2. ASSAR’s learning survey
• September – November 2016
•Questions about
• Key learnings
• One’s ASSAR experience
• Working in a consortium
• One’s motivation to be in ASSAR
• 61 respondents
• 31 female & 30 male
3. Most valuable learning
“1. The project has provided me the opportunity to deepen my skills in dealing with stakeholders at the local and national level on issues on climate change.
2. The project provides me the space to think of creative and innovative ways of communicating research findings to different groups of people.
3. I had the chance to represent the project on various workshops and platforms to exhibit research work done by the project.
4. I learnt new methodologies for social research on climate change and food security.
5. I have built great working relationships with researchers from different institutions through the cross regional activities and research.”
Understanding on
consortium model
20%
Appreciation
of different
types of
expertise
24%
Learning
something
new: thinking
& acting
differently
56%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
New ways of
thinking about
& conducting
research (incl.
approaches &
methods)
New content Broadened
understanding &
thinking
Importance of
RiU (skills,
uptake,
engagement)
Understanding
how a
consortium
works & is
managed
4. Type of interactions that supported the learning
“The weekly digest has been the single
most useful process/platform for me to
keep abreast of the consortium as it
evolves (and know of things I'm not
directly involved in but can use).
The face to face meetings have been
INVALUABLE every time I've been part of
them. They have helped progress papers
more than months of online editing/calls.”
“- Training workshops and engagement in actual activities related to specific skills such as TSP, VRA and Stakeholder Mapping Exercise
- Webinar and direct consultation with specific experts e.g. comms personnel in terms of writing blogs or short reports
- Meeting/personal communication with the experts in related field/methodologies or tools learned
- Online material e.g. Oxfam Webpage for VRA, Netmap for Stakeholder Influence Mapping, We Adapt etc.
- Reports and papers shared on ASSAR website and weekly digest
- Active engagement in developing the tools, implementation and report writing e.g. VRA, Stakeholder mapping, interviews on governance, FGDs, etc.”
Internal meetings
(face to face)
24%
Online
interactions
21%
Trainings, conferences,
seminars
17%
Learning from
each other
11%
Learning from
stakeholders
10%
"Learning by
doing"
9%
Fieldwork
5%
Literature
3%
5. Top 2 ASSAR highlights/ experiences
Collaborating
and learning
across
multiple
spheres
47%
Interacting with
stakeholders & doing RiU
17%
Undertaking
work
successfully
17%
Other
19%
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Face to face
interactions
Collaborative
research across
disciplines &
regions
Work with a
diverse team
Trainings Undertaking
research &
fieldwork
“Preparing the RiU work stream for our project has been
one of the experiences in ASSAR that stands out in my
mind, witnessing natural and social scientist work
together to see how their research can bring about real
world changes has been one of the most valuable
experiences that I have had in ASSAR.”
“The first TSP workshop in Ghana in West Africa because I was able to
interact with stakeholders which is a rare opportunity for me and let me see
the human face of the work we do.
Interacting with the student researchers from West Africa, because they
are the future of this type of work and it is very rewarding to play any role in
helping them achieve success and more opportunities.”
6. Top 2 challenging moments
Setting up the
project
19%
Difficulties of
working
together
25%
Overwhelming aspect
15%
Everyday
challenges
26%
Other
11%
None
4%
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Relationships
& failed
teamwork
Collaboration
in practice
Competing
demands on
time
Logistics Setting up the
research
Managing
conflicting
expectations
“1. Usually multiple deadlines accumulating around the same time.
2. Matching consortium expectations with institutional expectations
(aspirations) and being able to do justice to both.”
“Collaborating with partners with different subject and institutional
backgrounds, which resulted in lot of time spent in gaining trust and
understanding; Finding common ground in research questions and
methodologies as well as the problem of scales in terms of data -
climate scientists vis-a vis social scientists.”
“Moving from the RDS phase to the RRP- It was quite difficult to get a
common understanding on from where we start the RRP
Same with the TSP- Basically there was an agreement that all ASSAR
regions will implement the TSP, but over time, the decision was made
by each region to go for TSP or not...”
“It was also challenging to carry own the field work as the communities had to
be convinced as to what the benefits of the study will entail for them.”
7.
8. Most useful part of working in a consortium
Access to new networks, information, ways of thinking, approaches, funds, research sites…
“Can draw on the consortia's
expertise and even senior
researchers without having to
think twice.”
“Open collaboration, feeling of
being equal partners,
everybody responsible for what
comes out of the project.”
“Exposure to so many different
approaches from the natural
and social sciences on the topic
of climate change adaptation,
in such a short time.”
“Cross-learnings and the realisation that people connect at
fundamental levels irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds,
language, color and all the other prominent differentiators.”
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
9. Difficulties about working in a consortium
“Coming to consensus on methods (we actually still haven't done
that!). I feel the consortia model doesn't allow for methodological
innovation. We tend to fall back on the lowest common denominator -
e.g. household surveyors.”
Transaction
costs
53%
Differences
between
partners
14%
Politics
21%
None
7%
Other
5%
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Logistics of
working
together
"Too much" Competing
interests,
priorities &
agendas
Working
remotely/
distance
Building &
maintaining
trust &/or
engagement
Time
investment
required
“Keeping up/down with multiple institution's pace. So much
is lost in translation while working across different contexts,
disciplines. Too much reporting at too many levels.”
“Too much time spent in conveying ideas and convincing scientists and
partners having different subject backgrounds; sometimes opportunities
are skewed in favour of lead partners (maybe due to nature of the contracts
and funds availability).”
10.
11. What will need to have happened by the end of ASSAR,
for you to feel the most satisfied and fulfilled?
“A few publications, impacted lives of
rainfed and forest dependent
communities in xxx and have learned
the art of carrying out problem
oriented and meaningful research
instead of research driven by what
needs to be published on or what will
garner more citations.”
RiU-
related
gains
45%
Academic
gains
39%
Personal
gains
7%
Other
9%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
12. Tentative conclusions & lessons
• Choice of partners (& size of consortium) is critical
• Importance of setting up a shared approach at the outset and bringing everyone on board
• Investing in relationships and building and maintaining trust is essential
• Dealing with power issues & politics
• Importance of good leadership
• Importance of full-time people
• Dealing with different working styles & cultures
• Overcoming challenges to work collaboratively
• Avoiding “feelings of isolation” & maintaining connection
• Maintaining motivation
• Avoiding endless demands & feelings of overwhelm
• Dealing with tension around multiple types of aspirations (incl. re time)
• Dealing with tension between research and project management
• Dealing with tension between research & RiU
• Dealing with tension between student interests vs. project requirements
• Dealing with tension between project and institutional requirements
• Being innovative while working together
• Making everyone feel valued
13. Status & way forward
• Report: What have we learned from working collaboratively in the
ASSAR project?
• Finalise publication on survey results using Communities of Practice
framing (with Georgina)
• Join Georgina on a contribution for Transformations 2017
• Participate in a joint reflection with CARIAA & BRACED (& FCFA?) on
lessons about undertaking research in consortia & what impact this
leads to
• Run another ASSAR survey at end of project
