aiccra.cgiar.org | @CGIARAfrica COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY 2024-2026 Additional finance, limitless ambition © AICCRA 2 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N A message from the AICCRA global communications team Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) works with national and regional partners across Africa to provide access to—and enable the use of—enhanced climate information services (CIS) and validated technologies and practices for climate-smart agriculture (CSA) for millions of smallholder farmers across the continent. Through our innovative partnerships, CGIAR-led innovations are being delivered on a scale that meets the climate crisis. This AICCRA Communications Strategy (2024 – 2026) presents a detailed strategy and workplan to guide the work of its global communications team, as they build on the legacy of AICCRA’s inaugural phase (2021 – 2023) to deepen and broaden their partnerships across Africa in scaling CIS and CSA through the project’s additional finance phase (2024-2026). AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 3 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N The strategy itself is informed by the experience and lessons learned from that inaugural phase, as AICCRA initially took a flexible, iterative, and experiential approach to communications – testing what worked and what didn’t. As partnerships were forged and implementation gathered pace, so we enhanced the communications team, defined (and refined) our strategic and operational approach, and found our voice. Taking multiple sources of feedback – not least from its partners and AICCRA’s own Independent Steering Committee – this document lays out a more structured approach to strategic communications in AICCRA’s additional finance phases. This strategy presents AICCRA’s ‘vision’ for communications – it’s overall global strategy. But this global strategy builds on the objectives and partnerships of its constituent country, regional and thematic teams – referred to as ‘clusters’. It is the clusters who foster AICCRA’s partnerships which deliver the project’s impact. So, the communications team must work with the grain of these partnerships, strategically supporting the outcomes they seek. This strategy presents the ‘micro-strategies’ of each country and thematic cluster, with the objectives of these cluster-based strategies also set out in this document. In its additional finance phases, AICCRA’s communications focal points in each of the country or thematic cluster have been empowered to take the lead in delivering on the goals they set. The global communications team (consisting of a Global Communications and Knowledge Manager and a Social and Digital Manager) will shift from a management role to an advisory role, remotely supporting the team where needed. There is an important driver for this change in management structure. The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (‘The Alliance’ hereafter) was the lead center of AICCRA from 2021 to the end of its current phase. The Alliance has been responsible for the project’s global administrative function including project management, safeguards, knowledge management, fiduciary, and communications. Valuable lessons have been drawn from implementation in all these areas and will continue to be shared with relevant partners and colleagues across CGIAR and the World Bank in 2024/2025. But in subsequent phases of AICCRA (from 2026 onwards) a new Africa-based regional research center will lead AICCRA in these core functions, and so this communications strategy highlights the need to appropriately raise awareness of the emerging role of the new center, explaining clearly both the change and continuity that will come with that transition. This strategy supports the team in raising our ambition in additional finance to produce targeted, informative, and ultimately persuasive stories which catalyze the uptake and use of CGIAR innovations on a massive scale to address the climate crisis in Africa. Table of contents Cover photo: AICCRA / Samuel Lamptey A MESSAGE FROM THE AICCRA GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TEAM 2 WHAT’S NEW IN AICCRA’S ADDITIONAL FINANCE PHASES 7 BACKGROUND 8 COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY 9 STRATEGIC APPROACH 10 TARGET AUDIENCES 12 METRICS OF SUCCESS 13 KEY MESSAGES 14 DELIVERING COMMUNICATIONS 15 TOOLS AND CHANNELS 16 COMMUNICATIONS WORKPLAN 2024-2026 18 Senegal 19 Mali 20 Ghana 21 Ethiopia 22 Kenya 23 Zambia 24 East and Southern Africa 25 West Africa 26 Theme 1: Priorities and policies for climate-smart agriculture 27 Theme 4: Climate services 30 Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel 32 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM 33 AICCRA MONTHLY TEAM MEETINGS 34 RESOURCES 35 ANNEX I: AICCRA PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION MANUAL (COMMUNICATIONS) 36 4 • AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) is a project that helps deliver a climate-smart African future driven by science and innovation in agriculture. It is led by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and supported by a grant from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank. Explore our work at aiccra.cgiar.org Participating organizations AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 5 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N http://aiccra.cgiar.org THE FOUR FOCUS AREAS FOR COMMUNICATIONS IN AICCRA’S ADDITIONAL FINANCE PHASE Tools and innovations Scaling • Promote CGIAR tools and innovations and foster their sustainable use by partners. • Broaden access for smallholder farmers and inspire the use of innovations, with communications playing a strategic role in AICCRA’s impact pathway and vision for scaling. • Partners in telling their own story of how capacity building has enhanced their autonomy to take forward their priority innovations that achieve their goals. • Smallholder farmers telling powerful stories which demonstrate how more of them could access and use CGIAR innovations to bolster livelihoods and become resilient to climate change. Monitoring and storytelling Cohesion, collaboration and reputation • Enhance and streamline the process of turning project reporting into stories and other compelling communications products. • Support the AICCRA monitoring, evaluation, learning, and impact assessment (MELIA) team and data management team to provide guidance and training to the broader team to articulate powerful stories of impact. Develop a handbook for protocols on the AICCRA brand, its messages and how to: • Follow the style guide • Use templates • Communicate across the team • Work together effectively This fosters the production of timely and accurate stories to the highest standards and degrees of accuracy. 6 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O NA D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L E S S A M B I T I O N What’s new in AICCRA’s additional finance phases • A variety of new digital innovations which will be accessible through an interactive data- driven map for the AICCRA website featuring: • Best bet innovation profiles make ‘no regret’ options for IDA* recipient governments in Africa more accessible, guiding investment decisions into AICCRA-validated, scalable innovations which target priority value chains. • MARLO data highlighting key data points, particularly project development objectives (PDO1, PDO2 and PDO3). • Access to stories from AICCRA country teams (referred to as ‘clusters’): Senegal, Mali, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, and the project’s thematic clusters. • Enhancing and expanding the #ReadyToScale campaign with a dedicated communications strategy for the private sector and an emerging series of stories highlighting impact from the perspective of partners (as opposed to AICCRA/CGIAR). • Elevated focus on emerging topics such as soil health and priority value chains like rice. The focus on the big picture story, investing more time in broader narratives. • Sharing insights on delivering the AICCRA project’s operational legacy, with blogs on the lessons learned in communications, knowledge management and safeguards. • Preparing for the transition to AICCRA phase III where a new entity will lead AICCRA’s global operation – including in communications. • Continuing to hone internal learning and sharing activities relevant to all clusters (e.g. gender and social inclusion) via internal meetings (Core Team) and newsletters. • Working with organizations like Africa No Filter on a series of explainers, disseminated by African social media influencers, on topics such as: • CSA • CIS • Soil health, carbon sinks, etc. • Low-emission strategies • Adaptation • Climate finance • Africa’s role in negotiations * The International Development Association (IDA) is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s low-income countries. IDA’s grants and low-interest loans help countries invest in their futures, improve lives, and create safer, more prosperous communities around the world. AICCRA is supported by IDA funds. AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 