On 3 and 4 April, we joined with the ‘Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project in a Dryland Futures Academy workshop to develop the livestock component of a Climate Risk Management in Agricultural Extension curriculum.
Recognizing the importance of ‘next users’, particularly agricultural extension and advisory service (EAS) providers in, the workshop was part of a wider AICCRA effort to co-design curricula targeting the needs of agricultural extension systems in six AICCRA target countries.
The livestock focus emerged from discussions in earlier workshops that called for curricula tailored to extension and development actors working specifically within livestock systems and pastoralists, especially in Ethiopia, Senegal, and Kenya where livestock systems are particularly important for livelihoods, the economy, and nutrition.
Bringing together 30 participants from the three countries, the joint Dryland Futures Academy workshop aimed to:
- Harmonize CRMAE for Livestock Systems Core Competencies – Facilitate knowledge sharing among Ethiopia, Senegal, and Kenya to align the adaptation of the Climate Risk Management in Agricultural Extension (CRMAE) curriculum for livestock systems, ensuring consistency and relevance across diverse agroecological and institutional contexts. While contexts differ, a set of minimum standards for common core competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes) for the curriculum will be co-defined.
- Identify challenges and opportunities for freely available climate information service products for EAS providers working with livestock systems and pastoralists – Identify which CIS products are available in the respective countries for supporting extension staff to enable decisions around water, grazing, animal health, and other common areas will be a priority of the workshop, as well as identifying which kinds of products are in high demand but not yet developed.
- Identify Capacity Gaps and Priority Competencies – Evaluate the main existing resources and enablers, as well as gaps in educational resources, policies, and extension strategies for climate risk management in livestock systems, while defining common competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) needed for effective training and capacity-building of extension service providers.
- Strengthen Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration – Foster collaboration among key stakeholders, including government agencies, research institutions, universities, and grassroots organizations, to enhance the co-development, piloting, implementation, and institutionalization of the CRMAE curriculum for livestock systems.
- Develop a Roadmap for Implementation and Institutionalization – Establish a clear action plan and roadmap for piloting and institutionalization of the harmonized CRMAE curriculum for livestock systems across Ethiopia, Senegal, and Kenya, including strategies for mainstreaming into national extension systems, universities, and vocational training institutions, as well as integration with e-learning platforms, when and where possible.
During the workshop, country teams gave short presentations, covering:
- Typical climate-sensitive decisions of pastoralists
- The CRMAE curriculum history/context and milestones
- Major capacity gaps and opportunities for agricultural extension working with in livestock systems
- Examples of key existing CIS products, tools, curricula, or approaches targeting the drylands, that could be mainstreamed through extension
- Perspectives on target learners and learning pathways
After country SWOT exercises, the teams worked in groups to identify ‘minimum standards’ of core competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes) to be addressed in the curricula and a ‘roadmap’ for curriculum co-development and piloting covering: Stakeholder engagement and needs assessment; curriculum adaptation and localization; curriculum delivery channels and learning modalities; monitoring, evaluation, and feedback mechanisms; timelines and milestones; as well as any anticipated roadblocks or enablers of success.
For more information, contact Fiona Borthwick or Amanda Grossi