Your search found 23 records
1 Minh, Thai Thi; Cofie, Olufunke; Lefore, N.; Schmitter, Petra. 2020. Multi-stakeholder dialogue space on farmer-led irrigation development in Ghana: an instrument driving systemic change with private sector initiatives. Knowledge Management for Development Journal, 15(2):98-118. (Special issue: The Unusual Suspect? The Private Sector in Knowledge Partnerships for Agricultural and Rural Development)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050013)
(0.92 MB) (944 KB)
Private sector actors bring expertise, resources, and new perspectives to agricultural development, but the tendency to short-term approaches and market-based orientation has been unable to drive a systemic change in the development agenda. We explore how multi-stakeholder dialogues can capitalize on and trickle systemic change through private sector involvement. Analysis from the farmer-led irrigation development multi-stakeholder dialogue space (FLI-MDS) in Ghana shows the need for a physical and institutional space to cater for and merge different stakeholder interests. For all stakeholders, the institutional space is a multi-level-playing institution which can trickle systemic change by leveraging the private sector’s investments with multi-stakeholders’ collaboration, interactive learning, and potential support for commercial scaling of FLI. For private sector actors, a physical space for collaboration is crucial. It enables them to envisage their commercial interests, opening up opportunities for collaboration and mobilization of resources. Ensuring long term sustainability of an FLI-MDS requires catering for the private sector needs for a physical dialogue space to trickle systemic change and accelerate commercialization in farmer-led irrigation development.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050116)
(0.31 MB)
Purpose – There is little known about investigating the importance of all proximity dimensions simultaneously as a result of geographical proximity on university-industry collaborative innovation. This paper aims to answer the question of how geographically proximate university and industry influence cognitive, social, organizational, institutional and cultural proximity within university-industry joint laboratories and finally, what is the outcome of these interplays on collaborative innovation.
Design/methodology/approach – The study uses an exploratory multiple-case study approach. The results are derived from 53 in-depth, semistructured interviews with laboratory directors and representatives from both the company and the university within 8 joint laboratories of Telecom Italia (TIM). The data collection was carried out in 2014 and 2015. The analysis follows a multi-grounded theory approach and relies on a mix of deductive and inductive reasoning with the final goal of theoretical elaboration.
Findings – This study finds the role of social and cultural proximity at the individual level as a result of geographical proximity as an enabler of collaborative innovation by triggering mutual learning, trust formation and frequent interactions. Cognitive proximity at the interface level could systematically influence collaborative innovation, while organizational and institutional proximity has marginal roles in facilitating collaborative innovation. The qualitative analysis offers a conceptual framework for proximity dimensions and collaborative innovation within university-industry joint laboratories.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H050219)
(3.18 MB)
Agricultural innovation scaling approaches tend to be empirical but do not sufficiently take into account the complex realities of ‘softer elements’ such as people, supply chains, markets, financing mechanisms, policies and regulations, professional knowledge, power relations, incentives and history. As a consequence, scaling initiatives often do not produce the desired impacts and, in some instances, may even produce undesirable impacts.
Designing scaling strategies that are adaptive to context and available resources requires an understanding of the enabling environment in which the scaling processes are embedded. This can be achieved by conducting an analysis to identify enablers and hinderers influencing farmers’ adoption of irrigation and water management technologies and introducing measures to ensure success. The tool described in this working paper provides implementers with a structured guide to carrying out this analysis in a specific context.
