The End Users Led Process of PROPAC on Garden vegetables in Central Africa

PROPAC will organise 22-25 January 2013 in Brazzaville a Multi-Stakeholder Research Question (MSRQ) Workshop around Garden vegetables in Central Africa.

The other regional meetings are scheduled as follows:

• ROPPA: 8-10 March 2013 in Ouagadougou 
• COLEACP: 11-14 March 2013 in Dakar 
• FANRPAN/SACAU: April 2013 (date to be confirmed)

The End Users Led Process comprises the following steps:
1- The Definition of the federating theme;
2- The Desk Review of the federating theme;
3- The National Consultations on the federating theme (if possible);
4- The Multi-Stakeholder Research Question Workshop;
5- The Concept Note by a Core Group of Experts;
6- The Proposal development and submission to potential donors

Hereunder follows an interview with Sylvie Mbog about the desk study on the federating theme of PROPAC: Garden vegetables in Central Africa

Sylvie Mbog explains [in French] how the upcoming meeting in Brazzaville will discuss the findings of the REVUE DOCUMENTAIRE SUR LA FILIERE MARAICHERE AU CAMEROUN, CONGO BRAZZAVILLE ET EN REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE.

She answers following questions :

• How innovative is the users led approach?
• How do researchers appreciate this approach?

RAPPORT DE LA REUNION DES FACILITATEURS AIF/ROPPA

12 décembre 2012. Niamey (Niger). Première réunion de formation des facilitateurs d’Innovation Agricole (FIA) dans le cadre du projet PAEPARD. Organisé par le ROPPA, la rencontre a vu la participation des FIA du Mali, du Benin et Burkina Faso ; des représentants du secrétariat du ROPPA, d’AfricaRice et du Réseau de Recherches pour l’appui au développement en Afrique (REPAD).

Depuis la fin de 2011, les partenaires de PAEPARD ont changé la façon d’initier les partenariats en adoptant ce qu’ils ont qualifié de « Users Led Process » c'est-à-dire un Processus guidé par les utilisateurs, qui se décline en 6 étapes suivantes :

• Définition du thème fédérateur par chaque Fédération des producteurs 
• Etude documentaire sur le thème 
• Formation des FIA nationaux 
• Séminaire multi-acteur sur la question de recherche développement 
• Développement d’une note conceptuelle 
• Atelier d’Ecriture

Une proposition de plan d’action et de définition des rôles et responsabilités des différents acteurs a été faite à l’issu de la formation des FIA à Entebbe.

Interview avec Andre Tiorro (ROPPA)

L’objectif visé par la rencontre était de familiariser les facilitateurs d’innovation agricole avec leur rôle de facilitateurs dans le "processus guidé par les utilisateurs " pour établir l’équilibre entre les différents acteurs intervenant dans le projet de PAEPARD.

L’enjeu régional sur la relance du secteur rizicole est basé sur les trois piliers de l’ECOWAP:

• l’amélioration de la productivité et de la compétitivité des agricultures régionales 
• la promotion du marché régional des produits agricoles 
• l’adoption d’un régime commercial extérieur adapté au développement agricole régional 

Les tendances actuelles de la riziculture en Afrique de l’Ouest affichent une nette croissance en termes de production :

• Tendance à la hausse au niveau des rendements et des superficies 
• Augmentation de la production du à une augmentation à la fois des superficies et des rendements de 2001 à 2010 
• Récent progrès dans l’augmentation de rendements en Afrique de l’Ouest: 1.56T/ha (2001-2007); 1.63T/ha (2001-2010); 1.81T/ha (2008-2010)

Des efforts d’investissements sur les autres maillons de la chaine de valeur doivent être consentis pour :

• Promouvoir une transformation durable pourvoyeuse d’emplois 
• Privilégier la fabrication locale d’équipements agricoles adaptés pour une transformation de qualité tels que les mini-décortiqueuses 
• Stimuler (par un programme de crédit, réduction de taxes) l’investissement dans l’équipement agricole 
• Stimuler une commercialisation du riz local de qualité et en grande quantité 
• Désenclaver les zones de production par la construction de routes ou pistes de production durables 
• Stimuler l’investissement dans les infrastructures de stockage 
• Renforcer le packaging et promouvoir label pour le riz local

La plate forme régionale des AIF / AIF regional platform

8 - 11 January 2013. Yaoundé, Cameroon. During four days this PAEPARD communication workshop brought together representatives of the four regional farmer organisations - ROPPA, EAFF, PROPAC and FANRPAN/SACAU and a private sector representative collaborating with ColeACP.
They were trained in the use of communication tools and especially to build five regional platforms whose objective is to facilitate the implementation and monitoring of User-Led-Process in the regions.

