Workshop+Day+1+(Tuesday+28th)-notes


 * Individual project meetings


 * Plenary program overview

1. Introductions Each participant was asked to write their name, institute and country on a card of a colour that corresponds to the various projects of the NBDC (N1,2,3,4,5) as well as the CPWF. Then each person was asked to come to the front of the room to introduce themselves and pin their card up on a pin board next to the project which they work for/interested in.

N1-red N2-green N3-pink N4-blue N5- yellow CPWF-purple

[INSERT PHOTO OF THE MAP CREATED]

Observations:
 * Nadia: what a wonderful team, big and diverse
 * Alan: many people didn't seem to be completely sure what they were supposed to be working on--need to clarify this over the next few days
 * An- she disagreed and liked the fact that people were not so caught up with individual activities and projects, but saw themselves as part of the broader program
 * Alain:
 * Boru: the people who work across different projects are really the major link between the activities and knowledge

2. Program overview presentation (Tilahun) See powerpoint presentation (To be added afterwards) Points: Q(Doug): what do you mean by 'best practice'? A (Tilahun): it cna be a technology, a champion, an intervention. We can learn from others, even in India and it cna be shared it. (Domitille)- in AgWater solutions we focus on what are the conditions for success. If we look at the wide range then we may have more evidence for what is relavent in other conditions. Tilahun: a question of scales and dynamis
 * need to link with, learn from and work together with other organisations and initiatives
 * N1- review, synthesis, lessons learned, progress to date, ongoing experiences, how to bring impact, how cna program contribute to what they are doing
 * N2 is about rainwater managet systems at a landscape scale-focusing on case sites, bringin toegther interventions, policies and approaches
 * N3 is about taregtting and upscaling
 * N4 is about...
 * N5 is the coordination project and focusess on M&E, innvoation, impact, communication-contributing to the larger BDC agenda
 * Principles we are following:
 * Stronger partnership with a rnage of partners at different imes and scales; creating larger networks and linkages
 * Interdisciplianry research, disciplines and instituions
 * Capacity building, mentiroing and facilitation
 * Gendera nd diversity-ability to participate and dervive benefits
 * Learning, documentation and communication
 * Innovation for action

3. Project updates

N5: [LINK TO SLIDES]
 * Acknowledging the work of the ILRI KMIS team
 * Monthly meetings for most of the team members, even the Nairobi team members are part of it through teleconferences
 * Using new tools: wikis, Yammer
 * Using new tools to help with planning of the workshop-wiki. using the tools to include people in agenda setting, dsicussions, and sharing information
 * Trying to produce a communication strategy--this will be presented by peter Ballantyne on Thursday
 * Giving key presentations on the issue in various meetings--this has sparke issues and a number of people are attending the workshop tomorrow
 * Briefs, reports, journals are already emerging
 * Two series(1) Nile update series (2) Nile brief series
 * negotiating to aheva special edition of the journla of Natrual resource management ine thiopi-5-6 papers drafted and brining information together to share with national scientist and others. the Advisor to the dpetuy P will be the guest editor
 * had one field visit to jeldu area-interactions with local partner snad got feedback,a nd many coming to the meeting
 * Communication-how to align the commstrtagey with the OLMs is a task to work on
 * Impact pathways-OLMs are in place; Mous have bene signed with partners
 * M&E-need to develop a fraemwork for M&E--already have a draft which has bene circulated
 * What type of baseline do we need?
 * Innovation platforms--we have planned two things (1) mapping the actors and (2) building caapcity of the platforms
 * Organisaton of actors int eh basin--doing an inventory
 * Looking at existing networks and platforms and evaluating them
 * what are any new intiatives ongoing and planned
 * Analysis of linkages, power balances, incentives
 * 33 public actors, 5 private sector, 29 NGOs, 5 civil society, 22 donors

Q(Don): How cna we make use of knowledge from other projects? A(Tilahun): thigns like the N1 synthesis and the special journal A(Seleshi): need to create strong linkage with other projects like IPMS, GTZ projects and others working on the ground A(Alan): the various fora that will be set up e.g National forum, and in N2 the learning and practice Alliances

