Taking a step back to reflect and learn: Key for distilling learning and adaptive management

Prama Mukhopadhyay, Ranjitha Puskur, Deepali Chadha, Hom N. Gartaula

Climate change poses severe risks for farmers around the world, with women and marginalized communities in developing countries experiencing the biggest and worst impacts. The 'EMPOWER' work package of the CGIAR Gender Equality Initiative is piloting approaches to tackle these challenges by developing solutions that integrate social and technological innovations to enhance climate resilience and promote gender equity in the agrifood systems. The initiative is facilitating two learning labs in the South and North 24 Parganas districts in West Bengal, India involving 175 women livestock farmers from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.

On September 3-4, 2024, IRRI hosted a Reflection and Learning Workshop in Kolkata, West Bengal, to provide a space for the key actors and stakeholders to take a step back and critically examine and consolidate learning based on project activities and outcomes thus far. Participants included farmer representatives, research and implementation partners such as ICAR-IVRI, RKMVERI, SEVA, Change Initiatives, PRADAN, and MEL partner Sattva Consulting.

Sure and steady transformative change taking root

The reflections revealed how the bundled innovations co-designed with the women farmers have increased their knowledge, skills and confidence in managing their livestock. They are now able to vaccinate their animals independently and in time, alleviating their major challenge of low productivity and mortality of livestock due to diseases. Beyond equipping them with technological know-how and technical skills, the project has also enhanced their social capabilities. They participate in meetings confidently, use mobile phones to communicate with one another, and are all set to market their produce collectively.

A woman farmer highlighted how the training which focused on deconstructing social norms, division of work, power and patriarchy has helped her realize that women need not be confined to their homes. "I can now negotiate better with my family and attend training away from home", she said. Many other women also echoed this sentiment, appreciating the opportunity to attend training sessions away from home while still being able to manage their domestic responsibilities.

Group meetings for information sharing amongst women farmers have evolved into valuable spaces for mutual support and community building.

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During the course of the activities, women were encouraged to reflect on each of the major activities they were part of and write down their insights and learning. "Writing makes me feel heard," a farmer noted.

Implementation partners highlighted the value of working in a diverse multi-stakeholder platform (MSP). Dr. Mahesh Chander, Principal Scientist at IVRI, noted that while the benefits of MSPs are often discussed, practical guidance on how to effectively facilitate them is lacking. This project provided a firsthand experience in navigating the complexities of such platforms.

Ms. Jhumpa Ghosh of Change Initiatives emphasized the benefits of such a platform. This multi-stakeholder network has significantly boosted project efficiency by providing easy access to diverse expertise. The team is able to effectively tap into the knowledge and skills of their partners.

Are our hypothesized pathways of change holding out?

An important part of this workshop included revisiting the Theory of Change (ToC) co-developed in the early stages of the initiative, which was critical for aligning the various partners towards shared goals. As a flexible, living document, it was intended to evolve alongside the project. The workshop served as a crucial opportunity to review the ToC to assess whether the pathways continue to be relevant and update it after a year and a half of its implementation.

Harsha Jain, Senior Consultant at Sattva Consulting, noted how the Theory of Change (ToC) in this project is being actively utilized as a dynamic learning tool. She felt this is refreshing and stands in contrast to many other projects where they remain static and are developed to only meet initial project requirements.

During the workshop, participants examined the progress on each pathway and assumptions and risks associated with them. The participants also identified several new assumptions and challenges that had previously gone unconsidered. For instance, while installing livestock feed processing units in the villages, it became evident that setting up the machine involves much more than simply providing the equipment and training women to use it. Establishing a dedicated workspace and ensuring reliable electricity supply emerged as significant hurdles that needed to be navigated.

It was also acknowledged that limited resources and an over-reliance on a few organizations often hinders timely implementation of plans due to their work loads. In such cases, local NGOs collaborated and supported one another, effectively leveraging diverse expertise to tackle challenges.

This experience highlights the importance of maintaining a multi-stakeholder network, which provides access to a range of experts who can step in as needed. Such collaboration ensures that the project remains responsive and effective in achieving its objectives, even when faced with unexpected challenges.

Can we scale the innovation bundling approach?

The dialogue highlighted the innovativeness of the STIB approach with the capability of being adapted to other regions and sectors. The partners identified key resources, potential collaborations, and methods for ongoing support required for its wider application.

There was a strong consensus on the need to institutionalize the STIB approach in key organizations, to ensure long-term sustainability. The possibility of continuing the learning labs as sites for long-term experimentation was explored, suggesting that these labs should continue to evolve as centers for innovation and practical application and monitoring outcomes and impacts in the long run.

What are we taking away from the workshop?

• The effectiveness of the STIB approach lies in striking a balance between the systematic process of bundling innovations with the flexibility required to allow quick responses to emerging challenges and evolving community needs.

• Farmers often manage a diverse portfolio of enterprises on their farms. The STIBs should reflect the multifaceted nature of farmers' livelihood systems to be truly helpful to the farmers.

• The Theory of Change (ToC) can be used as a very effective adaptive management tool for facilitating course corrections and functioning of the Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (MSPs).

• Continuous communication and mutual respect among stakeholders and effective facilitation key for making MSPs work and get the desired results.

• Social change takes time to manifest, particularly when we are dealing with historically marginalised communities. Sustaining the habit of multistakeholder collaboration and coordination going beyond the project mode to provide continued support is essential. This would need building institutional linkages and capacities among communities to continue the path.

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