7 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O NA D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L E S S A M B I T I O N © AICCRA Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) works with national and regional partners across Africa to provide access to—and enable the use of—enhanced climate information services (CIS) and validated technologies and practices for climate-smart agriculture (CSA) for millions of smallholder farmers across the continent. Through our innovative partnerships, CGIAR-led innovations are being delivered on a scale that meets the climate crisis. With better access to innovative technology and advisory services—linked to information about effective response measures—farmers can better anticipate climate events and take preventative action that helps their communities safeguard livelihoods and the environment. AICCRA has teams in six countries: Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia, with several regional initiatives in West Africa and East and Southern Africa. These complement national activities to deliver benefits for a broader range of stakeholders across West Africa and East and Southern Africa. AICCRA teams also focus on four themes: knowledge, partnerships, innovation, gender and social inclusion. AICCRA has reached seven million farmers with such innovations from 2021 to 2023, building on more than five decades of innovation led by CGIAR - the world’s largest publicly funded research partnerships for agriculture and food security. AICCRA is currently led by the Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT, a CGIAR research center, and is supported by a grant from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group, which assists the world’s poorest countries. At the UN COP28 climate change summit in Dubai in December 2023, the World Bank announced its intention to commit USD 100 million to continue AICCRA’s work in the years ahead. In March 2024, a World Bank Board meeting approved the first tranche of finance against that commitment for 2024-2025, with preparations for a second tranche expected to begin soon. Background AICCRA has reached seven million farmers with such innovations from 2021 to 2023, building on more than five decades of innovation led by CGIAR - the world’s largest publicly funded research partnerships for agriculture and food security. 8 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N © AICCRA aiccra.cgiar.org Communications strategy Building on the foundations of AICCRA’s inaugural phase (2021-2023), additional finance allows for a focus on enhancing access to CGIAR innovations and enabling the sustainable use of such innovation at scale. New targets and benchmarks have been set to measure the project’s performance in this regard. We also support the launch of a new Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health in West Africa and the Sahel. Our ambition is to strategically use tools and communications channels to support AICCRA clusters in reaching, informing, and influencing stakeholders, to foster more access and greater use of CGIAR innovations across Africa. AICCRA’s communications efforts must ensure that the project’s ‘best bet’/‘no regret’ options are easily accessible to African governments, enabling them to replicate success on a larger scale with the support of programs like the Food Systems Resilience Programs (FSRP). By packaging and translating the outcomes and lessons learned from the AICCRA project, we will ensure the AICCRA approach to scaling CGIAR innovations—developed through the project’s partnerships and implementation—can have an impact on partners and smallholder farmers, well beyond the lifecycle of the AICCRA project. AICCRA does not intend to go on forever. The end goal is to capacitate Africa’s national, regional, and continental organizations to carry forward the agenda for action accelerated by AICCRA. The project has a clear exit strategy, and a view for its legacy. This communications strategy is integral to that legacy. We will show that “IDA works” in Africa. SOCIAL MEDIA AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 9 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N https://aiccra.cgiar.org/ https://www.instagram.com/cgiarafrica/ The communications strategy of AICCRA’s additional finance phase builds on the lessons learned from AICCRA’s inaugural phase. AICCRA communications go beyond mere dissemination of information. Rather, the aim is to engage our audiences to share stories and knowledge derived from AICCRA activities. We want to spark a continental conversation in Africa (and globally) which will inform and shape attitudes to investments in CIS and CSA in Africa. Many variables play a role in whether messages lead to intended changes. Such as the level to which recipients recognize a problem, their perceived constraints to change, and how ‘involved’ they personally feel in the issues and decision-making processes. An important component of our work is listening to and understanding the needs of partners to shape our messages, messengers, and choice of communication channels. Under the additional finance phase, our focus will be to: • Inspire smallholder farmers to access and use CGIAR innovations. • Ensure the visibility of valuable partnerships, which spur new ones to be formed and existing ones to be deepened or enhanced. • Inform greater investments in enhanced CIS and validated CSA by African governments, regional organizations, and the private sector. Therefore, we prioritize the voice of farmers who benefit from access to innovation (and use it), and the partner organizations who are delivering on their agendas through capacity development. More information can be found in the Writing for AICCRA guidelines (see ‘Resources’). Our social interactions online will continue to be captured under the uplifting #ReadyToScale campaign. Strategic approach 10 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES Action Objective Policy Ensure there is awareness of the need—and ambition to achieve—the necessary scaling of enhanced CIS and validated CSA by stakeholders. Investment Demonstrating the impact of AICCRA and that “IDA works”. Dialogue Strengthen the capacity of African partners to forge partnerships by strategically communicating their priorities and opportunities for collaboration. Sustainability Enable the uptake, use, scaling and spillover of AICCRA tools. Culture Embed the AICCRA vision for scaling in CGIAR programs. Legacy Ensure that all critical stakeholders are aware of—and can access—a ‘blueprint’ for scaling CIS and CSA with IDA funds (especially FSRP). AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 11 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N Partners These include the project’s official partners with Partnership Performance Agreements (PPAs) including Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA), West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), IGAD Climate Prediction & Applications Centre (ICPAC), and Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). Overall, 160 partner organizations have increasingly accessed enhanced CIS and/or technologies for CSA, thanks to the AICCRA project. These partners will be an integral part of this communications strategy not just as recipients of information, but acting as champions for the impact we deliver together in partnership. CGIAR research centers AICCRA is spearheading a new approach for CGIAR, focusing largely on scaling proven innovations developed by CGIAR and its partners. Moreover, CGIAR researchers supported by AICCRA are seeking answers to fundamental questions of the economic, social, and institutional contexts in which innovation can flourish in Africa. AICCRA partners aim to discover how innovation can be packaged (or ‘bundled’) with complementary actions and policies, which together deliver impact beyond the sum of its parts. This offers transformative opportunities to smallholder farmers in Africa. The lessons learned from AICCRA are critical in addressing the “missing middle” between CGIAR research and eventual deployment. Learning these lessons means getting CGIAR innovations off shelves and into the hands of farmers. Local, national, regional, and continental policymakers in Africa In different countries and contexts, the constellation of AICCRA’s public partnerships may differ. However, public servants and policymakers remain critical elements to the scaling pathways that AICCRA clusters have identified in our vision for scaling. Private sector in Africa The private sector is a critical partner in sustainably scaling innovation. Agricultural input suppliers, financial service providers, philanthropic foundations supported by multinational companies, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), startups, and entrepreneurs must all be meaningfully engaged to champion new ways of working. We will work with experts in communicating with African agribusiness, MSMEs and global impact investors to craft a strategy and workplan. Farmers’ organizations in Africa Ultimately, our end goal is to enable farmers to make informed