1. An Operational Framework for Innovation and Youth Employment at Large Scale-
OVERVIEW
Marc Bernard

2. Genesis The past: A long history of projects
1989 to 2000: University of Hohenheim /INRAB/IITA (DFG) Adapted Agriculture in West Africa (SFB308)
2000 to 2003: BLE/BMELV (ex.ZADI) – (BMBF) Expo Hannover The Rural Universe Network (RUN)
2004 to 2008: BLE/BMELV (CTA/EU) Further development and piloting in Benin, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Jamaica, South Africa and Ethiopia
2009 to 2013: BLE/FARA (AfDB) Regional Innovation and Learning System (eRAILS)
2015 to 2017: AfricaRice (ITAACC/BMZ) Catalyze the adoption of Scalable Technologies in Africa (CAUSA)
2016 to 2018: – AfricaRice/ProCIVA (SEWoH/BMZ) The AfricaRice Green Innovation Centre in Benin
The future: African Innovation Services - AFRIS (NGO)

3. Genesis: Projects from 2015 to 2018
Catalyze the adoption of Scalable Technologies in Africa (CAUSA)
Strengthening the agricultural innovation system in Benin (GIAE1)
Business coaching to drive agricultural innovation in Benin (GIAE3)

4. Problem
Low adoption of innovative technologies and poor prospects for young people

5. Objective Key factors determining adoption rates Potential benefit
Farm size
Effect of scale
Subjective risk
Objective risks
Level of education
Practical training
Workforce
Financial services
Land tenure
Access to inputs
Professional services
Simplicity …
Poverty is the most important hindering factor !!
Put in place a mechanism accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies in order to increase their development impact
Adoption rate
Time
Objective

6. Strategy
Toolkit

7. Phase 1 - Networking Outputs
21 Centers for Professional Agriculture (CPA)
21 district web site with agricultural profile
173 municipalities
1.521 groups with producers
309 collaborating groups
201 trained service providers
137 local experts (CPA relays) in municipalities
59 national experts
9 web sites of agricultural colleges
2 web sites of agricultural universities
12 innovation manuals for key economic activities
Modalities for documentation and M&E
Development of course material and e-learning courses
Information system configured for decentralized and SYSTEMATIC content development and sharing
…..
Activities
Link actors and build trust
Establish a network of district teams
National experts
Agricultural colleges and universities
Farmer groups
Capture system understanding and baseline
District web site
Information exchange service
Develop innovation guides
Define the modalities for monitoring and evaluation
Configure the information system
Develop training material

8. Phase 2 - Innovation Outputs Activities
> 200 young service providers trained
32 groups of poultry production field schools
187 crop production field schools
90 food processing field schools
8,294 actively collaborating farmers
50,000 beneficiaries directly reached
> 100 datasets that meet requirements of international standards
A knowledge base with over 200,000 items
Reports and publications …
Returns on investment into innovations
rice 70%
soybean 174%
maize 9%
Phase 2 - Innovation
Activities
Select and train young service providers
Support producers in adopting promising technologies
Document the entire process in real time
Analyze the performance of technologies
Formulate recommendation for research, extension, business and policy

9. Phase 3 - Business Activities Enterprise
Promote the adoption of beneficial technologies
Promote better resource management
Enabling environment
Promote entrepreneurship to strengthen value chains
Networking, advice and advocacy
Management of the commons
Outputs
132 agricultural innovation days with visitors
176 demonstration fields for soybean
InfoPrix – Weekly Market Information Service
12,302 beneficiaries of the Question and Answer Service
Business development of youth
Sales of their personal economic activities increased by 63% on average
Average number of people they employed in their own economic activities increased by on 98% average

10. Key concepts and instruments
Strategic and technical council to facilitate institutional integration and promote the sustainability of the developed solutions
The RUN service delivery system to engage local organizations and enable inter- institutional collaboration
Innovation Fund for on-farm training, to enable the experience of success and for the development of the factor capital at target group level
Broadening skill sets of local communities by assisting college graduates and out-of- school youth to develop their economic activities filling VC-gaps
State-of-the-art Information system for effective networking collaboration, complete documentation and real-time monitoring
In context capacity development through on the job vocational training
Proximity to assure access to timely advice and assistance
For more detailed information visit

11. Accompanying measures
Science based advisory services
Analyze the performance of technologies
Provide advice for improved targeting
Identify business opportunities
Assess investment risks
Make recommendations
Update the systems understanding and innovation guides
Disseminate information products
Question & Answer service and InfoPrix
Monitor key development indicators
Vocational training
E-learning
Face-2-Face
Field Experience
Supervision
Business Coaching
Peer-2-Peer
For more detailed information visit

12. African Innovation Services

13. What it is AFRIS … … and what it is NOT
AFRIS is an association of diverse stakeholders in rural development who acknowledge the need for an independent and impartial mechanism for improved inter-institutional collaboration in order to reach development goals.
AFRIS provides a well-developed and practical toolkit for improved collaboration for people and organisations who engage in development.
Core values of AFRIS are independence, transparency, accountability und objectivity.
AFRIS is result oriented and functions democratically in the interest of marginalised people and sustainable natural resources management.
To be very clear, AFRIS is not doing the development work but helps partners who are investing into development to be more relevant, effective, efficient and visible and assists them to engage in trustworthy, fruitful partnerships.
… and what it is NOT