The analysis of the communications needs of regional Agricultural Innovation Facilitators from the Regional Farmer Organisations (AIFs of the RFOs) revealed four major communication functions:

1. Feed the regional and national actors with relative information to federated themes (web articles, publications, studies, websites, news) discussed by the group 
2. Inform the progress of steps performed within the User-led process by the group 
3. Having a set of tools and a space for group works, prepares and performs the steps of User-Led Process. 
4. Having the possibility to re-use the approach, tools and IT structures in place for the group after the end of the project

The goal of the workshop was therefore:

• to define together what might be the future shape of the regional platform. 
• Why and how this platform can help User-Led-Process players to work better together and display the results? 

Once the platform was described in a consensusal way, Work Package 3 of the PAEPARD project (led by CIRAD) translated those needs into functional tools.

• The use of these tools was tried out by the participants of the workshop
• They used those new skill to build their regional platform as described in the previous step. 

IT platform
The "platform" of the users led process for the respective sub regional farmer organisations takes the form of a website including three parts (three menus):

1. A section devoted to the presentation of the regional group and to display news 
2. A section gathering some progress on the steps of user-led process and offering the consultation of information or documents produced during these stages 
3. An intranet dedicated to collaborative work for the user-led process’ actors using for the preparation and the implementation stages of this process.

A platform for what audience?

Four categories of users that may come on the flat platform:

1. Family n° 1: All those involved in collaborative work (intranet) and will produce information: regional AIF, AIF national and regional referral FO 
2. Family n°. 2: User-Led-Process players who do not have access to the collaborative workspace (WP2, WP1, project members involved PAEARD deans ULP, invited experts, comanagers) 
3. Family n° 3: PAEPARD's project members 
4. Family n° 4: PAEPARD's Community (Dgroups) 
5. Family n° 5: Everyone involved in the User-Led-Process (donors, regional organizations research, OP ...) 
6. Family n° 6: The global public

The “User-Led Process progress

The first part of the website gives general information on the User-Led-Process. The second part is dedicated to visitors who wish to learn more about the User-Led-Process and its progession in the region. These pages are visible to all Internet users, their goal is to provide access to the results produced by the regional group and national groups in steps of User-Led-Process. According to the outputs, the User-Led-process can be summarized by the following 5 chronological stages:

1. Desk review 
2. National workshops 
3. Regional Workshop 
4. The concept note 
5. The Research project

"Intranet" or "Collaborative work space" part

These pages are only accessible by authorized persons who must have a password to access this space, it is not public. There is a workspace where User-Led-Process players will be able to prepare the different stages of this process.

Each country that organizes a workshop has an entry point and its own workspace. This space is used in the preparation of the workshop. The workshop and the results will be published in the "User-Led Process progress stage follow up"

A - The preparation phase of the workshop: 

• The development of the list of participants and its validation 
• The development of the workshop program and its validation 
• The implementation of the workshop logistics (location, dates, recipients, trips ....) 

B - The facilitation of the workshop with: 

• Access to communication and animation tools available and to their user guide The development and validation of the presentation materials and animation 
• A library of useful documents to prepare the presentation materials Sample letters of invitation, cover pages, logos 

C - The conclusions of the workshop: 

• The development and validation of synthesis, 
• summaries and records of decisions

Research project Each step of this process has a dedicated workspace: 

A - Identification of Reasearch centers involved 

B - The establishment of the research team 

C - Identification of donor 

D - Project formulation

PARTICIPANTS

André Tioro (ROPPA)

Bernard Likalimba (SACAU)

Edit Kabre (ColeACP)

Gustave Ewole (PROPAC)

Kenneth Katungisa (EAFF)

Lamine COULIBALY (ROPPA)

Macaire NGWASI (PROPAC)

Sylvie Mbog (PROPAC)

Thierry Helmer (CIRAD)

Francois Labastie (Outils Reseaux)

Agnes Carbon (CIRAD)

Michel Tchoungui (PROPAC)

Francois Stepman (Agrinatura)

 

Daphne MUCHAI  (KENFAP/EAFF)  

Serge Fegue (PROPAC) 

Josephine Atangana (PROPAC)

Kick start of the Formulation Mission for support to PAEPARD – Third Phase

Isabelle Martin and Hubert Cathala
at the CTA office in Brussels

30th October 2012. Brussels. Meeting with the two consultants who were assigned by DevCo for the Formulation Mission for support to PAEPARD – Third Phase.

The Mid-Term review for the programme was launched in January 2012 and was completed in April 2012. The principal recommendation was to go for a one year no cost extension (17/12/2012-16/12/2013) in order to implement all the activities foreseen by the initial plan of activities.

An overarching finding has been a mismatch between the research proposals prepared by multi-stakeholder partnerships and the available funding instruments which usually rate scientific excellence over development relevance. The MTR recommended the formulation of a third phase of PAEPARD, which would capitalise on the investment in capacity and partnerships in PAEPARD 2 but also explore better matching of research proposals to sources of funding. The possibility of having a competitive research fund embedded in the project, should be considered along with the need to nurture and sustain the partnerships already created in PAEPARD 2.

