CPWF Management Documents

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Forward-Looking Review of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (2013-2014)
(Report, 2014-06) Hall, Andrew; Bullock, Andy; Adolph, Barbara
The Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) was a 10-year (January 1, 2004–December 31, 2013) investment by the CGIAR, conducted over two phases and aimed at an overarching goal of raising water productivity and improving food security while helping alleviate poverty, improve health, and attain environmental security. This review, undertaken between November 2013 and March 2014, was commissioned by CPWF to assess CPWF’s achievements, but also to identify lessons to take forward by CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) and other research and development stakeholders.
The CGIAR’s Challenge Program Experiences: A Critical Analysis
(Internal Document, 2009-02) Woolley, Jonathan N.; Ribaut, J.M.; Bouis, Howarth E.; Adekunle, A.A.
This document has been prepared by staff of the four Challenge Programs (CPs) established by the CGIAR in 2002-2004 as a contribution to the first meeting of the Consortium Planning Team (CPT) with the Alliance Executive and Deputy Executive (17-20 February 2009).
The Challenge Program on Water and Food: opportunities for adding value to experiences of using research for development (R4D)
(Internal Document, 2013-07) Hall, Andrew
The Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) is approaching the end of a second five-year phase. A distinctive feature of the second phase of CPWF is its explicit use of a Research – for – Development (R4D) approach. The focus of this report is to explore the value of the lessons that this R4D experience holds for others and to suggest ways in which this experience could be leveraged in debates and practice beyond CPWF. This report is based on discussions with CPWF personnel during their 3rd Peer Assist meeting in Lima, Peru, June 2013, and a review of selected CPWF documents. The report is structured around a number of questions. CPWF has been an explicit attempt to reframe research on water and food with a developmental perspective. That is to say, research has been coupled with activities that enable the research to support innovation and change processes. The result of this reframing of research has been outcomes1 that are leading to tangible developmental impacts at scale. Viewed in this way it is possible to see that CPWF represents an important institutional innovation in the way international agricultural research is used as a tool in the development process. The program has labeled this way of conducting research as R4D. This places CPWF’s experiences in a wider, emerging school of agricultural practice that flags its ambition to go beyond knowledge production and leverage research to deliver development impacts (or, alternatively, placing research evidence within development processes). CPWF defines R4D as “an engagement process for understanding and addressing development challenges defined with stakeholders. Stakeholders are champions and partners in the research process as well as the change it aims to bring about.” In addition, I would add to this definition of R4D, “continuously learning how to do this”, implicit in the efforts that CPWF has made to support learning. Overall, this reflects the six key principles of R4D that CPWF has defined as emerging features of its R4D.
2011 Annual Report: Working together for impact
(Report, 2012-11) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
The 2011 Annual Report describes the achievements in each of the six rivers basins and how they are each responding to a well-defined development challenge. Stories and highlights from the basins elaborate on the messages.
Working together for impact
(Report, 2011-10) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
Despite challenges in many river basins, overall the planet has enough water to meet the full range of peoples’ and ecosystems’ needs for the foreseeable future, but equity will only be achieved through judicious and creative management.
2011 Annual Report: Working together for impact.
(Report, 2012-11) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
The 2011 Annual Report describes the achievements in each of the six rivers basins and how they are each responding to a well-defined development challenge. Stories and highlights from the basins elaborate on the messages.
