A report from the CRP1.1 launch meeting in Amman, Jordan outlines the products of the inception phase, namely the groundwork for baseline characterization of each region and the products of the workshops that were set up to establish research priorities. The common ground between the regions consisted of 21 shared constraints, 20 shared outputs, 16 shared hypothesis and 20 shared outcomes. Criteria for Intermediate Development Outcomes (IDOs) were also established during the inception phase. Criteria are meant to be: informed by and have buy in from key stakeholders, integrated across CRPs, fully aligned with CG system level IDOs, completed by Sept 30, 2013, and composed of three 3-year cycles. Seven impacts from established IDOs were established and cross-cutting themes and program level tools instituted. Definite impact goals were also specified with 10-20% increases in productivity for systems targeted for vulnerability reduction and 20-30% increases in productivity have been slated for systems which can be sustainably intensified. A 20% adoption rate within action sites was also established during the inception phase as a major area of focus for the Dryland Systems CRP.

1. CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Agricultural Production Systems – Launch Meeting, Amman 21-23 May 2013
Title Inception Phase
• Groundwork for baseline
characterization
• Workshops to set
Research Priorities
Common Ground
1) 21 Constraints
2) 20 Outputs
3) 16 Hypotheses
4) 20 Outcomes

2. TitleIntermediate Development Outcomes
• Part of Theory of Change, Impact Pathway and Consortium’s results-based performance
management system.
Results Based Management is a management philosophy and approach that emphasizes
development results in planning, implementation, learning and reporting.
It focuses on improved performance that can be described and measured while helping
individuals to plan, manage and learn more effectively.
• The CRP Intermediate Development Outcomes (IDOs) will play a pivotal role in the system,
expressing the ambition of CRPs and providing the building blocks for Consortium-level
achievement through the Strategic Results Framework (SRF).
CRP IDOs are meant to be:
• informed by and have buy in from key stakeholders
• integrated across CRPs to the extent possible
• fully aligned with system level IDOs.
• Completed by September 30, 2013 deadline of 30 September for as many CRPs as possible.
• Composed of three 3-year cycles, i.e. they have ~10 year time lines

3. TitleFrom Launch Meeting in Amman (May 2012)
7 IDOs from 20 Common Outcomes from Inception Workshops
The first 4 are on wellbeing and sustaining natural resource base:
1. More resilient livelihoods for vulnerable households in marginal areas.
2. More stable and higher per capita income for intensifiable households.
3. Women and children in vulnerable households have year round access to
greater quantity and diversity of food sources.
4. More sustainable and equitable management of land and water resources
in pastoral and agropastoral regions.
The rest relate to requirements for the first 4 to be realized
5. Better functioning markets underpinning intensification of rural
livelihoods.
6. More integrated, effective and connected service delivery institutions
underpinning resilience and system intensification.
7. Policy reform removing constraints and creating incentives for rural
households to engage in more sustainable practices that improve
resilience and intensify production.

4. Impacts from IDOs
1. More resilient livelihoods for vulnerable households in marginal areas.
2. More stable and higher per capita income for intensifiable households
(those above an asset threshold that makes intensification a viable
option).
3. Women and children in vulnerable households have year round access to
greater quantity and diversity of food sources
4. More sustainable and equitable management of land and water
resources in pastoral and agropastoral areas
5. Better functioning markets underpinning intensification of rural
livelihoods
6. More integrated, effective and connected service delivery institutions
underpinning resilience and system intensification
7. Policy reform removing constraints and incentivising rural households to
engage in more sustainable practices that intensify and improve
resilience and intensify production

5. The global research partnership to improve agricultural productivity and income in the world's dry areas
Cross-cutting Themes and
Program-level Tools
• Gender
• Youth
• Biodiversity
• Capacity
building
• Modeling
• Geoinformatics
• Research
Support
Systems

6. Impact
More resilient livelihoods for vulnerable
households in marginal areas
Outputs
• Improved resilience options (components, interactions and their management;
explicit consideration of buffer functions, managing trade-offs between production
and risk; nested scale risk mitigation, including incentives to adopt them)
• Tools, methods, processes and capacity of NARES to create and customise
improved resilience options to local circumstances across scaling domains
Outcome
NARES use tools, methods and processes to
generate and customise improved resilience
options for targeted groups of vulnerable
households
Indicators
Use of outputs: number and size of
organisations using them and their areal
and population domains; proportion of
sector in targeted areas this represents
Customised options: number of options
and number of hh targeted
Resilience index: contextualised
multiscale assessment of resilience
building strategies at household
and community levels (see
Marschke, and Berkes. 2006)

