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ILRI’s Innovation Works provides and sources support for all ILRI organizational units and partners. Drawing on specialized resources across ILRI, its partners, and external parties on as as-needed basis, Innovation Works mobilizes cross-cutting teams that take on Challenges that will help ILRI dramatically improve its performance by building its capacity to collaborate, innovate and integrate. This initiative is about mainstreaming important cross-cutting challenges such as linking knowledge with action, assessing outcomes and impacts from diverse perspectives, and addressing equity and sustainability issues up front in our research and outreach work.
Recent initiatives include:
1. A Dialogue on our Impact Assessment Challenges. A workshop entitled ‘Rethinking Impact: Understanding the Complexity of Poverty and Change’ workshop (RIW) was held at CIAT in Cali, Colombia, March 2008. Building upon a Challenge Dialogue process sponsored by the CGIAR’s PRGA Program, ILAC and ILRI’s Innovation Works initiatives, the 60 diverse participants from all over the world discussed how agricultural and natural resources research can be more effective in generating solutions for poverty alleviation and improving gender, social inclusion and equity, and how such research can be brought into the mainstream and how its impact can be assessed. This document summarizes the dialogue process, the workshop agenda, dialogue participants, key messages, action plans and a summary of key papers presented at the workshop. Conclusions and key messages from this group are found in the following document: Key Workshop Messages and Actions.
For more information go to: www.prgraprogram.org/riw
2. Linking Knowledge with Action
A new joint ILRI-Harvard Center for International Development Working Paper titled Linking Knowledge with Action: What Works? asks ‘What kinds of approaches and institutions, under what sorts of conditions, are most effective for harnessing scientific knowledge in support of strategies for sustainable development through agriculture?’ In applying an innovative conceptual framework to a diverse set of sustainable development-focused projects undertaken in numerous African and Asian countries, we found that strategies key to closing gaps between knowledge and action include: combining different kinds of knowledge, learning and bridging approaches, strong and diverse partnerships that provide partners with the same opportunities, and building capacity to innovate and communicate. 3. Global Challenge Dialogue on Climate and Health in Africa
The Challenge
To engage a diverse group of stakeholders across Africa and beyond, and through collaborative actions, to strengthen the capacity to predict, prevent and mitigate the impacts of climate–sensitive infectious diseases.
The Dialogue so far
A Challenge Paper addressing the above challenge was sent out to 247 people from many different backgrounds, experiences and countries in May, 2008. Over 50 responses were received by the end of June. All of the thoughts, ideas and suggestions are captured in the ‘as-is’ compilation of responses. Responses were then synthesized in a Progress Report. This document revised the challenge statement, expected outcomes, critical questions and action options based on the ideas and comments put forth by respondents to the Challenge Paper.
The feedback was then used to design an action-oriented workshop, held at ILRI, Nairobi Sept 9-11, 2008. We have developed a workshop workbook that can be accessed at:
(Linking Climate and Health Research to Reduce
Africa ’s Infectious Disease Burden: An exploratory dialogue) as a synopsis of the lessons learned over the course of the dialogue, including workshop outputs and outcomes is being finalized.
Knowledge products arising from this process include:
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A logic model for linking climate and health communities (a 'one health concept'), developed after the Workshop based on all participants inputs
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Organizing Team for this Dialogue
Sponsor: Google.org
Project Leader: Patti Kristjanson (ILRI)
Theme Champions for this Dialogue and area of expertise:
Gilbert Ouma (ICPAC), Philip Thornton (ILRI) – Climate change
Brian Perry (University of Pretoria), Delia Grace (ILRI) – Animal health
Rosemary Sang (KEMRI), Caroline Nyamai Kisia (Action Africa Help International, AAHI) – Human health
Baldwyn Torto (icipe), Peter Njagi (icipe) – Host-vector chemical ecology
Amy Luers (Google.org) – Environmental science
Dialogue Facilitator: Keith Jones (Innovation Expedition, IE) Process Mentor: Don Simpson (IE)
Project Administrators: Joyce Wanderi and Julius Nyangaga (ILRI)
Knowledge Integration/Strategic Communicators: Susan MacMillan, Margaret MacDonald-Levy,
Clare Kemp, Grace Ndungu (ILRI)
As one of the follow-ups to this Africa-wide Climate and Health Challenge Dialogue, the organizing team has provided all the resources developed during the Dialogue process to support a new Kenya Climate and Health Working Group. Their first planning/stakeholder workshop was held Dec 8-9, 2008 at the PanAfric hotel in Nairobi. Dr. Kristjanson presented 'Linking Climate and Health Research to Reduce Africa's Infectious Disease Burden: Lessons from an African Challenge Dialogue' summarizing the Challenge Dialogue process and outputs and potential usefulness for the Kenya Working Group. Dr. Jost gave a presentation on 'Climate and Zoonoses Adaptation and Mitigation - Learning from Rift Valley Fever and Avian Influenza (HPAI)' discussing an example of the implementation of a one health concept in Kenya, i.e. the use of a decision support tool jointly developed by FAO, ILRI and others that has been applied recently by a technical group made up of veterinary and public health members (over 10 departments/insitutions in all) in response to a climate prediction that the conditions for Rift Valley Fever are once again very high for this year and early next year in Kenya. She also discussed some of ILRI/partner's lessons regarding risk mapping and adaptation and mitigation efforts and approaches regarding avian influenza, H5N1 HPAI.
4. Women and Livestock Global Challenge Dialogue
The Key Challenge
To invite a group of knowledgeable and influential thinkers and doers around the world to take up the challenge of fighting poverty through women and livestock; to co-create new ways to empower women livestock keepers to further develop themselves, their families, their communities and their nations.
Why is ILRI initiating this Challenge Dialogue?
This initiative was motivated by the fact that ILRI is really doing little substantial work specifically targeted toward poor women. Our first objective is to better understand who is doing what related to women and livestock, what is working, where and how. A second objective of this initiative is to raise awareness of these efforts and issues within ILRI and with our partners, and elevate the status/awareness throughout the world of the importance of livestock as a key asset and potential pathway out of poverty for poor women and their families. A third objective is to catalyze some innovative research with new partners on livestock and women. Finally, we would like to help initiate and support creative and innovative efforts by a diverse group of people passionate about this topic.
Organizing Team for this Dialogue
Sponsor: International Livestock Research Institute
Project Leader: Patti Kristjanson (ILRI)
Champions for this Dialogue
Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute, Columbia University and special adviser to the secretary-general of the United Nations
Jo Luck, CEO, Heifer International
Katherine Sierra, Chair, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
Theme Champions for this Dialogue and area of expertise:
Ranjitha Puskur, Harriet Matsaert, Howard Elliott – Innovation systems, ILRI
Nancy Johnson, Patti Kristjanson – Collective action and poverty, ILRI
Delia Grace – Veterinary epidemiology, community-based animal health, ILRI
Don Peden – Agroecosystems health, water and livestock, ILRI
Robin Reid – Systems Ecology, Centre for Collaborative Conservation, Colorado State University
Jean Hanson – Genebanks for future generations, ILRI
Hanne Hansen – Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen
Dialogue Facilitator: Keith Jones (Innovation Expedition, IE); Process Mentor: Don Simpson (IE)
Project Administrators: Joyce Wanderi and Julius Nyangaga (ILRI)
Knowledge Integration/Strategic Communicators: Susan MacMillan, Margaret MacDonald-Levy,
Clare Kemp, Grace Ndungu (ILRI)
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