4 Minh, Thai Thi; Schmitter, Petra. 2020. Co-identification of value chain-based pathway for scaling of irrigation technologies and services: cases in Basona Worana and Lemo woredas in Ethiopia. Nairobi, Kenya: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI); Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 29p.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050262)
(0.58 MB) (590 KB)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050494)
(1.89 MB) (1.89 MB)
Value chain for development (VCD) has increasingly been promoted for poverty reduction; yet, there is inadequate evidence on its effectiveness. Based on a comprehensive literature review, this article offers reasons why evidence on VCD impacts on poverty reduction is uncertain. It also suggests a conceptual framework for the poor-centred value chain for sustainable development to guide a better analysis of VCD participation and poverty impacts. The framework is particularly useful for researchers involved in research for development related projects in the VCD space. As it provides an analytical lens to understand the broader contextual situation of the poor, co-design solutions with multi-stakeholders and implement appropriate “fit-toneeds” strategies that ensure the poor benefits from their VCD participation. The article contributes to the existing VCD discourse by reflecting on the multidimensional nature and dynamism of poverty reduction, the poor's heterogeneity and their value chain readiness and VCD impacts on poverty.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050495)
(0.99 MB) (0.99 MB)
Recently, increasing attention has been paid to entrepreneurial ecosystems and the process of their formation and function. Researchers have noted the important role that intermediary organizations such as incubators play in connecting various actors within ecosystems. Yet our understanding of this role is limited to a few empirical insights. Using resource dependence and embeddedness as theoretical lenses, the present research examines the role of incubators in entrepreneurial ecosystem formation and function, and analyzes how intermediation activities shape collaboration patterns embedded within entrepreneurial ecosystems. Our findings are based on an empirical investigation of two entrepreneurial ecosystems, one in Kenya and one in Uganda. Our analysis of 38 semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurial actors in these ecosystems reveals the underlying structural, operational, and relational conditions that influence the actors’ interaction with each other. We propose three collaboration patterns that emerge among actors in entrepreneurial ecosystems under these conditions: one-sided dependency-based, joint dependency-based, and mutual dependency-based collaborations. We discuss these patterns in detail and identify the circumstances in which each is most likely to occur. This empirical setting clearly shows that beyond their primary roles of providing space, network, and advice to entrepreneurs, intermediary organizations in entrepreneurial ecosystems play a significant role in orchestrating collaborations. Finally, we reflect on the limitations of this study and offer implications for future research.
7 Khadka, Manohara; Uprety, Labisha; Shrestha, Gitta; Minh, Thai Thi; Nepal, Shambhawi; Raut, Manita; Dhungana, Shashwat; Shahrin, S.; Krupnik, T. J.; Schmitter, Petra. 2021. Understanding barriers and opportunities for scaling sustainable and inclusive farmer-led irrigation development in Nepal. Kathmandu, Nepal: Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA). 92p.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050731)
(1.87 MB) (1.87 MB)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051153)
(4.76 MB)
Existing studies on socio-economic differentiation in Vietnam focus on the inequality between the ethnic majority and minorities while neglecting the disparities among ethnic minorities. Using a framework to analyse marginalisation at different scales, we identified through an extensive literature review the diverse ways in which ethnic groups develop strategies to transform or maintain their marginality. These strategies depend on, at the same time influence, inequalities that manifest in processes of social differentiations and power relations. Elucidating these processes of inequalities enables us to promote livelihood opportunities that support the diverse development pathways of different ethnic groups, thus increasing the relevance of development interventions.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051648)
(515 KB)
Innovation bundles enable different innovations to complement one another and adapt to new contexts they are being introduced. The scalability of a bundle is measured by its ability to adapt to the context in which it is being scaled, respond positively to any system changes, and bring about intended outcomes. Profiling innovation bundles helps to assess the scalability of an innovation bundle to design the best-fit scaling strategies. Innovation bundle profiling includes but is not limited to 1) characterizing the innovation bundle, 2) assessing and enhancing the bundle’s scalability and identifying partnerships to scale the bundle, 3) providing foundation and inputs to design the scaling actions and learning and synergies across work packages, and 4) enhancing reflexivity of the intervention process to ensure that the bundling innovation is participatory, that there are ambassadors of the innovation bundling process, and that financial and human resources are dedicated to the scaling process.
10 Minh, Thai Thi; Ofosu, Abena. 2022. Solar-based irrigation bundle profile and scaling in Ghana. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Mixed Farming Systems. 27p.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051649)
(1.37 MB)
There are solutions to sustainable intensification, irrigation technologies, and water management under changing weather and climate conditions; they are just not available to smallholder farmers and vulnerable groups on a large scale. Scaling these solutions, therefore, needs to develop bundles of best-fit solutions to diversify farming and farmer conditions and adapt them to the context of irrigated farming. Throughout the action research process, solar-based irrigation bundle (SBIB) has been scaled in Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Northeast, and Savanah region, Ghana since January 2020. SBIB offers solar-powered irrigation pumps and pay-as-you-go and pay-as-you-own (PAYGO/PAYOWN) financing services to smallholder farmers in combination with tailoring their business models to different client segments (ability to pay, frequency, amount) to lower the barrier for upfront investment cost, enabling solar irrigation adoption and enhancing productivity and income throughout the year. This SBIB profile consists of three components: 1) bundle components and characteristics, 2) assessing the scalability and scaling potential of the bundle, and 3) developing scaling strategies.