CPWF Booklet: adapating to change, changing how we do research
(Brochure, 2011-11) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
CPWF Medium Term Plan (2007-2009)
(Report, 2006-06) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
This introductory section covers the period since the submission of the last Mid-Term Plan until present, and concentrates on the following areas: > Principal areas of progress. > Developments in 2005 and early 2006. > Changes to the CPMT strategic plan. > Research achievement highlights. > Program progress. At this point – just under half way (two years and six months) in the implementation of the first CPWF phase (and three-and-a-half years since inception began) governance and management processes are running smoothly, the program is in reasonable financial health, and technical processes – such as issuing new calls and obtaining reviews by the CPWF Expert Panel on Scientific Quality – are familiar, although they must be adjusted to each specific instance. Fifty-two projects – from the first competitive call, Basin Focal Projects (BFPs) and small grants for impact - are contracted and funded. All but six of the fifty-two were selected competitively by the CPWF. Some have been running nearly two years, but a majority are one year old or less. Early results – and better understanding about the details of results that can be expected – are beginning to flow. Synthesis research – a major and important challenge, and the key to the added value of the program – is also beginning to function. A second competitive call is very important strategically to “fill gaps” in the initial CPWF research portfolio and to maintain interest and momentum. The challenge has been to obtain sufficient funding alongside other important demands, especially the BFPs. An increased contribution from the World Bank for 2006 and confirmation of likely funding from the European Commission for 2006 has enabled a modest second call to be initiated. A call for concept notes is currently advertised. The call and priorities are available on the CPWF web page www.waterandfood.org. Working from gaps identified by CPWF theme leaders (TLs) and basin coordinators (BCs) in previous CPWF priorities and from summaries specially contracted by the CPWF from the Comprehensive Assessment on Water Management in Agriculture (CA), TLs and CPWF Management Team (CPMT) prepared a focussed set of priorities that was submitted for review to the CPWF Expert Panel. At the CSC meeting held in Cairo (May 2 – 3), the CPWF Steering Committee confirmed six research priorities to focus the second call. Each project will have a funding ceiling of US$ 0.5 million and will be expected to deliver results in two years, to coincide with the completion of the CPWF’s first phase.
CPWF Annual Report 2010: Adapting to change, changing how we do research
(Report, 2011-08) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
The CPWF 2010 Annual report is out. It describes the major achievements of CPWF over the year 2010. It also provides a number of stories and lessons learned from the basin development research programs.
CPWF Annual Report 2007
(Report, 2008) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
The CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) brings together scientists, development specialists, and communities, in nine river basins across Africa, Asia and Latin America, to address challenges of water scarcity, food security and poverty. Some CPWF projects seek to develop innovative technologies, new institutional arrangements, or improved policies. Other projects strategically aim to better define issues and challenges, understand processes and principles, and develop more appropriate research tools and methods. All of them are conducted by teams formed from partnerships of notable scope, breadth and diversity. In 2007, the CPWF successfully concluded the selection of eight gap‐filling projects in a second competitive call and a second set of six Basin Focal Projects. Consequently the CPWF research portfolio expanded to encompass 67 funded projects, including 11 Basin Focal Projects in total, and 14 Small Grants Projects. Naturally the Challenge Program’s diverse partnerships continue as an integral feature of its work. Due to interactions between partners of different backgrounds and approaches, CPWF relationships sometimes produce surprising results in both the conduct and interpretation of the scientific research. With the addition of the new 2007 projects, a total of 213 institutions now share their expertise within Program projects and an even larger group sharing within the CPWF community. The Program had a very full year undergoing a vigorous External Review as well as placing focus on moving CPWF research towards reported results. The program is now producing good quality science, both by “conventional” publication measures and in its progress towards impact. Based on CPWF work to date, approximately 180 peer‐reviewed papers have been received in journals, books and research reports, including CPWF contributions to publications of the Comprehensive Assessment on Water Management in Agriculture. For the 2007 CPWF Annual Report, the five Themes, which work across the nine basins, integrated their findings under four topics of international public value: 1. Water productivity, multiple uses and technical innovation 2. Benefit sharing and institutional innovation 3. Global change and policy 4. Unique contribution of the CPWF Impact and progress can also be illustrated through the inspiring results of various individual projects. For example: • CPWF Project 10 on Coastal Resources Management is achieving impact at provincial level in Vietnam. Successful lessons from the project have been picked up in the Ganges Basin, as well as other locations as a result of two delta scientific conferences, organized and hosted by the project. • The External Review had very positive comments about the potential of the CPWF on the basis of two projects the review chair visited in India. For Project 34 on Fish Production in Tropical Reservoirs, the comment was: “An intensive interaction with the local fishers indicated that even though the project is comparatively new, their lives have already been 2 | P a g e 3 | P a g e positively impacted upon, and they are excited by the results of the project, which may improve their living standards dramatically.” • The concept of Multiple‐Use Systems of Project 28 has proved important to the CPWF. Initial successes have influenced the development of new water policies in South Africa as well as provided viable new production and water‐use alternatives for farmers in parts of Nepal, Thailand, Bolivia and South Africa. • CPWF’s Multiple Agent Modelling Project 25 has made considerable progress to developing new ways of facilitating and implementing negotiation between small‐scale resource users. Early methodological results from the project received an award from the journal Ecology and Society as “the most novel paper that integrates different streams of science to assess fundamental questions in the ecological, political, and social foundations for sustainable social‐ecological systems.” • CPWF Project 50 on Water Governance in the Mekong, has employed an innovative system that combines low‐cost, targeted research, with an elaborate advocacy system employing the mass media, directly designed to achieve impact and influence policy. The portfolio includes research streams which have also borne robust insights and impacts this year: the Basin Focal Projects report that some of the most exciting results have come from their comparative work on water use and poverty across basins, and the Program’s Participatory Impact Pathways Analysis initiative has considerably strengthened project outputs and outcomes. In 2007 thirteen of the CPWF’s 14 Small Grants for Impact Projects concluded, many with very encouraging results for small producers that illustrate the impact opportunities of water‐for‐food technologies, including the system of rice intensification (SRI) in eastern Thailand and small‐scale vegetable production in Cambodia. Additionally important efforts in CPWF Capacity Building were funded and implemented, principally in West Africa in partnership with IFS and French‐supported CPWF projects in Mekong, Limpopo and Niger.
