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WORKSHOP

Planning workshop on BRACE action research

Programmes

BRACE

Venue

ICIMOD Headquarters, Kathmandu

Date & Time

17 May 2022 to 19 May 2022

Background

Under our Regional Programme on Adaptation and Resilience Building, we are implementing a new initiative ‘Building Resilience of Agroecosystem and Community Empowerment’ (BRACE) in Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces of Nepal. BRACE is part of the Green Resilient Agriculture Productive Ecosystems (GRAPE) project. GRAPE is co-funded by the European Union (EU), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). GRAPE’s four fields of action (FAs) – economic governance, action research, roll-out, and upscaling – aim to make agroecosystems more sustainable and climate resilient through innovation and capacity building. ICIMOD is taking the lead in action research (FA 2) and developed BRACE to build the resilience of the agriculture sector in Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces.

BRACE aims to conduct action research to foster climate-resilient food production and scale proven solutions at the municipal, provincial, and national levels through demonstration, knowledge dissemination, and engagement with policy makers. It further aims to enhance farmers’ access to digital services to anticipate and manage risks, and strengthen market linkages to build resilience and ensure sustainable green economic growth.

In the initial phase, BRACE plans to engage with relevant universities and research institutions to co-identify, co-design, and co-implement collaborative action research, develop a common understanding of key research gaps, and identify potential research topics focusing on the sustainability of agroecological systems and climate-resilient agricultural solutions.

 

About the workshop

In line with this, we are organizing a workshop to bring together Mid-West University, Far Western University, Agriculture and Forestry University, National Agriculture Research Council (NARC) and BRACE implementing partners – CEAPRED in Karnali and LI-BIRD in Sudur Paschim. During this workshop, we will co-identify priority issues and key research topics related to farms and farmers, including women and marginalized groups, climate change impacts, and co-design the action research and secondary assessments to generate science-based evidence. This evidence will help us replicate and scale solutions through various pathways such as engagement with farmers (women and marginalized groups), cooperatives, municipalities, government departments and ministries, research institutions, practitioners, and the private sector. Furthermore, we expect that findings from the action research, including process documentation and knowledge products on climate-resilient agricultural solutions, will be instrumental in strengthening the adaptive capacity of farmers and in building resilience of the agroecological systems in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, and at the national and regional levels.

 

Objectives

  • Provide an overview of the GRAPE/BRACE Project
  • Co-identify and prioritize research topics with partners
  • Clarify the roles and responsibilities of partners

 

Expected outputs

  • Shared understanding among implementing and research partners about BRACE action research
  • BRACE research topics co-identified and prioritized for roll out
  • Roles and responsibilities of potential research partners identified

 

Agenda

Time Programme Speakers/resource persons
Opening session
09:00–09:15 Registration Mayaju Maharjan, ICIMOD
09:15–09:30 Participatory introduction
09:15–09:30 Participatory introduction Basanta Shrestha, ICIMOD
09:30–09:45 Welcome remarks
09:45–09:55 Workshop objective Nand Kishor Agrawal, ICIMOD
09:55–10:30 Tea break and group photo All
Presentation session
10:30–10:45 Introduction of GRAPE Project TBC, GIZ
10:45–11:00 Introduction of GRAPE/BRACE Project Kamal Aryal, ICIMOD
11:00–11:30 Concept of Theory of Change, BRACE, and MEL requirements Lalu Kadel, ICIMOD
11:30–12:00 Presentation on the implementation plan and progress Kiran Bhusal, CEAPRED
12:00–12:30 Presentation on the implementation plan and progress Pragati Raj Sipkhan, LI-BIRD
12:30–12:50 Discussion All
12:50–13:40 Lunch break
13:40–14:00 Potential research topics presentation Arjun Kumar Shrestha, Agriculture and Forestry University
14:00–14:20 Discussion
14:20–14:40 Potential research topics presentation Kiran Prasad Bhatta, Far Western University
14:40–15:00 Discussion
15:00–15:20 Tea break
15:20–15:40 Potential research topics presentation Sudeep Thakuri, Mid-West University
15:40–16:00 Discussion
16:00–16:20 Potential research topics presentation Amit Prasad Timilsina, Nepal Agriculture Research Counci
16:20–16:40 Discussion
16:40–17:00 Wrap-up

Time Programme Speakers/resource persons
09:15–09:45 Preliminary findings of the vulnerability assessment Uttam Babu Shrestha, Global Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies
09:45 – 9:55 Gender equality and social inclusion perspective in action research Kamala Gurung, ICIMOD
09:55-10:10 Context setting for action research Arabinda Mishra and Erica Udas, ICIMOD
10:10–10:30 Conceptual presentation on the research matrix Erica Udas, ICIMOD
09:15–09:45 Preliminary findings of the vulnerability assessment Uttam Babu Shrestha, Global Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies
10:30–10:45 Discussion
10:45–11:00 Tea break
11:05-11:15 Group work briefing and group division Erica Udas, ICIMOD
11:15-12:00 Group work 1 – Identify research gaps Erica Udas and Kamala Gurung ICIMOD
12:00–13:00 Lunch break
13:00–14:30 Group work 2 – Identify and prioritize research topics and presentations Erica Udas, ICIMOD and TBC, GIZ
14:30-15:30 Group work 3: Synergies for collaborative research (roles and responsibilities) Surendra Raj Joshi, ICIMOD and TBC, GIZ
15:30–16:00 Tea break
16:00-16:20 Presentations from Group work 3
16:20 –16: 25 Participants remarks Participant representative
16:25–16:30 Closing remarks TBC, GIZ
16:30-16:40 Closing remarks and way forward Nand Kishor Agrawal, ICIMOD
16:40–16:50 Vote of thanks Mayaju Maharjan, ICIMOD
17:00–20:00 Reception dinner All

Time Programme Speakers/resource persons
09:00–10:00 Travel from ICIMOD/Hotel to Godavari Knowledge Park Participants and ICIMOD Team
10:00–10:30 Presentation Yona Khaling Rai, ICIMOD
10:30–11:00 Tea break  
11:00–13:30 Visit to the Godavari Knowledge Park
13:30–14:30 Lunch break
15:00 Return from the Godavari Knowledge Park