The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) hosted a three-day 3-day workshop on partnership brokering and effective communication tailored for its Africa Alumni cohort. The workshop was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from December 9th to the 13th, 2024. ACIAR-Africa Alumni is a networking and professional development community connecting partners linked to past and current ACIAR-funded research projects in Africa, especially those supported through various ACIAR capacity development programs and those who furthered their studies/careers in Australia.
The workshop focused on partnership brokering and effective communication from the Partnership Brokers Association (PBA) as a facilitator, peer sharing, and reflective learning to tackle challenges such as navigating complex partnerships, managing stakeholder expectations, and community reach effectively. Further, the Alumni dedicated a day to strengthening the operations of these valuable networking platforms.
At the workshop, I was privileged to share “my journey with ACIAR”, and the following were my reflections:
Personal Relationship with ACIAR
My personal relationship with ACIAR started in 2001, when the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), the organization I was working for at the time, was awarded the project “Developing profitable beef business systems for previously disadvantaged farmers in South Africa”. This project, which was termed the Beef Profit Partnership (BPP), was in partnership with the Cooperative Research Australia (CRC) and the University of New England (UNE) from Australia. The underpinning principle and/or model was Continuous Improvement and Innovation. The project implementation period was from year 2001 to 2006. I used the data from the BPP project for my master’s in development studies (2005-2007) dissertation, which I studied at the University of the Free State.
Through the BPP project, I was awarded the prestigious John Allwright Fellowship (JAF) to study at the University of New England (UNE), School of Economics and Public Policy (in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia) from 2007 to 2010. I graduated with a PhD in Economics at UNE, focusing on Programmes’ Evaluation. JAF is a scholarship offered by ACIAR and co-funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It is awarded to partner-country scientists involved in ACIAR-supported collaborative research projects to undertake postgraduate training at Australian universities (Australia Awards John Allwright Fellowship Guidelines). The primary aim of the JAF is to enhance research capacity in ACIAR’s partner country institutions. Whilst individual awardees benefit from the scheme, it is important to note that partner country institutions are the key targets.
I am grateful to the ARC for affording me such an opportunity. However, there is always a time when employees find it fit to move on. In February 2011, I joined the pan-African Policy Think Tank, the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN). Noteworthy, my relationship with the ARC continued through the BPP project follow-up initiative, the “grass-fed markets and value chains for small-scale and emerging beef cattle farmers in South Africa” as part of the project’s Independent Advisory Board (IAB).
FANRPAN/ACIAR Partnership
I am grateful that while at FANRPAN, the Network on-boarded the project “Increasing irrigation water productivity in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe”. The project objective was to increase water use efficiency through on-farm monitoring, adaptive management and agricultural innovation platforms (June 2013 to June 2017). This project was supplemented by its Phase 2, “Transforming smallholder irrigation into profitable and self-sustaining systems in southern Africa” (June 2017 to December 2023). In addition to ACIAR, I am grateful to Australia National University (ANU) and ICRISAT, the fellow implementing partners.
To make a meaningful impact, ACIAR support takes a long-term approach. At current, FANRPAN is implementing the following two projects:
- Circular food systems in Africa (October 2023 to June 2026). The partners are ANU, ICRISAT, and the FANRPAN National Nodes in the focal countries.
- Strengthening Adaptive Capacity of Extensive Livestock Systems for Food and Nutrition Security and Low-emissions Development in Eastern and Southern Africa (September 2022 to December 2026). The project partner is the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
Career Growth at FANRPAN
Since joining FANRPAN, I was afforded the following roles that aligned with my career path:
- 2011 February: Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator.
- 2014 April: Director: Policy Research and Analysis.
- 2019 February: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Head of Mission.
In 2024, the FANRPAN Board of Governors renewed my mandate as the CEO and Head of Mission of the Network for the next five years. I am privileged that in the last four years of my second-term tenure, I will assist in implementing the FANRPAN 4th Generation Strategic Plan (2025-2035).
Shared Insights
I further shared that, for the transformation of African Food Systems, the ACIAR-Africa Alumni should find relevance in their work in the:
- National Development Plans and Investment Plans.
- Post CAADP/Malabo agenda (i.e., 2025-2035 Kampala Declaration) for the continent.
- Ongoing transformation of African food system discourse.
- The Africa Continental Free Trade Area opportunity.
- Need to bridge the gap between research/science-policy-practice.
Looking Forward to the Future
On 12 November 2024, ACIAR announced that Australia is to invest in Africa’s climate resilience (see announcement). The Australian Government will invest A$76.4 million in agricultural research and capacity development programs to strengthen climate resilience and food security in Africa. Led by ACIAR, the 6-year Africa-Australia Partnership for Climate Responsive Agriculture (AAPCRA) will work with smallholder farmers to improve access to climate-smart innovations and safeguard food production as the impacts of climate change become more severe. This timely investment presents an opportunity for FANRPAN and other regional partners to advance its climate change agenda. For the ACIAR-Africa Alumni, a valuable chance to strengthen and contribute to collaborative research partnerships through this funding opportunity.
In conclusion,
The year 2024 marks my 23rd anniversary with ACIAR. I am indebted to ACIAR funding for my personal development, but most importantly, for trusting FANRPAN as one of the go-to African partners. As the CEO and Head of Mission for and on behalf of FANRPAN, I look forward to working with Dr Leah Ndungu – ACIAR Regional Manager for Eastern and Southern Africa – who has just recently joined the FANRPAN Board of Governors, representing the donor seat. Starting in year 2024 the institutional term is of two terms for four years each. The FANRPAN Board of Governors donor seat is occupied by a donor/funder who has made a significant contribution to FANRPAN for long a time, and ACIAR is. Lastly, the workshop on partnership brokering and effective communication was a resounding success.