the sub-national to the global level in ways that benefit the rural poor (CGIAR
2011).
The program encompasses four research themes, being addressed from 2011 to
2015, designed to enhance adaptive capacity in agricultural, natural resources
management and food systems, thereby leading to improvements in environmental
health, rural livelihoods and food security through diverse trade-offs and synergies.
The four themes are: (i) adaptation to progressive climate change, (ii) adaptation
through managing climate risk, (iii) pro-poor climate change mitigation, and
(iv) integration of decision-making processes.
Research and development activities under this CCAFS program were placebased and undertaken at several spatial levels within so‐called “target regions”.
West Africa region was one of the places where the research and development
activities were undertaken in five countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger and
Senegal. A participatory action research (PAR) approach (led by the International
Center for Research in Agroforestry, ICRAF, in collaboration with the five countries’ national agricultural research systems) was used to promote agricultural
technologies (assisted natural regeneration, composting, tree planting, etc.), practices, policies and capacity enhancement (on-farm application trainings) for adaptation to progressive climate change. The participatory action research has
contributed to the CCAFS’s planned 5-year output, as stated in the Research
Proposal (CGIAR Research Program 7 2011; output 1.1.1): “Development of
farming systems and production technologies adapted to climate change conditions
in time and space through design of tools for improving crops, livestock, and
agronomic and natural resource management practices.”
Parallel to this participatory action research on adaptation, a capacity enhancement action on planning, monitoring and evaluation of climate change adaptation
(led by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN, in collaboration with the five national agricultural research systems) was conducted. Thus,
prior to the development of the M&E plan, vulnerability assessments were
conducted and adaptation actions planned in a participatory action research framework (Somda et al. 2014). Four of the five West African countries (Burkina Faso,
Ghana, Niger and Senegal) were involved in the participatory action research of the
CGIAR’s CCAFS program.
14.2.2 The Monitoring and Evaluation Approach
and Technique
The framework for monitoring and evaluating adaptive capacity was developed
based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by Ajzen (1991), which proposes a
model that can help efforts to measure the effectiveness of interventions designed to
guide human actions. It has been applied to adaptation M&E because adaptation
requires technological and/or behavioral changes that are consistent with the
258
J. Somda et al.
2011).
The program encompasses four research themes, being addressed from 2011 to
2015, designed to enhance adaptive capacity in agricultural, natural resources
management and food systems, thereby leading to improvements in environmental
health, rural livelihoods and food security through diverse trade-offs and synergies.
The four themes are: (i) adaptation to progressive climate change, (ii) adaptation
through managing climate risk, (iii) pro-poor climate change mitigation, and
(iv) integration of decision-making processes.
Research and development activities under this CCAFS program were placebased and undertaken at several spatial levels within so‐called “target regions”.
West Africa region was one of the places where the research and development
activities were undertaken in five countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger and
Senegal. A participatory action research (PAR) approach (led by the International
Center for Research in Agroforestry, ICRAF, in collaboration with the five countries’ national agricultural research systems) was used to promote agricultural
technologies (assisted natural regeneration, composting, tree planting, etc.), practices, policies and capacity enhancement (on-farm application trainings) for adaptation to progressive climate change. The participatory action research has
contributed to the CCAFS’s planned 5-year output, as stated in the Research
Proposal (CGIAR Research Program 7 2011; output 1.1.1): “Development of
farming systems and production technologies adapted to climate change conditions
in time and space through design of tools for improving crops, livestock, and
agronomic and natural resource management practices.”
Parallel to this participatory action research on adaptation, a capacity enhancement action on planning, monitoring and evaluation of climate change adaptation
(led by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN, in collaboration with the five national agricultural research systems) was conducted. Thus,
prior to the development of the M&E plan, vulnerability assessments were
conducted and adaptation actions planned in a participatory action research framework (Somda et al. 2014). Four of the five West African countries (Burkina Faso,
Ghana, Niger and Senegal) were involved in the participatory action research of the
CGIAR’s CCAFS program.
14.2.2 The Monitoring and Evaluation Approach
and Technique
The framework for monitoring and evaluating adaptive capacity was developed
based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by Ajzen (1991), which proposes a
model that can help efforts to measure the effectiveness of interventions designed to
guide human actions. It has been applied to adaptation M&E because adaptation
requires technological and/or behavioral changes that are consistent with the
258
J. Somda et al.