CPWF Annual Report 2009
(Report, 2010) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
The CPWF was designed to be different. Developed in response to a call for change in a previous round of Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) system reform, the CPWF was intended to foster cross-CGIAR cooperation and find ways to bring in new partners. Over time the CPWF has successfully broadened the CGIAR’s sources of innovative research on water and food. Through its broad partnerships, the program conducts research that leads to positive impact on the poor and to policy change. The CPWF does this by focusing research on the intersection of poverty, water and food and then linking relevant research outputs with the broader development community. This implies working in a way that emphasizes: l integrated and participatory research; l strategic planning and decision making across scales to support efficiency and effectiveness of outputs and outcomes delivery; and l a partnership approach to research design, implementation and uptake of outputs that involves key stakeholders and builds capacity.
CPWF Annual Report 2006
(Report, 2007) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
The CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) is a multi-institutional research for development program that seeks to create and disseminate international public goods to improve the productivity of water in river basins in ways that are pro-poor, gender equitable and environmentally sustainable. In doing so, CPWF contributes to efforts by the global community to ensure that global diversions of water to agriculture are maintained at the level of the year 2000. The specific objectives of the Program are to increase food production using less water, to improve livelihoods and nutrition of the rural and peri-urban poor, to decrease water pollution from agriculture, to maintain water-related ecosystems services and to reduce water-related diseases. To address these objectives, the program is structured into five thematic areas: crop water productivity improvement; water and people in catchments; aquatic ecosystems and fisheries; integrated basin water management; and the global and national water and food system. Research is conducted in nine benchmark river basins, including the Andean system, Indus-Ganges, Karkheh, Limpopo, Mekong, Nile, Sao Francisco, Volta and the Yellow. Research in the Challenge Program is implemented through one of four focused research initiatives. First call projects, selected through a competitive process, make up the greater part of the present CPWF research portfolio. Basin focal projects add value to individual research project outputs by identifying in specific benchmark basins opportunities for water-related interventions to achieve CPWF and partner development goals. Small grants for impact serve to remind Program researchers of how their research should have practical outcomes for communities on the ground. Synthesis research is essential to drawing together a large body of disparate and diverse information into a comprehensive whole.
