CIALCA lessons can support One CGIAR Regional Integrated Initiatives
The international agricultural research for development (AR4D) sector could change strongly due to the reshaping of one of its mayor players; the CGIAR. The CGIAR is a consortium of 15 AR4D centres, the first of which were established in the late 1960s. Formed in 1971 on the heels of the first celebrations of a Green Revolution in 1968, CGIAR was tasked with extending and translating that revolution in agricultural production to new countries and new crops. Over the past decades, the CGIAR has undergone several reforms as donor funding models shifted, demands on the AR4D sector have changed, and new problems have emerged.
CIALCA have been One CGIAR for the past 15 years
With 15 years of relevant consortium work in the Great Lakes Region of Central Africa, the Consortium for Improving Agriculture-based Livelihoods in Central Africa (aka: CIALCA), can provide derive success factors, failures and lessons learned that can support the development, organisation and impact of Regional Integrated Initiatives under One CGIAR. A broad team of CIALCA staff and partners developed “a practical perspective on One CGIAR”, based on 15 years of collaborative R4D by several CGIAR centers and their (inter) national and regional partners.
Six key success factors for impact and change
The working paper derives six key success factors that increase the added value of regional research for sustainable development initiatives under One CGIAR: (1) Co-investment between CGIAR Centers, universities and national and regional partners; (2) Investment in capacity development at the individual, organizational, network and system levels; (3) Enabling environment to attract and keep talented young researchers; (4) Ongoing dialogue to articulate research supply with policy-demand; (5) Advocacy and communication based on a robust monitoring, learning and results management systems, and (6) Strong, continued and flexible donor investment and support created an enabling environment for collaboration, learning and combining demand- and supply-driven research and delivery.
Please refer to the working paper as:
Schut, M, R Remans, E A Birachi, G Blomme, K Craenen, B Delvaux, G Dercon, B Ekesa, D Kagabo, M K Bacishoga, S Kantengwa, P Karangwa, K Kintche, R Manners, S Mapatano, R Merckx, P Muchunguzi, A Nduwumuremyi, C Niyongere, N L Nabahungu, J Ntamwira Bagula, W Ocimati, P Pypers, A Rietveld, R Swennen, G Taulya, E Vandamme, R Zozo, P van Asten, B Vanlauwe, 2021. A practical perspective on One CGIAR: Lessons from 15 years of CIALCA agricultural research for development consortium work in Central Africa. CIALCA, CGIAR, Kigali, Rwanda. pp25. Available online: https://www.cialca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210601-CIALCA-ONE-CGIAR-Working-Paper.pdf.