Research and convening the focus of Observatory’s third year

by | Aug 1, 2024 | About, Anticipatory Action, Climate Change, Drought, Drylands, Early Action, Eastern Africa, Food Security, Horn of Africa, News, Pastoralism, Resilience |

In it third year, the emphasis of the Observatory’s work was on research implementation, convening partnerships and collaboration and continuing to raise the Observatory’s profile.

The Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action is a research for action partnership centred around the vision that vulnerable pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in target regions of East Africa are more prepared for and resilient to the effects of evolving environmental shocks and stresses on their food security and nutrition. The partnership is led by the University of Edinburgh collaborating with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Save the Children, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and Community Jameel.

The Observatory’s activities are centred around a Community of Practice (CoP) involving key food security early action stakeholders in East Africa. As initially envisaged, the CoP is the crucible in which the Observatory’s activities are conceived and refined, setting out the Challenge Questions that guide all of its activities.

To deliver on the its mission, the Observatory carries out five main interventions – convening dialogue, generating evidence, catalysing collaboration, developing capacities and communicating for change.

The report on the Observatory’s work in 2023 and 2024 is organized around these five areas. (Download the full report).

Convening

Recognizing the need for effective and inclusive dialogue, we, alone or with partners, convene interaction and debate that brings real-world concerns into research and policy, brings evidence into policy processes, and gives space for different groups to formulate and review agendas and actions.

Looking across the year, highlights include the climate-related Africa Climate Summit (ACS) and Dubai COP28 events in September and December 2023. In both, we partnered especially with Community Jameel and ILRI, engaging investors, as well as policy and decision makers across dryland food systems.

For our COP28 side session, we worked with a powerful network and brought together insightful people talking about early actions for dryland adaptation and resilience. In parallel, we used the opportunity of a joint Community Jameel/Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation meeting on Farming for our future to announce plans for a Dryland Futures Academy.

For the ACS in Nairobi, we and partners joined several side events, organised by Community Jameel, ILRI and others, and spotlighting dryland early action interventions.

The highlight was perhaps our ‘actionhub’ event, in the form of a drama, where Observatory staff and partners shared strategies used by dryland communities as they respond to and recover from droughts and build resilience against future climate and environmental shocks.

Three other events from early 2024 were good examples of this convening role in action:

In February 2024, over fifty people from community organisations and pastoralist groups, governments and regional agencies, national and international humanitarian organisations and research institutes met in Nairobi to examine ways to overcome disconnects between policy and practice in pastoralist areas of East Africa.

The aim was to look more closely at ways to ‘reset’ policies on East Africa’s drylands’ – so pastoralism is recognized and not renegotiated; so community resilience and reliability are valued and prized, and where actions and investments of governments and agencies are re-connected to local realities, relationships and contexts. The meeting was hosted by ILRI and co-organised with the Center for Research and Development in Drylands, (CRDD), the Observatory, and the Feinstein International Center of Tufts University.

In May 2024, as part of a research project on ‘linking short-term humanitarian response to long-term resilience’, thirty-five practitioners from humanitarian and development organisations joined a roundtable discussion to examine factors and practices that enable or inhibit both integration (and dis-integration) and alignment in the humanitarian-development nexus.

Later in May 2024, we convened our third community of practice meeting at the ILRI campus in Nairobi. Attended by eighty people, it was an opportunity to jointly take stock of different activities of the Observatory and partners.

The agenda included an interactive research showcase, an early career poster session, news from our impact collaborations, opportunities for participants to brainstorm promising innovations for rapid testing and dissemination, review capacity development needs and plan collaborative actions to advance dryland policy priorities in the region.

Research

We carry out and facilitate actionable research that contributes to our mission and guiding questions. Our research includes students doing PhD work, applied field studies in postdoctoral projects, applied problem-focused and policy research with partners and impact collaborations created to answer specific questions. Across all these and with partners, we aim to co-create the evidence that’s missing.

All our research is rooted in the demand of end users and is guided by our Challenge Questions. An important aspect of this work is the emergence of an early career network of individuals who will, hopefully, become future leaders in these issues.

Research leadership

In August 2023, Nathan Jensen joined the University of Edinburgh as a Senior Research Fellow working fully on the Jameel Observatory as Research Lead. Nathan coordinates our research activities including convening our early career researchers group, leading the process for sifting research proposals submitted to our recent call and providing oversight for the impact collaborations.

Postgraduate research

This year saw the appointment of three new Observatory PhD students.