N2(Sharat)
 * Brining together technology, policies and instituions
 * This is a key pathway out of poverty for places like Ethiopia where 95% is reliant on rainwater
 * Good interventions in soil and water need to be sustainable
 * try to bring technologies which are supported by instituions which are supported by policies
 * Using local learning alliances to learn what is happening on the lcoal level, what is needed, what are the priorities--but then also to share results throught ehse mechanisms
 * ICRAF: Since traditional forstes have bene destroyed, they play a very important role, theirrole int eh ladcsape is very important
 * Livelihood component is also part of this project
 * ODI and IWMi-will give a complete eprspective on livelihood systems
 * National partners from Amhhara, oromia, Unviersities, MoWR, MoARD, NMSA--started with developing MoUs
 * Implementation fo the project from earlier project (BFP)-we have a good udenrstanding of what the basin is like--but that was ata basin level, we are now working ata lcoal level so we need to spend time to udnerstand what is happening at thsi scale.
 * Selected three sites in three woredas: Bahir Dar(ltos of actors here), Jeldu(very impoverished), THIRD??
 * Selected three watershed units to be able to know what is happening with each drop of water
 * Setting up detailed hyrdological monitoring
 * Talking to several partners and developing MoUs.
 * Capacity building of our partners- Grima from ERWHA
 * We really need to work on partnerships

N3(An)-\[LINK TO SLIDES]
 * Putting the team together
 * Discussion on what the project is all about
 * Trying to finalise the MoUs with all the partners
 * Secondary data collected, documented and ready to use
 * First maps created

N4(Seleshi)
 * assessing consequences of innovations/interventions
 * what are the consequences of carrying out itnerventions in rainwater management in the Ethiopian highlands
 * evaluate impact-taking into accoutn National eceonomy, whole blue Nile and also downstream--is it brining positive or negative.
 * Using scenari analysis to figure out win-win situations
 * Not waiting until other projects bring on board all the innovations, N4 is starting in paralell to develop methodologies and ex-ant
 * Many partners-most of them are common partners. ILRI, SEI, NBI, any national partners--on selected outoput basis
 * Mobilisation of partners-creating awarness of the project; designed workplans for various oransiations which will be finalised with MoUs by end of next month, Each institute also ahs a designated focal person
 * From past work-alot of useful results. The Nile wide model based on WEAP can be capitlaised on. Also models related to the Ethiopian highliand (SWAT model adapated)
 * working with other projects to testa dn evlauet in the downstream
 * synergising with existing projects, what ahs bene planned at country-level over the next five years, especially the new growtha dn transformation Plan of Ethiopa.
 * ENTRO-has many useful projects: watersehd managet, irrigation, power sharing--need to capitlaise on these porjects
 * Discussing the posisble upscaling of the current irrigation committee to be a agriculturla water management platform which this and other projects cna contribute to.

Q(Domitille)- how do all of these various platforms and ways of engaging with stakeholders fit together? A(Seleshi)-need to ahve platforms at different levels. Nile development forum

N1(Doug)
 * Desk review of the topic on rainwater management
 * 2 volume report
 * volume 1 is an annottated list of references
 * volume 2 is a syntheis of lessons etc; then a series of reccomendations (e.g gaps in knowledge) specific recs for the CPWF


 * Issues and solutions:

> We will be both part of governance and management of this MP > We have until end of Phase 2, 2014-to operate under the umbrella of the MP > One uncertainy factor is the budget--CPWf have committments from donors until end of 2013-whethe teh reform ahppens or not
 * Explanation from Alain:
 * If the reform happens fully-CPWF will be fully integrated into MP 5
 * We will be hosted by CRP/MP 5 on land water and ecosystem
 * We will be contributing to the different best bets
 * Contributing to bet bet- rainfed etc--lead by CIAT

We started with finding out what topics people are interested in discussing with others; topics that are cross-cutting or not easy to dsicus as indidivudla projects. An initial list was organised into four main topic discussion topics, with volunteers leading the topic:
 * Topic discussions
 * 1) Thinking beyond water in deciding on interventions (Don Peden)--in the Infocentre lobby
 * 2) Data: collection, standardisation, storage, sharing etc (An Notenbaert)--In Infocentre board room
 * 3) Monitoring and Evaluation framework (Pamela Pali)-IWMI meeting room
 * 4) Project innovation: uptake, dissemination, innovation, platforms, ambition for change and how to articulate it and make it happen, site selection (Alan Duncan)- In Infocentre breakout room

Topic 1- main discussion points [Don-can you contribute here?]

Topic 2-main discussion points [participants of this discussion group, please add on/correct where necessary]

There is a need to figure out the data requirements for the different projects, so that we avoid duplication
 * 1) DATA COLLECTION

// Action Point: setting up a Wiki discussion group with disciplinary sub-groups, these will be initiated/led by // - // socio-economic data: Katherine & Catherine // - // hydrology, soils and climate: Berhanu //

One way of integrating data across disciplines and scales is through geographic location
 * 1) DATA INTEGRATION

// Action Point: as much as possible collect XY-coordinates with a GPS. In some cases issues of privacy might force us to collect the location of e.g. the village instead of the household. GPS coordinates of individual households, etc will not be publicly available; access will be limited/restricted. //

