Mapping key research gaps group work

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CCAFS-ILRI Workshop on Communications and Social Learning in Climate Change

8-10 May 2012 ILRI Campus, Addis Ababa

Key research gaps (group work)

In this session, participants worked in three groups that focused on three major research gap areas for social learning & communication in climate change: a) convening and catalyzing, b) process guidance and c) evidence, impact and influence. These three areas were quickly identified as key by the workshop organizing group in the break preceding this session, based on inputs from the previous session. Each of the groups, focusing on its own research gap area then had to identify:

  • What are the components of the priority investment area?
  • What initiatives and tools are already available in the field?
  • What role CCAFS should play in it (lead/partner, research/implementation)?

These group results were briefly commented in plenary.

Group 1: Convening and catalyzing

This is about convening social learning movements and catalyzing good social learning work.

Components:

  • Convening within people happens everywhere but the catalyzing component is the real fire
  • Utilize this convening function to bring other actors like insurance organizations and other private sector organizations
  • Develop a strategy for identifying actors

Tools and initiatives:

  • Situation analysis (to engage with communities and identify/utilize the organizations that are already working)
  • Modeling at a regional scale focusing on agriculture with organizations that are already working on the ground including CCAFS in the participatory process to get what is needed on the ground

Role of CCAFS:

  • To lead and step back, depending on the situation
  • Documentation (ensuring that you are documenting and making that documentation open access; documenting failures as well)

Comments:

  • The idea of a challenge fund to provide funding for interesting ideas would be great in this area.
  • Particularly useful to support strategic investment for those who have potential to scale


Group 2: Process guidance

This is about providing guidance on how to work on social learning.

Components:

  • Th CG needs to look at itself (changing mindsets and attitudes within the CGIAR, towards open learning and collaborative learning and the relationship between CG’s as collaborative partners)
  • The CG is engaging with other partners

Tools and initiatives:

  • Possible initiatives to look into - to promote open/participatory research process and social learning:

IDRC water in Ethiopia Prolinnova has an approach that focuses on innovation looks for what’s out there and uses it as a basis but is that an effective research is it credible research and it does not fall under the standard research frameworks. 67 initiatives from the study (11 in detail) CGIAR's own experiences Long and good contribution happening in IDRC work in water in Ethiopia which is a process that is marrying hard science and collaborative social process in co-creating research with different communities two of them relate to CG and there are case studies and there is a lot of evidence.

  • Innovation vs. pure research?
  • Co-creation vs. authority/credibility?

Role for CCAFS:

  • Meta analysis
  • Synthesis of social learning research
  • Fill in the gaps in relation to specific cases
  • Finding channels for publications and incentives to build collaborative research because the CG has a mandate in achieving this.


Group 3: Evidence impact and influence

This is about understanding what impact social learning has and sourcing evidence for it.

Components:

  • Process documentation
  • Behavioural / practice change --> (and mechanisms for) replication
  • Mechanism to explain change: a theory of change, to be tested?
  • M&E of social learning and comms

Costs and benefits Metrics e.g. on partnerships, policy change

  • Baseline understanding (this is available)

Engage outsiders into process as influence pathways among peers Who to target for impact? Moving from learning to action Tools and initiatives (who's leading them/knows about them):

  • Participatory video (InsightShare)
  • Mobile workshops / learning journeys (CPWF)
  • Analogues' work (CCAFS)
  • Writeshops and sistematizacion (ILEIA)
  • Institutional histories, Most Significant Change stories (CPWF)
  • Knowledge center (ALIN)
  • PSRI participatory social return on investment (CCAFS)
  • Convergence of sciences (Wageningen University)
  • Learning hubs (IDS/DfID)

Role for CCAFS:

  • Knowledge brokerage and facilitation (lead)
  • Linking applied intervention with analysis e.g. through learning labs (partner)
  • Identifying most interesting cases (partner)
  • M&E and impact assessment of social learning, building on baselines (lead)
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