Sirimon Thomas uses a One Health approach to understanding diverse food security drivers and the factors affecting and limiting early action to deal with food insecurity.

Susan Njambi-Szlapka focuses on the role of early and anticipatory action within agro-pastoral communities and their effects on behavioural change.

Abdishakur Diriye is looking at appropriate financing mechanisms for pastoralists whose livelihoods depend on livestock and whose survival is intricately tied to the availability of water and pasture.

We  continue to host and support second and third year Jameel Observatory students:

  • George Tsitati is researching locally led anticipatory measures to mitigate, adapt and respond to humanitarian crises.
  • Puff Mukwaya is examining the economics of anticipatory actions on food security in vulnerable communities of East Africa.
  • John Mutua is using satellite imagery and global data products to estimate livestock diets in Kenya and how these affect feed security and GHG emissions.
  • Michael Renfrew’s research uses machine learning and spatial regression models to better estimate livestock population estimates in East Africa using satellite imagery.

Postdoctoral research

Together with the Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC) programme, we co-finance two postdoctoral projects at ILRI in Kenya.

Samuel Derbyshire’s research exploring how to enhance the impact of anticipatory actions in the pastoral drylands has progressed well over the past twelve months. Following his initial phase of data collection in Turkana County (February-March 2024), he is shortly to embark on his final fieldwork in Marsabit County In Kenya

Tahira Mohamed’s research focuses on the nexus between short-term humanitarian response and long-term resilience programming in East Africa’s pastoral settings and the lessons we can draw for food security early action. Tahira has conducted a literature review and prepared ethics approvals to undertake field work which is now underway.

Commissioned research: Anticipatory action in protracted crises

When the Observatory began in 2021, Community Jameel and Save the Children UK launched a Foundational Project to use a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the efficacy of anticipatory action in humanitarian contexts. This occurred during one of most protracted droughts in recent times which made establishing a baseline for the study challenging. The question of what anticipatory action looks like during a protracted crisis formed the topic of an early mini-dialogue with colleagues from Save the Children leading the conversation.

In 2023, the Observatory sponsored a research exercise led by Save the Children to explore the question in more detail. The report of this work was published in April 2024: Looking ahead in a crisis – roles for anticipatory action in protracted drought. It makes various recommendations but among highlights are the observation that AA is more straightforward for acute shocks such as floods and hurricanes than for slower onset crises such as droughts.

Next generation / early career research session at the 2024 community of practice meeting

Collaboration

Impact collaborations

For the past years, we have worked on an impact collaboration process with the Data for Children Collaborative at the University of Edinburgh. The big lesson of this past year was a realisation of the time needed to convene the potential partners, focus the question, devise the project and then do the contracting. We are working with the Data for Children Collaborative on a ‘light’ version for our future use.

In May 2024 we published the report of our first impact collaboration on seasonal estimates of child wasting. The results indicate that statistical models can establish seasonal patterns and estimate monthly wasting values using a range of covariates.

To overcome key data gaps, the authors recommend that predictive models and analyses include more diverse data and more specific geospatial metrics.

Adding further data on wasting to build the time series/seasonal patterns along with further work on the geospatial covariate design should lead to a more accurate set of estimations for specific countries.

In March 2024, we launched our second impact collaboration process – ‘Harvesting Resilience.’ Led by Urban Foresight (UK), the 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.

It grew out of our May 2023 call for organisations to find answers to the question: “How can we bridge the disconnects between early warning systems and the anticipatory actions of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in the Horn of Africa?

Partnerships

Beyond these impact collaborations, since our last report, the Jameel Observatory has forged strong partnerships with CRDD and the Feinstein International Centre at Tufts University. Collaboration is operationalised through complementary and inter-related research and action projects, including, ‘resilience from below: exploring local constructs of ‘resilience’ in the face of chronic uncertainty in the drylands (CRDD)’ and ‘re-examining early warning systems and humanitarian responses in pastoral areas’ (Tufts University).

The collaboration grew out of interactions at our 2023 CoP meeting, was reinforced by joint discussions on postdoctoral research in September 2023 and led to a joint roundtable “exploring policy linkages for effective early warning, anticipatory action, humanitarian response and resilience building in pastoral areas of the horn of Africa drylands” in Nairobi on 8th February 2024.

More broadly, we joined three international networks in 2023. These were the Adaptation Research Alliance, the Anticipation Hub and the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership.