decisions about how to adapt their methods, and to access and use innovations led by CGIAR. While other audiences are effective conduits through which we can reach smallholder farmers, farmers’ organizations offer compelling channels to engage with farmers in meaningful and effective ways. Media Strategic engagement with and support for African media and influencers allows us to amplify our key messages and mobilize partners. Using TV, radio, print, social media, and the entertainment industry, we can embed action-oriented messages to reach millions of farmers and encourage the use of CGIAR innovations. Developing a better understanding of African journalists’ priorities will help AICCRA frame our messages more effectively and appropriately. Target audiences 12 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N Global communications Critical data points • Website visits, including breakdown by country. • CGSpace views and downloads / altmetrics scores. • Number of media articles on AICCRA. • Media mentions. • Social media followers, post views and interactions. • Number of AICCRA mentions by partners online and on social media. • Frequency of AICCRA partners authoring stories and sharing content through their own channels. Feedback from the AICCRA satisfaction survey measuring • Knowledge and understanding of AICCRA partnerships and knowledge products within the various regional organizations. • Use of AICCRA knowledge products within the various regional organizations. Cluster communications: • Number of farmers trained in good agricultural practices. • Rate of adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices in targeted communities. • Increase in agricultural productivity or income of farmers benefiting from the new practices. • Influence on development policies and programs of national, regional, and global organizations. • Participation of policymakers in AICCRA- affiliated awareness-raising or advocacy events. • Amount of public or private investment allocated to MSMEs or other climate-smart agriculture initiatives due to AICCRA affiliated advocacy efforts. • AICCRA-informed text included in nationally determined contributions and long-term strategies. • Number (and value) of commitments to fund climate action in agriculture projects being funded informed by AICCRA. • The post-Malabo indicator framework takes AICCRA recommendations. Metrics of success WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? Communications activities support access to and use of CIS and CSA by targeted stakeholders. Amplifying AICCRA partners as thought (and action) leaders in CIS and CSA leaders in Africa - encouraging new forms of partnership with CGIAR and other partners. Improved quality of publications/presentations with guidance on templates. Increased media/partner communications engagement for national and regional spillover. Audience growth and increased engagement (e.g. shares or citations) with AICCRA knowledge products. AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 13 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N International research organizations need a new approach to collaboratively scale climate-smart innovation in agriculture. AICCRA is changing the way CGIAR works with African partners. Partnerships developed and strengthened through AICCRA’s activities are getting CGIAR innovations off shelves, out of labs, and into the hands of smallholder farmers. Through deep collaborative partnerships, AICCRA is bridging the divide between research and practice for climate-smart agriculture. It is harnessing insights into deep, equitable, long-term partnerships for climate-smart agriculture. African agriculture must transition to a science-based approach to ensure climate-resilient livelihoods for smallholder farmers. AICCRA is sustainably enhancing the capacity of African organizations to expand access to and use of CGIAR-led climate-smart innovations. This requires deep engagement and solid evidence of impact. CGIAR validated innovations and technologies are bundled and customized with a deep contextual understanding, aligning with the national priorities of the focus countries where we operate. AICCRA partnerships leverage collaborative investment to scale innovation and drive ‘spillover’ impact across multiple countries. AICCRA’s approach addresses what many consider a ‘missing middle’— the gap between science, technology, and innovation on one hand, and viable, sustainable climate solutions on the other. This challenge is especially significant when solutions are scaled up and must navigate complex economic and social challenges. Key messages AICCRA IMPACT 2021-2023 7,096,921 beneficiaries reached with increased access to enhanced climate information services (CIS) and/or validated climate- smart agriculture (CSA) technologies. 160 partners increasingly accessing enhanced CIS and/or CSA technologies. 26,429 people engaged in AICCRA- funded capacity building activities. 14 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N The AICCRA communications team is made up of communications specialists based in each of the six country clusters. There are also colleagues who support regional clusters and thematic clusters. These clusters are guided and trained by a global communications management team, consisting of a global communications and knowledge advisor and a digital and social media advisor. The team is convened through monthly meetings and in one-to-one bilateral meetings. The team also communicate through a WhatsApp group for urgent issues. Experience from AICCRA’s first phase —which built on the experience of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) —has enabled clusters to lead communications activities. Day-to-day communications led by clusters are contextualized for the specific context of AICCRA’s six focus countries, its regions, and themes - making them impactful, timely and relevant for key audiences. Key roles the cluster communications specialists should play in additional finance: • Support colleagues in producing high-quality knowledge products (e.g., info notes, reports). • Develop communications plans that promote these knowledge products. • Produce blogs and long-form ‘innovation stories’ based on the outcome impact case reports (OICRs) of clusters. • Produce short-form news stories of events and other timely developments where no discernable outcome has yet been reported. • Source multimedia content that demonstrates the impact of innovations being scaled by AICCRA partnerships, with the focus on farmers, last-mile delivery partners (including private sector) and local/national government actors. • Draft social media content and supporting graphics or multimedia. • Support cluster events (in person or virtual). • Assist in cluster monitoring and evaluation. • Identify opportunities for media coverage and building partnerships with media. • Support new or established cluster-level partnerships. Under the additional finance phase, the management team will transition into an advisory role, with the advisors based remotely. This global advisory team will still perform some key supportive functions as it did in the inaugural phase of AICCRA. This will include team coordination, advising on strategy, developing guidelines and templates, and providing editorial and graphic design or digital capacity. Critically, the global advisory team also ensures that AICCRA outcomes, partnerships and tools are prominently amplified within the World Bank, across CGIAR partnerships and with other potential donors. Delivering communications AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 15 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N Tools and channels AICCRA established several effective tools and channels in its inaugural phase, which will continue to be used in the additional finance phase, while being augmented by new channels. OVERVIEW Inaugural phase (2021-2023) Additional tools (2024-2026) Website (aiccra.cgiar.org) Impact map – enhanced Learning Zone, access to OICRs and ‘Innovation Maps’* Learning Zone Video or audio masterclasses on tools and innovations (e.g. masterclass.com) Results Dashboard WhatsApp channel(s) replacing groups X/Twitter “Partners Perspective” blog series LinkedIn World Bank–CGIAR "Ask a Scientist" sessions Instagram ‘Strategy café’ for AICCRA partners Newsletter (Mailchimp) Internal team training webinars Newsletter (LinkedIn) Facebook communities (for each country cluster where appropriate) CGIAR newsletters: Gender, The Feed Partnerships with social media influencers World Bank newsletters Media partnerships to support regional spillover WhatsApp groups Dedicated private sector communications strategy World Bank “Brown Bag Lunches” CGIAR internal webinars Improved publication and resource search functionality on website Cluster newsletters 16 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N Innovation maps *Innovation maps guide users in adopting ‘best bet’/’no regret’ options from the AICCRA project, and how prospective partners can bundle and scale innovations. In collaboration with the AICCRA data management team and MELIA team, the AICCRA ‘Learning