IIA Global Round Table

IIA Global Round Table Meeting minutes April 4, 2013

Attendees: Muralee Nair, Horticulture Haddish Melakeberhan, Horticulture Tom Smith, IAT & GCFSI Charles McKeown Andrea Allen, GenCen & CASID Veronique Therialt, AFRE Food Security Group Cynthia Donovan, AFRE, Legume Innovation Lab Shoba Ramanand, OVP Research & Graduate Studies Karen Vignare (via Skype), MSU Global Brent Simpson (via Skype), AFRE Patty Cotter, IIA Sean Lawrie, IIA Karin Dillon, IIA

The meeting focused on current pre-award proposal opportunities. A summary of each opportunity was provided at the meeting and is below in italics. Notes form the meeting are below each opportunity summary in plain text.

COMPETE II Expected areas of focus are: 1) Agro-related Exports a. Market-linkages, value-chain analysis b. Finance c. Certifications & standards (Need to implement & enforce existing standards) 2) Trade enabling environment a. Regional transport b. Trade policy harmonization c. Customs and border control (Need to train border personnel in how to measure & enforce standards, ie how to use equipment etc.) 3) Regional food security a. Maize production b. Regional trade, reducing flow barriers

Expressed interest: Chuck McKeown, John Spink, Shawnee Vickery, IIA

Meeting notes: Karin Dillon described this opportunity. The solicitation is not yet released, but is expected soon. Chemonics is the incumbent, but is not favored to win because they focused a great deal on evaluating and analyzing, but not much on implementing during the life of COMPETE I. MSU via IIA has been approached by the CARANA Corporation as a potential sub-partner on this opportunity. IIA recently submitted a bid under CARANA for the Uganda FtF Enabling Environment solicitation. We had a positive experience working with CARANA and would like to work with them again. They have approached us to see if we are interested in subbing to them on this opportunity. The above description of expected areas of focus are based on a meeting Karin had with CARANA during a recent trip to DC.

Chuck McKeown elaborated on potential areas of focus describing the need for source-synch modeling and finding ways to improve food security via regional trade flow.

Some of the faculty potentially interested in this opportunity were not able to attend the meeting. Karin will follow-up with them. CARANA is eager to sign a pre-teaming agreement with MSU as soon as possible, but at this point it does not appear that there is sufficient MSU faculty interest. If others are interested, please let Karin know ASAP.

Food Security Service Center Expected areas of focus: 1) Establishment of a Service Center and Network of Experts 2) On-Demand State-of-the-Art Agriculture Support Services and Expert Analyses 3) Capacity Building 4) Bridge Programs and Innovation Pilots

Most recent communication w/ JE Austin: “1. This will be a relatively large contract we believe as there will be no follow on to RAISE Plus, the current IQC; 2. We have lined up a critical mass of food security expertise including John Mellor (and his associates), ACDI-VOCA, the current incumbents on the small business set-aside on RAISE (who are no longer a small business) and believe we have the absolute best qualifications in this technical area of any small business serving USAID; 3. MSU would be our lead university and you have been the only university we have reached out to and would therefore have a leadership position on this, with a bird's eye view of new initiatives by USAID in this area.”

Expressed interest: Brent Simpson, Muralee Nair, Karen Vignare, Kimberly Chung, FSG, IIA

Meeting notes: This IQC (umbrella project) solicitation has not yet been released, but MSU has been approached by JE Austin to partner on this. This IQC will be a set-aside for small business, therefore JE Austin is well suited to prime.

Brent described that he has had a good experience working with JE Austin as a parallel sub- partner under the SAGIC/ PCE program in Senegal. Martin Webber, JE Austin’s Executive VP, is well respected in the field. Brent is interspersed in working on any cross-cutting climate components of this opportunity.

Muralee Nair is interested in nutrition quality and food quality aspects. Kimberly Chung was not present, but others noted that she would probably be interested in community nutrition and gender components of this potential opportunity.

Chuck noted that the GCFSI network has many relevant institutional connections that could be called on for this opportunity.

Karin will follow up with Kimberly Chung and the Food Security group to further clarify potential interest. Following the meeting Karin followed up with JE Austin, who reiterated their strong interest in having MSU on their team. We also learned that ACDI/ VOCA will also be on their team, which could make them a very strong contender. Karin will follow-up with JE Austin again on pre-teaming.