The assignment is structured in three phases: a desk/inception phase, a field phase and a synthesis phase.

1. At the beginning of the assignment, a kick off meeting was held in Brussels in DG DEVCO premises on Tuesday 23/10.
2. A meeting was held with the European co-manager on Tuesday 30/10. Following issues were discussed: (i) Administrative management ; (ii) Fund to be managed by PAEPARD ; (iii) What needs to be consolidated in year 4? ; (iv) Collaboration of SROs ; (v) Are new consortia to be supported? ; (vi) Users led approach (in Skype conference call with the  African co-manager)
3. The location for the subsequent field visits is Ghana (Accra), Nairobi (Kenya) and Brussels. The expected output from the field mission is the submission of a mission Aide-Memoire with a resumé of the interviews carried out and all other relevant outcomes of the mission. 

At the end of the field phase, the team is expected to submit:

• a draft of the action fiche 
• an agreed draft log frame (revised by PAEPARD co-managers) 
• an agreed five year budget (revised by PAEPARD co-managers) 
• a draft of the relevant documents to submit to the QSG (see the list in the reporting paragraph) 
• aide memoires from the field missions and interviews

Mauritius Breadfruit Sector Consortium: 2nd Partnership Inception Workshop

8th & 9th August 2012. Food and Agricultural Research Council (FARC), Reduit, Mauritius. The Mauritius Breadfruit Sector Consortium organized a two-day Partnership Inception Workshop.

The overall objectives of the workshop were to:
(1) develop Concept Notes for each of the Research questions formulated from previous workshop and working sessions,
(2) discuss on possible funding opportunities,
(3) develop a partnership action plan.

During the two days of the workshop, the participants were exposed to presentations and group activities in line with the workshop objectives. The presentations served to increase awareness and understanding of the PAEPARD project in Mauritius and give an over-view of past activities of the consortium; to explain how to write project proposals and tap funding opportunities. Group activities were formulated to develop Concept Notes for the different Research Questions generated.

Impressions of the African participants to the Biocircle Infoday of FP7

18th July 2012, Brussels. Info Day and Brokerage Event on Call FP7-KBBE-2013-7.

Interview with Dr I.Charles Okoli at Infoday FP7 Cooperation Theme 2: Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and Biotechnologies (FAFB), Brussels, 18th July. This event was organised by Biocircle. Dr I.Charles Okoli is a researcher with the Tropical Animal Health and Production Research Lab. Department of Animal Science and Technology in Nigeria. Dr I.Charles Okoli s a member of the PAEPARD supported consortium: Low cost and high quality livestock feed production knowledge delivery to Nigerian poultry industry (NIPOFERD)

   

Working visits to European researchers in Belgium

The preparation for the working visit resulted in scheduled meetings with two Belgium scientists in their laboratories. These were,

1. Prof. Patrick Van Damme, Department of plant production, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering University of Ghent 
2. Dr. Didier Stilmant, Head, Production and Sector Department, Walloon Agricultural Research Center (CRA), Gembloux 

The visit to University of Ghent was very fruitful. We were able to explain our research needs and areas of possible collaboration with the host professor. We agreed to collaborate on the study of various aspects of the useful plants of West Africa, while laboratory needs that could not be met at Ghent will be linked to other institutions in Europe. Collaborative research on bio plastics was also discussed and highlighted as a viable field.

We also had discussions with Dr Simbarashe Samapundo an African Post doc scientist working at the Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, University of Ghent. The value of research collaborations between African scientists and their counterparts in Diaspora was discussed and it was agreed that there is the need to pursue such collaborations. Dr Simba showed interest in collaborative work on mycotoxin control in food products.

Scientific tour of Africa Museum, Tervuren, near Brussels, hosted by Dr Patricia Mergen, Head of Unit, Cybertaxonomy and Biodiversity Information of the Museum.

This visit was scheduled for the morning of 18th July. Dr Patricia Mergen gave us a tour of the museum and explained many interesting highlights of the museum. We were informed that the museum has a well equipped laboratory for genetic, molecular and biodiversity studies. The museum is willing to collaborate with African institutions on trainings and research in ornithology, mammalogy, genetics and biodiversity. The museum also serves as a reference center for taxonomic studies and trainings. We were informed about a forthcoming conference on biodiversity planned by the museum and were invited to participate.

Agricultural Research Center (CRA), Gembloux: The visit to CRA took place in the afternoon of 18th July and in my opinion was the most detailed and planned. Dr Stilmant invited two other scientists to the meeting and power point presentations were made on research activities and possible areas of collaboration.

It was agreed that collaborations between CRA and African institutions were possible in the study areas of alternative animal feeds resources, medicinal plants, African cane rat and development of nutritional supplements. CRA scientists were also interested in joint development of doctoral and masters’ degree research protocols and participation in the actual studies through provision of laboratory space, equipment and linkage with local universities in Belgium.

