General approach to coordination

While the project coordinator assumes his overall responsibilities and receives administrative and financial support from concerned CIRAD services, many tasks and responsibilities are shared among project partners, reflecting the truly participatory nature of this project and the spirit of partnership. Global events (G1, G2, G3) provide the major opportunity to coordinate, discuss and adjust the project’s strategy and activities. They are complemented by a variety of means, from electronic communication, web-based information sharing, videoconferencing and frequent contact during field visits and national events.

Task 6.1: Establishing the bases for smooth project functioning

CIRAD coordinates development of all the necessary bases for smooth project functioning, such as defining procedures for communication and reporting, defining the functions and mode of operation of the Steering Committee, confirming the membership and mode of operation of the project’s Advisory and Networking Board, and defining and formalising with each national convenor (in Benin, South Africa and Kenya) the mode of interaction between the project, the national convenor and existing innovation platforms and networks.

Task 6.2: Providing administrative and financial support

CIRAD ensures that deadlines and procedures are enforced for technical and administrative aspects, milestones are met and quality products delivered, and ensures accountability to the EC (timesheets, financial reports etc) and to partner institutions.

Task 6.3: Ensuring smooth coordination and communication

CIRAD ensures that constructive relationships and trust are developed and maintained among project partners, through periodic global face-to-face and regular electronic meetings (videoconferencing, Skype). It plans and coordinates the Steering Committee meetings and write the reports on these meetings. Together with ETC, it coordinates the International Advisory and Learning Circle (JILAC - see more details in WP4) and ensure it is properly associated to key project activities and outputs. CIRAD supervises the production of all necessary reports from the various meetings and workshops. It developed and implement robust yet simple internal participatory monitoring and evaluation procedures. It created and maintains fluid communication flows among all project partners, with the management of the corresponding institutions, and between the project consortium and the EC.

Task 6.4: Developing and disseminating project outputs

In close interaction with ETC (as leader of WP4), other WP leaders and with the three national convenors, CIRAD contributes to the preparation and dissemination to project partners and the wider community of annual project newsletters. More generally, it supervises and facilitates development of project products/ outputs and is responsible for coordinating the design of the project website and for creating and maintaining a functional project Extranet to which project partners have a secured access and where they may find all necessary information about project outputs, deadlines, procedures and financial/administrative reports.

Deliverables WP6

D6.1  Proceedings from global project events G1, G2 and G3 (M6, M18, M30)

D6.2  Project newsletter produced and disseminated annually and at the end of the project (see also D4.4) (M6, M18, M30)

D6.3  Reports from Steering Committee meetings (M6, M18, M30)

D6.4  Annual and final project reports submitted to the EC (M19, M31)

D6.5  Functional website and intranet (M8 with periodic updates), , including a downloadable leaflet and a slide show describing the project in brief