Promoting knowledge sharing and innovation For rural poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa

1. FIDAFRIQUE-IFADAFRICA NETWORK
Promoting knowledge sharing and innovation
For rural poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa
Description of the programme and implementation arrangements
1. Goal and Purpose. The overall goal of the Programme shall be to connect
people, organizations and networks for learning, sharing experiences and
innovation for rural poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa. The programme’s
purpose shall be to increase the development effectiveness of IFAD-financed
projects and programmes and enhance policy dialogue through strengthened
identification of innovation, learning and sharing processes via the creation of a
consolidated knowledge network for sub-Saharan Africa among IFAD-financed
projects and programmes and other development actors. This will build on the
existing network in Western and Central Africa, expanding coverage to Eastern
and Southern Africa and integrating existing thematic networks and projects in
both subregions.
2. Target Group The ultimate target group of the Programme shall be the
rural poor in sub-Saharan Africa, who will benefit from knowledge-sharing and
learning to improve the development effectiveness of projects and programmes.
The network will operate primarily with two groups of stakeholders:
(i) Primary stakeholders: All project staff (directors, M&E officers,
thematic component heads, field officers and key staff) of IFAD-
supported projects and programmes, country programme management
teams and IFAD-supported regional thematic networks in sub-Saharan
Africa and their contracted service providers.
(ii) Secondary stakeholders: rural organizations, including farmers’
organizations, networks of local actors and NGOs, and other regional
and thematic networks related to rural poverty reduction.
3. Activities. The Programme shall comprise five main components:
(i) Network set-up and governance will: (a) undertake a wide
consultation among actors to develop a communication strategy; (b)
create a robust and responsive governance and management
structure; (c) establish effective hosting arrangements by the
Recipient; and (d) conduct a survey of potential service providers in
sub-Saharan Africa;
(ii) Capacity-building and training will: (a) strengthen and expand
FIDAFRIQUE’s successful capacity-building programme for knowledge
management and innovation; (b) plan, organize and support
knowledge management and innovation workshops; and (c) strengthen
project and partners’ staff capacity in methodologies for capitalization,
use of the electronic platform and information and communications
technologies (ICTs) for networking;

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(iii) Support for knowledge harvesting, sharing and communications
will: (a) develop methodologies and tools to map knowledge at the
project implementation level; (b) host, expand and update knowledge
resources in the web-based knowledge portal (building on
www.fidafrique.net); (c) work with partner institutions to develop
question and answer services; (d) develop and introduce non-web-
based vehicles for communication and knowledge-sharing; (e) promote
participation in and support the activities of IFAD-supported and other
relevant thematic discussion groups; (f) establish and implement help
desk services and related communities of practice; and (g) develop
and promote tools that ensure the high quality of the information and
knowledge harvested and shared;
(iv) Support to policy dialogue will: (a) translate knowledge that has
been harvested from target groups into policy-relevant synthesis
products; and (b) foster policy-relevant dialogues across regions to
inform debate on policy options for rural poverty, in collaboration with
actors such as the rural hub in Western and Central Africa; and
(v) Network management and coordination will: (a) plan and sustain
regular interaction with network participants; (b) ensure that projects
and programmes integrate participation in the new sub-Saharan
Africa-wide FIDAFRIQUE network and knowledge management into
their annual workplans and budgets; (c) develop advocacy activities
and mobilize resources from other donors to enhance network
sustainability; (d) manage staff, service providers and related budgets;
and (e) ensure regular monitoring of the network’s strategic plan.
4. Outputs. The Programme shall deliver the following outputs, inter alia:
(i) People, organizations, development projects and programmes,
and networks working to reduce rural poverty, will be better connected
across sub-Saharan Africa to communicate experience, mutual learning
and innovation for rural poverty reduction. This will increase the
development effectiveness of IFAD-financed projects and programmes,
enhance synergies and harmonization, influence the work of rural
development practitioners in other regions, and enhance policy
dialogue on rural development.
(ii) A sub-Saharan knowledge and innovation network will be fully
operationalized, sustained by regular interaction among stakeholders
and effectively governed by a steering committee that includes
regional stakeholders.
(iii) There will be increased capacity within the region, in host
institutions and the support network of service providers, to provide
knowledge management and communications services for sub-Saharan
Africa’s rural development stakeholders (both ICT and non-ICT based
mechanisms).
(iv) The network will support regional and country-level policy
processes, which are systematically informed by field experience. This

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will ensure that policy formulation is anchored in local needs and good
practice.
5. Implementation The Recipient shall be responsible for the network’s
administration and financial management, and the overall coordination/technical
support officer will be based at WARF and integrated with its staff. S/he will
coordinate Western and Central Africa network activities. WARF will appoint a
member of its core staff to support and oversee the coordination and technical
implementation of the network and its activities by the technical coordinator. It
is recognized that WARF has its own substantive technical expertise in
knowledge management and information networks in this field. Hence, in
addition to the role of Recipient, WARF may also be commissioned to implement
some grant activities during the three years (eg. documentation, training etc.)
where it has particular expertise required by FIDAfrique. In Eastern and
Southern Africa, the Recipient shall contract or sub-grant The African Rural and
Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA) to host the coordination unit for the
relevant elements of the network. The coordination unit of the existing Rural
Finance Knowledge Management Partnership, hosted by AFRACA, shall
undertake this task, ensuring coordination of existing thematic networks with the
new network’s planned activities in the Eastern and Southern African region.
With those responsible for the coordination of FIDAFRIQUE in Western and
Central Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa referred to above, the Recipient
shall prepare the annual workplan and budget for the overall network, which will
be reviewed by the Steering Committee and IFAD. An inception workshop shall
be convened, bringing together the Recipient, FIDAFRIQUE and the existing
Eastern and Southern Africa networks and other key actors from the two
regions. The workshop will ensure adequate coordination and communication
mechanisms are established across sub-Saharan Africa. The Steering Committee
shall be responsible for overall guidance and approval of annual workplans and
budgets. The Steering Committee shall meet at least once a year. The
Recipient, with the assistance of network staff, will provide the Steering
Committee secretariat, and relevant regional institutions will participate as
observers. Technical committees will be set up as needed to assist FIDAFRIQUE
on specific issues, such as defining the communication strategy; promotional,
dissemination and training materials, training programme, etc. During early
implementation, a strategy shall be elaborated to mobilize additional financial
resources.
6. Programme Context The total Programme cost is estimated at USD 3 930
000 over the three-year implementation period. IFAD’s grant contribution shall
be US$2,000,000. In order to contribute to enhanced ownership and
sustainability of the network in the regions, cofinancing of USD 600 000 will be
sought from other donors in 2008. An estimated USD 1 330 000 will be
provided through charges and cost recovery mechanisms from IFAD projects and
programmes and other service users.