Capacity development

We recognise that many of the issues we work on require technical capacities and skills. Following initial discussions at our 2023 CoP meeting, we started to flesh out a set of capacity development activities. We began with a scoping exercise to map current learning opportunities and content providers relevant to anticipatory action in the Drylands.

After this  scoping and discussions with Kenyan universities, we developed the concept of a Dryland Futures Academy – announced at COP28 in Dubai.

To be hosted in Africa, the aim is to grow future leaders, expand ‘dryland literacy’ through continuing education for officials and practitioners, extend vocational to higher education opportunities, and mobilise learning opportunities for local communities.

The Academy proposes to build critical capacities through face to face, online and blended learning as well as through on the job fellowships and project opportunities.

With additional finance from the University of Edinburgh’s ‘Edinburgh-Africa Partnership Fund’, we extended the initial scoping review and we convened a workshop to co-create the underlying educational principles for the Academy and draft core competencies for the various learning pathways and their target audiences. This Education Framework is being reviewed by partners and we anticipate its official launch in Autumn 2024.

 

Education Framework workshop – group photo

Communication and engagement

Early in 2024, we developed our strategy on communications and engagement. As well as supporting delivery of our theory of change, our communication and engagement priorities aim to support the Observatory’s institutional resource mobilisation and partnership strategies by making our work visible, showing results and reinforcing trust in our capabilities.

We identified five overall ‘pathways’ that we work with our consortium partners and others to achieve:

  • POSITION. Raise awareness and visibility of the Observatory among governmental agencies, NGOs, international partners, development partners and communities, showing value and mobilising support for its mission and activities.
  • INFLUENCE. With partners, inform and influence policy attention to drylands and food security early action, communicating the importance of these issues and investment priorities.
  • REACH. With partners, engage and leverage media attention to issues on the Observatory’s agenda, strategically disseminating information, raising awareness and promoting authentic voices and solutions that matter.
  • DISSEMINATE. Proactively disseminate and communicate the outputs and results of Observatory research, dialogue, capacity development and collaboration activities to target audiences.
  • ENGAGE. Reinforce the Observatory’s convening, collaboration and partnership ambitions by facilitating engagement, dialogue and information exchange around common interests.

The main channels we use are a website, a Twitter channel, and the University of Edinburgh’s open access repository. In the past year, we have additionally used space on ILRI’s YouTube and institutional repository to disseminate video recordings and other products generated through the Observatory. An online Dgroups platform is used to support information sharing among members of the CoP.

With strong Community Jameel support, we helped raise visibility for the Observatory’s agenda and activities through various high-profile channels, including:

Engagement milestones

The Observatory convened, joined or contributed to the following events and activities during the reporting period.

