Without planning, it is impossible to achieve set goals. It is, therefore, critical that project stakeholders and partners periodically meet to strategize on how they will achieve their objectives. This is why on the 7th and 8th of February, 2023, the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research & Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA) participated in a Ukama Ustawi (UU) Pause and Reflect workshop in Magaliesburg at Valley Lodge and Spa in South Africa.
The Ukama Ustawi (UU) is a One-CG regionally integrated initiative led by the International Water Management Institute (IMWI) that focuses on Diversification for Resilient Agribusiness Ecosystems in East and Southern Africa (ESA). UU aims to help smallholders transition to sustainably intensified, diversified, and de-risked agri-food systems based on maize in 12 ESA countries. Specifically, it seeks to enable 50,000 value chain actors, including farmers (at least 40% women, 40% youth), to adopt climate-smart maize-based intensification and diversification practices and one million to access digital agro advisory services. Emphasizing the role of the private sector in driving such transformation, UU targets to support at least 30 start-ups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
The workshop's objectives were to reconnect as a community and introduce new partners and team members. It also sought to follow up on 2022 kick-off resolutions, including the communication strategy and data management systems. It further wanted to critically reflect on UU’s2022 Past performance.
CCARDESA, through its ICKM Officer, Mrs Bridget Kakuwa-Kasongamulilo, attended the meeting based on the intention for the UU to partner with the SROs (ASARECA, CCARDESA) and FARA to establish a learning alliance and to conduct regional policy support work. The Learning Alliance is simply a build-up on the discussions that the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP-XP4) Consortium had with the CGIAR to develop the Africa Knowledge Management Framework. The consortium is made up of the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA) and Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). The meeting explored the operationalization of the Learning Alliance into a concrete set of activities benefitting NARS.
One CGIAR Managing Director, in Charge of Food Systems, Mr Martin Kropffe welcomed all participants to the workshop. He expressed excitement with the headways that the UU initiative had made in its first year of implementation. He mentioned the bulky innovations that UU has produced, mainly in Eastern and Southern Africa. He also spoke to the established mechanisms that foster effective partnerships with SROs, international organizations and countries. "I am proud to see the upscaling of CGIAR initiatives such as irrigations, CSA, and TV programmes in Zambia and Kenya" intimated Mr Martin Kropff. He urged the UU team to intensify its engagement with the private sector for scaling farmer-based initiatives, such as solar irrigations for sustainable agriculture and food security.
The meeting addressed six work packages, namely 1) Diversify & Intensify (from maize-mixed to diversified systems for nutritious diets), 2) the De-risk and Digitize (agricultural risk management, agro advisories, digital agriculture), 3) Support & Accelerate (SMEs, markets, inclusive finance, MSDs), 4) Conserve and Enable (shared vision, cascaded targets, coordination & co-implementation), 5) Empower & Engage (youth, women, capacity) and 6) Scale and Coordinate (U2 Scaling Hub, spillover effects, regional coordination of initiatives, embedding One CGIAR). Team leads of the various work plans presented posters and feedback was given.
CCARDESA will contribute under work package 4, which looks at governance and an enabling environment with a focus on a shared vision, cascaded targets, coordination & co-implementation. Its main focus is the Learning Alliance which has a solid link to knowledge management and policy development. Mrs Kakuwa-Kasongamulilo and Micheal Victor, Communications Director at one CGIAR, presented plans and activities to be undertaken in the Learning Alliance. Other partners implementing work package six include KIPLA, FARNPAN, ASARECA and Academia 2063.
Dr Inga Jacobs- Mata, the portfolio team lead, shared the UU Operating principles with the participants. She urged teams to intentionally communicate the UU's vision through developing joint newsletters. She urged participants to leverage the diversity among partners by having regular virtual field trips and in-person meetings to strengthen and facilitate collaboration on the activities in UU in the workplan. Dr Inga stressed the need to include early researchers and senior researchers to learn internally in the community and strengthen the spirit of unity. Last but not least, she reminded the participants to weave fun into their work so that they do enjoy life because all work and no play make Jane a dull girl.
The last philosophy was well applied when, at the end of day one activity, the participants went game viewing at the Premuri Private Game Reserve, where they saw various animals, including giraffes, Zebras, Lions, Impalas, Hippos and many more.
The meeting drew participants from an international organization, one CGIAR, Sub-Regional Organizations, the National Agricultural Research Institutes, Academia, Private Sector, the media and researchers.
