Institutional Learning and Change Initiative

1. Institutional Learning and Change Initiative Overview of history and current project proposal March 30, 2008

2. What is ILAC? A process of reflection, reframing and using lessons learned during R&D processes that changes: • Behaviors of those involved in the agricultural innovation • Institutions (habits & norms) that guide behavior • Performance of R&D organizations Ideally learning is co-creation of knowledge, and change is sustained collective action towards poverty reduction

3. Entry Points for ILAC • Knowledge, skills & attitudes • People need to want to learn and know how to engage partners in co-creation of knowledge • Management systems & practices • Leaderslearn, value learning, and promote learning in concrete ways • Communication channelsfacilitate easy access to information and knowledge sharing • Systems and structuresfacilitate learning • Organizational culture • Supports and rewards reflection & learning and the application of lessons • External environment • Is conducive to reflection and learning from experience

4. Activities supported by ILAC 2003-2006 • Training • Technical assistance • Small grants • Research policy interventions • Communications and publications

5. Training and technical support • Over 100 people trained in “Facilitating Participatory Decision Making” • Support to the development of the performance measurement system of CGIAR • Planning for ILAC in ILRI • Support for developing M&E procedures for the Global Crop Diversity Trust • Evaluation support to CIP and its eco-regional programs • Facilitation of participatory decision making meetings and events

6. Small grants • Institutional histories (ICRISAT) • Developing a new paradigm for impact assessment (CIMMYT) • Research on institutions related to banana impact on poverty (Bioversity) • CONDESAN • Innovation histories (CIAT)

7. Research policy interventions • Benchmarking performance: Human resources practices to support learning, knowledge sharing and change • AGM special sessions to raise awareness among donors and policy makers • Inputs into studies related to CGIAR research and impact assessment (IA guidelines for example)

8. Communications and publications • Discussion Groups • Web page • ILAC Briefs • Working papers • Newsletter • Virtual ILAC Sourcebook

9. New Phase of ILAC Initiative • Funded by Dutch government • Approved July 2007 • 5 year period • US$3,415,000 plus expected matching funds

10. Impact pathway ILAC will: • Increase knowledge about agricultural innovation • Develop new monitoring and evaluation methods • Strengthen capacity • Interact with policy and decision makers • Communicate knowledge and information • ILAC activities are expected to lead to use of more responsive, adaptive and user oriented research approaches and methods by the CGIAR and other agricultural research organizations. • This in turn isexpected to increase the contributions of agricultural research to poverty alleviation by making research more relevant.

11. Creation of ILAC Learning Laboratory • Small group of existing projects or programmes • Main platform for the implementation of most ILAC project activities • Share knowledge and experiences • Support each other in experimenting with new approaches for facilitating innovation for poverty reduction • Evaluate the results and impacts

12. Impact assessment research • Assessment of research for poverty reduction • Within individual Learning Lab cases • At a meta level across Learning Lab cases and beyond? • Innovation of impact assessment methods for agricultural research for development • Explore how the impact assessment process itself can serve a learning and change function • Funding exists for research project development which serves as basis for fund raising

13. Policy: Innovation Leadership Forum • Annual event to bring research managers, donors and policy makers together to interact with leaders in relevant fields • Inform policy makers about new thinking on agricultural innovation for poverty reduction (or associated learning) • Stimulate new thinking • Build new networks and relationships • Develop or inform strategic recommendations or policy guidelines • Documented as policy briefs

14. Policy: Performance Benchmarking • Innovation Capacity • Experimentation (seeking out new suggestions and ideas) • Risk taking (tolerance for ambiguity, uncertainty and error) • Interaction with external environment (scope of relationship with factors beyond the control of the organization) • Dialogue (sustained collective inquiry into assumptions) • Participatory decision making (ability of employees to influence decision making processes) • Analysis of research portfolio

15. Small grants • To provide a small amount of funding support within the Learning Laboratory cases to promote activities related to learning and change • To complement training, technical support, policy and other ILAC related activities

16. Other activities • Continue with communications and publications (perhaps expand) • Technical support in areas of strategic need • Training in Facilitation of Participatory Decision Making and other courses

17. Creating the ILAC Learning Lab First of several expected meetings and interactions outside of meetings… • Increase understanding of the ILAC Initiative and Learning Laboratory cases • Develop an understanding of how the Learning Laboratory can work • Discuss benefits of collaboration • Provide inputs to work plans for the ILAC Initiative • Develop relationships, understanding and links among members of an incipient community of innovation researchers and practitioners