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The 2005 AHI/ASARECA Priority Setting Exercise

Many people living the East and Central African (ECA) region suffer from the effects of severe poverty conditions no human should ever endure, resulting in weakening livelihood strategies, dependency on aid, degraded dignity, abysmal standards of living, environmental degradation, malnutrition, increased risk of illness and disease, starvation, human suffering and death. The need for action to reverse this unjust human catastrophe is imperative, paramount, and unequivocal.

AHI focuses on Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) and agriculture in the highlands of East and Central Africa (ECA) by targeting poverty alleviation and food security to promote sustainable human well-being. Environmental degradation hangs on the precarious edge of causing escalated human suffering. AHI channels all efforts towards environmental regeneration as the principle vehicle for stakeholder empowerment to sustainable livelihoods and agricultural production. Natural Resource Management (NRM) development initatives in the past four decades have failed to achieve this goal due to a variety of shortcomings, mostly due to a lack of an integrated approach.

AHI work considers various socio-economic, historic, cultural, political and institutional processes that impact NRM, rather than merely targeting biophysical components of NRM. These processes create a complex of issues linked to environmental degradation and thus human poverty. Thus, AHI pioneers INRM for positive change and sustainable livelihoods.

AHI'S PRIORITY SETTING EXCERSISE

AHI conducted a Priority Setting Exercise (PSE) to identify the most critical research themes according to livelihood agro-ecosystems (LAE) that require targeting to insure the greatest positive impact from INRM initiatives affecting the largest amount of people in ECA wide. This prospective prioritization is to set AHI's research strategy for the next decade, iteratively evaluated and modified to produce greater positive change.

The AHI PSE began with conducting acomprehensive situational analysis which resulted in identifying a holistic range of 23 research themes and 9 prioritised LAEs. The situation analysis, research themes and LAEs were peer reviewed by various experts in related fields, seeking their reflections, comments, critiques, and contributions. Drawing upon this vast body of collective knowledge from a wide range of disciplines and experience, participants then contributed their unique perspective in scoring the most pertinent and important LAEs to work within. As a result, five main LAEs were prioritized and AHI staff then prioritized their research themes drawing from both their individual experience at AHI benchmark sites and the valuable feedback participants contributed. The results of this scoring exercise will continue to guide AHI's work in INRM, striving to contribute towards environmental regeneration for poverty alleviation and stakeholders' empowerment on a multitude of levels, for building prosperous livelihood sustainability for impoverished and vulnerable people in ECA.

All ASARECA Networks and Programs are currently undergoing priority setting exercises, and the governing ASARECA consortium is renewing its own strategy, given the institutional and development changes and dynamics taking place. As part of this process, five "NRM Networks"—that is, SWMNet (soil and water), TOFNET (agroforestry), EAPBREN (Genetic resources management), AHI (INRM approaches and methods developed and institutionalized) and A-AARNET (animal agriculture) all conducted a similar exercise for setting priorities for NRM research in the ECA region during 2004. This resulted in indentifying 8 priority areas or research thrusts. Based on these NRM themes, AHI identified its own 8 research themes with feedback from stakeholder consultations on main areas of relevant focus in each benchmark site.

AHI experimented with a "virtual" consultation, harnessing the potential of internet communication, and involved a greater number of participants than through face to face consultation. Given the higher level of participation than in face to face consultations, the statistical potential of responses was increased. Interactive electronic discussions with an active moderator kept the responses realistic; for example, consolidating responses and managing error. As a result, the AHI Priority Setting Exercise for INRM initiative succeeded in identifying the most critical LAEs requiring action and linked these with the most effective research strategies in order to render livelihoods more sustainable, contributing towards poverty alleviation through environmental regeneration.

The results of the exercise are described in the chart below:

LAE PRIORITIZATION

LAE No. Rank

LAE 2 1*

LAE 4 2*

LAE 5 3*

LAE 9 4*

LAE 3 5*

LAE 8 6

LAE 1 7

LAE 6 8

LAE 7 9

DESCRIPTION OF LAES

"Water towers"—Major mountain features draining into lake basins and lowlands;

Intensive and highly diversified systems with steep slopes, relatively good soils and rainfall but distant from major markets;

Intensive and highly diversified systems with steep slopes, relatively good soils and rainfall and close to major markets/population centres;

Intensive and highly diversified systems with steep slopes, relatively poor soils and rainfall and close to major markets/population centres;

Intensive and highly diversified systems with steep slopes, relatively poor soils and rainfall and distant from major markets;

Extensive less diversified systems with moderate to steep slopes, relatively poor soils, one growing season and frost hazard, distant from major markets;

Peri-urban and nearby highland areas greatly influenced by urban centres;

Vulnerable areas and groups due to climate, war, health issues, increased competition for scarce resources, very high levels of poverty, and NR exploitation/condition.

