Learning Together for Change in Integrated Agricultural Research for Development in Uganda

Context

Our Partners

Objectives

The specific objectives of the collaboration are:

• To enhance and mainstream within NARO the capacity of teams to apply IAR4D approaches;
• To strengthen and institutionalise the ability of MAK to provide capacity-enhancing opportunities in IAR4D for a range of stakeholders at various levels;
• To regionalise such capacity strengthening efforts.

What has been achieved

An important result of this initial learning cycle was the formation of a “Facilitators Group”, initially comprising of 6 persons (3 from MAK; 2 from NARO and 1 from AHI), but later expanding to include another 6 persons that have participated in the ICRA Anglophone programme or the initial learning cycle. The partners in the initiative, through the nomination of personnel to the FG, have integrated the “personal mastery” skills recently promoted at MAK with ICRA’s IAR4D concepts and processes to the benefit of the initiative.

This learning cycle also provided valuable experience in the integration of 5 separate workshops and fieldwork over an extended period of 1 year. The learning cycle was followed by two years of occasional visits to ZARDIs by national IAR4D facilitators. The ZARDI experience with IAR4D is currently being documented. This learning cycle model – which has both advantages and disadvantages – has since been modified for use by ICRA’s partnerships in South Africa, Benin and Senegal.
Other major lessons learned were the need for intensive follow-up through a formal and budgeted programme of mentoring at the zonal institutes by members of the FG, as well as the need to integrate the “research and development challenges” (entry points for the IAR4D fieldwork) into the main funded programmes of the zonal institutes.

The impact of the ZARDI learning cycle has been significant. Citing the training, NARO recently recognised the need to adopt the IAR4D approach as a key paradigm shift to justify investment in science and technology development in its 10-Year Strategic Plan (2008-2018); the challenge is how to institutionalise the approach and to strengthen capacity of key stakeholders in key innovation platforms at national and at zonal level. On the basis of the experience and results to date, the partners (Planning and Implementation Team) are currently seeking additional funding to intensify future activities of the partnership.

In 2009, the partnership was renewed with the formation of the IAR4D Programme Coordination team, led by the NARO Director of Research Coordination. A representative of the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) joined the team. A national IAR4D plan that will provide direction to the work of PCT is currently being finalised. In 2009, the PCT was further strengthened by participation of five representatives (NARO, NAADS, MAK) to the ICRA programme "Design and Management of ARD Learning", held in Wageningen, the Netherlands in September 2009 (with a preparatory 3-day meeting in Pretoria, South Africa, in April 2009.

Follow-up