The intention of the organizers of the ‘African Dairy Seminar’ (21-24 September 2014) was, from the start, to organize a ‘different kind of event’, realizing that a lot of workshops are run in a rather standard kind of way. The difference this time? Good content and questions, a good mix of participants, and useful (graphic) facilitation – with all that this encompasses… Continue reading
Last month, the Climate Change Communication and Social Learning (CCSL) project organized an evidence-gathering workshop to better unpack what social learning is, and particularly how to assess and monitor it. Four monitoring and evaluation (M&E) specialists comment on some of the issues raised. Continue reading
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) recently held a three-day training for communication staff working with the Tanzania Dairy Development Forum. Continue reading
Social learning helps smart organizations become smarter, and their activities to end up in smarter results. This is what a group of people working on climate change communication and social learning (CCSL) posited in June 2013 at a plan-and-writeshop. Hypothesis A: Social learning improves institutional processes and performance/effectiveness in the context of climate change. Hypothesis B: Social … Continue reading
In many CGIAR programs and activities, communication and knowledge management are invited too little and too late. This means that the results of their science may fall into oblivion. Much can be achieved by bringing communication and knowledge management right into the heart of CGIAR programs – to support engagement with partners, research uptake and … Continue reading
Among many platforms and apps developed, my attention caught by a platform called Mkulima (a young farmer helping a young farmer) which is a social media platform to engage young farmers. Continue reading
This year’s most important event in the world of agricultural information and knowledge took place from 4 to 8 November in Kigali, Rwanda. ict4ag brought together over 400 participants eager to share ideas, questions, and applications supporting the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for agricultural development. The event was led by the Technical Centre … Continue reading
From 28 October to 1 November 2013, International Livestock Research Institute knowledge management team in Addis Ababa held an informal first Ethiopia DSpace Interest Group Meeting and a DSpace Technical Training for staff and other DSpace users. On the first day, about 25 people came to ILRI from various organizations in Ethiopia and abroad to meet, … Continue reading
ILRI events are often designed to explore alternative methods of engagement that maximize sharing and learning. The recent AgriFood Chain Toolkit Conference – Livestock and Fish Value Chains in East Africa was one of these events. The conference was sponsored by two CGIAR Research Programs (or CRPs) – ‘Livestock and fish’, and ‘Policies, Institutions and Markets’. Its purpose was … Continue reading
The Institute for Development Studies (IDS) hosted a ‘Climate Change Knowledge Exchange‘ on 5-6 March 2013. The exchange which was designed with the intention of being ‘an antidote to death by Powerpoint‘, was co-created on the Climate Change and Social Learning (CCSL) sandbox – which was set up by ILRI and the CGIAR Research Program on … Continue reading
Maarifa - Communications and Knowledge Management 