Even though Africa was not targeted in the current KBBE call, it is clear that the need to collaborate with African scientists as expressed by many European scientists during this trip was not properly captured by the policies of the concerned EU organs.

There is the need to create a forum for exchange between African scientists as exemplified by the activities of the EU. FARA could broker such a forum.
Interview with Dr. Samuel Adjei Nsiah from Ghana at Infoday FP7 Cooperation Theme 2: Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and Biotechnologies (FAFB), Brussels, 18th July. This event was organised by Biocircle. Dr. Samuel Adjei Nsiah is a Senior Research Fellow, Forest and Horticultural Crops Research Centre. Kade College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences University of Ghana. He is a member of the PAEPARD supported consortium: Improving food security and income for smallholder farmers through improved post harvest technology and he was an agricultural innovation facilitator trained by PAEPARD for the consortium around Ghana - Control of Angular leaf spot disease of Citrus.

Atelier de formulation de projet Développement participatif des technologies de la culture pomme de terre / Burundi

21 - 25 mai 2012. Bujumbura. Atelier de formulation de projet Développement participatif des technologies de la culture pomme de terre / Burundi, organisé  par la Confédération des Associations de Producteurs Agricoles pour le Développement (CAPAD).

L’objectif global du présent atelier est l’initiation et le développement d’un partenariat autour de la chaine de valeur semences pomme de terre.

Une étude conduite par l’ISABU (octobre 2010) montre que les variétés en diffusion ne sont pas toutes connues, seules deux variétés (Ndinamagara et Victoria) dominent dans la production alors qu’il existe 8 variétés en diffusion au Burundi. Plus de 50% des agriculteurs interrogés déclarent s’approvisionner en semences dans les marchés locaux et 37% conservent une partie de leur récolte. Cette situation montre que les semences de bonne qualité ne sont pas disponibles chez l’agriculteur. La même étude rapporte que les contraintes liées aux maladies viennent en premier lieu, suivi de contraintes liées à la fertilisation et aux semences.

La bactériose vasculaire de la pomme de terre est la contrainte phytosanitaire la plus redoutable déclarée par les agriculteurs. Plus de 75% affirment connaître cette maladie mais ignorent complètement les mécanismes de sa propagation ainsi que les moyens de lutte.

De façon spécifique cet atelier a pour objectif de :

• Mobiliser les acteurs pertinents ; 
• Développer une compréhension commune au sein des parties prenantes sur les enjeux et la vision du projet en partenariat ; 
• Elaborer un plan de travail assorti d’un plan de répartition des rôles entre acteurs pour le développement de la proposition complète et la mobilisation du financement ; – Identifier les potentiels Partenaires Techniques et Financiers (PTF) ; 



Patrick Henri de la CTB presente le projet PAIOSA

• Adopter d’une charte des valeurs pour le fonctionnement et la viabilité du partenariat 

La démarche méthodologique est participative pour faciliter la pleine participation et l’expression des points de vue de tous les participants. Divers outils participatifs sont utilisés à cet effet. Une alternance de travaux en plénière et de groupe permet d’échanger sur les principales préoccupations liées à la viabilité de la chaîne de valeur semences pomme de terre dans un processus multi acteurs.

A la fin de l’atelier un plan de travail et une répartition équitable des rôles sera mis au point pour les étapes suivantes jusqu’à l’atelier d’écriture.

Activite en rapport avec l'atelier: 

3ieme semaine de Pomme de Terre organisée au Burundi du 07 au 10 mai 2012 à Kayanza.

Déclaration des recommandations a l’issue de la célébration de la 3e semaine dédiée à la pomme de terre qui s’est tenue au Burundi, en province de Kayanza à l’Hôtel KAMHOTEL en collaboration avec le Ministère de l’Agriculture et de l’Elevage et avec l’appui technique et financier d’AGRITERRA, de la CTB à travers le PAOISA, de ZLTO, de CSA et IFDC, la Confédération des Associations des Producteurs Agricoles pour le Développement – CAPAD, l’Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi- ISABU, le Département de la Promotion des Semences et Plants – DPSP et la Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi.

EDULINK PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT WRITESHOPS AS PART OF CAPACITY STRENGTHENING COMPONENT OF PAEPARD PROJECT

May 14-18. Entebbe. As part of the PAEPARD Project, RUFORUM organised a proposal development writeshops for the recent EDULINK call.

Thirty-seven participants from universities across Africa and Europe worked on a total of 21 proposals for submission to the current Edulink call (www.acp-edulink.eu) in July.

The workshops were facilitated by Ir. Gerard den Ouden, from the ACP-ST Management Unit in Brussels, supported by Dr Paul Nampala from RUFORUM.

They led participants through the detailed guidelines and requirements of the call, explaining the process of how the proposals are evaluated by Edulink, and how to prepare a winning proposal. In the workshop, participants worked long hours to refine logical frameworks, activity plans and budgets, reviewing each other’s plans in a process of peer review.