7. Impact
More stable and higher per capita income for
intensifiable households
Outputs
• Improved intensification options (components, interactions and their
management; information on investment costs, returns and risk; risk mitigation)
• Tools, methods, processes and capacity of NARES1 to create and customise
improved intensification options to local circumstances across scaling domains
Outcome
NARES1 use tools, methods and processes to
generate and customise improved intensification
options for targeted groups of intesifiable
households
Indicators
Increase: i)absolute increase, ii)%
increase, iii) % of hh above poverty
threshold
Stability: iv)variance in per capita annual
income (nine year rolling); v)trend in iii
Use of outputs: number and size of
organisations using them and their areal
and population domains; proportion of
sector in targeted areas this represents
Customised options: number of options
and number of hh targeted

8. Impact
Women and children in vulnerable households
have year round access to greater quantity and
diversity of food sources
Outputs
• Diagnosis and identification of constraints and opportunities of local food systems
leading to improved year round access to food and diversified diets
• Systematic research on interventions to address identified constraints and
opportunities, leading to a matrix of tested interventions and delivery strategies
associated with the contexts in which they work
Outcome
NARES and health sector organisations work
together and adopt diagnostic and systematic
research approaches to promoting and
developing interventions to improve vulnerable
women and children’s access to, and control of,
more and more diverse food sources,
throughout the year
Indicators
Dietary diversity: i)time concentration
index of number of food groups and
individual foods consumed by women
and children in sample hh ii)proportion
of women and children above threshold
dietary diversity in target communities.
Integration: network strength amongst
agricultural and health workers and
organisations
Adoption: number and size of
organisations, their areal and population
domains; proportion of sector in
targeted areas this represents
Interventions: number of interventions
and number of hh they target

9. Impact
More sustainable and equitable management
of land and water resources in pastoral and
agropastoral areas
Outputs
• Technologies, tools, methods, processes and approaches developed and tested for
evidence-based ecosystem management
• Focus on negotiation support (amongst stakeholders) and governance models
Outcome
Multiple stakeholders (gender, age) in pastoral /
agropastoral areas , use evidence-based
ecosystem management, at community level in
the governance of common and privately
managed land and water resources
Indicators
Area: i)ha and proportion of target area
under governance arrangements
meeting equity standards set a priori
People: ii)gender-disaggregated number
of people and proportion of target
population encompassed by land area in
i)
Use of outputs: number and size of
communities adopting evidence based
governance models developed by DS
Effect: trends in NVDI over time for areas
under and outside new governance
models

10. Impact
Better functioning markets underpin
intensification of rural livelihoods
Outputs
– Modes of operation to lower transaction costs through development of
assembly points and market hubs
– More innovative partnership models involving entrepreneurs, marketing
commissions, traders and warrantage (inventory credit systems)
– Improved market information systems
Outcome
Farmers and pastoralists (especially women)
have better access to more diverse, efficient
and equitable markets
Indicators
Efficiency: trend in average transaction
cost for key marketed products
Equity: proportion of product value
accruing to rural households
Access: Gender disaggregated numbers
of people and proportions of target
population with access to better
functioning markets

11. Impact
More integrated, effective and connected
service delivery institutions underpinning
system intensification and resilience
Outputs
– Improved and innovative extension methods better targeted to message and
context and tools to assist in selection of appropriate methods
– Improved models for interaction amongst service providers to enable
integration of service provision amongst sectors
– Innovative public-private partnership models for service delivery
Outcome
Service providers adopt innovations to improve
their effectiveness, integration and reach
Indicators
Reach: gender disaggregated numbers
and proportions of people and rural
households accessing services
Uptake: Number and proportion of
service provider using models and
methods developed by Dryland Systems

12. Impact
Removal of constraints and incentives lead to
rural households engaging in more sustainable
practices that increase resilience and intensify
production
Outputs
– Analysis of policy and institutional barriers to adoption of sustainable
intensification options
– Ex-ante analysis and other quantified impact of effectiveness of policy
alternatives
– Policy briefs providing evidence targeting key fora for policy change
Outcome
Policy makers reform and institutions
implement policies that remove constraints to,
and improve incentives for, rational
management of natural resources
Indicators
Effect: numbers and proportions (within
target areas) of rural households
adopting more sustainable practices
Policy: documented change in policies
and the number and proportions of
people and area potentially affected
Implementation: assessment of policy
implementation

