One of the most important things that innovation platforms do is to build the capacity of their members to innovate. Some key elements of innovation capacity include: self-organization, learning new skills, changing mindsets, valuing others’ roles in innovation, having a holistic view, being able to adapt to changing situations, creating new ideas, recognizing opportunities, being proactive, using indigenous ideas, and looking to the future. This brief uses the analogy of a traditional African cooking pot to explain how innovation capacity is developed within an innovation platform. It draws on three examples of innovation platforms: in Babure, Uganda; Gwanda, Zimbabwe; and three regions in Ethiopia. The brief is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.
Facilitation of innovation is a flexible and adaptive process during which facilitators manage dialogue and stimulate collective problem analysis by multiple stakeholders to overcome challenges or make use of opportunities. The brief describes what facilitation is about, facilitators' functions and...
Communication is a crucial part of facilitating the process of innovation within an innovation platform. It comprises a broad range of practices and approaches which include information management, publishing, use of information and communication technologies, communication for development, knowledge sharing...
Four ways of achieving impact with innovation platforms are discussed in this brief.
This brief is part of the series of ‘practice briefs’ intended to help guide agricultural research practitioners who seek to support and implement innovation platforms. A contribution...
The capacities of twenty-four Livestock and Fish CGIAR Research Programme partners in four countries (Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Nicaragua), representing two partner types (development and research), have been assessed during the period December 2014 – September 2015. This report aims...
This brief deals with the importance of power and representation within in innovation platforms. The brief is part of the series of ‘practice briefs’ intended to help guide agricultural research practitioners who seek to support and implement innovation platforms. A contribution to...