The resulting proposals should therefore have a head start in the competitive selection process, and be more ably managed when funded.

PAEPARD 2nd European Multi-Stakeholder Consultation

3 and 4 May 2012. Brussels. BTC-CTB center. PAEPARD 2nd European Multi-Stakeholder Consultation

The main objective of this PAEPARD workshop was an exchange between non-research and research stakeholders or "research users" (producer organizations, private sector, NGOs) to explore possibilities of establishing a multi-stakeholder inclusive and balanced in the field of Agricultural Research for Development (ARD), in order to foster a more demand-driven approach in ARD.

In order to reach the objectives and expected results, the workshop was organized around: “how to make researchers and users work together?” by focusing on models of partnerships and funding and support mechanisms.

The workshop was fed by the lessons learned from PAEPARD experience accumulated over the past two years, which were presented and analyzed.

Models of partnerships 
It is possible to distinguish between several types of partnership models by considering the role played by different actors, in particular in terms of their initiative, definition of problems or challenges, implementation, evaluation and a host of other factors. Based on the idea that 'there is no perfect model' the workshop analyzed various existing models in order to ascertain and highlight their relative advantages and risks.

Funding mechanisms and support mechanisms for partnerships 
In light of identified models of partnerships and items to promote benefits or to avoid risks, the workshop aimed to analyze existing funding mechanisms and set recommendations. Further, the workshop addressed some mechanisms to support balance and inclusive partnerships, particularly those set up by PAEPARD.

PAEPARD experiences 
Those questions were introduced by analyzes based on the experience of PAEPARD from several sources:

1. Case studies conducted by PAEPARD partners 
2. Representatives of consortia supported by PAEPARD. 

Following persons represented consortia at the PAEPARD 2nd European Multi-Stakeholder Consultation :

• Adler CORNEL, Federal Research Center for Cultivated Plants, Julius Kuhn Institute, Germany for the consortium of Ghana/Malawi - Improving food security and income for smallholder farmers through improved post harvest technology
• Joutsjoki VESA, MTT Agrifood Research Finland; for the consortium of Aflatoxin contamination management along the maize value chain in Kenya.
• Cheikh Oumar Ba, INITIATIVE PROSPECTIVE AGRICOLE ET RURALE (IPAR), Senegal, for the consortium of Un partenariat Europe Afrique pour la création d’un outil de suivi de l’agriculture familiale
• Vincent ANTONIO, Instituto valenciano de investigaciones agrarias (IVIA), Spain;
Control of Angular leaf spot disease of Citrus in Ghana

PAEPARD CSO consultation meeting

Thomas Price (GFAR Senior officer) addresses the participants

2 May 2012. Brussels.Espace Jacqmotte de la CTB (Coopération Technique Belge). PAEPARD-CSO consultation meeting: NGO and FO participation in Agricultural Research for Development. Mechanisms and instances at national, regional and global level and opportunities for NGO/FO coordination.

This workshop gathered European and African NGO and FO. It aimed at reviewing mechanisms and instances for NGOs and FOs participation to ARD, at different levels: global (GFAR/GCARD, CGIAR), continental/regional (EFARD, FARA, CORAF, ASARECA) and national. It focused on constraints to overcome and necessary conditions to ensure participation at these different levels and articulation between those levels. The day was organized around interventions of European and African experts and working groups to foster involvement of all participants.

• General overview and historical background by Thomas Price 
• Presentation about GFAR/ GCARD by Thomas Price 
• Presentation about CGIAR by Christian Castellanet 
• Presentation about EFARD by Ann Waters-Bayer 
• Example of national level: Swiss National ARD Forum by Martina Graf 
• Presentation about ASARECA by Mary-Jo Kakinda 
• Presentation about CORAF and challenges at national level by Mamadou Goita

ATELIER D’INITIATION DU PARTENARIAT ENTRE PRODUCTEURS ET SCIENTIFIQUES SUR L’AGRICULTURE FAMILIALE AU CAMEROUN

26-28 April 2012. Mfou, Cameroon. 3 days workshop organised by the National Consultation Forum of Farmers' Organisations of Cameroon (CNOP-CAM). L’Institut de Recherche agricole pour le Développement (IRAD), l’Université de Yaoundé II, le Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agricole pour le Développement (CIRAD), et des organisations paysannes (OP) ont expérimenté la recherche-action en partenariat (RAP) dans le cadre du projet de renforcement des Partenariats dans la Recherche Agronomique Camerounaise (REPARAC). Cette recherche a permis de jeter les bases d’un partenariat entre la recherche et les OP.

