1. MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDER APPROACHES In the SIMLEZA Project A process review

2. Table of Content Innovation Systems Approaches & Platforms SIMLEZA Stakeholders Participatory Research and Extension Approach (PREA) SIMLEZA Activities towards IP formation

3. What is an innovation platform (IP)? A forum established to facilitate interactions and learning among stakeholders often selected from a commodity chain or system. To undertake a participatory diagnosis of problems, joint exploration of opportunities and investigation of solutions leading to the promotion of innovation(s) along the targeted value chain. IPs can provide a useful forum to get all players to interact and play their role in the innovation process.

4. The linear vision of research, extension and development Researchers conducting formal research in established institutions Basic research Strategic research Applied research Researchers Extension agents Farmers Technology transfer Adoption Knowledge flow Source: Ekboir et al. (2002); Wall (2007);

5. Example of an IP

6. Community IP District IP

7. Stakeholder information market 7 National District Community Mo Agriculture UNIV IITA Mo E Mo WA ARI Farmer Assoc Women group Seed Assoc Youth Assoc Fertiliser agent Market Clinic Agric Office Mo Forestry = innovation partner = can we involve them? Mo Health Seed Company DEC Dev Assoc Health office EA Radio Church School CIMMYT

8. SIMLEZA STAKEHOLDERS CHIPATA Farmers and farmer organisations Research and development Commercial/Private International/ regional CIMMYT IITA Total Land Care Seed Co National/Provincial ZARI SIMLEZA coordinator CFU Zamseed, MRI, Kamano District Chipata Districts Farmers Association District Agriculture & Coops Office DAO-Crops Officer Micro Credit Foundation ATS (an Agro-dealer) Zaulimi Local(Women’s Groups) (Farmer Coop) (Farmers) CAC BAEOs and CAEOs (Chanje and Chiparamba)

9. SIMLEZA Approach and Activities ActivityChipataKateteLundazi Community Awareness Meetings222 Innovation Systems Workshops (Mid-season)111 Field Days222 Innovation Systems Workshops (End of season)111 Farmer Selection and FTF Extension Workshop1* * Stakeholders from other Districts were invited Bring Stakeholders together at District level and provide training in Participatory Research and Extension Approaches (PREA), and practice these PREA-tools by interacting with the SIMLEZA communities

10. Consider options Exchange visits Participatory Research and Extension Approach Entering community build trust Identifying local organ- isations Raising awareness Identifying needs & problems Feedback To community Training TechnicalbackstoppingTraining mid- Season evaluation Training Planning for next learning cycle PREA Learning Cycle PREA Training SIMLEZA Prioritising needs and problems Action planning Searching for solutions Mandating local institutions Trying out new ideas End of season review and process monitoring

11. Years Y2Y1Y3Y4 Y5 PREA process 11

12. General assumptions: Farmers are receptive to new ideas Research and development can provide information/technologies that lead to cost-effective ways of production Success will depend on the approach taken Extension role is facilitating not teaching – Helping and convincing farmers vs directing – Providing a service not being a instructor – Encouraging farmer-to-farmer extension

13. Phase 1: Engagement and Social mobilisation Step 1: Informal discussions with potential partners – Establishing common interests Step 2: Entering the community and building trust – Selecting an area – camp, zone ward, village – Meeting with local leaders – Identifying how the community functions (institutions, livelihoods) Step 3: Identify and analyse community organisations – To find local partners for future activities – Inside and outside community

14. Camp Agricultural Committee1 Women’s groups growing cowpeas and groundnuts8 Multi-purpose cooperatives (for fertiliser and maize)7 Village Development committee4 School1 Churches17 JTI17 TLC22 CFU7 Alliance -One4 Cargill6 Dunavant2 Chipata Cotton9 MCF1 COMACO1 SIMLEZA23 Chanje institutions / farmer involvement (n=23)

15. Village Dev Co Women’s groups CEO CAC School Churches JTI TLC CFU ALL- 1 CAR GILL Donovant Chip ata MCF COM ACO IITA CIMMYT ZARI CHANJE CAMP INSTITUTIONS 8 zones SIMLEZA BEO District FA ZNFU Micro- credit Foundati on Multi purpose Cooperatives DAO ZAM SEEDS ATS SEED CO

16. Step 4: Providing feedback to the community – Creating transparency and building confidence – Initiating a platform for dialogue within the community and between partners Issues Ensuring community involvement Clarify roles and expectations Establishing differences in perception Agreeing a way forward

17. Step 5: Raising awareness in the community – Ensuring feed back to and from the platform to the community Facilitating an understanding of the existing situation and opportunities for development Motivating people to become involved in the process Building local confidence and capacity to bring change

18. Step 6 – Identifying needs Identifying and mobilising people’s own interests and common objectives Identifying challenges and opportunities

19. Phase 2a: Community level action planning Step 7: Prioritising problems and needs Prioritisation by different groups - gender, age or institutional membership Issues / tools – Matrix ranking – A value chain analysis or problem tree to identify real problems and causes – Different needs – is everyone making a contribution

20. Chanje crop prioritisation Crop MenWomen Maize11 Tobacco22 Cotton34 Groundnuts43 Vegetables57 Sugar beans66 Sweet potatoes79 SunflowersX5 Soya beansX7 Sweet potatoes-8

22. Chanje – problem prioritisation MenWomen Soil fertility/availability of fertiliser1 Crop pests and diseases22 Lack of markets for crops3 Low prices for crops produced41 Lack of farm implements (ripper, sprayers etc)5 Weeds/labour61 Generally low yields7 Poor quality packaging for marketing8 Lack of and access to crop chemicals9 Access to micro-finance1 High transport costs3 Access to seed2 Limited draft power1

23. Step 8: Searching for solutions Identifying a range of solutions suitable for different groups (value chain analysis) Issues – Who can assist? Visits to research sites, other farmers, Report backs after such visits – Blend suggestions from local people with those of outsiders – Are solutions affordable? – Negotiate what, how and who should try out new ideas

24. Step 9: Mandating local institutions Empowering local organisations through community mandate Ensure responsibility and accountability Issues – Which organisations are most suitable? – Who should take the lead? – What institutional strengthening and capacity building may be required? – What kind of networking is required? – Is their any opposition to the mandate?