REGIS-AG The program will operate in Niger and Burkina Faso. Objectives are:

- Identify opportunities through value chain and end-market analysis - Strengthen vertical and horizontal value chain linkages and relationships in selected value chains - Strengthen input supply and other supporting services and improve smallholder and agro-pastoralist access to these interconnected markets - Increase innovation and private-sector investment, and - Improve the enabling environment for local and regional private sector investment

There are also required cross-cutting themes of: - Gender - Water - Climate Change, and - ICT

MSU-FSG pursuing partnership with CNFA, ACDI/ VOCA, or CLUSA, potentially Pragma.

Currently involved: Duncan Boughton, John Staatz, Steve Haggblade, Steve Longbaugh, Brent Simpson, Veronique Theiault, Andrea Allen, Boubacar Diallo, Niama Dembele, IIA

Meeting notes: This solicitation is coming out of the USAID Senegal mission, but is designated for work in Niger and Burkina.

Pragma Corporation contacted MSU to see if we would be interested in subbing to them on this opportunity. Based on Karin’s review of their previous work, they do not seem like a great partner on this opportunity. They mostly work in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The FSG (via John Staatz) was therefore exploring other potential partnerships with CNFA, ACDI/ VOCA, or CLUSA. Cynthia mentioned that John had contacted the Legume Innovation Lab regarding possibly leveraging local partnerships that are part of their network.

Others potentially interested included MSU Global, Chuck, Shawnee Vickery (c/o Chuck), and Shoba (who mentioned possible interest from Engineers regarding the cross-cutting water theme.

Update after meeting: CNFA, ACDI/ VOCA, and CLUSA are all partnered with other firms and not interested in partnering with MSU on this opportunity. Following a conversation with Pragma, they were deemed to be not a marketable partner for this opportunity. Potential partnerships with each of these organizations were broached and could be a possibility in the future.

REGIS-ER

The program will operate in Niger and Burkina Faso. Program components are: 1) Increased and Sustainable Economic Well-Being Goal: Increased and sustainable economic well-being - defined by increased incomes, food security, the accumulation and leveraging of assets and the capacity to adapt to (and recover from) shocks and stresses in the face of population pressure and climate variability and change.

Expected Results: - Increased income among all income quartiles - Depth of poverty amongst poor households reduced by 20% - Prevalence of severely and moderately hungry households reduced by 20% - Stability of income improved (seasonal and trend) - Increased household asset ownership (productive and non-productive) - Increased capacity to adapt to climate variability and change - Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture improved

2) Strengthened Governance and Institutions Goal: Effective and inclusive governance mechanisms and institutions for managing natural resources, conflict and disaster risk under changing conditions. Improved government capacity for coordination of resilience-building efforts at and between local and national levels.

Expected Results: - The role of community-based governance structures and civil society organizations in managing natural resources, conflict and disaster risk is recognized and supported by the state - Improved capacity of community-based governance institutions, civil society organization and government (at all levels) to manage natural resources, conflict and disaster risk - Integrated community-level plans for managing natural resource, conflict and disaster risk are developed and implemented - Plans and implementation mechanism at all levels that are flexible enough to incorporate changing conditions associated with population growth and climate change - Women, youth and other marginalized groups such as agro-pastoralists actively involved in the development and implementation of community and aggregate plans - Improved coordination of efforts by humanitarian and development partners to build the resilience of chronically vulnerable households and communities - Increased capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate variability and change

3) Improved Health and nutrition Goal: Improved health and nutrition, with a focus on children under 5 years of age, pregnant and lactating females and women more generally.

Expected Results: - Global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates reduced to below 10% - Reduced Under age 5 mortality - Reduced diarrhea incidence - Increase in dietary diversity at household and individual levels - Effective coordination of health system and development partners that ensures an integrated and - comprehensive approach to health and nutrition - Increased use of health and nutrition services

4) Embedded Humanitarian Response: Crisis Modifiers

Meeting notes: This is another solicitation coming out of the USAID Senegal mission, but is designated for work in Niger and Burkina. The focus of this solicitation is household resilience. This solicitation was released more recently on March 29, so may be a better prospect for finding institutional partners (vs. REGIS-AG).

The FSG was exploring potential partnerships as they had conversations about the REGIS-AG partnerships.

Shoba was interested in the governance component. Karin pointed out that because MSU does not have a lot of institutional capacity in governance, this component would likely be parceled off to a more logical technical partner (ie NGO with expertise in this area).

Muralee and Shoba were interested in the health and nutrition component. Shoba mentioned MSU’s Enterics Research Investigational Network and Linda Mansfield as possibly having technical overlap regarding diarrheal disease. Chuck mentioned that he would like to share the solicitation with partners at Sokoine University in Tanzania. Karin will send to Chuck.

Brent pointed out that unlike REGIS-AG, REGIS-ER is an RFA, not and RFP, which means there are likely a different set of organizations that will be competitors.

