The document discusses approaches to improving engagement and uptake of research from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Eastern and Southern Africa. It outlines expectations for creating an online professional network and learning alliances to share knowledge and improve policy and project implementation. Strategies for the learning alliances include action research, training manuals, videos and documentation of success stories. Lessons learned emphasize engaging communities, using accessible knowledge sharing methods, building capacity and providing support to help users apply knowledge in their projects and organizations.

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Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org
Approaches to improving engagement ,
strengthening uptake
Nicole Lefore
13 March 2014
Pretoria

2. www.iwmi.org
Water for a food-secure world
Network expectations
1. Create an online platform for hundreds of water professionals to
share information and knowledge
2. Provide a repository of professionals in the sector for stakeholders
to find reliable consultants and experts
3. Use research outputs to improve policy, project implementation and
impact of investments in East and Southern African
4. Develop regular knowledge products to support the improvements
in the sector and make those widely accessible
5. Establish a learning alliance to improve investments in several
countries in the region (challenge would be based on the
challenges expressed by that group)

3. www.iwmi.org
Water for a food-secure world
Learning alliance within network
Related
network
Related
network
Related
network
IWMI
project
IWMI
project
Learning
alliance of
knowledge
users

4. www.iwmi.org
Water for a food-secure world
Uptake Strategy
General:
1. Regular e-news, social media and e-alerts on research
2. Convening sharefairs on agricultural water
Learning alliance:
1. Action research! Research IN development
2. Training manual, with toolkit and guidelines, will be produced and
shared through IFAD regional meetings and websites.
3. Trainings, materials and backstopping of knowledge use.
4. ‘Success stories’ to raise awareness and generate interest.
5. Videos to raise awareness and also share how to use the tools.
6. Identify ‘sharefairs’ and other convenings where the practical tools can
be shared.
7. Potential publication on the action learning process and the results.

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Water for a food-secure world
• Increasing community
engagement around
water to change practices,
be more innovative
• Increase inclusivity
• Increase market access for irrigation users
Learning alliance
Challenges

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Water for a food-secure world
Impact stories from learning alliance
• improved participation of women in
WUAs;
• increased contributions by WUA
members
• improved executive committees;
• farmer groups have changed policy on
access roads;
• resolved conflict where WUAs are
across multiple communities and
districts;
• extended activities of farmer field
schools in Zanzibar;
• developed WUA monitoring tool in
Swaziland

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Water for a food-secure world
Lessons from the learning alliance
on community engagement
1. Trust your community partners to identify stakeholders
and solutions; they are innovative and know their
context.
2. Use video, photos, video clubs for knowledge sharing
at community level; engages people, accessible.
3. Document, document and then document more to learn
how to scale.
4. Get experts to translate research into useable
documents.
5. Be aware of the RISKS to community members and
leaders

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Water for a food-secure world
Lessons from the users
1. Policy change was not their first priority, or even second.
2. Knowledge products have to be very easy and quick to use,
with relevant knowledge clear and obvious.
3. Build capacity to use the knowledge on projects.
4. Mentors with expertise are needed for backstopping even if
they were not part of creating the knowledge products. Link
users to resources that can support use.
5. Group learning at regional level was limited. Small external
networks were good, but most focus was on problems within
a particular area or project.
Learning-by-doing with extensive flexibility and support

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Water for a food-secure world
What we learned from the network
1. On-line communities of practice are not easier, cheaper or
necessarily more effective than in person convening to get
research used.
2. Internet use is still limited and tends to discriminate against females
and those who are further from the main cities.
3. Email is considered the most effective way to receive information;
people preferred receiving information as an attachment.
4. People liked receiving knowledge products in subject clusters, such
as groundwater, rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse.
5. Social media was not an effective way to share research products,
but was adequate to share general information and
announcements.
6. Learning alliance was representative of the knowledge needs of the
broader network.

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Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org
imawesa.info
Improved Management of
Agricultural Water in
Eastern and Southern Africa