ABSTRACT

Increasing and competing demands on agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa mean that policy and investment decisions become more complex. Despite growing consensus on the need for sustainable agricultural intensification, there is limited agreement on how to achieve this in practice. Governments and societies face uncertainty and complex choices. This paper explores the potential of Multi-Stakeholder, Social Learning (MSL) approaches, facilitated by National Learning Alliances (NLAs), to improve policy and investment decisions. Comparative evidence from a donor-supported research and learning programme in Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia is used in a theory-based evaluation approach to assess the contribution of the NLAs to capacity and practice change amongst individuals, networks and senior decision-makers. Ten outcome cases are explored, including their contribution to systemic changes in the governance of evidence. Key lessons included: the value to decision-makers of engaging with informal networks; importance of combining dialogue, deliberation and experiential learning; the need to create safe spaces in national level MSL processes; the demanding combination of facilitation skills and commitment; and appropriately flexible support. This suggests a need not only for the production of quality research, but crucially support for MSL as a means of contributing to the good governance of evidence and sustainable change.

摘要

撒哈拉以南非洲对农业日益增长的竞争性需求意味着政策和投资决策变得更加复杂。尽管对可持续农业集约化的必要性日益达成共识，但在实践中如何实现这一点的共识有限。政府和社会面临不确定性和复杂的选择。本文探讨了由国家学习联盟 (NLA) 推动的多方利益相关者、社会学习 (MSL) 方法在改进政策和投资决策方面的潜力。来自埃塞俄比亚、加纳、马拉维、坦桑尼亚和赞比亚的捐助者支持的研究和学习计划的比较证据被用于基于理论的评估方法，以评估 NLA 对个人、网络和高级决策者之间能力和实践变革的贡献。制造商。探索了十个结果案例，包括他们对证据治理的系统性变化的贡献。主要经验包括：参与非正式网络对决策者的价值；将对话、审议和体验式学习相结合的重要性；需要在国家级 MSL 流程中创建安全空间；促进技能和承诺的苛刻结合；和适当灵活的支持。这表明不仅需要进行高质量的研究，而且还需要对 MSL 提供至关重要的支持，将其作为促进证据良好治理和可持续变革的一种手段。需要在国家级 MSL 流程中创建安全空间；促进技能和承诺的苛刻结合；和适当灵活的支持。这表明不仅需要进行高质量的研究，而且还需要对 MSL 提供至关重要的支持，将其作为促进证据良好治理和可持续变革的一种手段。需要在国家级 MSL 流程中创建安全空间；促进技能和承诺的苛刻结合；和适当灵活的支持。这表明不仅需要进行高质量的研究，而且还需要对 MSL 提供至关重要的支持，将其作为促进证据良好治理和可持续变革的一种手段。