13. GOAL (IMPACT):
PURPOSE (OUTCOMES):
Customised options: number of options and number of
hh targeted
OUTPUTS:
1.Improved resilience options (components,
interactions and their management; explicit
consideration of buffer functions, managing trade-
offs between production and risk; nested scale risk
mitigation, including incentives to adopt them)
2.Tools, methods, processes and capacity of NARES
to create and customise improved resilience options
to local circumstances across scaling domains
Resilience index: contextualised multiscale assessment
of resilience building strategies at household and
community levels.
Use of outputs: number and size of organisations using
them and their areal and population domains; proportion
of sector in targeted areas this represents
More resilient livelihoods for vulnerable
households in marginal areas
NARES use tools, methods and processes to generate
and customise improved resilience options for
targeted groups of vulnerable households
Narrative Summary Objectively Verifiable Indicators

14. Outputs/activities
Milestones
O.V.I.**
Region/locatio
n
Projects/partners*
**Deliverables
Years
*
Component 1. Reducing vulnerability and managing risk in NAWA
Output 1.1. Functional innovation platforms established for the design and transfer of improved
R4D options in target sites
Activity 1.1.1.
Establish, monitor
and evaluate strategic
innovation platform
for reducing
vulnerability of the
agropastoral system in
the target sites
Fully functional
strategic innovation
platform established
and supported
1,2,3 Operational strategic
innovation platforms
Target satellite
site in Tunisia,
outscaled to
Syria and
Jordan action
site.
- IFAD-PRODESUD
Project (on-going)
- IRA-MESRS (on-
going)
-Aga Khan
Foundation, Syria
Mechanisms for cross
site learning
developed and
implemented
1,2 Cross site learning
activities
Guidelines for
planning and
implementing
community-based
innovation platform
communal rangelands
developed and
distributed
3 Best practices
guidelines
Activity 1.1.2.
Establish, monitor
and evaluate an
intervention
innovation cluster (
water harvesting and
use)
Operational
arrangements
including public-
private partnerships
for the
implementation of
mechanized water
harvesting packages
in the pastoral system
1, 2, 3 Signed agreements
among partners for
the operation of the
unit
- Established rules
and responsibilities
of community
institution
- Legalization of the
cooperative/water-
harvesting
association and
declaration
Target satellite
site in Tunisia,
Syria and
Jordan action
site
Arab Fund,
WLI//USAID, Jordan
government, Agha
Khan Foundation
(Syria)
Hashemite Fund for
Badia Development
(Jordan)
Activity 1.1.3.
Establish, monitor
and evaluate
commodity-
innovation clusters
(sheep, cactus,
medicinal and herbal
plants, small scale
dairy processing)
Strategy for scaling
out income generating
micro-enterprises
using (i) available
cactus processing
technologies; (ii)
small scale dairy
processing units
(women association)
in 4 villages; (iii)
income generating
activities/ HMAP
1, 2, 3 Trainings on milk
processing conducted
for 4 women groups
in 2012 and 2013
Changes in quality
and of prices of dairy
products produced by
women trained in the
project.
Protocol for HMAP
cultivation,
processing and
marketing
Protocol for cactus
products
transformation
Target satellite
site in Tunisia
(cactus,
HMAPs), and in
Syria and
Jordan action
site (dairy
processing,
HMAPs).
OFID project
(Enhancing dairy
processing skills and
market access of rural
women in Jordan)
Aga Khan
Foundation, Syria
NCARE HMAP
division
PAM program in
Tunisia
Activity 1.1.4.
Establish, monitor
and evaluate an
Strategy defined,
CBO’s formed and
documentation of
lessons learned in
2,3 Strategy defined by
2013 and at least two
CBO’s formed by the
end of 2013 with
Target satellite
site in Syria,
Jordan, Tunisia
Arab Fund,
WLI//USAID, Jordan
government, Agha
Khan Foundation

