L&F+MEL+meeting+1st+impact+assessment+study


 * Livestock and Fish Monitoring, evaluation and learning planning meeting**


 * Discussion on choice of 1st impact assessment study to be undertaken in 2014**

A Presentation of shortlist of topics for first impact assessment study was given by Michael Kidoido. These topics were identified because of their possible contribution to grounding the theory of change of L&F. Some ideas were also submitted by John McIntire.

Value Chain Approach 1.Comparison of innovation platforms and multi stakeholder platforms to other institutional arrangements as far as enhancing access to inputs and services. 2.Assessment of transaction costs vertically along the value chain and how transaction costs affect entry and exit of actors? 3.How do competing stakeholders’ interests affect the performance of value chains (who gains by gender and poverty, who loses)? 4.How does value chain upgrading affect the size and quality of benefits accruing to various value chain actors?

Economic value/impact of knowledge in animal health and management 1.ECF, PPR and Rinderpest vaccines 2.Bovine immunology 3.Bovine genomics 4.African swine fever diagnosis 5.Fodder banks in sub-humid zone 6.Fodder trees in humid zone 7.Forage gene bank

Other candidate topics 1.Economic value of ILRI’s capacity development activities. 2.Economic impact of Aflatoxins in maize on livestock production. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.Economic benefits of introducing tropical dairy breeds into Tanzania dairy value chain? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4.Factors important to influencing women’s participation at the various levels of the Tanzania dairy value chain?

From the 15 possible studies for Impact Assessment above, and given the Livestock & Fish theory of change, participants were required to choose the most interesting topic for the 1st Impact Assessment study to be funded by L&F in 2014.

Participants discussed the different topics in groups of 2, 4, and then 6 and narrowed down the list to two topics:

1. How do multiple stakeholder dynamics affect change and are we exploiting this well to address development challenges with respect to gender and poverty within livestock value chains? Reason for backing this topic: - Our Theory of Change is predicated on catalysing others to act and take great innovation to scale; this question is therefore central to validating our TOC. - We are working across whole systems through approaches that are new; we are in the development phase of this, and we need to test assumptions about multi stakeholder work. This is a critical review of the approaches and methods we are using to achieve change. - In being explicit about stakeholder dynamics and working with these, we also research “how change happens”; Findings here will be critical to help us address development challenges in chains and globally.

2. ECF, PPR and Rinder Pest Vaccine Reason for backing this topic: ILRI and partners are investing a substantial proportion of their budget on developing these vaccines. Although there have been some impact assessments of ITM, the studies are relatively old and were not covering the diversity of the livestock systems where the vaccine is applicable (e.g. intensive versus extensive; local versus cross breed cattle). The more recent delivery mechanisms haven’t yet been analysed. One of the premises of the L&F program is that the technology (including animal health) Themes will provide relevant, effective and efficient technologies to be pilot tested in the focus VCs. ITM and other vaccines are already available and moving forward, we can learn from these experiences on the design of the upstream research (e.g. how is the product developed, for whom), what were the linkages between the Technologies Themes and the ‘Field’ Themes, and what is the actual level of adoption of these technologies.

After hearing the reasons for backing both topics, 8 participants voted for topic 1 on multi-stakeholder dynamics while 5 participants voted for topic 2 on ECF, PPR and Rinderpest vaccine.