CPWF Annual Report 2003
(Report, 2004-04) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
In the months since approval in November 2002, the Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) has evolved at a tremendous pace. Much has been achieved. Governance, management, personnel and procedures are in place and operational. The first call for proposals under the competitive mechanism for contracting was developed and undertaken. As a result, 21 projects are under negotiation from among 50 approved projects available for support. While the donor base is expanding with the EC, DfID and IFAD showing strong interest in joining our current supporters (the World Bank, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden), more funding is vital to maintain the reputation and reap the potential of the CPWF. Awareness of the program has been raised through a very successful Baseline Conference in Nairobi and informative written materials and media events. These activities have strengthened the research ‘community of practice’ being built around the CPWF themes and benchmark basins and helped inform public opinion. Monitoring and evaluation systems for all aspects of the program are under development. Contract documentation has been developed that is supportive of the collaborative approach to research management and implementation that the CPWF promotes. Extensive ground work for an integrated data sharing network has been developed and is being taken forward in 2004. The CPWF catalyzed further discussion on an agreed set of global indicators for river basin assessments through a workshop at the Nairobi Conference as one of a number of initiatives to link itself to global change research networks. A capacity building program continues to be developed aimed at the increased involvement of NARES partners, including strengthening their capability to identify key research and development needs, and to have the confidence and ability to articulate those demands. The twin goals of the program are the improvement of water productivity in food production and the reform of research management in the CGIAR. CPWF activities have been guided by a 19 member consortium of partners whose representatives constitute the Consortium Steering Committee. All consortium partners have signed a Joint Venture Agreement that defines their responsibilities. The Steering Committee operates autonomously from the Board of IWMI (the CPWF lead member) with no reporting obligations. The year has seen the maturation and consolidation of the Steering Committee, working together to provide oversight to the program activities. Similarly, members of the Challenge Program Management Team (CPMT) have worked collectively to formulate program-wide procedures and activities, set priorities, promote the program, and develop individual output-based work plans. The CPMT continues to broaden and share team responsibilities under the guidance of the Coordinator, including those to guide decisions for future research and procedures. This has involved analysis of questionnaire responses about experiences of participants in the first competitive call, a ‘gap analysis’ and harmonization and rationalization of research priorities through construction of a ‘concordance’. The CPWF represents the largest, most comprehensive investment in the world on water, food and environment research. Through the paradigm of water productivity, it offers a new approach to natural resources management research within the CGIAR. It also has broad influence on the way a wide range of institutions conduct research in this area, work together in partnerships and seek meaningful impact for research users.
CPWF Annual Report 2005
(Report, 2006-06) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
At this point – just under half way (two years and six months) in the implementation of the first CPWF phase (and three years and eight months since inception began) governance and management processes are running smoothly, it is in reasonable financial health and technical processes – such as issuing new calls and obtaining reviews by our Expert Panel on Scientific Quality – are familiar, although they must be adjusted to each specific instance. The CPWF goal, or impact target, is to contribute to efforts by the global community to ensure that global diversions of water to agriculture are maintained at the level of the year 2000. The intention is that increasing food production will help to achieve internationally adopted targets for decreasing malnourishment and rural poverty by the year 2015, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas in river basins with low average incomes and high physical, economic, or environmental water scarcity or water stress. The program has a specific focus on low income groups within these areas. The objectives of the CPWF are therefore: improvements in agricultural production, sustainability of livelihoods in rural and peri-urban areas; nutrition levels; water quality and maintenance of water related ecosystems services. These positive objectives are complemented by a decrease in agriculture related pollution and water related diseases. (see the CPWF Program Level objective tree on the CPWF website as part of the Medium Term Plan). The CPWF addresses these objectives by contracting research within five thematic areas: crop water productivity; water and people in catchments; aquatic ecosystems and fisheries; integrated basin water management systems; and global and national food and water system. The ‘living laboratories’ for the research are nine river basins across the developing world, being the Indus-Gangetic, Yellow, Sao Francisco, Volta, Limpopo, Nile, Mekong, Karkheh and Andean system of basins.
CPWF Research Strategy 2005–2008
(Report, 2005) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
The breadth and scope of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food’s (CPWF) mandate is substantial. This research strategy attempts to define this mandate by reviewing and refining its objectives and principles, and by clearly defining the path that will be followed to achieve its goals. In addition, the strategy outlines the kinds of outputs expected. This Strategy will serve as an overall research guide for CPWF participants from 2005 to 2008
Learning from Phase I: A Survey of Project Leaders and Staff
(Report, 2010) Sullivan, A.; Álvarez, S.
