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Innovations in Agricultural Advisory Services Erin Antcliffe Team Leader – Public Sector Agriculture Ghana
Innovations in Agricultural Advisory Services
Erin AntcliffeTeam Leader – Public Sector Agriculture Ghana
Who is EWB Canada?
Canadian NGO who is harnessing the problem-solving power of engineers to address the root causes of poverty.
Working in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Zambia and Malawi on service delivery innovations.
Independent funding, no projects.
Innovation
5 Areas of innovation in development:• Technologies• Services• Organizations• Projects• Funding mechanisms
Innovation
5 Areas of innovation in development:• Technologies• Services• Organizations• Projects• Funding mechanisms
Most people work here
Innovation
5 Areas of innovation in development:• Technologies• Services• Organizations• Projects• Funding mechanisms
EWBworks here
Bottleneck to Innovation
Vertical Communication
Donors
National actors
Extension agents
Farmers
Communication
Pluralistic AAS Approach
There are lots of actors: NGOs, media, FBOs, agribusinesses, government, academia
With what goals? Poverty reduction, national food security, income generation, business
With what roles? Policy, regulation, service delivery, M&E, research, innovation
The role each actor plays will be different depending on the context
EWB's work
We are innovating in two areas:• Agricultural Advisory Services
– Agriculture As a Business (AAB)– Conseil à l'exploitation familiale (CEF)
• Organizational Development– Education and training– Leadership and management– Organizational effectiveness– M&E
Recommendations
Four recommendations:• Test before Scaling• Coordinate with other Actors• Have a Long-Term Approach• Continuously Learn and Adapt
Test Before Scaling
Ben is currently writing about HOW to do this at http://theborrowedbicycle.ca
Test Before Scaling
Donors should:• Fund ideas that have been tested and proven
at a small scale first• Be flexible; provide ideas and suggestions for
AAS, but allow extension agents to adapt tools and materials to the local context
• Be willing to fund a variety of actors (government, FBOs, NGOs, businesses) based on whoever is working most effectively
Coordinate with Other Actors
NRGP
Masara N’Arziki
MoFADery (farmer)
African Cashew Initiative
ADRA
Block Farms
AAB
Day-to-day extension
Coordinate with Other Actors
Tahiru (extension agent)
Have a Long-term Approach
Mindset shifts...Farmers: can do something with what they
have, don't need handouts, can be entrepreneurial and business-minded
Organizations: long-term investment in farmers, vision for farmer development, monitor results rather than activities
Continuously Learn and Adapt
Recognize failure, learn from it and change your approach
EWB Annual Failure Reporthttp://www.ewb.ca/publications
Admitting Failurehttp://www.admittingfailure.com/
