African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services Presentation to AEAS stakeholders- Madagascar Charles Masangano (PhD) & Max olupot ( Mr) 23 October Antananarivo OVERVIEW OF AFAAS & Country Forum

Setting the context Nwaze, 2013, …“But we must recognize that technology is only a tool. It is not an end in itself. As a scientist, I understand the excitement of new discoveries. But as a development practitioner I have seen the miracles that take place when we give farmers the tools to enhance existing – and sometimes quite traditional technologies. ” The need for Extension and Advisory Services to bridge the missing link, albeit being constrained !!!

Funding approaches Farmers empowerment Widening scope of AEAS Targeting poverty and gender Building demand for AEAS Environment al degradation and climate change Market Orientation ?! Appropriate Policies and institutional arrangements Appropriate methods, approaches and tools (e.g ICT) Increased Capacities ( Org, Inst & Indiv) Supporting pluralism and Partnership Evidence based learning and impact Managing devolved systems and services Building Social capital Networking at all levels AEAS Demands- Pillars

PRODUCT INNOVATIONPROCESS INNOVATION Technology transfer, especially for the staple food crops Training farmers how to intensify & diversify their farming systems Training farmers how to organize into producer and self-help groups Training farmers how to use sustainable NRM practices Improving Rural Livelihoods Maintaining National Food Security PRODUCT INNOVATION PROCESS INNOVATION AIS- Comprehensive Agricultural Extension System

Why AFAAS? Support sharing of experiences, information and knowledge on AEAS Support to the country AEAS to ensure that FAAP principles are applied within the CAADP process Mobilize a pool of experts from within Africa and strengthen their capacity to respond to the specific demand of AEAS at different levels Backstop country-level AEAS to organize themselves to focus on AEAS issues Advocacy and lobbying - policy, investment etc Represent AEAS at continental and international fora …AUC, GCARD, FARA

AFAAS VISION AND MISSIO N Vision : AAS that effectively & efficiently contribute to sustained productivity, profitability & growth of African agric for poverty reduction Mission : Promote lesson learning & add value to initiatives in AAS thru sharing of information & increased professional interaction

AFAAS engagement in CAADP agenda  Engagement in Science Agenda for African Agriculture;  Capacity Strengthening in AEAS  Guidelines for integrating AEAS in CAADP  Supporting national AEAS Systems  Pool of experts

Knowledge Management  Three Symposia organised ( 2004, 2016 & 2011);  One Africa Agricultural Extension Week in 2013 in Botswana; Second planed for 5-10 October 2015 in Addis Ababa in partnership with AUC and MoARD Ethiopia;  A website & a virtual social networking platform;  A conceptual framework for lesson learning developed;  A guide for Piloting Market Oriented AEAS;  Study on targeting Women Advisory Service Providers & Capacity Development Programmes ;  Study on how issues of Climate Change are being addressed in AEAS

Country Fora  Guidelines on how to engage with AAS Stakeholder in a country to bring about the emergence of CF that are aligned with CAADP  AFAAS membership 40 African Countries by General Assembly  Country Fora established in a number of countries e.g., Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda etc  Six countries in the process of developing their own Strategic and operational Plans aligned with that of AFAAS  Linkages with other ARD actors at national level

Research Systems and Institutions Farmer Organisation Agricultural Training Institutions Agri-business Financial Services Social Services Public sector at all levels Building Strong Partnerships AEAS Who are the AFAAS Strategic partners?

Partnerships and Collaborations contd... GFRAS- Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services FARA, Multiple with focus on continental ARD agenda ASARECA ; MoU signed CORAF ; Concept being developed NRI- Climate change CABI- Plantwise ( Plant Clinics) scaling up and out Helvetas, FANRPAN, Agridea International – Post Harvest Management Project for SSA( Mozambique and Benin) – on going INNODEV - Knowledge Management component COMPACI- capacity development for AAS providers KIT - Royal Tropical Institute on MOAAS icipe - capacity, scaling out innovations -

Sustainability Recognition by AUC Integration into national (including donor funded) programmes Maintaining anchorage in to the broader R&D agenda including S3A Support from the national ARD systems Catalyse and Facilitate establishment / Strengthening of CF

AFAAS Thrusts Championing Knowledge Management in AEAS in the Continent Strengthening Country Fora for national level engagement Partnerships and collaboration with all ARD actors for scaling up and out innovations Capacity Strengthening for AEAS Policy and advocacy for AEAS Conducting strategic studies

Why CF? Brings together AEAS actors Supports/ Leads AEAS development at national level Strong linkages of AEAS stakeholders with CAADP process Exchange of information and Knowledge Shares lessons Identifies opportunities for providing services to each other- learning process Innovation on AEAS Capacity and professionalism Identifies areas of joint studies in AEAS

Process of establishment of CF Approach Aligning to FAAP principles Analysis on a need for the forum Facilitating the identification of existing structures for networking Identifying champions

CF establishment Process..... Interest expressed from AEAS stakeholders in the country to engage with AFAAS Sensitisation and awareness raising Assessment of status of organisational and institutional status of AEAS

CF establishment Process Identification of existing entity for country forum or setting up a new entity if this does not exist Facilitation of the process of establishing a country forum Facilitation of a CF to develop a strategic and operational plan

FAAP Principles 1.Empowerment of end-users 2.Planned subsidiarity 3.Pluralism in the delivery of AEAS 4.Evidence based approaches to AEAS 5.Integration of AEAS with research, the private sector, training, capacity building and education programmes 6.Explicit incorporation of sustainability criteria 7.Systematic utilisation of improved management information systems 8.Introduction of cost sharing with end-users 9.Integration of gender considerations at all levels

Registration The level of legal recognition required depends on the functions that the CF is expected to perform  Independent entity  Hosted by a legal organisation

Partnerships and alliances For the CF to be effective, it is important that it is appropriately connected to other networks and initiatives with overlapping or side-lined objectives that can strengthen the national efforts in providing effective AEAS

Leadership and hosting It is important that the entity has a clear and effective leadership: – for example as an Executive Committee, and that this is recognised and accepted among all the stakeholders in such a way that all have confidence in the Forum serving their interest – Political support – Strong membership – constituency

Facilitation of the Process National workshop for AEAS stakeholders Establishing or launching meeting Resource mobilisation

Research Systems and Institutions Professional Associations Agricultural Training Institutions Agri-business Financial Services Social Services Public sector AAS stakeholders…….. AEAS Farmer Organisation

Establishment Meeting scoping meeting/workshop: – Establish leadership (for example an Executive Committee), roles and responsibilities – Operational guidelines for functions and communication – Discuss the establishment of a charter Make a plan for the next steps: Strategic and operational planning

Experience on successful CFs

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