Boru Douthwaite, Innovation and Impact Director, CPWF

A Survival Guide to the CGIAR Change Process

1990s – Eco-regional approach, system-wide programs2001 - 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 as prototype CRPs

Prototype nature of CPWFA big experimentAddresses a Global Challenge through a programmatic approachEmphasis on partnershipImpact focusKey pillar of previous CGIAR reform program

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CRPs are not all the same, so CPWF is prototype of what?

4Source: CRP5 Proposal

CPWF aims to increase the resilience of social and ecological systems through better water management for 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

CPWF Basins in phases 1 and 2

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Six basin development challenges (highly abbreviated versions)

Andes – Benefit-sharing mechanismsGanges – Floods and salt in the DeltaLimpopo – Small reservoirs, rainwater and livelihoodsMekong – Dams and livelihoodsNile – Rainwater management in EthiopiaVolta – Small reservoirs, rainwater and livelihoods

Phase 2 finishes in 2014

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 it out 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 what purposes – 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&C project

Technical projects

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Ganges BDC Partners

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CPWF Phase 2 Partners

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NARES 26University 17Government Organization 11CGIAR Center 10Network 9Advanced Research Institute 7Non- Governmental Organization 7Research Organization 5Private Sector 3River Basin Organization 1No info 3TOTAL no. orgs in network 99

CPWF Partners

Emerging planks of the CPWF’s R4D approach1. Know you are a research for development program

2. Work on compelling development challenges in real places

3. Through co-developing theory of change4. Through partnership5. Through working at different scales6. While ensuring integration of research and knowledge

management

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1. Know you are an R4D ProgramBe crystal clear that you do research to achieve developmental outcomesResearchers don’t become development workersBut, 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 boardMotivates participationIt grounds the research, gives it context, relevance and a purposeMakes priority-setting easyBUT … must invest in the coordination and change; leadership… don’t 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 will

achieve 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 ToCDeveloping and agreeing project ToC with partners and stakeholders helps build commitment; purposeHelps set prioritiesBasis for M&EBasis for comms and uptake strategyAids 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 partnershipsDuh!Difficult to build, easy to breakContract 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 with

network weaver withdrawn

Theory of Network Weaving (Krebs and Holley, 2004)

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

Less positive aspectsPoor internal communication, worse further away for CP SecretariatMismatch between length of project and expected impactLack 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 3Policy enabling environment

Reduction in poverty and increased food security in the Ganges Delta

Pathway 1.On-farm change in

technologies

Pathway 2Improved water supply to

farms

Adapted from MacDonald 2008

Pathway 1: On farm changes in the technology

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Pathway 2: Improved water supply to 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 farmers increase returns by 50 to 100%

Rice-shrimp farmers increase returns by 157%

Farmer adoption of double cropping, storage of water in canals, new varieties (incl. from Vietnam, fish culture with shrimp)

Local BWDB and LGED staff allow polder infrastructure to be used to store water

BWDB and LGED change polder management policy

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 is possible

6. Integration of Research and Knowledge Management

Knowledge 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 support to Research

VEqual partnership

The logic behind integration We do research for developmentDevelopmental change comes through behavioral changeBehavioral change is learned Research must influence the learning cycles that

researchers, 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 frameworkInvest in leadership, coordination and making change 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 research38

BL

G1 G2 G3 G4

G5 – C&C project

Technical projects

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

2. Work on compelling development challenges in real places

3. Through co-developing and testing theory of change4. Through partnership5. Through working on technical, institutional and process

innovations at different scales6. While ensuring integration of research and

knowledge management

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Reasons to be cheerfulExperience to learn fromSuccessful test flightsDoes what it says on the label

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Thank you and enjoy the ride!

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