Project update: Dec 2009-June 2010 Sally Baden, Project Manager, June 28

Project Plan

Key milestones: planning DueMilestoneProgress/ Next Steps Feb 10Project plans completed Overall plan drafted and management system agreed: March 2010 First draft plan completed/updated: April/ May Revision of plans and first progress report Feb 10Research plans completed Researchers contracted/ Initial country plans developed and reviewed: Jan \Women & Ag Research Project\workplans\SWLCA Workplan 2010 Final TZ.xls Detailed plans for survey Mar 10Baseline survey completed Survey tool developed for national stakeholder dialogues...\Women & Ag Research Project\monitoring and evaluation\Survey Ethiopia Natl SD v2 revised2.doc..\Women & Ag Research Project\monitoring and evaluation\Survey Ethiopia Natl SD v2 revised2.doc Used in Mali, Ethiopia Data analysis, widening baseline Mar 10International Advisory Group convened Members identified: Dec-March Initial invitations: April-May Meeting planning and organisation: May-June Follow up on meeting recommendations

Key milestones: research DueMilestoneProgress/ Next steps Feb 10Literature review completed First draft Lit review: March Revised in response to internal comments: May Next steps: Revisions in line with IAG/ peer reviewer comments Apr 10Sub-sectors selected for research National SDs agree 3 sub-sectors per region in each country (6 total per country): April Preliminary analysis of sub-sectors carried out: May/June including initial inventory of CA. Further sub-sector analysis; finalising CA inventory June 10 Survey sample, design and instruments approved by IAG Survey methodology note developed based on literature review, country reports, and initial inventory of CA. Detailed design of survey sample, questionnaire in each country and planning of survey

Key milestones: communications DueMilestoneProgress/ Next steps Jan 10Communications specialist in place Learning and comms coordinator in post - Feb Review of comms capacity and needs in country underway: May-June Feb 10Overall comms strategy and plans agreed Workshop / planning sessions with countries: April-May Draft strategy finalised with country inputs – June Overall and country plans to be finalised Mar 10Project ning/ website launched Wiki pages launched for project team – April 10 Regular updating of wiki To link to wider ning under development

Key milestones: communications DueMilestoneProgress/ Next steps Mar 10 First news update Communication on project start: Jan 2010 Country and global newsletter(s) finalised: June 010 Dissemination of newsletters – quarterly updates thereafter Mar 10 Plan for webinars completed Content and timeline under development April 10First round of Stakeholder dialogues completed 2 regional and 1 national SD completed and documented per country Wide dissemination of outputs Consolidation of reference groups April 10Existing tools shared To be shared via Ning which is under development June 2010 First webinar hosted As above: Under development

Key successes and opportunities Pulling together a diverse team and developing common understanding Initial communications generate wide interest Stakeholder dialogues: engage rural women; provide inputs to engagement in research; identify potential linkages Good initial progress on research design Greater visibility of women smallholder and collective action issues

Key challenges and risks Maintaining commitment and quality across large and geographically spread team Keeping focus of research and ensuring quality of process and outputs Sustaining stakeholder engagement in research process Time required greater than anticipated, e.g: stakeholder dialogues; research supervision

Key lessons and adjustments Need for project team meetings Country communications from outset Consistency of research approach -> close supervision Some need to complement resources