Both primary as secondary data should be shared amongst projects and partners
 * 1) DATA SHARING

// Action Points (championed by Aster, Aster, Charlotte and Abisalom): //
 * 1) // check the IDIS (IWMI) database and how we can make use of it as much as possible //
 * 2) // explore Database Management experience of the other partners //
 * 3) // compile an catalogue of currently available data (with indication of “access category”, e.g. publicly available, restricted, etc) //
 * 4) // decide on a strategy for sharing data within the program //

Topic 3-main discussion points [Pamela/Sophie--to provide main points here]

** Monitoring and Evaluation group -Notes by Sophie Alvarez ** 1 **WHO ARE The M&E People In Projects?** **Pre- discussion:** Only 4 of us from CIAT, ILRI (2) and CRS were in this discussion group. As a follow up to the suggestion that we need a monitoring and evaluation person (tentative name learning facilitators) from each project (projects 2,3,4 in the first session who would constitute a group. We discussed the ‘formation’ of a group to deal with M&E issues in projects. The TOR for the group are given in section 2.        2 ** TOR for the learning group and possible areas of inter                 action for this group we discussed are:**    -  Development of indicators: how can we, in a participatory manner, develop the outcome, output and activities indicators it makes sense to monitor for the projects? For the NBDC? Which can we ‘share’ across projects? This includes baseline development and discussions on ways to ‘measure’ KAS (knowledge, attitude and skills) changes, how to ‘document perceptions’, as well as well- known and other, more innovative, tools for developing and measuring indicators. - Data collection: who, when, how do we collect the M&E data? What collection instances can we share and thus optimize across projects. They shall be guided by the monitoring and evaluation framework? - Reflection, and preparation of reflection sessions and reports: how do we achieve better reflection? What cultural factors do we take into account for carrying out reflection? How and when should reflection happen- can we contribute to reflection in our day-to day work? How? How are reflection and reflection meetings facilitated? - Knowledge sharing and M&E: where does the work of the fantastic KS team and ours cross? How can we benefit from KS tools and knowledge in the basin to achieve better monitoring and assessment of our progress towards outcomes in projects? How can we do M&E of the knowledge sharing processes, and how can we do knowledge sharing of our M&E processes? Process documentation: what are we learning as we do this? How do we document and share our learning?  -  Capacity building: we can use the group as a platform to build in-project capacities in all aspects of M&E (development of indicators, data collection and tools and methods, facilitation of participatory processes, use of OLMs and workbooks, etc.) We can also exchange knowledge about the projects themselves, to learn better ways of following their progress. ** Development of indicators for the outcomes and outoput by project teams **  We discussed the workbooks and the M&E framework that Pamela is developing with projects. **__How does the__ __Monitoring and evaluation framework fit together with the OLM's?__** How do we make the whole system ‘assailable’, and how do we share with the group that it is, in reality, a fairly straightforward process of KEEPING OUR OUTCOMES in mind as we do research. It’s all about finding ways to ‘keep our eye on the ball’ and learning. Pamela presented some of the support she will be giving projects with their indicators, data collection and tools, how they shall fit in with the reflection by CPWF 5. 4 **Finally- FORWARD! What is next?** 1. Organized and invited all to an open meeting in the Zebu at 5:30, in case some of the project participants wanted to join the discussion. 2. W e will come up with due dates to develop indicators, discuss tools October 15th 2010 3. Thursday the presentation on M&E will include some of these issues 4. We hope to open some spaces, and will discuss with Peter and Nadia, to start building the group by asking project leaders to suggest names 5. B oth Pamela and Sophie will arrange meeting with project individually to get their requests for support, and advance the process of inception reporting, workbook updating and indicator development. Topic 4- Innovation - main discussion points [Ask Domitille for points recorded on flip chart sheets]

Two key issues which emerged from these discussions were:

1. The need to develop methods for monitoring innovation processes. In N2 we will use the "World Bank Four Element Tool" as a simple framework for defining innovation systems (actors, interactions, habits/practices, enabling environment). In previous projects ILRI has used this framework to monitor changes in innovation capacity. This could be applied in the current programme by using the same framework for monitoring change at different scales (N2 and N5). This could feed into the overall M&E strategy and needs to tie in with the Outcome Logic Model and indicators developed to monitor progress towards the Changes agreed in the OLM. 2. We are currently at a very opportune moment for influencing large scale investments in NRM in Ethiopia. The forthcoming Agricultural Growth Programme constitutes a major investment funded by the World Bank and other donors. Our CPWF Phase 2 research can feed into this but the results may come too late - we need therefore to synthesise the lessons coming from N1 (Lessons from the past) and find ways of feeding these into current policy/investment thinking.