RUFORUM HOSTS PROJECT INCEPTION PLANNING MEETING

To kick-start the project implementation, an inception planning meeting was held in Entebbe Uganda between 10 - 12 February 2010. The meeting which was attended by representatives of all partner institutions was meant to chart the detailed implementation plan for the meeting. The meeting was held parallel to those of two other ACP-S&T project that RUFORUM currently coordinates, namely:

1. Shifting from Outreach to Engagement: transforming Universities response to current development trends in agricultural research and training in Eastern, Central and Southern AfricaOUTREACH)
2. Poverty reduction and greater food and nutritional security in West Africa, and Eastern and Southern Africa through enhanced conservation and use of neglected and underutilized species (NUS). (BIODIVERSITY)

The Objectives of the Meeting were:

1. Familiarize partners and other stakeholders on the project
2. Design comprehensive project management procedures including the specific roles of partner institutions
3. Develop project work plans and detailed budget allocation
4. Develop a comprehensive implementation plan with project milestones,
5. Design project M&E framework and performance management plans
6. Identify synergies between the project and other related projects

BRIEF MEETING PROCEEDINGS
DAY 1 (WEDNESDAY 10-02-2010)
The participants in the three meeting held joint opening session where after welcoming and introductions, an opening remark was given by the Regional Coordinator of RUFORM, Prof. Adipala Ekwamu who expressed his gratitude to the participants, their institutions for accepting to partner with RUFORUM and gave glowing tribute to donors, partners and other stakeholders willing to join RUFORUM in its dream of reralizing a vibrant agricultural and rural sector in Africa through various university capacity building initiatives.

A keynote presentation by Per Rudebjer and Dr Pedulosi of Biodiversity Internation on Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) set the scene for understanding of the origins and arationale for the BIODIVERSITY project. In the INNOVATIONS project meeting, participants discussed their institutional perceptions of the project, disccussed after a presentation on the project overview and lessons from similar initiatives under SUCAPRI and the African Challenge Programme, peretinent aspects of the project.

At the end of day 1, the project logframe had been reflected on and some refinement done. Partners also completed their roles and their work plans. detailed year one plans were also developed. The partner roles identified will be consolidated into a detailed terms of reference (ToR) for partners and the plans will be harmonized into one project work plan.

Outputs of day 1:

• Familiarity among partners and participants
• Partner perceptions of their contribution
• Clarity of project aim and details
• Partner roles identified
• Year 1 Partner Work plans
• 3 - year broad work plans

Images from the working sessions

DAY 2 (THURSDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2010)

On this second day of the workshop, participants continued to refine the various elements of the target detailed Project Implementation Plan (PIP). The day begun at 8:30am with a recap of the previous day’s activities and a joint setting of the output and agenda for day 2. The day was intended to consolidate the institutional work plans, budgets and begin the design of project Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). Framework and M&E Implementation Plan. Participants were introduced to and discussed the details of the appropriate templates for these outputs.

The partner institutions reported back to the entire group on their most recent Annual Work Plan for year 1 and work plans for the entire project period. These were discussed and reviewed against the project wide work plan for consistency and match with other institutional activities. The participants made frequent reference to the project contract document to fine tune the plans and budgets.

Working in groups, participants completed the detailed M&E implementation plan. The specific monitotring activities were discussed and clustered according to the criteria for project M&E, namely: relevance, effectiveness, quality, efficiency, financial management, sustainability, communication and knowledge management and impacts. This was done in groups of 4s drawn randomly from different partner institutions. Ideas for operationalizing it and eventually designing the project M&E strategy and simple system based on the framework which was skipped for further completion during the workshop.

The day ended with a reflection on the outputs thus far and participants continued to work in their institutional teams to draw final Terms of reference, budgets for year 1 and perspectives for project management at their institutions./

The main outputs of Day 2 were:

1. Deepened understanding for the project design
2. Refined Institutional Annual work plans
3. Complete 3 year work plans
4. Institutional project budgets
5. M&E implementation plan
6. Comprehensive ToR for partners

Some Photos from the day's sessions































DAY 3 (FRIDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2010)
The Day in Brief

The day started on a very high note as participants after recapping on the previous days’ activities and outputs reaffirmed their commitment to complete the workshop by producing the drafts of all the elements of the PIP to be delivered by end of day. The day’s agenda was set and participant went straight to business by reporting the final Annual Work Plans for project for each partner (KIT, Egerton University, Makerere University and Bunda College, University of Malawi). These were compiled as one document and Agnes Obua-Ogwal of RUFORUM offered to produce a harmonized AWP for the entire project. This was guided by a summary of the plans and gaps by Willem and Suzzane.

The participants then worked in their institutional teams to finalize the terms of references by putting down all the responsibilities of the partners. These were also compiled by Agnes into a comprehensive Terms of Reference (ToR) for Implementing Partners. The participants then generated the other remaining elements of the PIP, namely: project communication strategy, project risk management strategy and refined the M&E and project impact pathways in a discussion. The final project impact pathway will be based on the presentation by Willem and the processes shared with p[partners and an accompanying framework designed by Dr Washington Ochola for inclusion in the final PIP.

The day was ended by the participants giving final thoughts on what else it would take to see the project implementation succeed. These included institutional challenges, reporting and financial control systems as well as partner trust and transparency that has been entrenched during the workshop.

Highlights of Way forward Discussions

• For effective communication all the outputs of the workshop will be synthesized and then sent to partner email addresses, the project blog and other communication channels
• Other platforms will also be developed for further communication
• Immediate disbursement of funds and so partners need to liaise with RUFORUM for any LoAs and contracts and other institutional matters
• Respect for reporting schedule
• Universities to constitute teams to steer implementation
• RUFORUM will report to ACP Secretariat while partners will report to RUFORUM. Any regulations and deadlines will be communicated accordingly.

The participants then joined the partners for the other two ACP-S&T projects for a final plenary session where the two projects reported the status of their PIP, final remarks were made and the Regional Coordinator of RUFORUM Prof. Adipala Ekwamu gave his closing remarks. In his remarks, Prof Adipala reiterated RUFORUM’s dream for universities in Africa, thanked the participants for their role in this and for diligently helping RUFORUM, through this three projects to deliver this dream.