CCSL+special+core+team+meeting

=CCSL special core team meeting=
 * 18 June 2014toc**


 * IIED London**

Only some of us will be attending this meeting, and most only for the morning. Excused this time: Blane Harvey, Carl Jackson, Peter Ballantyne.


 * Objectives**:


 * Agenda**:
 * 08.30: Start and agenda
 * 08.45: Review action points from last meeting
 * 09.00: Comms strategy and Theory of Change / Impact Pathway
 * Presentation Cecilia
 * Feedback / Q&A
 * 10.00: Moving on to the ToC: mapping individual changes (on cards) and how we hope these are interconnected
 * 11.00: Parking lot and upcoming stuff
 * Funding opportunities (and paving the way for the afternoon discussion)
 * 12.00: Summary planning of next steps
 * 12.30: Lunch
 * 13.30: (smaller team) group work
 * Funding work (list existing opportunities, develop ideas for a proposal) / develop 1-pager we go around with…
 * Cross-CRP synergies
 * Picking up other pieces
 * Reviewing visuals for the Happy Families brief?

=**Meeting notes**=

Action points

 * **[** DONE **]** ** ACTION ** : (Evidence workshop) PC to invite everyone from the evidence-gathering workshop onto Yammer
 * **ACTION**: (Evidence workshop) LC + Cecilia to develop a mailing list and send information to workshop participants about all blog posts + thank them for inputs + invite them to share the self-assessments + feedback from the workshop + share timeline. LC to draft an email and share that to avoid duplicating
 * **ACTION**: (Evidence workshop) Cecilia to do a couple of posts (scheduled) - general piece on the workshop + interviews with participants
 * **ACTION**: (Evidence workshop) ELB to do a couple of posts (interviews of M&E specialists + thought piece about the moving process)
 * **ACTION**: (Evidence workshop) Discussion to be held about developing the next learning piece about this
 * ** [ ** DONE ** ] ACTION**: (Evidence workshop) ELB to work on the wiki to update the minutes and add pictures from the meeting etc.
 * **ACTION**: (Comms plan) Cecilia and team to review the need for the updated brochure (2-page) and checklist
 * ** [ ** DONE ** ] ACTION** : (Comms plan) ELB to follow up on information re: case study database (share them on Yammer)...
 * **[** DONE] ** ACTION  ** : (Coordination & Sandbox) PC, CJ, ELB to meet up the week after next and revisit last team meeting (Q1) action points + those from this one.
 * **ACTION**: (Web & wiki) CS and PC to discuss options to upgrade the website.
 * ** ACTION ** : (Web & wiki) CS to discuss with CCAFS team options to beef up the website.
 * ** ACTION ** : (Web & wiki) ELB to discuss with PB the option of setting up a blog.
 * **[** In progress **]** ** ACTION  ** : (Web & wiki) PC, CJ and CS to look into gardening (archiving).
 * ** ACTION ** : (ToC) LC to start drafting an influencing plan
 * **ACTION**: (ToC) ELB to start pulling together all the ideas of the brainstorm we had.
 * ** ACTION ** : (CCSL team meeting) WF / PT to look into venue options for Nairobi.
 * ** ACTION ** : (CCSL team meeting) WF+team to check about options to host the next team meeting.
 * ** ACTION ** : (CCSL team meeting) CS to check Adobe Connect
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) PC to check for BMGF possible funding… and to list brief summary of the different funding calls.
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) WF, PT, to check for brief description for Rockefeller and McKnight.
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) LC to add these foundations as part of the influencing plan.
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) ** B. Garside to share template for fund-raising. **
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) ** ELB to contact Barbara van Mierlo about possible funding / joint activities… **
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) ** WF to check funding options with Tonya. **
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) WF to look into options with GIZ – meeting with Jörg in mid-July.
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) Develop ToR for this and sandbox it (WF to source guidelines and ELB to share + put these on the wiki).
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) ELB & WF to discuss with Jo Cadilhon about possible joint investments in PIM
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) WF/ELB/CJ to explore linkages with AAS and WLE
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) WF to explore SIM options with P. Laderach.
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) ELB to explore possible linkages with L&F.
 * **ACTION**: (Funding) Pull together the information about every call for proposals on the wiki

Looking back at the evidence-gathering meeting
Good progress on the way. Interested people. A couple of people not interested in understanding what is good social learning (because they've already worked on that) although they may need to do some more. Are you sure what the research questions are? It was an ambitious workshop. The framing of research questions was not that tight. People were not clear about the questions that had to be addressed... To understand the development outcomes of SL you need to understand how SL works too... Generally a good vibe. It should have been another day... I would have like to analyse the case studies a bit more to see how we can further strengthen social learning approaches etc. We could have explored what elements of social learning we are looking at. We didn't have time to have the 'next steps' conversation. We have some post-workshop conversations to hold. Something to work on about the attitude at the workshop.