Zone’ will be reconceptualized and redesigned. Building on best practice from the CGIAR network and the experience of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture, Climate Change and Food Security (CCAFS), we will address challenges related to the visibility of and engagement of the current Learning Zone (as evidenced by short on-page visits, see data below). We will: • Clearly define the audience and objective of the Learning Zone (possibly to be renamed). • Identify priority innovations and differentiate between tools and other resources, as necessary. • Define criteria for innovations to be featured, including ‘best bet’ or ‘no regret’ options. • Establish more granular data tracking to evaluate user journeys and experiences. • Provide explanatory narratives, evidence of impact, implementation support resources, contact details and link to blogs and other communications products which contextualize innovations to encourage uptake and use. • Develop supporting communications campaigns to promote innovations in the Learning Zone and guide users on how to access and use them. AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 17 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N This workplan is based on the following sources: • Outcome impact case reports (OICRs) 2023 • Annual workplan and budget 2024 • AICCRA internal communications survey 2024 Established and reported outcomes (OICRs) should be effectively communicated through appropriate and effective channels. Sufficient plans should be put in place to effectively communicate expected future outcomes (Annual workplan and budget 2024). Each of these areas of work should be highlighted with compelling, strategic, and culturally appropriate communications activities, led by the clusters who will produce all materials with oversight from the global advisory team. The global advisors also ensure outputs are amplified within the World Bank and the CGIAR network. The AICCRA project implementation manual (PIM) sets out the expectations for what constitutes satisfactory communications activities. See ‘Annex I’ for an excerpt from the communications section of the PIM. Communications workplan 2024-2026 © AICCRA 18 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N SENEGAL Our vision for scaling in Senegal is available here https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-country-scaling-vision-senegal Summary • Build relationships with new government. • Leverage radio and media partnerships and cross-post content and messages through a multi-platform social media strategy. • Build partnerships with social media influencers. • Develop informal communications networks through innovative use of platforms like WhatsApp. • Enhance partnerships which excel in last-mile delivery to reach smallholder farmers in multiple local languages. • Conduct capacity and network building workshops for Senegalese media. • Publish a cluster newsletter (in French/Wolof) targeting Senegalese audiences. • Develop communications campaigns around key knowledge products. Outcomes 2023 • Empowering more than 405,000 farmers in Senegal’s drylands with bundled CIS and CSA for climate risk management. • AICCRA triggered a digital transformation in the provision of CIS in Senegal by enhancing user experience and modernizing extension systems for two national institutions. Annual workplan and budget 2024 • AgDataHub multidisciplinary working groups. • Community listening club. • Seed fairs. AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 19 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-country-scaling-vision-senegal MALI Our vision for scaling in Mali is available here: https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-scaling-vision-mali Summary • Strengthen the capacity of national partners in communicating their work and partnership with AICCRA to national and regional audiences. Such partners include L’Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER), Mali-Meteo and Niger Office, a semi-autonomous government agency in Mali that administers a large irrigation scheme in the Ségou Region of the country. • Identify and use effective communication channels for local partners who are less active on globally popular social media platforms but need to reach their audiences. • Conduct media and communications workshops to support a collaborative approach to building messages and channels with local media in Mali. • Leverage the global communications capacity of partners to highlight the AICCRA projects they support with regional and global audiences. • Prioritize communication efforts in the rice sector, particularly focusing on RiceAdvice and RIICE tools, to align with global partners like the World Bank. Leverage opportunities to communicate impact/ scaling at West African regional forums, and connect with World Bank Global Practice, regional projects such as the Food Systems Resilience Program, and potential funders of AICCRA future phases. • Due to security/operational challenges, prioritize the documentation of projects (photography/ videography), alongside capturing stakeholder/partner feedback. Outcomes 2023 • Access to alternate wetting and drying, drought-tolerant varieties, and the GEM parboiling technology increased water productivity, grain yield, and quality for at least 30,000 farmers. • Enhanced access to CSA and CIS by 119,000 farmers through the Savings for Change, leading to increased yield, income, and food consumption score in the face of climatic stresses. Annual workplan and budget 2024 • Support inland rice cultivation through the ‘Smart Valleys’ approach, which provides the mechanisms that help farmers access innovations like alternate wetting and drying of irrigated rice and drought- tolerant rice varieties. • Disseminate CIS/CSA bundles through the Senekela and Sandji mobile platforms. • Provide mechanical transplanters and weeders to women farmers’ organizations, reducing labor intensity in activities traditionally dominated by women. 20 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-scaling-vision-mali GHANA Our vision for scaling in Ghana is available here: https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-country-scaling-vision-ghana Summary • Partner with Farm Radio International and community radio stations, leveraging these partnerships with radio stations to scale climate-smart solutions. • Build synergies with other World Bank funded initiatives through meetings, webinars and workshops, supported by blogs and news stories. • Develop Ghana-specific newsletters, social media and AICCRA events targeting national partners. • Active participation and contribution to local and national events hosted by partners. • Collaborate with social media influencers like the ‘Ghanaian Farmer’. • Implement a specific outreach and influence campaign focused on governmental actors and partners. • Foster private-sector scaling partnership through the Ghana Accelerator Program. Outcomes 2023 • Operationalization of an early-warning and rapid-response system for climate-driven pests and diseases (EWRRS-PD) for farmers against invasive-species threatening livelihoods worth-USD 1 billion annually. • 390,000 + farmers accessing and using CIS and CSA technologies. • Operationalization of Ghana’s framework for climate services for the agriculture sector. Annual workplan and budget 2024 • Establish district-level CSA hubs to promote sustainable agricultural mechanization and climate- resilient solutions. • Improve the early-warning and rapid-response system for pests and diseases, including mobilizing more partnerships, enhancing the work of the national steering committee and district level working groups. • Informing Ghana’s long-term strategy in agriculture. • Decision support tools: • Climate risk management in agricultural extension (CRMAE) • Cropping calendar agro-advisory tool AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 21 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-country-scaling-vision-ghana ETHIOPIA Our vision for scaling in Ethiopia is here: https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-scaling-vision-ethiopia-scaling-and-scalability-concepts- frameworks-and-impact Summary • Demonstrate on-the-ground impact of farmers (especially women) to showcase how CIS and CSA innovations and educational materials have impacted their decisions and livelihoods. Use multiple channels to disseminate insights to audiences in Ethiopia and global partners. • Continue to align AICCRA messaging and public engagements with national policy endeavors such as ‘Shaping Ethiopian agriculture for greater impact’ and Ethiopia’s Development Plan 2021-2030. • Leverage regional partnerships (e.g. World Meteorological Organization Regional Office for Africa) to build visibility and reputation in Ethiopia, via initiatives like ‘Early Warnings for All’. • Strengthen relations with Ethiopian media outlets, building off the established connections made in AICCRA strategic communications/media workshop in 2023, and subsequent engagements. • Leverage partnerships with radio stations for content that can be deployed across all digital and social channels. • Engage youth through partnerships with CRMAE and RUFORUM. It requires an imaginative approach, harnessing new social media platforms and targeted digital campaigns. Outcomes 2023 • Universities collaborate on community-based breeding programs and SmaRT pack innovation for resilient livestock production for 10,000 smallholder farmers. Annual workplan and budget 2024 • Significant push towards integrating innovative technologies such as flexible forecast systems and the Ethiopian Digital Agro-climate Advisory Platform (EDaCaP) web interface for timely climate and agricultural advisories. • Develop a bundled agronomic and fertilizer advisory service. • Promote climate-smart forages for livestock keepers. • Translate the small ruminant guide in Ethiopia to local languages (Amharic and Oromia) to expand its reach, particularly to women. • Publish ‘State of the Climate in Africa 2023: Economy-wide impact of weather and climate services in Ethiopia’. 