CIAT to coordinate communications, knowledge sharing and information & data management of the CGIAR Gender and Agriculture Research Network

CIAT to coordinate communications, knowledge sharing and information & data management of the CGIAR Gender and Agriculture Research Network

Formed in 2012, the CGIAR Gender and Agriculture Research Network is composed of researchers engaged with social science research on gender in agriculture and natural resource management across the fifteen global CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs).

In recent months, the Network has taken decisive steps to establish a shared approach for measuring and reporting progress towards empowering women in agriculture as an outcome of research conducted by those programs. This joint effort is critical for meeting the heightened expectations of CGIAR’s donors, partners, and other stakeholders.

Starting 2015, CIAT will support the network in its external and internal communications and knowledge sharing processes, as well as in the area of data and information management with the objective to increase the visibility of gender research and foster interactive knowledge-sharing among CRP gender researchers.

In the area of communications, the team will create a strong Web and social media presence; develop key communications products for multiple audiences and in various formats, like brochures, e-bulletins, progress reports on empowering women in agriculture through CGIAR research, etc. CIAT will also facilitate the representation of the Network in major international events, and develop a communications plan to promote the results of an ongoing global gender study.

Through diverse mechanisms the CIAT team will enhance connections between Network members, so they can interact regularly to solve problems, continuously learn from one other, and access the resources and information they produce, collaborate online, and share their work widely with CGIAR colleagues, donors, and partners

Interventions in the area of capacity strengthening will focus on making learning modules that will be created readily available and accessible on an electronic platform and create capacity strengthening opportunities for the network.

Sound Information and Data management should increase the Network efficiency and visibility. It is indeed important to keep in line with CGIAR open-access implementation guidelines, have a clear and acceptable framework for a network data sharing agreement and get buy-in from the researchers of the network.  Activities will aim to ensure that the data and information generated by the global gender study are well structured and readily available and accessible to network members.

To kick-off this collaboration, a team composed by Georgina Smith, CIAT’s communications specialist based in Hanoi, Leroy Mwanzia, our leader in information and data management, as well as Simone Staiger, leader of knowledge management, are participating in the annual meeting at IRRI that the Network organizes with  fifteen CRP-nominated gender research coordinators. The objectives are to share experiences and good practices followed by an open, special topic workshop that addresses opportunities for cross- program research collaboration.

We think that the meeting will be the ideal opportunity to get insights on needs and priorities in the areas of our work. It will be the basis of our future actions.