  • 27 June 2024, Nairobi: The Jameel Observatory co-convened a technical workshop led by IAWG and Save the Children UK on ‘How can we embed Anticipatory Action within wider Resilience-Building efforts?’
  • 19-20 June 2024, Nairobi: Guyo Roba presented the Observatory’s work at a ‘Regional and International Partners’ Workshop on African Pastoral Market Development Platform’ convened by the African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
  • 19-20 June 2024, Nairobi: Nathan Jensen participated in a `Climate Change, Insurance and Conflict Workshop’ hosted by ILRI.
  • 18 June 2024, Nairobi: Nathan Jensen participated in a ’DRIVE M&E and Research and Impact Workshop’ on findings from our impact assessment to date, attended by government officials from Ethiopia and Kenya, World Bank senior and project management teams, Zep-RE team, and the research collaboration.
  • 1 June 2024, Virtual: Tahira Mohamed spoke at a webinar ‘Ethical camel dairying: why camels should not go the way of the cow’.
  • 23 May 2024, London: Guyo Roba and Tahira Mohamed participated in a House of Lords meeting co-convened with Save the Children and Community Jameel on ‘Early warning systems, anticipatory action, tackling hunger and insecurity.’
  • 16 May 2024, Nairobi: Guyo Roba gave a keynote address at a High-level Roundtable on Private Sector Engagement in the Drylands, organised by the Netherlands Embassy and the Drylands Learning and Capacity Building Initiative.
  • 14-15 May 2024, Nairobi: Jameel Observatory convened its third Community of Practice meeting. https://jameelobservatory.org/cop3-nairobi/
  • 9-10 May 2024, Nairobi: The Jameel Observatory convened a Dryland Academy Educational Framework Development Workshop. https://jameelobservatory.org/academy-education-framework/
  • 7 May 2024, Nairobi: The Observatory co-convened a technical workshop with ILRI and SPARC on ‘Breaking Silos: Improving integration and coordination in the design and delivery of humanitarian and resilience building programs in drylands of the Horn of Africa.’ https://jameelobservatory.org/breaking-silos/
  • 2 May 2024, Virtual: Laura Swift spoke at an Observatory webinar ‘Looking ahead during a crisis – roles for anticipatory action in protracted droughts’. https://jameelobservatory.org/aa-in-a-crisis/
  • 24-26 April 2024, Boston: Geoff Simm, Alan Duncan and Nathan Jensen participated in an exchange workshop with JO-CREWSET at MIT with side visits including presentations to J-PAL and Tufts University Feinstein Centre.
  • 23 April 2024, Virtual: Tahira Mohamed was interviewed in the SPARC ‘Dynamic Drylands’ podcast episode. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBx2GXhxb2s
  • 28 March 2024, Virtual: Guyo Roba spoke at a webinar ‘Global villain, local saviour? – what’s the role of livestock in sub-Saharan Africa.’ https://jameelobservatory.org/livestock-roles-impacts/
  • 27 March 2024, Virtual: Gary Watmough spoke at an Observatory webinar ‘Improving childhood wasting estimates to better account for seasonality.’ https://jameelobservatory.org/seasnut-report/
  • 21 March 2024, Virtual: Tahira Mohamed gave a seminar on camel milk marketing at the University of Nairobi’s Institute of Development Studies. https://jameelobservatory.org/moral-economy-camel-milk
  • 7 March 2024, Nairobi: Guyo Roba participated in a panel on livestock production efficiency at the Kenya Live Animal and Meat Traders Forum.
  • 28 February 2024, Virtual: Nathan Jensen participated in a panel in the USAID-funded `Behavioral Economics Forum: Lessons from Economics to Strengthen Development, Programming and Policy.’
  • 8 February 2024, Nairobi: The Observatory co-convened a policy dialogue with CRDD and Tufts University on ‘Exploring Policy Linkages for Effective Early Warning, Anticipatory Action, Humanitarian Response and Resilience Building in Pastoral Areas of the Horn of Africa Drylands.’ https://jameelobservatory.org/pastoralist-disconnects/
  • 19 December 2023, Virtual: Susan Njambi-Szlapka moderated a webinar ‘Localised Anticipatory Action: Panacea and Pitfalls. https://jameelobservatory.org/aa-localisation/
  • 6 December 2023, Dubai: The Observatory co-organised a COP28 food systems pavilion session ‘Land, Livestock and Livelihoods – Early actions for dryland adaptation and resilience.’ https://jameelobservatory.org/cop28/
  • 5 December 2023, Dubai: Guyo Roba facilitated a Kenya Pavilion side event discussion organised by Marsabit County government to discuss ‘The future of pastoralism in the face of changing climate; financing locally led climate action to sustain local adaptation and mitigation measures in Africa.’
  • 1 December 2023, Dubai: Guyo Roba participated in a meeting on ‘Farming for our future: Growing climate resilience’ – convened by Community Jameel and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. https://www.communityjameel.org/whats-on/cop28-food-systems-breakfast
  • 13 October 2024, Nairobi: Guyo Roba was a panellist at the NGO Film Festival session on ‘how storytelling can help simplify scientific discoveries and build an ecologically-conscious population.’
  • 8 September 2023, Nairobi: Jameel Observatory hosted climate activation actionhub ‘Response, Recovery, Resilience – Voices and images from dryland communities managing climate and environmental shocks’. https://jameelobservatory.org/acw23/
  • 7 September 2023, Nairobi: Guyo Roba spoke at ACS side session ‘Pathways to sustainable production and resilient livelihoods: building a common African livestock narrative.’ https://jameelobservatory.org/acw23/
  • 7 September 2023, Nairobi: Kelvin Shikuku (ILRI), Steve Mutiso (Save the Children) and Tahira Mohamed (Jameel Observatory) spoke at ACS parallel session ‘The role of social protection and adaptive social safety nets.’ https://jameelobservatory.org/acw23/
  • 6 September 2023, Nairobi: Guyo Roba spoke at ACS side session ‘Climate and Health Solutions: Close Up – Putting a human face to the climate imperative.’ https://jameelobservatory.org/acw23/
  • 4 September 2023, Nairobi: Guyo Roba spoke at Community Jameel ACS side session ‘Investing in South-led science and innovation for a just and equitable climate finance framework.‘ https://jameelobservatory.org/acw23/

Download the report