22 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-scaling-vision-ethiopia-scaling-and-scalability-concept https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-scaling-vision-ethiopia-scaling-and-scalability-concept KENYA Our vision for scaling in Kenya is available here: https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-country-scaling-vision-kenya Summary • Leverage AICCRA communications channels to foster strong collaboration between institutions like the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO). Focusing stories on the power of their partnership, which is supported by AICCRA. • Connect policy and technology engagements with county/local level initiatives. • Highlight gender and social inclusion as a critical component to success. Outcomes 2023 • Strengthened partnership between Kenyan climate and agricultural agencies, boosting the quality and reach of climate information services for Kenya’s smallholder farmers. Annual workplan and budget 2024 • Expand the KAZNET Livestock Market Information System to reach more livestock keepers, benefiting pastoralists in Kenya’s arid lands. • Scale participatory rangeland management to more pastoralists communities. • Enhance climate advisories through radio and TV, integrate various decision support tools like iSAT Systems Advisory Tool and KAZNET. • Bundle drought tolerant sorghum with microfinance and insurance across the value chain. • Increase women’s involvement in rangeland management plans to empower women in communities. • Improve KMD’s gridded datasets from the Enhancing National Climate Services initiative (ENACTS), integrating ENACTS Maprooms and the climate reporter app into local planning and rangeland management. • Strengthen national level ownership and collaboration among key ministries, agencies, and other partners around AgData Hub development and operations (with Senegal and Ghana). Provide KMD and NARES staff with new and improved AgData Hub and iSAT tools. • Document outcomes of the participatory rangelands management (PRM). • Publicize integration of CSA and CIS to the university curricula in three universities and assess its possible impact. • Support counties on climate smart investment planning. • Strengthen seed systems for orphan crops (community seed banking). • Develop a climate module for extension training. • Document ICRISAT initiatives on the demo farms for the pearl millet in Tharaka Nithi and Machakos. • Publicize manuals on production of drought tolerant crops (pearl millet, sorghum, green grams and pigeon peas). • Develop recipes for cooking drought tolerant crops (pearl millet, sorghum, green grams and pigeon peas). • Profile the two farmers volunteering to monitor and record rainfall data from rain gauges (Ranee). • Document the trainer-of-trainers (TOT) approach for dryland seed production, focusing on drought- tolerant crops. • Train farmers in seed production. • Publish harvest manuals for drought tolerant crops. AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 23 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-country-scaling-vision-kenya ZAMBIA Our vision for scaling in Zambia is available here: https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-country-scaling-vision-zambia Summary • Engage the private sector and investors through the agribusiness accelerators and a communications strategy focused on business and entrepreneurial networks. • Use innovative channels (social media/influencers) to engage youth and the education sector through the I2G internship program and Climate Risk Management in Agricultural Extension (CRMAE). • Highlight how the delivery of just-in-time scientific evidence and knowledge responds to the needs and demands of policymakers and local organizations in Zambia. • Leverage the capacity/networks of media partners such as Shamba Shape Up Outcomes 2023 • A projected reach of 851,200 beneficiaries receiving CSA/CIS through Munda Makeover. • Over 137,000 smallholder farmers reached by COMACO in Eastern Zambia, adopting agroforestry to improve farm yield in Zambia’s climate change hotspot. • Accelerators: Increasing technical support to six AICCRA partners, enhancing CIS/CSA to reach over 380,000 beneficiaries to date. Annual workplan and budget 2024 • Develop TV ‘edutainment’ programming to reach farmers (as with Kenya). • Promote climate-smart groundnut, maize, and soybean. • Expand the agroforestry and pond aquaculture initiatives. • Adapt the CRMAE curricula for Zambian context. • Promote and irrigation scheduling tool and solar irrigation innovations through a SME accelerator. • Strengthen Zambia’s Drought Management System • Produce soil characterization reports. • Expand AgData Hubs disseminating CIS and CSA to farmers in Zambia. • Develop women-targeted demonstrations at fishponds. • Establish a national framework for weather, water, and climate services. 24 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N https://aiccra.cgiar.org/publications/aiccra-country-scaling-vision-zambia EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA Summary • Continue to engage regional forums on CIS and CSA, ensuring that voices of AICCRA partners are amplified using AICCRA, CGIAR and World Bank communication channels. This ensures that the key messages and priorities of partners are clear and highlights how AICCRA supports partners’ strategic needs. • Increase the number of local-language-guided knowledge products, decision-making tools, and animated videos for climate advisory services, increasing national audiences and fostering regional spillover. Outcomes 2023 • AICCRA contributed to development of Global Blueprint and Step-by-Step-Guide for the Global Framework for Weather, Water and Climate Services and adoption by IGAD and SADC Countries. Annual workplan and budget 2024 • Collaborate with ASARECA to collect and showcase impact stories on farmer adoption and CSA technology utilization. • Work with CCARDESA to deliver six local-language-guided knowledge products, decision-making tools, and animated videos for climate advisory services on topics such as improved bean production, removal of poison from cassava flour, solar grain dryer technologies, dried grain storage systems in CCARDESA member states. • Partner with ICPAC to conduct a first-of-its-kind regional WRF-Hydro training for national stakeholders in flash flood forecasting, primarily targeting hydro-meteorology professionals from East African countries. • Develop regional multi-hazard decision support tools to provide early warning and early action in the face of recurrent droughts and floods. • Provide technical assistance and capacity building to national meteorological institutes for agro-climatic services. • Create decision-support tools and curricula for universities and extension service colleges on climate- resilient agricultural practices (in collaboration with West Africa). • Contribute to the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel. • Publish the ‘State of Climate Report Africa 2023’ and ‘Unravelling the Climate-Macro Conundrum: The Macroeconomic Impact of Climate Change in Eastern Africa’. AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 25 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N WEST AFRICA Summary • Expand access for enhanced CIS and validated CSA to AICCRA regional partners and stakeholders, leveraging these partnerships to reach other potential partners. • Position AICCRA partners as ambassadors for its tools, innovations and capacity support, enhancing AICCRA’s reputation. • Provide training to the West Africa cluster—particularly its communications focal points—on co-developing compelling OICRs with powerful stories as the foundation for the communication output. • Emphasize the softer communications and coalition-building skills over technical communications channels, focusing on how AICCRA and its regional partners are working together. • Use regional conferences for spillover mechanisms, such as Market for Agricultural Innovations and Technologies conference (MITA), media outlets with regional reach, and informal networks. Outcomes 2023 • AICCRA capacity development has led to the development of a regional community of practice and