Le Directeur Regional du CIRAD et le Vice-president de la CNOP-CAM

Afin de consolider ce partenariat, un consortium composé de la Concertation Nationale des Organisations Paysannes du Cameroun (CNOP-CAM), l’IRAD, l’Université de Yaoundé II et le CIRAD a tenue un ATELIER D’INITIATION AU PARTENARIAT autour du projet intitulée «Innover pour l’intensification, la diversification et la transformation de l’agriculture familiale en Afrique Centrale à travers la recherche-action en partenariat: cas de CNOP-CAM dans la région du Centre Cameroun».

Les quatre membres du consortium étaient représentés à l’atelier:

• CNOP-CAM : 12 représentants dont les 1e et 2e vice-présidents, les représentants de 8 organisations paysannes membres du CNOP-CAM et 2 cadres (la secrétaire permanente et le responsable de l’information, de l’éducation et de la communication);
• IRAD : 2 chercheurs;
• UY II : Une enseignante et un étudiant chercheur;
• CIRAD : Un chercheur et le Directeur Régional pour l’Afrique Centrale

Objectifs et Résultats de l’atelier.L’objectif principal de l’atelier était de consolider le partenariat entre les membres du consortium autour d’opportunités et des défis de l’agriculture familiale en Afrique Centrale. Plus spécifiquement, l’atelier visait:

• une meilleure compréhension des intérêts et compétences de différents partenaires du consortium à fin de permettre une meilleure collaboration entre eux ; 
• l’élaboration des stratégies de consolidation, de gestion et de suivi du partenariat en tenant compte des intérêts et compétences des partenaires; 
• la définition des rôles et responsabilités des partenaires ainsi que les règles du jeu pour éviter les conflits et assurer la transparence pendant la mise en œuvre des activités du consortium ; 
• la revue de la note conceptuelle en vue d’identifier les lacunes et d’améliorer la qualité de la proposition du consortium, et 
• l’élaboration d’un calendrier d’activités d’écriture de la proposition finale et de mobilisation des ressources. 

Related: Cameroon: Stakeholders Seek Better Research Results. A three-day workshop to seek ways of intensifying innovations, diversification and the processing of family agriculture in the Central African Sub-region through research-related efforts began in Mfou, near Yaounde on April 26, 2012.

NIPOFERD CONSORTIUM (NIGERIA) INCEPTION WORKSHOP

16-19 APRIL, 2012, IBADAN, NIGERIA. PARTNERSHIP INCEPTION WORKSHOP FOR NIGERIA POULTRY FEEDS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (NIPOFERD) CONSORTIUM ORGANISED BY PAEPARD.

This partnership seeks to address the critical issues of high cost and poor quality feeds in the Nigerian livestock industry. Feed cost constitutes 75% of input cost of commercial poultry production in Nigeria. Thus, feed cost and quality are the critical issues of production in the industry. Quality being a factor of production, good quality ensures that the farmer derives full benefit of the fund invested in the enterprise.

Composition of the consortium
1. Department of Animal Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
2. Poultry Association of Nigeria, Imo State Branch, Nigeria
3. Feedmillers Association of Nigeria, Imo State Branch
4. University of Ghent, Belgium
5. Faculte D’Agronomie, Universite De Parakou, Republique Du Benin
6. Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Development Studies, Nyankpala Campus, Tamale, Ghana.
7. Bureau d’Analyses Macro-economiques, Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles, Dakar, Senegal

Facilitators: David Suale & Dr Tunji Babatunde with the participation of Dr Jonas Mugabe, the Africa co-Manager of PAEPARD 


Beneficiaries
Farmer organisations (small-scale poultry farmers and feedmillers), research organisations in the field of poultry science, policy makers in the field of poultry production, feed raw materials producers, consumers of poultry products, financial houses and donor organisations

Benefits

1. Researchers in poultry science - Gain knowledge in recent advance in poultry feed production and fulfilment that comes from validation of his ideas and theory 
2. Small-scale poultry farmers and feed-millers - Increased knowledge - Increased and improved productivity - Increased income - Improved livelihood 
3. Policy makers in poultry production - Better information to formulate policies to guide poultry production and feed manufacturing 
4. Consumers of poultry products - Improved quality of poultry products and protein intake - Better products at better prices - Readily available products for consumers - Improved nutritional status of poultry products consumers 
5. Feed raw materials Producers - Increase in production of feed raw materials due to increase in demand - Increased sales and income for raw materials producers 
6. Financial Houses - Assurance of return on interest due to farmers ability to fulfills credit demands on time as a result of increased profitability 
7. Donor agencies - Will have access to the research reports increasing its database of information - The success of the partnership fulfills the vision/mission of the donor organization(s)

References:

NIPOFERD CONSORTIUM (NIGERIA) INCEPTION WORKSHOP Day 1
NIPOFERD CONSORTIUM (NIGERIA) INCEPTION WORKSHOP Day 2
NIPOFERD CONSORTIUM (NIGERIA) INCEPTION WORKSHOP Day 3
NIPOFERD CONSORTIUM (NIGERIA) INCEPTION WORKSHOP Day 4

Working Session by the Mauritius Breadfruit Sector Consortium

28th March 2012. The Mauritius Breadfruit Sector Consortium organized a working session on the 28th March 2012 at the Food and Agricultural Research Council (FARC), Reduit.