11 Minh, Thai Thi. 2022. Monitoring, evaluation, learning and impact assessment and scaling preparedness and action (MELIA&SPA): a process-based framework. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Rethinking Food Markets. 13p.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051650)
(1.07 MB)
Focusing on bundling innovations to co-develop scalable bundles, the Rethinking Food Markets and VCs for Inclusion and Sustainability Initiative develops and applies its monitoring, evaluation, learning and impact assessment, and scaling preparedness and action (MELIA&SPA) framework from a process-based perspective. This MELIA&SPA framework aims to co-developing the scaling preparedness to enhance the scalability of the bundle, and to build market actors’ and relevant stakeholders’ ability to adopt innovation bundles and accelerate the scaling while responding effectively to changes and trade-offs coming. To achieve these, the MELIA (monitoring, evaluation, learning, and impact assessment) emphasizes ensuring the initiative’s impacts on malnutrition reduction, food safety, income and job, small producers’ livelihood, social and gender inclusion, GHG emissions, climate adaptation, and sustainable land and water resources. The SPA (scaling preparedness and actions) enhances the scalability and accelerate the scale of the innovation bundles developed by the Work packages (WPs). The SPA contains exploring intervention and scaling context and options for the piloted innovation bundles, co-designing the piloted innovation bundles with and for the value chain actors, and codeveloping the scaling preparedness and strategies to build the ability for market actors and relevant stakeholders to adopt and accelerate the investment in scalable innovation bundles.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052232)
(2.25 MB) (2.25 MB)
Given the generally low adoption of early climate change response technologies among tree crop producers in sub-Saharan Africa, stakeholders interested in the commercialization or scaling of such technologies will require empirical evidence of their market prospects. Using a double-bounded contingent valuation approach, the study evaluated the willingness and ability of 523 Ghanaian producers to invest in solar-powered irrigation pumps (SPIPs) for cocoa irrigation. The sample was split into three segments based on farm size: resource-poor, resource-limited, and resource-rich. Our results show that effective demand increased across the resource segments, with resource-endowed farmers more likely to demand SPIPs than resource-limited or resource-poor farmers. Also, while willingness to invest (WTI) depended on resourcefulness (land), farmers’ ability to invest was directly related to their resource (income class) endowment. We found that WTI across the resource segments was positively influenced by income, education, livestock ownership, credit, and extension services and negatively affected by household size and age of cocoa trees. Among others, we propose that promotional strategies for SPIPs should incorporate well-planned initiatives for income diversification and microcredit services to improve the financial position of the resource-poor and limited segment to encourage the adoption of these technologies.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H052414)
(1.12 MB)
Achieving gender equality in irrigation can result in greater production, income, and job opportunities for both men and women smallholder farmers from diverse social groups, while building climate resilience in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, national irrigation agencies, donors, and researchers have been assisting project implementers to mainstream gender issues into the planning and implementation of irrigation programs. However, although efforts to close gender gaps in irrigation have been increasing, little is known about how interactions among institutions at different scales may determine the success of gender-mainstreaming strategies. This study presents a qualitative analysis of how the interaction of institutions at multiple levels can shape the success of gender-mainstreaming strategies. Specifically, the study analyzed how institutions' rules, roles, and capacities at state, market, community, and household levels shaped strategies in Ethiopia's nine small-scale and micro irrigation development projects. The findings show that ‘rule-based’ strategies adopted by small, scheme-based irrigation projects emphasize policies and rules for equal rights and opportunities for equal participation in individuals' and institutions' decision-making and capacity development. ‘Role-based’ strategies adopted by projects promoting small-scale and micro irrigation technologies focus on challenging social norms to address the imbalance of power and workloads by developing the capacity of all stakeholders. Both strategies focus on women and use participatory approaches to ensure gender equality. Negative stereotypes about women from families, communities, and the private sector often make it difficult for gender mainstreaming to succeed. Furthermore, institutional biases and limited capacities reproduce gender inequality by reinforcing stereotypical gender norms. Transformative gender mainstreaming strategies are critical to holistic approaches that facilitate change at different scales through broad-based partnerships between actors. It calls for 1) enacting policy, creating an institutional environment, and developing governance mechanisms for mainstreaming gender; 2) enhancing the accountability system and adoption of gender-transformative approaches to involve more women farmers in designing, planning, and management; 3) creating a supportive institutional environment at market, community and household level that helps women farmers invest in irrigation; and 4) applying an intersectional lens in gender analysis and mainstreaming.