a foresight-informed regional response plan to pest and diseases outbreaks in West Central Africa. • Launched a gender-sensitive agribusiness accelerator program in the livestock and cashew value chains in Senegal and multiple West African countries, providing technical assistance and investment support for participating SMEs. • Developed new digital soil maps and agreements will be sought for soil data assembly, generation, and standardization across the first cohort countries (Mali, Togo, and Benin). The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and partners of the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel (RHFSH) led a scoping mission to several West African countries and beyond to agree on the key soil variables to be considered for the generation of soil maps for the first cohort of countries. Annual workplan and budget 2024 • Monitor a Regional Hub for fertilizer and soil health through three new indicators (IPIs 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4). These will serve as a mechanism to strengthen soil health monitoring, research, and other related services necessary to build the long-term resilience of soils in West Africa. ‘South-south learning’ and collaboration. • Support agro-climatic services through technical assistance and capacity building for national meteorological services. • Continue AICCRA’s efforts to increase the capacity of African institutions in CIS and CSA. • Scale up the RiceAdvice and the Remote Sensing- based Information and Insurance for Crops in Emerging Economies (RIICE) tools from Mali, which are expected to support climate-smart rice production across the broader West Africa region: • RiceAdvice has already increased rice yield by 0.8 tons per hectare (with a higher increase in women’s fields than men’s) and boosted farmers’ income by 360 – 380 USD per hectare. • Scale up to countries in the World Bank’s Food Systems Resilience Program (e.g., Togo, Burkina Faso, Gambia) through partnerships with the Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP) and the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research (CORAF). • Integrate curricula on climate risk, developed and tested by RUFORUM and West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), into university academic systems of spillover countries in West Africa (with East and Southern Africa) • Support the AfDB on regional rice value chain development, through targeted technical assistance in the design of a USD 15 million investment. 26 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N THEME 1: PRIORITIES AND POLICIES FOR CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE Summary • Leverage national, regional and continental networks to share experience and build coalitions. • Engage proactively in national, continental and global policy processes and dialogues to find opportunities to shape the agenda, forging partnerships which can influence science-based policy agendas and international agreements. • Communicate strategically within professional networks to identify and engage with key leaders and influencers. Provide just-in-time scientific evidence to inform their positions, help them communicate evidence-informed policies within their networks. • Facilitate proactive and timely coordination and internal communication between AICCRA clusters, AICCRA partners and CGIAR centers, and initiatives. Outcomes 2023 • The Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) is becoming a leading regional farmer organization, engaging in international climate change negotiations and continental policy discussions. • Climate Leadership Training has integrated new knowledge and skills from the training in their work towards tackling climate change. • The Central Highlands Ecoregion Foodscape uses CGIAR decision-support tools to build capacity and pathways for climate-smart action at landscape scale, supporting 300,000 producers. • AICCRA influenced the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) Integrated Strategies on food systems, soil health, and climate-smart agriculture. Annual workplan and budget 2024 • Focus on continued support to the Africa Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES) Climate Leadership Program and organize policy-oriented workshops with the EAFF. • Build on the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit, explore what’s next for soil health in Africa and advise on roadmap implementation. • Support development of Kenya’s Third National Climate Change Action Plan. © AICCRA AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 27 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N THEME 2: CLIMATE-SMART TECHNOLOGIES AND PRACTICES Summary • Identify scaling pathways for climate-smart agriculture technologies and practices in AICCRA focus countries and regions. • Develop and deploy innovative bundles (CSA and CIS) that effectively meet relevant needs and gaps. • Support and leverage financing solutions, public-private partnerships and multi-stakeholder platforms that support agriSME accelerator programs and locally led climate action. Outcomes 2023 • AICCRA scaling model implemented across multiple initiatives. • The Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Plan (CSAIP) informed a $35 million Green Climate Fund concept note that will benefit 92,065 vulnerable households. • Leveraged CGIAR research to integrate climate lens and technical approaches across the wider AECF portfolio and specifically within the Nkwanzi Scaling Women SMEs project, focusing on 100 WSMEs. • The SOCO project adopted the Climate Security Sensitivity Tool to assess its sensitivity to climate- related security risks. • African agribusinesses adopted climate resilience tracking to measure the impacts of their operations, reaching more than 50,000 African small-scale producers, equipped with CGIAR tools. • AICCRA’s SenAgri Hack Innovation challenge convenes a platform for youth-led solutions to address post-harvest losses in Senegal and fosters commitment from key stakeholders to sustain, expand and scale the approach Annual workplan and budget 2024 • Advance sustainable finance work in Kenya’s sorghum value chain, catalyzing the uptake of this crop by farmers through provision of agronomic training and access to financial credit. • Offer several training events at national and regional scale regarding: • The AICCRA scaling framework • CSA investment trainings • Climate finance mechanisms • Methodologies for measuring and tracking adaptation • Implement adaptation tracking. 28 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N THEME 3: GENDER AND SOCIAL INCLUSION (GSI) Summary • Build on the success of events at conferences like MITA and continue to engage partners to host similar events to share tangible approaches for partners to boost gender and youth participation. • Define a stronger message on youth inclusion and include in cluster activities targeting young people (e.g. Zambia’s I2G program) • Strengthen messaging on the application of GSI research in AICCRA partnerships. • Produce accessible and usable learning materials, ensuring proactive dissemination through AICCRA and partner communications channels. • Continue to deepen partnerships and build partner capacity to communicate AICCRA’s GSI. • Continue hosting internal webinars to engage AICCRA clusters and CGIAR, and World Bank colleagues. Outcomes 2023 • The gender-smart agriculture framework that has been successfully piloted in Senegal will be disseminated in spillover countries, again with FSRP and CORAF. • Senegal’s gender-sensitive radio programming will be an integral dissemination strategy, while farmer field schools and village workshops will focus on women-led initiatives to advance gender-sensitive CSA practices. • Mali supported women farmers’ organizations by providing mechanical transplanters and weeders. Annual workplan and budget 2024 • Expand gender and climate hotspot mapping, currently implemented in three countries in East and South Africa. • Expand and conduct assessments on gender, climate and empowerment, through: • The Gender and Climate Empowerment Index (GCEI). • The gender-smart agriculture framework, including the integration of gender-responsive CSA technologies. • Collaborate with CORAF on women’s leadership in climate and agriculture research. • Support multiple AICCRA gender webinars and contribute to: • A gender-focused Community of Practice among AICCRA, CORAF, and FSRP. • World Bank training on gender and climate-smart technologies and gender responsive climate finance. AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 29 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N THEME 4: CLIMATE SERVICES Summary • Position Alliance of Bioversity-CIAT as the new lead of Theme 4, while building on and acknowledging the role of International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) in AICCRA inaugural phase. • Capacity development for partners to communicate transformative successes in enhancing climate services. • Package and adapt the CRMAE extension curriculum to make it as accessible as possible through: • Deep scaling in AICCRA focus countries • Fostering spillover into other countries in Africa, this includes making it accessible in multiple languages • Launch youth focused campaign for engagement and future demand for CRMAE and climate services education. • Lead high-level thought leadership on the role of climate services in the early warning and early action. Proactively engaging with the media to provide commentary on extreme weather events, and the consequential arguments for climate service investments for the benefit of farmers in Africa. • Package the ‘best bet’ CIS innovations for investment. • Work collaboratively with all country clusters to produce ‘big picture’ stories on implementation partnership lessons from other country experiences. • Position Theme 4 and country cluster leaders as authoritative voices on CIS in the media. • Host a quarterly webinar series hosted jointly with critical regional/national partners on big themes/ challenges in climate services. • Coordinate a cross-cluster media engagement strategy through climate information forums including GHACOF (East Africa), SARCOF (Southern Africa), PRESASS (West Africa). Outcomes 2023 • Innovation story: CRMAE (extension curriculum) implementation in Kenya, highlighting partnerships for scaling such as with Kenya’s Joint Agricultural Secretariat, including projects such as: • FSRP and National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) projects which will allow scaling in additional counties • Access of educational materials on Kenya’s national e-learning platform for farmers and extension (KilomoBora). • RUFORUM partnership leads to new online curricula. • GSI integrated into agro-advisory platforms. 30 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N THEME 4: CLIMATE SERVICES (CONTINUED) Annual workplan and budget 2024 • ToT events with RUFORUM on climate basics and CRMAE curricula. • Implementation of pilot CRMAE curricula in Zambia, Kenya, and Ghana in 2024, communications could strategically support our cluster in showing on-the-ground impact with agricultural extension agents and farmers. It would be valuable to capture (via video) the perspectives of: • Higher level national stakeholders (such as Ministries of Agriculture and Education) • Agricultural extension officers themselves, and • Farmers (especially women farmers) to see how their decisions and lives have been concretely informed and impacted by CIS and CSA innovations and associated educational materials. • Scale access and use of curricula in universities and agricultural training extensions through the RUFORUM network, as well as other key regional partners (ICPAC, AGRHYMET, CORAF, ASARECA) • Enhance visibility of regional partners’ roles in scaling access and use of CIS and CSA across the African continent. • Support CIS Community of Practice to provide sustained relevant resource availability and technical assistance to all participants, and strong engagement (membership and participation) through strategic communication. © AICCRA AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 31 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N REGIONAL HUB FOR FERTILIZER AND SOIL HEALTH FOR WEST AFRICA AND THE SAHEL The Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel is a collaborative effort officially launched at the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit in Nairobi on May 8, 2024. The Hub focuses on combating soil health decline in the region. It brings together key stakeholders, including IITA, OCP Africa, the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI), University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) and the World Bank. The Hub invites partnerships with other organizations, research institutions, and private sector entities to achieve a thriving agricultural future in the region. Communication objectives • Raise awareness – Introduce the Regional Hub and its transformative goals to stakeholders, partners, and the public. • Build engagement – Foster a sense of involvement and collaboration among stakeholders, including internal teams, partners, and local communities. • Educate and inform – Share detailed insights into the Hub’s objectives, strategies, and expected impact to enhance understanding. • Promote collaboration – Emphasize the importance of partnerships and encourage active stakeholder participation. • Showcase impact – Communicate milestones, success stories, and measurable impacts achieved by the Regional Hub. West Africa Lead Robert Zougmoré presented at the Hub’s opening in Ibadan, Nigeria to share how the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project will contribute to the Hub’s work. This included soil information, knowledge management and sharing, agronomy recommendations, capacity development, policy support, advocacy and awareness creation. Robert highlighted established AICCRA initiatives across West Africa, which already align with the Hub’s goals and serve as a springboard for rapid implementation and action for soil health in the region. A detailed communications strategy for the Hub is expected in 2024, led by IITA, with input from the AICCRA team. © AICCRA / Nairobi 32 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N https://aiccra.cgiar.org/news/press-release-fertilizer-and-soil-health-hub-launched-enhance-agricultural-productivity-west https://aiccra.cgiar.org/people/robert-zougmore AICCRA hosted a network-building and knowledge-sharing workshop in March 2023 for communications professionals based at our national and regional partner organizations, as well as representatives from some of Africa’s leading media organizations. A total of 60 people attended the two-day course. To accelerate climate action, AICCRA hosted this workshop together with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to strengthen the capacity of our partners in amplifying key messages that help scale climate smart agriculture. We connected partners to leading African media organizations to ensure that together, they can tell the stories needed to inspire a climate- resilient future for African smallholder farmers. The workshop ran parallel sessions for these media and communications professionals, culminating in a joint session focused on building strategic partnerships between the two groups. Workshop objectives • Unpack the impact of climate change on African agriculture and food systems. • Explore strategies to transform African agriculture and food systems for a more sustainable and climate-resilient future. • Discuss important national, regional, continental, and global initiatives to promote climate-smart agriculture. • Investigate key developments, so that audiences can be prioritized. • Horizon scan upcoming policy events (e.g., COP28) to align communication strategies. • Connect AICCRA partners to explore how they can support national or regional programs. • Understand partners’ strategic priorities and how communications can support these objectives, while highlighting potential challenges. • Strengthen the skills of participants in communications strategy development and messaging. • Share skills on how to use digital tools to create compelling content for communications channels (e.g., social media). Communications focal points from AICCRA country clusters collaborated with media representatives from those countries and drafted a list of CIS and CSA relevant story pitches that could be transformed into compelling media stories. This has been successfully achieved in Ghana and Ethiopia. During AICCRA’s monthly communications team meetings we track progress on remaining story ideas, while leveraging emerging opportunities for strategic media coverage in focus and spillover countries. To enhance and sustain the capacity building/ development offered by this program, AICCRA is searching for an Africa based media foundation or higher education institution. One that can host the program, provide further expertise on media and communications, and support future resource mobilization efforts from public and private partners. Strategic communications program © AICCRA AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 33 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N The typical agenda for the AICCRA monthly communications meetings is as follows: • Social media feedback (reflecting on the last month of activity) - led by the Global Digital and Social Advisor. • Planning for future ‘International Days’ to promote thematically relevant material - led by the Global Digital and Social Advisor. • Project management updates - led by the Global Communications and Knowledge Advisor. • Skills development (one topic per month) - led by a volunteer. • Check-in on publications tracker. • Updates on recent and forthcoming activity (all clusters – with feedback from the Global Communications and Knowledge Advisor). All cluster updates should also be submitted in writing 48 hours before the meeting. Action points will be circulated following the meeting. AICCRA monthly team meetings © AICCRA 34 • AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N Resources Brand guidelines and logo files How to use the AICCRA logo Writing for AICCRA AICCRA templates AICCRA