This working session was a follow-up to the Partnership Inception Workshop organised by the consortium on 9th and 10th February 2012 in the framework of the PAEPARD project.

The participants of the working session were comprised of representatives from the Agricultural Research and Extension Unit (AREU), the University of Mauritius (UoM), Conserverie Sarjua Ltee, the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security, the Food and Agricultural Research Council and the APEXHOM (Professional Association of Producers / Exporters of Horticultural Products from Mauritius).

The objective of the working session was to use the questions generated from the last workshop as guidelines to identify research areas/ research themes along the value-chain, with potential for research and development in the local context (Mauritius).

Along the Breadfruit value-chain, 11 themes were identified (from its origin to marketing and consumer preferences), and there were unanswered questions that cropped up during the previous workshop. Participants were provided a copy of these questions which they could use as guidelines, and the floor was open for discussion on where we have areas of interest for Research and Development under each theme. Each research theme or research area that was proposed by the participants was discussed and added under their respective headings. After this exercise, a series of research and also development themes was generated (horizontally in picture below), which were then classified in 6 components (input supply, farm production, post harvest treatment, logistics, processing, marketing) of the value chain (vertically in picture).

By the end of the working session, 10 Research and Development themes were generated which would be used for the next workshop, whose objectives would be to formulate research questions under the identified themes and conceptualise & develop project proposals.

Proposal Writeshop (Edulink+Af Union) / Francophone

Cotonou, INFOSEC, du 26 au 30 Mars 2012

26 - 30 March 2012. Cotonou. Institut de Formation Sociale, Economique et Civique (INFOSEC) de Cotonou. Suite aux ateliers d’initiation au partenariat multi acteurs, accompagné par le PAEPARD et ses partenaires financiers, un atelier régional d’écriture de projet a été organisé grâce à l’appui technique et financier de RUFORUM. L’Association pour le Développement du soja au Bénin (SOJAGNON) a assuré la coordination et la gestion logistique de cet atelier d’écriture de projet avec le RUFORUM.

Cet atelier avait pour but de former les consortia des différents pays de l’Afrique de l’Ouest sur la compréhension et l’écriture complète de projets à soumettre à l’Union Africaine.

Le facilitateur en train d’exposer les grandes lignes
du formulaire à remplir

L’objectif général de l’atelier était de renforcer les capacités des partenaires africains dans les consortia de recherche agricole pour le développement, et de développer des propositions de recherche à partir des notes conceptuelles qui ont été présentées dans les séminaires d’initiation aux partenariats et autres processus.

Cet atelier visait spécifiquement à aider les consortia à rechercher des partenaires à la mobilisation des ressources et à écrire des projets de recherche à soumettre au 10ème Fonds Européens pour le Développement, Composante Africaine du Programme ACP pour la recherche pour le développement durable.


L’atelier d’écriture a permis le renforcement de capacités de tous les participants sur
la rédaction des projets de recherche, les règles et principes de l’Union Africaine sur
la soumission des projets aux appels à proposition, le partage d’expérience sur les
sujets de recherche entre membre d’un même consortium, et l’appropriation du
processus de partenariat par tous les consortia.

Ces derniers qui, après s’être mis
d’accord sur la vision, les objectifs communs, les activités et un consensus sur le pays
porteur du projet de chaque consortium. Chacun des consortiums a ont élaboré un

plan d’action avec rôles à l’appui engageant chaque partenaire et qui les guidera
pendant toute la durée du processus de rédaction complète du projet.


Travail de groupe : Ici, le Consortium "Piment" du Togo, Ghana et du Sénégal réfléchi sur
des outputs

PAEPARD write shop in Entebbe

19-23 March 2012. Entebbe. As part of the PAEPARD Project, RUFORUM organised a proposal development writeshops for the African Union Research call (deadline 20/04/2012). A total of fifty participants comprising 16 inter-organisational groups prepared detailed proposals for submission under the African Union Research Call in April (French, Cotonou / English, Entebbe).

 Both workshops were facilitated by Ir. Gerard den Ouden, from the ACP-S&T Management Unit in Brussels, supported by Dr Paul Nampala from RUFORUM. They led participants through the detailed guidelines and requirements of each call, explaining the process of how the proposals are evaluated by the respective financing agencies, and how to prepare a winning proposal.

In each workshop, participants worked long hours to refine logical frameworks, activity plans and budgets, reviewing each other’s plans in a process of peer review. The resulting proposals should therefore have a head start in the competitive selection process, and be more ably managed when funded.