Follow-up after meeting: The FSG is continuing research on potential partners. Karin will send further updates as these conversations progress.

Ethiopia KLDP Expected Results: 1) Policies Improved 1.1 Agriculture and livestock policy environment is improved 1.2 MoA leads participatory evidence-based policy dialogue with stakeholders resulting in agriculture, nutrition and livestock policies drafted and adopted 1.3 findings from research/impact assessments, cost-benefit analysis, performance evaluations and recommendations are disseminated among stakeholders and discussed 1.4 function and effectiveness of existing, piloted and proposed agriculture and livestock policies are identified and researched 1.5 Strategies are identified and implemented to effectively trigger action and promote integrated public policy for agriculture

2) Agriculture Development and Resilience Programs Improved and Evaluated 2.1 Collaboration and coordination is achieved across USAID, GoE and other donor programs 2.1 Through collaborative learning networks, lessons learned about ‘good practices’ are systemically incorporated and implemented into new and on-going activities/interventions of all partners, including course corrections. 2.2 Capacity for “learning cycle” strengthened (i.e. evaluation, knowledge capture/synthesis, best practices identified, incorporated in program design, and implemented) 2.3 A Knowledge Management System is established that captures, shares, disseminates and publishes information about policy and activities on a regular basis. 2.4 Participatory analysis of program impacts, mapping and thematic analysis completed on a demand-driven basis and feed into collaborative learning networks. 2.5 Capacity of local research organizations and institutions improved through partnerships, joint research and mentoring.

Expressed interest: MSU Global

Meeting notes: The Kaizen group contacted MSU to see if we would be interested in subbing to them on this opportunity. Like the Pragma group with REGIS-AG, Kaizen does not seem like the best partner for this opportunity. They work mostly in the Middle East and North Africa, they rarely prime bids, and they have never primed a bid this large. They are, however, very interested in a partnership with MSU.

We discussed other possible partners that might be better placed for the opportunity. TetraTech had previously begum conversations with Luis Flores (who was originally contacted by Segura, but alter decided to sub to TetraTech). Luis subsequently decided that he did not have enough time to work on this opportunity, so declined the opportunity. Karen Vignare was going to follow-up with Luis to get the TetraTech contracts and follow-up with them.

Brent also mentioned that QED is priming a bid and could be a good partner. QED has expanded their work recently beyond evaluation work to include knowledge learning, ie via AgriLinks. Brent has signed a personal, non-binding consulting agreement with QED on this opportunity. Brent and Tom Smith said they could share QED QED contacts with Karen if she wanted them.

Brent also asked if TetraTech had been awarded the STARR Ethiopia award. IIA confirmed that they have. Brent noted that the USAID mission might be cautious about awarding them another large award, as these are two of the biggest awards in Ethiopia at the moment. Karen mentioned that Kaizen had also been in touch with Haramaya University in Ethiopia. Haramaya is one of MSU Global’s partners on AgShare, and they contacted Karen to ask advice on partnering with Kaizen.

Follow-up after meeting: Karen followed up with Luis. Karin put Karen V. in touch with Kaizen. No partnering decisions have been made yet.

UILTCB

The goal of the UILTCB program is to build capacity of host country public and private institutions to contribute to agricultural and natural resource development by providing M.S. degree and short-term training opportunities to their staff members. After undergoing an application and thorough a selection process involving interviews of institutional representatives and candidates, the USAID-Malawi and Ghana Missions have shortlisted 19 potential candidates (14 from Malawi and 5 from Ghana) for M.S. degree training at U.S. universities. Funding to support 10-12 candidates for M.S. degree training is available through the UILTCB program.

Expressed interest: Murari Suvedi, Adam Locke, Andrea Allen, Amy Jamison, IIA

Meeting notes: Murari Suvedi plans to submit a proposal for 6 faculty in CARRS to host the six Ag Extension students from Malawi. Sean Lawrie from IIA is working with Murari on this proposal.

Chuck knew of other faculty that might be interested, and wanted to distribute the info in person at a meeting on Thursday 4/11. Andrea Allen felt that it was too late to bring in new faculty. Karin suggested Sean send the info to Chuck electronically have him distribute it right away. If other faculty were interested and able to get on board by 4/8 or 4/9, there would still be time to add more faculty to the proposal.

Other initiatives

Shoba mentioned an India-Africa bridge program that she is interested in and had sent to Gretchen. Shoba will follow-up to see if there is interest.

Cynthia Donovan mentioned that the Legume Innovation Lab received their official new award at the beginning of the week. They also submitted a concept note for a new project in the Guatemala highlands. This concept note was solicited directly by the USAID Guatemala mission.