14 Balasubramanya, S.; Garrick, D.; Brozovic, N.; Ringler, C.; Zaveri, E.; Rodella, A.-S.; Buisson, Marie-Charlotte; Schmitter, Petra; Durga, Neha; Kishore, A.; Minh, Thai Thi; Kafle, K.; Stifel, D.; Balasubramanya, S.; Chandra, A.; Hope, L. 2024. Risks from solar-powered groundwater irrigation. Science, 383(6680):256-258. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adi9497]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052565)
(1.39 MB)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052643)
(1.58 MB) (1.58 MB)
Supporting young people to enter food value chains can help reduce high levels of youth unemployment across sub-Saharan Africa. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and WorldFish conducted a study to understand the drivers of, and hindrances to, youth entry into aquaculture value chains in Nigeria to support development of youth-inclusive policy for rural areas.
16 Singh, R.; Minh, Thai Thi; Oguge, N.; Odote, C. 2023. The influence of exogenous elements on technological innovation system development: the case of rainwater harvesting for irrigation in Kenya. International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, 40(2):397-411.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052670)
(0.46 MB) (472 KB)
Rainwater harvesting for irrigation can increase sustainable access to irrigation and improve farmer resilience to climate change, particularly in semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. However, attempts to increase adoption of rainwater harvesting for irrigation in Kenya have rarely been successful, despite decades of efforts by governments, NGOs, and development practitioners. Most scholars investigating reasons for these low levels of adoption tend to focus on hydrogeological, techno-managerial, or socio-economic factors, and leave out explanations grounded in the analysis of macro-level cultural, political, economic, and environmental dynamics within a specific context. To fill this gap, this article analyzes historical processes of two sites to identify how these dynamics contributed to an enabling environment for rainwater harvesting for irrigation in Kenya. The concept of technological innovation systems, which describes processes central to the emergence, growth, and diffusion of technological innovations, was used as a lens to examine long-term rainwater harvesting for irrigation adoption dynamics in the two sites. The identification of elements «exogenous» to the innovation system demonstrated that ecological, demographic, macroeconomic, political, cultural, and socio-economic elements exerted a major influence on the development of an enabling environment for rainwater harvesting for irrigation. Exogenous elements influenced levels of adoption by shaping the capacity and quality of elements within rainwater harvesting innovation systems, giving rise to systemic problems or opportunities, and influencing the speed of system development.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052698)
(2.21 MB) (2.21 MB)
The positive impact of stakeholder engagement (SE) in smart city development initiatives has received notable scholarly attention over the past decade. Researchers of stakeholder engagement have investigated various aspects of the engagement process from different theoretical perspectives, yet the complexity and dynamism of inclusion, especially at the societal level and in the context of smart city development, continue to inspire more research. Drawing from the intersection of open strategy (OS) and SE, we seek to enhance understanding of the open strategizing process by elucidating stakeholder inclusion practices in a smart city initiative, focusing on food systems in Da Nang, Vietnam. Our participatory action research draws on 114 semi-structured interviews and four stakeholder workshops to analyze the way stakeholder inclusion practices unfold in the strategic decision-making process of a smart city initiative. Our analysis reveals that stakeholder inclusion is complex and involves four interdependent practices at different stages of the strategizing process. These practices are trust formation, common language creation, role transformation, and expectation alignment. Together, they culminate in the creation of an interactive social space for the strategy-making process. The proposed analytical framework highlights the interdependencies among practices and their outcomes at different stages of the open strategizing process and could serve as a guideline in a context in which stakeholder inclusion at the planning phase is necessary to achieve systemic change.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052699)
(0.78 MB) (797 KB)
This article presents a cultural competence-based (CCB) framework to analyse contemporary science culture. Starting from the observation that two separate views of culture-as-context and culture-as-practice cannot address the ongoing transitions in the contemporary sciences towards esoteric–exoteric trans-sphere governance and multicultural science, we introduce key ideas from ‘older’ varieties of competence-based culture theories. We argue that a spectrum of cultural and sociocultural systems shapes contemporary science culture by being (un)supportive of individual scientists acquiring cultural competence and guiding scientists’ research practices. In contrast, individual scientists’ cultural competence shapes the fabrication of cultural and sociocultural systems through their scientific practices, thereby shaping contemporary science cultures. We also synthesize different concepts of science culture, reflect the transitions in contemporary sciences and construct three dimensions of the cultural system, sociocultural system and cultural competence from various elements. By providing a conceptual framework that contributes to a better understanding and management of contemporary science culture, we hope to enhance effective work ethics and fit-for-purpose science knowledge to address emerging ‘wicked’ societal challenges.