Action points from previous meeting
See action points above. CG Parade elements embedded into the framework. A pretty basic wiki exists for the parade.

Communication plan & strategy
In terms of advertising the wiki, what’s happening to the outside world? Is the wiki the best solution? Perhaps as a branding effort we need to beef up that effort. Perhaps visually it could be strengthened… The social learning bit on the CCAFS site is the easier bit. But that is flat and might be difficult to do just on the CCAFS site? What do we need to do to convince Vanessa to make this more visible? We will do the revamp of the flagship projects etc. later this year. Social learning is in the main banner of the CCAFS website now. Perhaps we need to develop the CCAFS page with a more neutral look and feel. Or perhaps we can have a look at setting up a Wordpress site for CCSL. We might want to de-brand it a bit from CCAFS. How inclusive can we make that space? We can make the wiki home page more visually appealing. What would be a very simple 4-5 buttons + logos to add. We need an external space because the wiki is internal (not safe etc.)…
 * Q&A from the comms strategy**:

Theory of change discussion
Among other things we want to develop an influencing plan that looks at specific actors etc. and will bring together some of the ToC aspects that deal with influence on international organisations etc. to move forward with CCSL.
 * ACTION**: (ToC) ELB to start pulling together all the ideas of the brainstorm we had.

Next team meetings (options)
The ALP meeting is not happening at a good moment, although Chris Jost might be able to attend it too. Instead, **late November (25-27)** could be the next face-to-face gathering, in or around Nairobi. There is an EA workshop in late November in Nairobi… 25-27 Nov? Possible agenda for the face-to-face meeting:
 * Funding proposal?
 * Finalising briefs & outputs to influence stakeholders
 * Revising IP & ToC
 * Checking up evidence gathering
 * Next steps and planning + mapping framework implementation…
 * How to get to demonstrable outcomes from CCSL work…

In the meantime, we will have a **virtual gathering on 26 September**, 11.30am-1pm (EAT / 9.30-11am BST) - and we might be using Adobe Connect for the meeting (Cecilia is investigating on options to use Copenhagen office facilities for this).

**Cross-CRP synergies and funding options**
It would be useful to explore synergies around e.g. innovation work. Is it worthwhile exploring synergies. What are they?
 * Cross-CRP synergies**
 * Humidtropics: Innovation systems/platforms
 * Drylands: Ditto?
 * PIM: evaluation framework – relate to the evidence base.
 * WLE: Explore with Comms/KM side


 * Funding options**

We could try and develop proposals to bring cross-CRP linkages. 1) GIZ has these small/large proposal pots that are available for CGIAR centres. Next GIZ trench: EUR 80.000 – proposals due: late July. 2) There are also project funding for large ag research. Next deadline March 31. EUR 1.2 Mio maximum for three years. And 3) there are SIM positions (e.g. Jörg, Ben Hack).

Other funding options: This could be about checking concept notes (e.g. Shamba Shape Up and Prolinnova) and ensure there’s social learning in it. Being more explicit about the uptake.
 * SKOL: entrepreneur funding. Social enterprise focus (e.g. Shamba Shape Up).
 * BMGF: Large lumps focusing on social enterprise and increasing interest in CC.
 * OMIDYAR foundation: Likes networking… Into sandbox and stuff that is much bigger… Interesting group but needs you to get into their network, demonstrate that you can be of value for them…
 * Other foundations e.g. Rockefeller, Ford, McKnight… Foundations are interesting because they are less competitive, but more difficult to get noticed by.
 * CSIRO might be other options to explore – provided we have the one-pager to advocate for.
 * IDRC/CARIAA could help contribute (e.g. in-kind resources for workshops etc.).
 * 3iE might still be interesting

The call focuses on knowledge networks doing some research on global change and sustainability. The proposals have to integrate with Future Earth. They can/should entail developing/testing to co-design production of knowledge… Max. EUR 300.000,00 / year. Social transformation – comparative. Possible partnership for PROLINNOVA: doing PID at scale (e.g. choose a district) but then perhaps too limited. Difficult to have our (CCSL) staff develop proposals around this since it’s really focused on climate change and requires time that we cannot easily give. From CCAFS, CCSL is the only bit of work that has not leveraged additional funding. In 2015 we will need to show some kind of outcomes… Options?
 * Specifically on the ISSC call for proposals**:

We have to pull together the information about every call for proposals on the wiki. Among all options, we may have to prioritise SIM and small grants to find someone that can help with developing proposals We could also sandbox ideas for funding… ... And (possibly) check with CARE about possible options for the ISSC. We should also check the ITAACC project.