publications tracker Guidance on making AICCRA videos AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 35 https://aiccra.cgiar.org/brand-guidelines https://cgiar.sharepoint.com/sites/AICCRA/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7Be062f7cc-9383-4733-8a53-6322c91e1ed8%7D&action=default&wdLOR=c76024AAF%2D3068%2DF642%2DA5E7%2DBB48057A74E9&or=Word&slrid=584288a1-7095-0000-4a95-6c429f190eab&originalPath=aHR0cHM6Ly9jZ2lhci5zaGFyZXBvaW50LmNvbS86cDovcy9BSUNDUkEvRWN6M1l1Q0Rrek5IaWxOaklza2VIdGdCU3kyMFdRMzVjdDh0TzFXSUpSbGdiZz9ydGltZT03VkpRQ0twZDNVZw&CID=2c90641c-3f61-46c0-97a4-781655394925&_SRM=0:G:301&file=For%20sharing%20-%20AICCRA%20logo,%20copyright%20and%20use%20of%20images%20(updated%20Dec%202024).pptx https://cgiar.sharepoint.com/sites/AICCRA/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FAICCRA%2FShared%20Documents%2F06%2E%20Communications%20%26%20Events%2FAICCRA%20Publication%20Guidelines%20%26%20Templates%2FWriting%20for%20AICCRA&p=true&ga=1 https://cgiar.sharepoint.com/sites/AICCRA/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FAICCRA%2FShared%20Documents%2F06%2E%20Communications%20%26%20Events%2FAICCRA%20Publication%20Guidelines%20%26%20Templates%2F2024&p=true&ga=1 https://cgiar.sharepoint.com/:x:/s/AICCRA/ESX-DexUc49MrsH4DA0Fs6gBAGJ89p9ne_K3VapfET-z2A?e=8TzVup&wdLOR=cD0BAB010-B6E9-BC43-BC07-0680EE80D8EC https://cgiar.sharepoint.com/:p:/s/AICCRA/ESdJMlPL0KdFqtWaZ4X0p-ABmlSojFZabE35qGnQcpUGeA?e=J9wlzo&wdLOR=cA4D67074-6C5D-7743-941F-92CE34125F18 ANNEX I: AICCRA project implementation manual (communications) 1. AICCRA’s communications activities will be delivered through a stratified management approach. In each country cluster, a communications focal point will be in place, either on a pro-rata or full-time basis. Typically, these are communications specialists drawn from the CGIAR center that leads the cluster. 2. It is expected that thematic and regional clusters also seek a similar arrangement with the center that hosts the leaders of these additional clusters. 3. These communications focal points are coordinated by a global communications and knowledge advisor, who is a member of the Program Management Unit. Under additional finance, this role will be performed by Rhys Bucknall-Williams on a 0.5 FTE basis. Note that this role has changed from ‘manager’ to ‘advisor’. 4. Additional support to the team comes from a global digital and social media advisor, which will be performed by Amy Harris on a consultancy basis. Please note that this role has changed from ‘manager’ to ‘advisor’. 5. Under additional finance, the global communications and knowledge advisor and global digital and social media advisor will—as their titles suggest—have an advisory role only. 6. AICCRA country, thematic and regional clusters are ultimately responsible for the timely and effective communication of their activities and impact. 7. They will consult with the global advisors for effective cross-team coordination and quality control. 8. The teams will follow a communications strategy and provisional workplan drafted by the global communications and knowledge advisors. In January and September 2025, a periodic review of the clusters' progress against the strategy and workplan will be undertaken. A final review will take place in January 2026. These reviews will be incorporated into the overall cluster evaluations. The key tasks that cluster communications focal points must lead on in AICCRA’s additional finance phase include: • Coordinate all communications regarding country activities, ensuring they accurately reflect the facts about the content and activities (including the contribution of all partners). This means proactively building good relationships with CGIAR colleagues from all and any centers who might participate or contribute to AICCRA activities in that country. They must be highly visible as the AICCRA focal point in that country and respond to all queries in a timely manner. • Track all knowledge products being produced by the cluster(s) they support, producing a communications plan that promotes these products (e.g. info notes, journal articles) effectively and delivering on these plans in consultation with the global communications advisors. • Ensure quality control processes are followed in the publication of these knowledge products. Firstly, that the cluster leaders or science officers approve the content. Secondly, the communications focal points ensure all knowledge products are published to an acceptable standard and that they are properly formatted according to the AICCRA templates and brand. 36 • AICCRA Communications Strategy 2024-2026 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N • Ensure that all outcomes reported in the outcome impact case reports are communicated via a long-form ‘innovation story’ on the website, with a supporting communications strategy to ensure all relevant audiences are aware of the outcomes. All OICRs must be communicated within 12 months of their submission for annual reporting. • Ensuring that all cluster events are adequately communicated to relevant audiences or stakeholders. This includes: • In-country public engagement opportunities (i.e. farmer field days). • Stakeholder engagement (national forums or workshops). • International audiences (i.e. online webinars or events at regional/ international events). The communications focal points must produce and deliver a relevant and appropriate communications strategy. ‘Global’ events such as COP will continue to be coordinated by the global communications and knowledge advisors. • Provide timely updates on significant developments or announcements by the cluster through short news stories for the AICCRA website. • Ensure that cluster projects are captured through a variety of multimedia – primarily photography and videography. Additional content can include audio recordings or written testimonies. • Follow-up on opportunities to build closer relationships with local journalists and national media outlets, to strategically promote AICCRA’s work. This can be across radio, TV, print, online news, and social media influencers. • Advise strategic communications to help the cluster take advantage of emerging opportunities or overcome challenges, including of political considerations, to ensure that the reputation of AICCRA is enhanced with national audiences. • Ensure a steady stream of multimedia/ audiovisual content from AICCRA projects which can be shared regularly on social media. At least one piece of content is expected from each cluster every month. • Build a database of country-based suppliers (document editing, multimedia, events support). • Ensure coordinated team communication via email, one-to-one meetings and a monthly all-team meeting. Each meeting includes a standing agenda item, is an update from all the cluster communications focal points and recent and future activity. This update is provided orally but is also expected to be submitted in writing three working days before the meeting. The key communications channels used by AICCRA include its website, a newsletter and social media channels (LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook). Regular email updates are also shared to colleagues in the World Bank and across CGIAR. AICCRA  Communications Strategy 2024-2026 • 37 A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N C E , L I M I T L E S S A M B I T I O N © AICCRA aiccra.cgiar.org | @CGIARAfrica A message from the AICCRA global communications team What’s new in AICCRA’s additional finance phases Background Communications strategy Strategic approach Target audiences Metrics of success Key messages Delivering communications Tools and channels Communications workplan 2024-2026 senegal mali Ghana Ethiopia Kenya zambia East and Southern Africa West Africa Theme 1: Priorities and policies for climate-smart agriculture Theme 4: Climate services Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel Strategic communications program AICCRA monthly team meetings Resources ANNEX I: AICCRA project implementation manual (communications) Previous Page 2: Page 2: Page 6: Page 26: Next Page 2: Page 2: Page 6: Page 26: Previous Page 3: Page 3: Page 5: Page 25: Next Page 3: Page 3: Page 5: Page 25: Previous Page 10: Next Page 10: Contents Page 10: Previous Page 11: Next Page 11: Next Page 13: Previous Page: Page 8: Page 10: Page 28: Page 30: Next Page: Page 8: Page 10: Page 28: Page 30: Previous Page 1: Page 9: Page 11: Page 27: Page 29: Page 31: Next Page 1: Page 9: Page 11: Page 27: Page 29: Page 31: Previous Page 4: Page 12: Page 14: Page 32: Page 34: Next Page 4: Page 12: Page 14: Page 32: Page 34: Previous Page 5: Page 13: Page 15: Page 33: Next Page 5: Page 13: Page 15: Page 33: Previous Page 14: Page 16: Page 24: Next Page 14: Page 16: Page 24: Previous Page 15: Page 17: Next Page 15: Page 17: Previous Page 16: Page 18: Page 20: Page 22: Next Page 16: Page 18: Page 20: Page 22: Previous Page 17: Page 19: Page 21: Page 23: Next Page 17: Page 19: Page 21: Page 23: Previous Page 12: Page 35: Page 37: Next Page 12: Page 35: Page 37: Previous Page 6: Page 36: Next Page 6: Page 36: Previous Page 18: Contents Page 18: