About LCD

In Phase 2 (2020-2025), we will be moving from what we call Capacity 1.0 that focuses on particular types of technical and soft skills, such as lab management, statistical analysis, teaching, communication skills, etc. to Capacity 2.0. USAID’s forthcoming approach to local capacity development (LCD) argues that every organization has a system which needs to be appreciated. Previous efforts often focused on improving an organization’s ability to manage USAID projects and directives and less on strengthening system capacity. Capacity 2.0, then, is a combination of Capacity 1.0 focused on management, governance, strategic planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning, plus collaboration and creating social value through organizational and institutional strengthening. Going forward, our focus will be on capabilities of various livestock research organizations (collective ability) and competencies (of individuals within the broader research organization system) and apply LCD systems-wide approaches to engage policy and key decision makers to support and sustain changes in the system. 

The priorities in Phase 2 will focus on: 

• Launching and continuing collaborative/consultative meetings with LCD partners and stakeholders, 

• Co-designing and implementing LCD pilot projects to address systemic issues in the livestock research systems, and 
• Providing technical support to our LCD partners and collaborating with AOI and CCT leaders. 

Our LCD activities involve three interrelated processes, based on the Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems (CDAIS) toolkit: 

1. Mapping and Engagement will involve various actors, resources and relationships of the system to agree on and share a common understanding of how innovation systems evolve, change and adapt. We will continue to work with partners from Phase 1 as well as expand to involve new partners and additional stakeholders who are identified as critical for systems change. 
2. Analysis and Refinement will explore, analyze and reflect on existing research on capacities, needs, problems and bottlenecks in the system (identified in capacity gap analysis for certain organizations in target countries) as well as prioritize collectively the problems that can be strategically addressed. The stakeholder re-engagement will contribute to developing and refining LCD roadmaps to strengthen local research and education components of livestock systems. Jointly, we will refine the broader problem sets, define research system boundaries as well as identify key system domains, system actors and their relationships. 
3. Design and Monitoring will enable joint work on the root causes of the bottlenecks with the mobilization of existing resources and capacities to co-create, implement, evaluate and revise proposed roadmaps. Through multi-stakeholder engagement, the process will be participatory and allow for joint ownership on the proposed solutions. The soon to be launched LCD competitive award funding will allow the co-design and monitoring of pathways to change through local capacity development activities. 
    
    

The HICD team is led by Dr. Sandra Russo and Dr. Nargiza Ludgate from the University of Florida’s Office for Global Research Engagement.

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This work was funded in whole or part by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Food Security under Agreement # AID-OAA-L-15-00003 as part of Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems. Additional funding was received from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed here are those of the authors alone.