SUSTAINING AND OUT SCALING IFSAP THROUGH INTEGRATION INTO ASDSP By Orodi Odhiambo
[email protected] ASDSP NRM Technical Support Advisor, Kenya Background Improved Food Security in ASAL Project (IFSAP) is a short term projected that was initiated
as an umbrella framework for implementing a Sida supported project
aimed at sustainable food security and improved income opportunities for strengthened
livelihoods
among
targeted
ASAL
communities.
This
was
implemented jointly by the then Ministries of Agriculture (MoA) and Livestock Development (MoLD) by building on earlier experiences gained under the ASAL component of National Agricultura and Livestock Extension Programme NALEP. IFSAP built on the successes of NALEP by carrying further the development of requisite environment to support four chosen Value Chain Systems in each of the nine best practice sites spread across nine ASAL Counties. The system was hinged on modern science and local knowledge and practices by making significant investment in water management technology to intensify crop and livestock production. Initial indications from the practices show mixed results in terms of long term sustainability on the management system though the technologies were proven to deliver. The management system structured was pegged on a commercialprofessional nexus paradigm assigning the requisite resources to knowledge vendors to implement the system with beneficiaries participating through an elected project implementation committee. This paradigm was hinged on local pastoral practices limiting the overall involvement of livestock owners to management decisions while the husbandry matters are assigned to hired herdsmen. The paradigm shift in these sites called for the engagement of technocrats to provide husbandry management with the community through the committee overseeing the actual processes. These was envisaged to provide effective, efficient and relevant leadership in determination and management of the Value Chains with an in built
transfer mechanism tooled to be effected through an adaptive learning by doing process.
Adaptive processes require time for incubation before they can mature for participative adoption and practice. The one and half year period pegged for IFSAP was sufficient to jumpstart the process but not adequate enough to allow for sufficient learning by the communities to effectively manage the projects. It is therefore proposed that the nine sites be integrated into the working processes of the emerging ASDSP not only to sustain them but to use them as tested grounds for rolling out and out scaling some of the key components of ASDSP. IFSAP-NALEP has been committed to improving the livelihoods of beneficiary communities through improved food security, incomes and environment through a drought recovery response strategy. In this regard, pro-poor initiatives, gender and human rights approach to development has been adopted by the project hinged on the principles of drought cycle management. This approach resonates with the proposed framework of ASDSP’s component 2 that is designed to ensure that the priority value chains that will be supported in the context of Component 3 are environmentally sound and resilient to climate fluctuations, and that women, youth and economically and socially vulnerable groups have access to, participate effectively in and benefit from the improved value chains. The outcomes of IFSAP find a footing for ASDSP at community levels by providing systems that are already being tested and have been incubated to showcase that a) value chain development can be done in a way that it not only ‘does no harm’, but also maintains local ecosystems, and b) the resource poor and vulnerable groups can be availed basic socio-economic and organisational support to enable them participate meaningfully in the value chains being developed at the County Levels. The VCs adopted through IFSAP where chosen through rigorous ASAL resource mapping process and in most cases has informed the choices of VCs proposed by the respective Counties. Integrating IFSAP into ASDSP would accelerate the attainment of
the outcome of sub-component 2.1 that aims at strengthening environmental resilience and social inclusion of the promoted value chains by building on the lessons learnt.
Among the key interventions under sub-component 2.1 of ASDSP that could be hinged to practices learnt under IFSAP include
development of appropriate support
mechanisms necessary for enhancing the ability of local stakeholders to access and adopt methodologies and influence locally-based planning that supports sound natural resource management and respond to and mitigate climate change. Lessons from IFSAP sites point to diversity in learning and adoption cultures by different communities and illustrate a need to adopt culture specific entry mechanisms to define and align support to various communities. This lesson should not be left at the infancy stage but be used not only to inform new engagements but further the processes at the developed sites to fruition. Mothering IFSAP site through the proposed integration would help realise ASDSP’s desired impacts of a) enhancing application of climate smart practices and technologies by contextualising and aligning appropriately the proven and tested technologies, and b) up scaling and out scaling the tested and proven systems for improving land management/husbandry practices. Of importance would be a paradigm shift in the development of the land through utilisation of land friendly tillage practices as observed at the IFSAP best sites. The initial outcomes from IFSAP if supported beyond the incumbency stage could prove useful in providing adequate timelines to showcase improvement in the NRM capacity and response to climaterelated risks by VC actors. Additionally, the technologies being tested at the IFSAP sites could provide a starting base for ASDSP to showcase feasible and relevant NRM and climate change adaptation technologies and to support the application of such technologies by VC actors, including by disadvantaged producers by aligning the technologies under IFSAP to ASDSP Climate Change and NRM focus. Given that ASDSP is designed to adopt standard approaches to value chain identification and facilitation, and that it be implemented in partnership with sector
stakeholders at all levels, including in particular, relevant GoK agencies, existing VCD programmes and private sector agents and to encourage participation by vulnerable groups in these activities, IFSAP sites provide the best starting point to actualise these.
The key management system required for integration is already in place given that the ASDSP coordinating team at the National and some County levels have also been involved in the roll out of IFSAP. A mechanism for integrating IFSAP could be aligned to ASDPS project design line that provides for identification of partners and potential DPs to engage in up-scaling and out-scaling of VC technologies. A win-win situation for both IFSAP and ASDSP will be that ASDSP will provide a framework for taking the IFSAP process beyond incubation period and allowing it to develop processes that will ensure technical, management and social sustainability while the IFSAP processes provide a perfect platform for launching the ASDSP process and nurturing the already identified VCs to maturity within the framework of ASDSP. Integration of IFSAP into ASDSP The process of integrating IFSAP into ASDSP could involve three key aspects; •
Aligning IFSAP to ASDSP This will involve aligning the four IFSAP VCs to the County VCs. In most sites this has already taken place since the County VCs are the same as those being propagated at the IFSAP sites Secondly it will also entail redefinition of the best practices in terms of their adequacy in meeting Climate Change Adaptation and Natural Resource Management demands. The technologies being implemented at the IFSAP sites are not only climate and environment smart but have a huge element in responding to technology needs for the chosen VCs
•
Absorption of IFSAP system by ASDSP
The IFSAP system in its entirety was a trial of some ASDSP components at site specific level. The ASDSP could develop mechanisms for providing the requisite support to the sites for them to attain economic, technical and managerial sustainability. The key elements that can be absorbed for continuity include the National Office Coordination Team, The Field Management System and the entire production systems. The National and County systems could be aligned to the developed National and County systems. This will allow for continuity while giving relevance to their inclusion. •
Strengthening IFSAP outcomes Some of the emerging and demonstrated outcomes of IFSAP that can be strengthened include; Domesticating the VC selection that was done through land suitability assessment approach by climate proofing them Evaluating and creating awareness on the suitability of the chosen technologies and aligning them to NRM and CCA selection domains Enhancing the management capabilities of the community structures through a structure management transfer process Expanding the scope of the VCs to levels that include ascertained market access, value addition and supportive production base and processes.