IN response to an on-line survey, 76 project leaders and staff gave CPWF Phase 1 a generally favorable review. Respondents came from 68 CPWF projects in 45 countries on three continents. The survey sought to help learn what went well in Phase 1, what did not go so well and can be improved in Phase 2. Nearly three-quarters of respondents felt that they had achieved different research results, outcomes and impacts as a result of participation in the CPWF than otherwise possible from ‘business as usual’ research approaches. Most (84%) agreed that they had worked with more and different partners in the CPWF. Three-quarters agreed that this had contributed to different science and outcomes. Most respondents (80%) also valued the platform the CPWF provides for communicating project results. In areas to be improved, nearly half pointed to shortcomings in the scientific support provided to projects, in part due to lack of resources available to enable theme leaders to follow-up on project activities. Most respondents were generally happy with the way the CPWF Secretariat (60%) and CGIAR Lead Centres (70%) had managed their projects. One quarter felt that CPWF technical reporting requirements had not been useful. Respondents expressed frustration that reporting formats changed during the course of the project, but more so that they were not conceived as a cumulative process. There were expectations that periodic technical reports would have been structured to be amalgamated into the final report at the end of the project, yet this was not so. Respondents also commented on lack of feedback by CPWF (Secretariat, Theme Leaders & Basin Coordinators) to project leaders after report submission. Bi-annual reporting, as opposed to quarterly reporting, was suggested as more appropriate. Respondents were happier with financial reporting requirements and two thirds felt that financial disbursements had been timely. Several comments indicated problems early on that were resolved by the CPWF and partners. One recurring theme was the different accounting systems of various partners, which created delays in compiling and submitting reports in the required CPWF format. Given the emphasis put on capacity building during Phase I, the survey assessed respondent’s perceptions of the investment. Over 75% of respondents agreed that the CPWF provided valuable capacity building. A large majority (85%) agreed that student researchers were helpful and productive and comments were generally very positive on the role of student researchers. One respondent suggested student researchers had contributed more to project outputs than some of the professional researchers. However comments were also made about the time, money, and energy required to adequately supervise and monitor students to ensure their contributions to project teams and outputs.
CPWF Annual Report 2008
(Report, 2009-06) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
Through its innovative operations, and its facilitation of dynamic communities of researchers, development experts, policy makers, producers and consumers, this CGIAR Challenge Program goes beyond research for development as usually practiced. Yet, paradoxically for a program well-versed in technical and social complexity, the CPWF approach is simple: to effectively address a shared problem, we must first work together. 2008 CGIAR Annual Report."
CPWF Medium Term Plan (2008-2010)
(Report, 2007-06) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
CPWF Medium Term Plan (2010‐2012)
(Report, 2009-06) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
This Medium Term Plan (MTP) is written as the CPWF transitions from its first Phase (2004‐ 2008) to its second Phase (2009‐2013). It describes the status of the CPWF as the newly established Board discusses and approves plans for this second Phase. At the time of writing three of six planned Stakeholder Consultations have been implemented. These were held in the Andean, Mekong and Nile basins. Contracts will be signed later this year for research in those basins. Stakeholder Consultations for the three remaining basins, Volta, Limpopo and Ganges, will be held later this year, with contracts to be signed in the first half of 2010. We consider the Phase 2 planning process a highlight of the CPWF 2009 programmatic achievements along with the many results coming out of the Phase 1 research portfolio that has fed into the plans contained in this document. In parallel has been the design of new program structures and procedures for carrying forward the CPWF research agenda. The CPWF’s External Review (CPER) Panel provided valuable advice and recommendations for the transition, as did the commentaries on the CPWF’s Phase 2 plans by IWMI and many other partners including ExCo, the Science Council (SC) in addition to the CPWF Consortium Steering Committee (CSC) and the CPWF Board.
CPWF Medium Term Plan (2009-2011)
(Report, 2008-11) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
This Medium Term Plan (MTP) is written as the CPWF transitions from the first five years of operation to the second phase commencing in 2009. It describes the status of the CPWF as the newly established Board discusses and approves plans for the CPWF second five year term. The CPWF also felt it appropriate to time this version of the MTP to coincide with the Second International Forum on Water and Food, held from 10-14 November 2008. We consider the Phase 2 planning process a highlight of the CPWF 2008 programmatic achievements along with the many results coming out of the initial research portfolio that has fed into the plans contained in this document. In parallel has been the exploration of structures and procedures for the program that will best take the CPWF research agenda forward. The CPWF’s External Review (CPER) Panel provided valuable advice and recommendations for the transition, as did the commentaries on the CPWF’s Phase 2 plans by IWMI and many other partners including ExCo, the Science Council (SC) in addition to the CPWF Consortium Steering Committee (CSC). Key components of the vision and implementation plans include · Focus on six river basins rather than nine. · Added focus on the most successful content of Phase 1. · Priority Development Challenges in each basin. · Establishment of ‘Topic Working Groups’. · Increased presence of CPWF within each basin. · Enhanced and purposive network building in each basin. · Streamlined governance. · Simplified management and reporting structures. This section provides an overview of these changes. In subsequent sections, we outline each of the seven MTP projects that are the basis of CPWF’s Second Phase. These are the six initial ‘Basin Development Challenges’ with a seventh describing the ‘Cross Basin Learning’ aspects of the program.

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