Internal consultation of Work Package 2 of PAEPARD

Mamadou Koita and Felex Apelete (ROPPA), Gustave Ewole
(PROPAC, Sharon Alfred (FANRPAN), Steven Muchiri, 
Marygoretti Kamau and Joyce Wanjiru (EAFF), Vesta Nunoo
and Jonas Mugabe (FARA), Moses Usiru (RUFORUM)

8 - 9 March 2012. Accra. FARA. Internal consultation of Work Package 2 of PAEPARD.

The main agenda under discussions were:
1. The title of the federating theme selected by each RFO and the National AIFs selected per organization as well as countries of focus.
2. Integration of WP4 in development of the TORs for desk review studies for each RFO, organizing of the regional research questions development workshops, write shops and level of involvement in organizing the African Multi-stakeholder workshop
3. African Multi-stakeholder workshop; we need to discuss issues based on the agenda for the workshop and degree of reporting
4. Case studies that were conducted last year to be presented at the European Multi Stakeholder workshop
5. Clarification of payments for AIFs (both RAIFs and NAIFs)
6. Financial budget i.e. both reporting and fund transfers
7. Technical and financial reporting

PIW Ivory Coast: ATELIER DE REFLEXION SUR LA QUALITE DE L’ALIMENTATION EN MILIEU SCOLAIRE

12 au 16 Mars 2012. Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire (CSRS). L’accessibilité à la nourriture est une contrainte majeure limitant le rendement scolaire des enfants en âge d’aller à l’école notamment en mileu rural et périurbain. Le réseau de cantines scolaires installés et gérés par la Direction Nationale des Cantines Scolaires (DNCS) avec l’appui de bailleurs nationaux et internationaux permet de servir le déjeuner à des milliers d’écoliers, améliorant ainsi les performances scolaires des enfants et le taux de scolarisation en milieu rural et péri-urbain notamment chez les jeunes filles.

En vue d’assurer la pérennité des cantines, la DNCS a lancé depuis quelques années des initiatives d’appropriation de ces cantines par les communautés rurales elles-mêmes. C’est dans cette optique que le Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire (CSRS), l'Agence Nationale d'Appui au Développement Rural (ANADER) et la DNCS ont développé un partenariat dont le but est d’aider à un meilleur fonctionnement des cantines, à la fois dans leur approvisionnement que dans leur mode de gestion, en faisant de celles-ci un vecteur de développement local à travers la promotion des produits agricoles locaux.

Ces 3 institutions et la Fondation InterJurassienne en Suisse (FRIJ) ont formé un consortium qui a soumis avec succès une demande de financement à la Plate Forme de Partenariat Afrique-Europe pour la Recherche Agricole et le Développement (PAEPARD) pour développer des projets de pérennisation des cantines scolaires à soumettre à différents bailleurs de fonds.

L'atelier avait pour but principal de consolider le consortium et de produire une note conceptuelle de projet qui sera développée au cours d’un autre atelier prévu début avril au Bénin. Outre les acteurs sus-mentionnés, l’atelier a enregistré également la présence de deux facilitateurs mandatés par le PAEPARD. Il s’agit notamment de M. Diomandé Daouda et Mme Dibi Béatrice respectivement issus de l’ANOPACI (ASSOCIATION NATIONALE DES ORGANISATIONS PROFESSIONELLES AGRICOLES DE COTE D'IVOIRE) et de l’ONG Emmanuel.

Reference: LA QUALITE DE L’ALIMENTATION EN MILIEU SCOLAIRE DANS LES ZONES RURALES ET PERI-URBAINES AU CENTRE D’UN ATELIER DE REFLEXION AU CSRS EN COLLABORATION AVEC LE PAEPARD ET LE FARA

Atelier d’initiation au partenariat pour chaine de valeur soja au Benin

1er au 03 mars 2012. Benin. Centre Anouarite d’Abomey Calavi. Atelier d’initiation au partenariat chaine de valeur soja au Benin.

Objectif global
L’objectif global du présent atelier était l’initiation et le développement d’un partenariat public privé (PPP) autour de la chaine de valeur soja au Benin.

Objectifs spécifiques
De façon spécifique cet atelier avait pour objectif de:

• Mobiliser les acteurs pertinents ;
• Développer une compréhension commune au sein des parties prenantes sur les enjeux et la vision du projet en partenariat ;
• Elaborer un plan de travail assorti d’un plan de répartition des rôles entre acteurs pour le développement de la proposition complète et la mobilisation du financement ;
• Identifier les potentiels Partenaires Techniques et Financiers (PTF) ;
• Adopter d’une charte des valeurs pour le fonctionnement et la viabilité du partenariat public-privé soja au Benin.

Démarche méthodologique
La démarche méthodologique adoptée au cours de cet atelier était participative pour faciliter la pleine participation et l’expression des points de vue de tous les participants. Divers outils participatifs ont été utilisés à cet effet. Une alternance de travaux en plénière et de groupe a permis d’échanger sur les principales préoccupations liées à la viabilité de la chaîne de valeur soja dans un processus multi acteurs.