Facilitation Of High-Level Multi-Stakeholder Processes
Participatory learning and problem solving is part and parcel of most of our work. We aim to create solutions and recommendations which are co-created and owned by the stakeholders.
Stakeholder involvement creates an environment which is open thereby creating trust and an enabling environment for honest conversation, learning and co-creating owned solutions endorsed by all the key stakeholders. Participatory learning and problem solving is instrumental in gathering support and ensuring success for an initiative during implementation period and enhancing adaptability and sustainability of the initiative.
Projects we have supported
The African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF)
The African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), currently now knowN as the African Food Systems Forum (AFSF) is an initiative which seeks to bring together African heads of state, ministers, farmers, private agribusiness firms, financial institutions, NGOs, civil society, scientists, and other stakeholders to discuss and develop concrete investment plans for achieving the green revolution in Africa. The Forum focuses on promoting investments and policy support for driving agricultural productivity and income growth for African farmers in an environmentally sustainable way.
ECI-Africa was contracted by the AGRF Secretariat as the Forum Content Facilitator for two consecutive years in 2012 and 2013. In both years, our services included content design function (pre- and during the Forum); Forum facilitation and rapporteur (during the Forum); and development of the final Forum report (post-Forum).
Leadership for Agriculture (L4Ag)
Leadership for Agriculture (L4Ag) is an African ministerial-level peer-to-peer learning platform led by the African Development Bank (AfDB), in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the Rockefeller Foundation as main funders, and with ECI-Africa supporting partnership development and facilitation of learning events. It is aimed at promoting strategic engagement and policy action among African Ministers for agriculture, livestock, fisheries and finance, the private sector, and other stakeholders to increase commitment to investing in agriculture and boosting agricultural productivity.
L4Ag has been implemented in phases that have included analysis of performance of agriculture focusing on priority value chains in target countries, examination of their challenges, opportunities and key investment opportunities. Every year, since L4Ag was established back in 2017, the country engagements culminate in a convening of African high-level government (including ministers and senior civil servants) and business leaders, with a focus on moving policy into real action, and identification of ways for expanding agribusiness investments along the identified value chains. ECI-Africa has contributed through the design and facilitation of the L4Ag processes.
Strengthening Seed Trade Systems for Increased Seed Trade in the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) Region
ECI-Africa supported the implementation of Africa Lead Seed Activity, aimed at strengthening regional seed trade in the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) region. The activity was designed to address three key challenges facing regional seed trade namely: mistrust and protectionist policies among countries in the region; poor seed certification systems; and inefficiencies in border operations and low capacity of local seed companies in regional trade. Our interventions were mainly through engaging with the key national seed stakeholders including political, technical and private sector leaders to identify the key issues, facilitating learning visits and supporting selected countries to develop national and regional action plans to address the gaps. This culminated in the establishment of a seed sector task force known as the ‘SWAT’ team to implement the key priority interventions identified by the stakeholders such as eliminating the information asymmetry through development of a seed trade information guide.
