Last month in Nairobi, the Observatory convened its third community of practice at the ILRI campus. It was an opportunity to jointly take stock of different research and evidence efforts of the Observatory and partners, review results emerging from our impact collaboration processes, identify promising innovations for rapid testing and dissemination, review capacity development needs and plan collaborative actions to advance dryland policy priorities in the region.
The eighty or so participants were welcomed to the meeting by Isabelle Baltenweck, Program Leader, International Livestock Research Institute and Alan Duncan, Visiting Professor of Livestock and Development, University of Edinburgh.
Thereafter, Guyo Malicha Roba, Head of the Jameel Observatory gave an update on the wider agenda facing the Observatory and introduced participants to the Observatory’s primary activities.
Before the break, the main elements of the Observatory’s research agenda and approaches were introduced by Alan Duncan, Observatory Project lead at the University of Edinburgh in conversation with Nathan Jensen, Observatory Research lead at the University of Edinburgh.
Research and evidence
The substantive morning session was designed to introduce various pieces of work by Observatory staff and partners. It comprised 9 short presentations in two batches, followed by group discussion with participants. The presentations and video recordings are available at https://jameelobservatory.org/cop2024-evidence.
Research and evidence showcase at Jameel Observatory Community of Practice meeting, May 2024
Early career research
In the afternoon of the first day, early career researchers from the Observatory and partners shared insights from their ongoing research, interacting with groups of meeting participants in a ‘bus stop’ exercise around their posters. The posters are available at https://jameelobservatory.org/cop2024-nexgen/
Next generation / early career research session at the 2024 community of practice meeting
Impact collaborations
The first day ended with an introduction to a new impact collaboration project – Harvesting resilience – Understanding early warning system communications to inform anticipatory action and enhance food security in the Horn of Africa.
The project team will recommend enhanced communication content and methods between early warning system providers and agro-pastoral and pastoral communities in Ethiopia and Kenya to increase the effectiveness of the early warnings and the anticipatory actions that can be taken in response to shocks. More information.
It was followed by a brief presentation of the results of an earlier impact collaboration: Exploring seasonality in wasting prevalence at country level using satellite data.
The ‘SEASNUT’ project final report shows that improved estimates of child wasting – that take account of seasonal differences in survey times and wasting prevalence – can be generated and modelled from available data. The results indicate that there are seasonal patterns and that statistical models can establish these patterns and estimate monthly wasting values using a range of covariates.
Fraser Macdonald of the University of Edinburgh then provided a brief assessment of the process such collaborations follow and plans to streamline the co-creation process.
Early action innovation exchange
Following the discussions on impact collaborations, the second day started with a group exercise to brainstorm actions that have the potential to accelerate outcomes for dryland food security early action.
To overcome gaps and disconnects in drylands anticipatory action and resilience building to shocks, participants identified, first: key ‘questions’ or challenges that need to be answered, and second: existing ‘quick wins’ or solutions we can relatively easily build out.
Key questions
Many questions identified were around anticipatory action: How can it complement longer-term disaster risk reduction as well as community-led initiatives and resilience building; how to effectively measure it; how to scale up anticipatory action interventions; what interventions work in drylands anticipatory action; and how best to embed indigenous knowledge in anticipatory action?
Coordination challenges were also identified: How can government priorities be better aligned with community needs; how do we best harmonize early warning initiatives and the information they provide; how should we organize and layer interventions along the continuum between anticipatory action and resilience; and what would an effective drylands multi-stakeholder platform look like?
Other challenges concerned data and information: Who are the main consumers of early warning information in pastoral systems; to what extent are early action/early warning dashboards being used; and how can we better use existing forecast data rather than collecting new data?
Livestock feeding was a concern: How do we build, supply and distribute strategic feed reserves; what are the feed requirements and livestock carrying capacities for drylands; and what’s the optimum amount of livestock feed to avoid herd or animal loss?
Finally, social protection and financing were mentioned: How to move beyond current forms of assistance towards supporting essential local services, relationships and professionals; is it possible to link cash transfers to existing graduation programs in pastoral areas; and how to unlock demand and supply financial services in the drylands?
Quick wins
Anticipatory action was again identified as an area to make quick progress, for instance by: Better coordinating existing knowledge to support anticipatory action and adaptive capacities; carrying out a Delphi study of anticipatory action experiences; developing an anticipatory action ‘what works’ toolbox; integrating anticipatory action into disaster risk management policies; and promoting more inclusive approaches to anticipatory action.
Communication was seen as a promising area: Disseminating personalised SMS messaging for dryland areas; developing clear messaging that anticipatory action can translate into capacity building and resilience at local levels; helping local communities use existing knowledge and expanding their own knowledge, translating these to risk management strategies; and bringing messages and evidence through existing policy and institutional frameworks.
Other early wins mentioned included to strengthen regional and country anticipatory action coordination groups; map who uses existing early action/early warning dashboards and moving towards more integrated dashboards; and developing an ‘IPC’ for water – a water classification index.
Capacities for food security early action in the drylands
Following up discussions at the 2023 meeting and others, Participants formed groups to brainstorm the different actors involved in food security early action and, for identified Observatory challenge questions, identified some essential capacities and modes of delivery.
An update on the Dryland Futures Academy was presented by Geoff Simm (University of Edinburgh) and Guyo Roba. Simm explained the evolution of the idea – from initial discussions at this meeting in 2023, through scoping of various capacity development offerings, discussions with Kenyan universities in November 2023 and announcement of the Academy concept at the COP28 in Dubai. Since then, the concept and a set of draft learning pathways was elaborated and on 9 and 10 May, a workshop was held to develop an Education Framework for the initiative.
Fiona Borthwick (University of Edinburgh) introduced work so far on the framework – mapping opportunities, priority setting, draft principles and draft core competencies, transferable skills, and modes of delivery for the learning pathways and target audiences. More information on the education framework.
Simm summarized the next steps as finalizing the Education Framework, confirming partnerships, setting priorities, mobilizing resources and getting the first products out.
Education Framework workshop – group work
Collaborative actions towards effective food security early action
The final session was an open space exercise in which participants joined groups around six emerging topics to identify opportunities to work together.
- Growing ‘local’ anticipatory actions and resilience from below – facilitated by George Tsitati
- Overcoming information and data trust issues in early warning and response – facilitated by Amanda Grossi
- Developing an adaptation research agenda for drylands and pastoralism – facilitated by Rupsha Banerjee
- Developing powerful and accurate counter narratives to the prevailing pastoralist ‘crisis’ narrative / Drylands as opportunities: Advocating for investment in drylands – facilitated by Samuel Derbyshire
- Building and disseminating an accessible evidence base on food security early action – facilitated by Stephen Mutiso
- Designing an anticipatory action ‘Delphi’ exercise – facilitated by Geoff Simm
Notes from these discussions as well as a fuller meeting report are being prepared.
Closing
Closing remarks and great appreciation for the participant contributions were provided by Geoff Simm (University of Edinburgh), Isabelle Baltenweck (ILRI) and Guyo Malicha Roba (Jameel Observatory).