Strengthening Knowledge Dialogue Capacities and Facilitation

Lead Organization:

Fundacion EkoRural

Partner Organizations:

PROSUCO, PROINPA, Agrecol, and UMSA from Bolivia; Proyecto AMIGO, a transdisciplinary research involving Institut de la Recherche pour le Developement from France, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Universidad Central del Ecuador, and Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi from Ecuador; Yanapai from Peru; Andes CoP members

Community of Practice:

Andes

Countries:

Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru

Duration:

11/2021—11/2024

Overview:

This is the second phase of the project Strengthening Knowledge Dialogue Capacities in the Andes CoP. During the first phase, most activities were, per Covid-19, conducted digitally via Zoom, virtual whiteboards Miro and Mural, and online surveys Mentimeter and Google Forms. Such allowed for creative, constructive interaction at a distance.

First phase activities supported the AMIGO project in Ecuador in its start-up process from a transdisciplinary perspective, Yanapai for its organizational strengthening process, and the Bolivian Agroclimatic Network in coordination with Carlos Barahona. Facilitated were seminars on validity and credibility conducted by Carlos Barahona, the Seed Group for its establishment of a group vision, and the start-up processes of the CIZA and CIP projects. The key elements of the second phase are below.

Grant Aims:

1. Facilitate a dialogue with the Andes CoP on how to promote scale, useful research, inclusion, and adapting principles.

  • Design and implement analysis workshops among members of the Andes CoP to get responses to initial questions: How do FRNs contribute? What other tools can be used? How can other actors in territories, countries, and regions be involved so as to scale up, scale out, and scale deep?
  • Generate exchanges with other CoPs.
  • Document reflection process.

2. Facilitate reflection on organizational strengthening of institutions belonging to the Andes CoP.

  • Establish with members of the Andes CoP topics for analysis and institutional strengthening.
  • In coordination with Lisa Negstad, facilitate five workshops for reflection among institutions of the CoP about selected topics.
  • Document the process.

3. Strengthen dialogue capacities.

  • Design and facilitate key events about transdisciplinary dialogues, dialogue of knowledges, thematic, and cross-thematic work.
  • Train on issues identified as priorities by dialogue facilitation projects.
  • Document the process.

4. Accompany key people from communities to strengthen their capacities.

  • Establish and implement system for selecting and training key people from communities in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.
  • Promote selected key people from communities to participate in various types of spaces, i.e., FRN Convening, Food System Summit, and Bold Asks, among others.
  • Document the process.

Outputs and Outcomes:

Outputs

  • Needs identified for strengthening projects in facilitation of dialogue
  • Knowledge and techniques on dialogue facilitation shared among projects
  • Skills and abilities to design and facilitate dialogue consolidated both theoretically and practically among projects
  • A space generated for learning and exchange around facilitation of dialogue

Outcomes

  • Andes CoP members more effectively measure changes over time in institutions that influence AE transitions
  • Andes CoP members better able to assemble the right teams, internally and externally, and work as teams so transdisciplinary, collaborative research for action—essential for AE—can happen
  • Farmers speak directly instead of relying on others (FRN Convening, Food Systems Summit, Bold Asks) and are empowered to participate in a different space (democracy)