PRIORITIZED RESEARCH THEMES

AHI Theme Total Score Rank or Priority

AHI 6.1: Local residents equitably engage and participate in integrated watershed management 76.12 1

AHI 8.1: Efficiency and effectiveness of INRM research is enhanced by increased information availability; diverse Knowledge Systems identification, empowerment encouraging a knowledge sharing culture among R&D stakeholders 76.03 2

AHI 5.2: Support to community-action policy and by-law reform improves local NRM 74.93 3

AHI 8.2: Effective scaling up and out mechanisms improve development practices and strategies by harnessing local capacity through empowered knowledge systems and knowledge sharing 71.2 4

AHI 3.2: Highland farm systems are sustainably intensified and diversified to satisfy multiple household objectives 70.3 5

AHI 4.1: Improved management of highland resources ensures environmental services (ES) and biodiversity for multiple stakeholders 68.53 6

AHI 4.2: Increased benefits are shared by stakeholders due to various types of policy instruments, strategies, valuation and compensation mechanisms for ES and biodiversity conservation 68.4 7

AHI 2.3: Improved preparedness, crisis management and governance strengthens local structures and assets 66.68 8

AHI 6.2: Service and support organizations more effectively strengthen the capacity of the rural poor 66.16 9

AHI 2.2: Improved impact of policies, R&D strategies and approaches used by key development actors to help vulnerable groups 66.06 10

AHI 3.1: Integrated management of watersheds and landscape niches better satisfies multiple needs of multiple stakeholders 65.64 11

AHI 1.3: Local communities demand and receive better quality services and support systems to ensure successful enterprises 65.2 12

AHI 5.3: Improved dialogue between constituents and policy shapers enhances NRM policy support 63.37 13

AHI 7.3: Strengthened regional mechanism for coordination and collaboration to develop and use the INRM approach 62.31 14

AHI 6.4: Functioning innovation systems improve the institutional arrangements necessary for improving NRM and enterprise development 61.99 15

AHI 1.4: Better policies and R&D strategies increase investment in product development and in NRM 61.08 16

AHI 7.1: Create a critical mass of skilled NARS personnel for conducting effective INRM R4D in ASARECA countries 59.83 17

AHI 2.1: Traditional coping strategies and options bolstered so as to reduce vulnerability and risk 58.51 18

AHI 1.1: More effective participation in resource to consumption chains 58.5 19

AHI 1.2: Potential markets are identified and analyzed and marketing strategies developed for high value products and environmental services 56.09 20

AHI 5.1: Quality of global and continental NRM conventions, treaties and large scale strategy sessions is enhanced by better data and analysis of highland scenarios 55.38 21

AHI 6.3: Research institutions have improved their support for their staff implementing INRM 52.85 22

AHI 7.2: Improved inter-institutional collaboration and partnerships of INRM training and capacity building institutions 50.78 23

AHI's holistic approach to their prioritized research themes span a broad spectrum of complex issues in INRM, maximizing the potential positive impact towards stakeholder livelihood well-being, where environmental regeneration is the mandated entry point for change. The East African Highlands are rapidly exhausting their fertility and biodiversity due to environmental degradation resulting from diverse factors. These soils, potentially, are amongst the richest worldwide, are in such decay, the future of agricultural production and peoples' prosperity hangs precariously by a thread. The highest population density in East Africa can be found in the highlands, their livelihoods dependent upon the ecoregion's environmental quality.

As their ecosystems continue to degrade, so does their chance of reversing ecosystemic decline and livelihood sustainability. East African food security abroad depends upon highland agricultural production, feeding more than 50% percent of the sub-continental population. Innovative holistic strategies to INRM intervention are critical to avoid a widespread catastrophic food shortage in the coming years.

Priority setting exercises provided the necessary means to identify the most pressing concerns and how INRM strategies can effectively reverse the devastating impact of environmental degradation and declining livelihood standards. AHI has determined that the following research strategy models can offer pre-requisite interventions or INRM vectors, considering the critical need and non-existent luxury of time. Delay only translates into prolonged suffering, starvation and lives lost.

PRIORITIZED LAE AND INRM STRATEGY

Phase 1 identified the most critically important LAE (five selected from nine) for targeting action based research according to a): the greatest volume of livelihoods and area positively impacted, b): in the shortest time period for INRM return, c): LAE facing the gravest environmental degradation. Each LAE requires specific interventions concurrent with environmental issues at stake and their root causes. Fore each LAE that was prioritized, research themes are sequenced to maximize positive impact by acknowledging pre-requisite entry points and innovative interventions for sustainability.

SEQUENCING

AHI has established four critical "foundations" or paradigms in which the most critical challenges are imbedded; Institutions, Policy, Technological Innovation, and Knowledge. All prioritized research themes, according to LAE, are sequenced through these "foundations" establishing "points of entry" critical to further intervention success. All strategies must mainstream Knowledge into its approach to create a cohesive foundation upon which all other INRM depends. Institutions, Policy, and Technological Innovation require the fundament of knowledge to structure success. Knowledge is the axis upon which Institutions, Policy, and Technological Innovation revolve around. Sequencing design is illustrated below.

KNOWLEDGE—CATALYZING INRM RETURNS

Special attention is devoted to knowledge generation which leads to a comprehensive understanding for further INRM strategy and action. Knowledge as the critical point of departure for INRM includes the following elements:

Information accessibility;

The learning culture,

Knowledge systems' equitable capacity;

Information management and control;

Education (knowledge transmission);

Existing knowledge discourse;

Relationships of power (wealth) between knowledge systems;
Influencing perceptions of socio-cultural identity and value;

Stakeholder perceptions of knowledge capacity potential;

Capacity building;

Stakeholder empowerment;

Science provides useful tools for change, but institutionalized denunciation of alternative knowledge system contributions derived from knowledge-based discourse and inequitable relationships of power only cripple INRM potential for positive change. People perceive the value of their cultural identity and heritage through a variety of historic and current factors. Amongst these factors, knowledge ranks amongst the highest. Indeed, INRM cannot achieve its goals if stakeholders remain dependent upon knowledge intervention. They cannot be empowered if they must rely upon other peoples' knowledge, science included, to solve the problems they encounter. Empowering stakeholders starts with knowledge, stakeholder knowledge.

INRM RESEARCH STRATEGY—A WAY FORWARD

A variety of strategic research thrusts emerged from the AHI Priority Setting Exercise, which may catalyze a directional focus of forwarding action, particularly in targeting Policy, Technological Innovation, and Institutions.

AHI's strategic document recognizes that INRM research strategies focusing on institutions may have direct implications in policy and innovations. Proper policy cannot be achieved unless institutions creating them are sound and effective. Likewise, institutional cohesiveness and capacity is dependant on equitable, efficiently governed policy. Nevertheless, the latter inter-dependencies between policy and institutions require relative flexibility to establish an environment for INRM capacity to tackle the challenges and provide solutions of particularized origin. The diversity of stakeholders and their localized and particular threats to their livelihoods require uniquely tailored solutions if any positive impact is to be achieved. Yet, standardized universal application of INRM research principles must be established for equitable and progressive change. A balance must be found between INRM universalisms and relativisms in all future approaches.

Technological innovation, derived from the knowledge-born capacity of stakeholders, filters throughout policy and institutions. Technology is the manifestation of knowledge or knowledge action. Technology innovation is precisely the localized sustainable development of cognitive tools required for positive change through INRM. Communities should be assisted to generate their own solutions; they must generate new technology from their own knowledge base while using available technical, endemic or foreign support as secondary resources. Technological innovation transcends empirical understandings. Traditional biophysical technologies, such as soil and water conservation technologies, must not shift or divert focus, but, rather expand. Biophysical technology innovations should how ever integrate local development of socio-cultural technology innovation.

AHI's strategy in INRM addresses the systemic web of relationships impacting environmental degradation and consequent poverty sufferance. An emphasis on technology innovation, policy and institutions must address the maelstrom of related influences as well as provide incentive for further INRM initiatives. Reversing environmental degradation trends and restoring environmental quality will take time; INRM is not a priority when facing starvation, landlessness and destitution. Research strategy must precipitate conditions of security in order to unlock stakeholder incentive.