15. Led By:
W1&2 W3 Bilateral
-
-
-
W1&2 W3 Bilateral
-
-
-
W1&2 W3 Bilateral
-
-
-
W1&2 W3 Bilateral
-
-
-
W1&2 W3 Bilateral
-
-
-
W1&2 W3 Bilateral
-
-
-
W1&2 W3 Bilateral
-
-
-
Funding - specify amount for each
2013 Total
funding
Donor(s)
for W3 &
bilateral
Project
end date
if not
2013
Project
end date
if not
2013
IDO 7. Policy reform removing constraints and creating incentives for rural households to engage in more sustainable practices that improve resilience and intensify production
ID # Activity title Activity description* Target Region(s) Outputs Outcomes
Specific Verifiable Deliverables in
2013
Time Frame Anticipated Activity Outcomes Target Countries Action Site(s) Activity Leader(s)
Other partners &
% resources
Linkage to
Other
CRP(s)
Other partners &
% resources
Linkage to
Other
CRP(s)
Funding - specify amount for each
2013 Total
funding
Donor(s)
for W3 &
bilateral
2013 Total
funding
Donor(s)
for W3 &
bilateral
Project
end date
if not
2013
IDO 6. More integrated, effective and connected service delivery institutions underpinning resilience and system intensification
ID # Activity title Activity description* Target Region(s) Outputs Outcomes
Specific Verifiable Deliverables in
2013
Time Frame Anticipated Activity Outcomes Target Countries Action Site(s) Activity Leader(s)
IDO 5. Better functioning markets underpinning intensification of rural livelihoods
ID # Activity title Activity description* Target Region(s) Outputs Outcomes
Specific Verifiable Deliverables in
2013
Time Frame Anticipated Activity Outcomes Target Countries Action Site(s) Activity Leader(s)
Other partners &
% resources
Linkage to
Other
CRP(s)
Funding - specify amount for each
ID # Activity title
ID # Activity title
Specific Verifiable Deliverables in
2013
Activity description*
Target Region(s) Outputs
Specific Verifiable Deliverables in
2013
Activity description* Outcomes
IDO 1. More resilient livelihoods for vulnerable households in marginal areas
IDO 2. More stable and higher per capita income for intensifiable households
ICARDA
2013 Activity Plan - CRP Dryland Systems, Amounts in USD 000'
2013 Total
funding
Linkage to
Other
CRP(s)
Target Countries
Donor(s)
for W3 &
bilateral
Project
end date
if not
2013
Other partners &
% resources
Funding - specify amount for each
Target Region(s) Outputs Outcomes Activity Leader(s)
2013 Total
funding
Anticipated Activity OutcomesTime Frame
Linkage to
Other
CRP(s)
Target Countries
Action Site(s)
Action Site(s)
Funding - specify amount for each
Other partners &
% resources
Activity Leader(s)
Project
end date
if not
2013
Anticipated Activity Outcomes Target Countries Activity Leader(s)
Project
end date
if not
2013
Other partners &
% resources
Action Site(s)
Time Frame Anticipated Activity Outcomes
Activity Leader(s)Target Region(s) Outputs Action Site(s)Outcomes
Linkage to
Other
CRP(s)
Funding - specify amount for each
2013 Total
funding
Donor(s)
for W3 &
bilateral
Outcomes
IDO 3. Women and children in vulnerable households have year round access to greater quantity and diversity of food sources
IDO 4. More sustainable and equitable management of land, water and genetic resources in pastoral and agropastoral systems
Other partners &
% resources
Linkage to
Other
CRP(s)
Funding - specify amount for each
2013 Total
funding
Donor(s)
for W3 &
bilateral
Project
end date
if not
2013
ID #
Donor(s)
for W3 &
bilateral
Time FrameActivity title Activity description*
Specific Verifiable Deliverables in
2013
Target Region(s) Outputs
ID # Activity title Activity description*
Specific Verifiable Deliverables in
2013
Time Frame Anticipated Activity Outcomes Target Countries

16. Observations made by chair of Working Group on IDOs:
• We needed to create new credible targets of impact for
the new IDOs
• We were cautioned about having too many sites (10 was
seen as too many to implement at once)
• Go slower and not try to be everywhere at once
• We need more specifics on partnerships including their
roles in impact pathway
• Integration with other CRPs is not fleshed out as much as
it could.
Intermediate Development Outcomes

17. Output Outcome Impact and Partnership: Lack
of specificity on how we would get to outcome
with partners
Target impacts for IDOs: Urgent need for a more
credible job fixing target impacts for each IDO
Intermediate Development Outcomes
Stakeholder Reaction

18. Impact Goals
Region Lives Improved (millions) Land Degradation
Mitigated (km2)
SubSaharan Africa 20.0 600,000
Central Asia 0.5 940
South Asia 65.0 465,000
North Africa and West
Asia
1.1 18,600
Total Impact in Dryland
Areas
86.6 1,084,540
• 10-20% increase in productivity in SRT2 systems
• 20-30% increase in productivity in SRT3 systems
• 20% adoption rate within Action Sites
• Larger scope for impact through outscaling

19. • “Clustered” Activities in Prioritized Workplans to achieve
Seven IDOs
• Use of Standard Logframe Template
• Specificity on:
 Sites
 Outputs
 Outcomes
 Deliverables
 Activity Leaders
 Partnerships
 Timelines
• Better Impact Targets
• Budget Principles
Meeting Expectations