25. Step 10: Action planning Providing guidance for implementation Plan to serve as a management tool Determine resources required Develop criteria for measuring success Ensuring all partners know and agree to the plan Issues Identify suitable sites, agree what activities, by whom and when Agree criteria for lead farmer selection, select lead farmers against criteria Agree trial plot design, input acquisition Land preparation, planting, fertilising, weeding etc Consider competitions between groups/farmers

26. Research and extension process Researcher control On-station and on-farmer fields Identifying “best-bet options” In farmers’ fields, farmer ownership with extension facilitation Testing adaptation and learning for local suitability Farmer ownership, management and control Adaptation Farmer-to-farmer diffusion Mothers Babies (Daughters) Lead farmers Granddaughters Secondary and other farmers

27. Phase 2b: Implementation - experimentation Step 11: Trying out new ideas Encouraging people to learn about new ideas through experimentation Using and linking the knowledge of all actors Enhancing people’s ability to innovate Generating new options and solutions Issues Encouraging maximum local involvement Providing back up Organising competitions

28. Phase 2c: Sharing experiences Step 12: Mid season evaluation – Assessing how activities are proceeding – Sharing ideas and providing feed back Issues – Organise an evaluation of field performance Award prizes for trial management, number of farmers involved, quality of presentations etc Share knowledge amongst farmers – Use matrix ranking to compare treatments Build confidence through presentations Encourage more farmer-to-farmer extension

29. IP partners Evaluating SIMLEZA -Achievements -Challenges -Opportunities During Mid-season Workshops

31. Soyabean PVS criteria identified in mid season CriteriaSopranoTGX 1835-10ETGX 1740-2FLukanga Germination3233 Flowering/early maturity3133 Growth rate3233 Unformity3132 Pod clearance3132 Pest/disease resistance3333 Lodging3233 Potential yield3133 Total24142423 Rank1=4 3

32. Step 13: End-of-season evaluation – Re-assess findings of mid season evaluations – Compare yields achieved – Participatory budgets – Assess performance against farmer criteria/ indicators Step 14: Process review – Review the whole process – Identify strengths, challenges – Analyse lessons learnt

33. Criteria P1 conventional P2 Dibble stick P3 Dibble stick Intercro p P4 Dibble stick P5 Only cowpea Grain yield1312 Grain size1212 Residue yield2312 Plant height2312 Vigour1212 No lodging2333 Weed control3333 Total12191116 Rank3142 CA ranking Vuu

34. Yield and Gross Income Unit Unit Cost (zmk) Plot 2 Plot 3 Plot 4 Plot 5 QTYTotal cost QtyTotal cost QtyTotal cost QtyTotal cost GrainKg25005213000069172500389500081202500 Total revenue (A)13000017250095000202500 Physical costs SeedKg110002220002 2 2 Basal fertilizerKg4000280002 Insecticides500 ml4500065606 6 6 Inoculants gram215002 B. Total input costs22560240603056032060 A-B Revenue minus inputs (D.)10744014844064440170440 A-B per ha (D.)5372000742200032220008522000 Labour Costs Land preparationAcre 105000142001 1 1 Planting124001 1 1 Fertilizer application 110001 1st weeding124001 1 1 2nd weeding124001 1 1 Pesticide app.15001 1 1 Harvesting120001 1 1 Threshing2000 Transport1200 Total Labour costs (C.)17100 18100 D-C. Net benefits9034013134046340152340 Net Benefit per ha4517000656700023170007617000 Ranking3241 Participatory budget for Soya Agronomy in Vuu Camp

35. Step 15: planning for the next learning cycle – Identify new areas which require action – Address new problems which may have emerged out of the first learning cycle Issues – Are the solutions sufficient? – What other areas do we need to tackle

36. Phase 3: Ensuring sustainability Step 16: Ensuring ownership – Continuation of the innovation process Step 17: Providing backstopping as required – Ensuring farmers know where to seek assistance Step 18: Setting in place new innovations – Scaling up to other communities and through other institutions

37. PROCESS SUMMARY Social mobilisation – Partner engagement and participation Action planning Experimentation Assessment and learning Setting innovations in place / sustainability

38. Operational level IP roles Operational IP members (local level) Role CAC (Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Com leaders, CBO reps, CEO, NGO) Local ownership Overall coordination Research (Lead) farmers appointed by CBOs Daughter trials CEO/NGO Facilitation of PREA process ­ social mobilisation ­ action planning ­ implementation ­ lesson learning Research Mother trials and back up to CEO and LF trials Private sectorInput and output marketing Training

39. Strategic level IP roles Strategic IP members (District level) Role DAO, District FA, CFU, Camp repsoverall coordination and scaling up DAO, SAO, BEO, NGO Back up for facilitation of PREA process ­ social mobilisation ­ action planning ­ implementation ­ lesson learning Research Mother trials and back up to CEO and LF trials Private sectorInput and output marketing Training

40. Thank you!