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.