE project on in-situ conservation of endemic ruminant livestock in West Africa

Pamela Pali

ILRI Internal meeting on Innovation Platforms, Nairobi, 6-7 December 2012

Presentation Outline• PROGEBE Background

• Expected outcomes

• Key lessons learnt from three innovation platforms

• Way forward

PROGEBE• To remove barriers to the in-situ conservation

of priority endemic ruminant livestock (ERL) species

• N’dama cattle, Djallonke sheep and West Africa Dwarf goat.

• Gambia, Senegal, Mali, and Guinea in 3 sites/country

• 10 year project began in Q1 2005

PROGEBE Expected Outcomes (1)• Enhanced productivity pure ERL through

selective breeding and production improvements to strengthen food security, increase incomes and enhance incentives for in-situ conservation

• Incentive schemes to foster optimal volarization of ERL established, and better marketing and distribution of products

PROGEBE Expected Outcomes (2)• Increased share o f ERL breeds in herds of

selected project pilot sites

• Models for community based land use planning and sustainable natural resource management to ensure conservation of ERL eco systems

• A system of regional co-operation and exchanges relevant to ERL

Information exchangeDevelop, test and implement models for community-based conservation, and management approaches, related strategies for preserving unique genetic trait/habitat complexes - 2011

PROGEBE intends to develop and implement a sub-regional system for cooperation, coordination, and information exchange relevant to endemic livestock.

ILRI has proposed the establishment of innovation platforms (IPs) at the site and (sub)-national levels as a mechanism for enhancing communication, co-ordination and knowledge sharing amongst key actors in PROGEBE.

Process of IP establishment in PROGEBE

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Site Establishment

Senegal, Bandafassi

Pre establishment process 1.Training on IP’s and M&E of IP’s2.Development of guide (ILRI)3.Development of country TOR’s (NCU) (backstopping meetings) Establishment process1.Awareness meetings at site level2.Approval of TOR & financing by RCU3.Discussions during IP Establishment

a. Project Background, IP awarenessb. Identification of relevant stakeholdersc. IP issues based on the best bet options study

Gambia, Niamina East

Guinea, Dinguiraye

Mali, Yorobougoula(Madina Diassa)

In addition for Mali…..Establishment process1.1st meeting: Awareness about IP’s2.2nd meeting: identification of additional and relevant actors and the constraint analysis3.3rd meeting:

a. Identification of other actors relevant to the IP, b. Discussions with relevant actors, c. ‘institutionalization of the IP’

Background to IP Establishment

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• PROGEBE action site: Bandafassi, Senegal• Established: 26/09/12; 2nd: 24/11/12• IP focus: : To improve in animal health (Meat production &

productivity)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~• PROGEBE action site: Niamina East, The Gambia• Established: 24/09/12; 2nd: ??• IP focus: To increase milk production and marketing~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~• PROGEBE (and MOBIOM) action site: Yorobougoula (Madina

diassa), Mali• Established:1st meeting: 09/08/2012; 2nd : 16/08/2012; 3rd :

13&14/09/2012• IP focus: To increase small ruminants, legumes & grain marketing~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~• PROGEBE action site: Dinguiraye, Guinea• Established: To be established in mid November 2012• IP Focus: ??

Lessons learnedLessons learnedIP establishment and operationalizationIP establishment and operationalizationLessons learnedLessons learnedIP establishment and operationalizationIP establishment and operationalization

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Pre IP & IP EstablishmentPre IP & IP EstablishmentPre IP & IP EstablishmentPre IP & IP Establishment

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• ‘Difficult’ to conceptualize IP concept (abstract)

• Facilitation to understand concept requires:– Several (3) awareness meetings with stakeholders– Which should occur within a short time span– Require strong and local facilitators (including local

champions/ innovative farmers)– Considerable time, financial investments– Could also build capacities of stakeholders first– Language – several languages (Bambara, French etc)

• Facilitators should have:– Have conflict management skills– Have facilitation skills

• Building on existing opportunities is key

Other Stakeholders1.Site Staff (Department of Agriculture) 2.Site based NGOs3.Local radio station4.Local councillors and community leader (s)

Key Issues1.Disease control2.Institutional capacity building3.Intensive training of cattle owners on stapling technologies and feed producers/suppliers on alternative source production and management4.Establishment and maintenance of market linkages

The GambiaSite: Niamina east Milk VC IP focus

SenegalSite: BandafassiMilk VC IP focus

IP issueIP issueIP issueIP issue

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Single meeting is insufficient to discuss IP issue

Evidence based: Best bet option studies, Baseline studies, Constraint analysis

Distinguish difference between the IP issue and constraints

Pay attention to the prioritization process of the issue

Constraint analysisConstraint analysisConstraint analysisConstraint analysis

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Evidence based: Best bet option studies, Baseline studies, Constraint analysis

Need to be validated By stakeholders at each subsequent meeting

Focused With each meeting, continuous validation can help

focus the constraints that the IP can deliberate on in one cycle

Stakeholder AnalysisStakeholder AnalysisStakeholder AnalysisStakeholder Analysis

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Stakeholder buy in is critical to: Understand their interest & contribution Prevent jeopardy (hijacking) of the IP issue

Continuous validation of stakeholder composition relevant to the IP issue

Policy stakeholders are key

Stakeholder analysis (SNA) is required at different points in the IP cycle.

Institutionalization of IPInstitutionalization of IPInstitutionalization of IPInstitutionalization of IP

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In Mali, IP was given a namePlatform for the Promotion of Agriculture and Livestock "Hope for the Community“

The objective of the IP was to:Promote the production and marketing of small

ruminants, grains and legumes, with the adoption of innovations that promote the sustainable integration of

agro-pastoral systems in the community.

Institutionalization is required for recognition to :

Access formal creditAccess to resources such as funding

If the IP is institutionalized:So what after the IP issue is resolved?

Monitoring and Evaluation of IPMonitoring and Evaluation of IPMonitoring and Evaluation of IPMonitoring and Evaluation of IP

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• Allocation of M&E person (SC) for IP activities (or an M&E committee)

• RCU push: Integrating the IP M&E systems and the PROGEBE system to prevent dual M&E systems key

• RCU Push: Demand from RCU to show the ‘value added’ by the IP and to show consistency of participation in the IP activities

• Routine M&E (by site co-ordinators) & End of cycle evaluation (MTE), MTE should occur after an IP cycle (six months)

• Learning from information and knowledge transfer and stakeholder interaction

SenegalSite: BandafassiMilk VC IP focus

Conclusions

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1. Buy in by RCU proved critical to push the IP establishment – need for evidence

2. Evidence depends on the NCU + SCU and how quickly they follow up on issues and RCU on the financial side

3. Constant dialogue between RCU, NCU and SCU