19 Minh, Thai Thi; Dinh, T. T.; Dubois, Mark; Bergamini, N.; Mockshell, J. 2024. Capacity-strengthening pathways enabling agroecological transition in Vietnam’s rice sector. [Policy Brief of the Agroecological Transitions for Building Resilient and Inclusive Agricultural and Food Systems (TRANSITIONS): Private Sector Incentives and Investments (PSii) for Climate Change, Resilience and Environmental Sustainability project]. Cali, Colombia: Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). 6p.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052754)
(2.51 MB)
Agroecological approaches are increasingly promoted for food systems transformation by applying ecological principles, regeneratively using natural resources and ecosystem services, and addressing the need for socially equitable food systems. Yet, despite widespread support from social movements, agroecological transition (AET) is still constrained by a lack of holistic performance metrics, top-down incentives and investments, and limited capacity to engage with private-public finance models, businesses, and policy processes. Large-scale AET requires empowering diverse actors and organizations to exercise their choices and roles to develop individual and institutional capability pipelines to create and harness opportunities for new businesses to capture more value from agriculture and food systems.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H052838)
(1.99 MB)
Africa's agriculture sector is vital for food security, employment, and economic growth. Women and young people, who contribute to innovation, diversification, and income, face limited opportunities in the sector due to social and economic power imbalances. This disparity wastes resources and impedes agricultural value chain development (VCD). Inclusive VCD aims to empower women, men and youth from diverse social groups and strengthen the agriculture sector. However, the literature on inclusive VCD in Africa is limited due to urban biases, and the lack of a framework to address gender inequality and poverty. This study explores how livelihood assets, strategies for accessing the assets, and enabling and discouraging factors in the value chain shapes the inclusion of women and youth in on-farm, off-farm and non-farm activities. It is based on the Safeguarding Sahelian Wetlands for Food Security (SaWeL) program that aims to make the market work for the poor through inclusive VCD in the Ziway-Shalla Sub-basin of Ethiopia, and Wegnia and Sourou basins in Mali. A qualitative dataset of 32 focus group discussions, 48 key informant interviews and 40 in-depth interviews were analyzed. We identified investment and cultivation inclusion strategies that demonstrates how women and youth from diverse social groups actualize business opportunities, overcome challenges and create new opportunities for inclusion. Investment strategies involve women and youth from better-off households with good access to natural, social, political and physical capital for capital-intensive roles. On the other hand, cultivation strategies involve women and youth from resource-poor households who can harness natural, social and political capital to participate in off-farm and non-farm activities. Our results show that women and youth who adopt either one of the strategies are encouraged by good support from social networks, cooperatives, Government Organizations, Nongovernmental Organizations and private sector actors. However, access to productive resources and services for women and youth adopting any strategies is hampered by gender and intergenerational norms, poverty and insufficient institutional capacity. We argue that it is essential to understand how social disparities and local environments interact to inform the design and implementation of inclusive value chains. Additionally, inclusive value chains necessitate building capacities of institutions at different scales.
Powered by DB/Text
WebPublisher, from