2015+ccsl+core+team+meeting+5

Date: 28 July 2015 Location: Google Hangouts

Time: 13:00 East Africa Time (e.g. Nairobi) Participants: Ben Garside, Blane Harvey, Ewen Le Borgne, Carl Jackson, Marissa van Epp, Phil Thorntonm, Wiebke Foerch.

Apologies: Liz Carlile, Peter Ballantyne, Pete Cranston.


 * AGENDA**

**Other work**
__Carl & Pete__ working on blog posts from the share fair.

__Blane__ went to Paris for 'Our common future under climate change' and worked in a panel on social learning which went well and was well received. Planning to do a follow-up work which Cecilia will support. Has been meeting with Ben & Liz to use some new connections/linkages to get buy-in into the evaluation framework. CARIAA program has been using some of the CCSL metrics and now Blaned joined ODI and trying to get some of that into learning/M&E strategy. Sent follow-up email and hopefully some updates in the next week or two to get some higher level buy-in for using some of the social learning metrics in large programs as a way to look at learning and measuring progress. Will be meeting people from DfID to discuss the manifesto that was presented in Paris and to discuss programmatic social learning. Hopefully some updates in the coming weeks.

__Ben & Marissa__ Attended an event in Stockholm. SEI event on environmental governance in an increasingly complex world. Nice mix of people in the workshop looking at wicked problems and a variety of backgrounds (educational, OECD issues etc.). Hoping to get a paper published in a special issue that the organisers are pushing for. Trying to think about moving from the stage we're at with our M&E framework, 5 peer assists etc. to broader questions. How do we implement social learning in an action research way to begin to see change more quickly? Not a classic research approach but e.g. Jane Clark in DfID is interested and Faz, in Brazil, are interested in doing this. Meeting with Blane this week to modularise this work for different types of people (e.g. people working in the adaptive management sphere). The journal is 'Environmental policy and governance journal'. Stockholm conference good opportunity to connect. PACA is also interested in the M&E Framework. Marissa focusing back on CCSL in August. Interest in having early results among the 5 peer assists this year. Ben: We've been speaking to BRACED consortia via Blane (e.g. Christian Aid). They want this kind of action learning on the ground. Don't expect results this year

__CCAFS__: working on CCAFS phase 2 (2017-2022) concept note. Extra money from DfID from 2015 to be spent on outcomes. Trying to pull lessons learnt from climate-smart technologies that are at a stage to be upscaled. Draft synthesis document shared with DfID pulling these lessons learned. We are using the CCSL M&E framework on the basis of hypothesis that if you have double/triple loop learning in the upscaling process these processes will be more effective. This is a bit ad hoc but one of the key findings likely to come out of the synthesis: learning can be used and improved. Looking into how to get social learning into CCAFS programmatic planning and reporting and that's moving along, quite a few reflexive questions in there. Ben: Simon Anderson at IIED has been busy reviewing CCAFS and has interviewed me. Simon seems interested in CCSL. Tracking Adaptation and Measuring Development (TAMD) work at IIED can see how CCSL M&E is relvant Phil: yes part of the full external CCAFS review with first draft due in late August. With Tonya, documenting result-based management and focusing onto outcomes. Working on a chapter for ... An intern based in South East Asia is interested in using the CCSL M&E framework for innovation platforms/multi-stakeholder processes. Social learning may also come up in collaboration with WLE: research for development sourcebook looking at different aspects and bringing case studies in it could pick upon social learning too.
 * **Q**: Do you have anything to share on this?
 * **A**: First draft due by DfID on 15 Aug so a bit earlier on we'll have sthg to share.

Development & Climate days at the Paris CoP are being planned and the Red Cross Climate Centre would like learning to be one of the key themes. They may want institutional partners on this and the model is low cost involvement. Effort required? Flagging interest for e.g. panel, 'lightning talks', etc. Others are involved in this including Jane Clark etc. IIED is always heavily involved in D&C days. Sponsorship around GBP 2000.
 * Other info...**

**Funding opportunities**
For phase 2 funding is much less likely to be available for small initiatives except seed money but there will be a lot of bilateral funding to raise from all parts of CCAFS. The basic funding model is going to change. It's ok but it means different ways to expand.
 * **Q**: Is there a light at the end of the CRP phase 2 tunnel?
 * **A**: Funding for CRPs is uncertain. 2016 probably grimmer than 2015 etc. it all depends on the full / final portfolio of CRPs will actually be. At the moment 12 CRPs asked to put in pre-proposals and proposals but how much change is likely is unclear.
 * **Q**: will there be budget surplus from this year?
 * **A**: Wiebke/Phil worked on the budget of 2015. Anything's possible but at this stage it's hard to say anything.
 * Perhaps opportunities at the CoP could come up? --> Yes and small amount of excess money can happen.
 * **Q**: Will donors ask you to lead CRPs and raise your own money at the same time?
 * **A**: This hasn't yet been sorted out.

On funding, we've been discussing with Liz on the comms 4 dev call by DfID and looking into this. Blane is on an ODI+SEI+Practical Action etc. proposal that has a major component on social learning. But remains to be seen if funds are available to bring part of this team in there. Doubtful because the partnership is large and the money small. But if it's successful it would be a great reservoir of case studies/evidence about social learning.

Other opportunity is with GIZ Ethiopia to see if they can be approached since they have a new country director and an ex-CG person working on the Sustainable Land Management program. Trying to pitch learning-based review of their history and that of SLM in Ethiopia.

Not much good news for funding but a lot of programs are investing in this. But we still need to forward underlying work without having resources for it. That's where the crux lies. Even if we are considering embedding some of this work in proposals it could be a way to go forward... So long as this group is having a conversation about how this is working etc. and how we are developing a knowledge base, Blane is happy to join the calls and continue. But will we be able to do much more than having the standalone pieces of work that are delinked without financial incentives. What we're managing to produce this year should be able to get us to do a big step forward. But without any funding to continue some of that it's a shame. Is it packaged right for DfID to fund parts of it?

N/A
 * AOB?**

3 September 2015.
 * Next meeting date?**