NGO Network Development for Rice Farmers
Challenge
Aiming to successfully harness meaningful participation from multiple stakeholders for the launch of its first biofortified rice seed in Indonesia, a non-profit organization that is part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) approached DFI to map and consult with priority stakeholders at the macro- and micro-level of the local rice value chain.
Client Contributions to the SDGs
Approach
- Stakeholder mapping and initial outreach – To build an effective participatory group for the launch, DFI identified 87 key stakeholders in Indonesia outside the client’s existing network, across the government, private sector, international financial institutions, farmer associations, research organizations, and academia. Of these 87, DFI qualified and interviewed the top 1/3rd in preparation for the in-country meetings.
- Pre-launch consultations – As part of its deep-dive methodology, DFI went in-country with a client representative to jointly meet key stakeholders face to face in order to encourage and secure their optimal participation in the launch event. For this, DFI successfully arranged for meetings with 13 top-priority organizations, with additional meetings secured through the client’s network.
- Launch preparation and facilitation – Through coordinated invitations and follow-ups, DFI secured the attendance of shortlisted stakeholders for the launch. The event was successfully held in December 2018 in Jakarta with DFI providing pre-event support and facilitation of the overall launch.
Outcomes:
- DFI’s 3-month stakeholder engagement effort resulted in a qualified, interested and receptive audience of 27 for the December event representing diverse links across the rice value chain. With this, the launch successfully served as a platform for the client’s downstream stakeholder engagement and advocacy strategy.
- Through this project, the client was able to significantly expand its network in the Indonesian rice sector, not just at the local level but among international organizations. With these consultations, DFI also started the advocacy for rice biofortification as a solution to address micronutrient deficiency in developing economies.
- As result of the DFI program, in January 2019, the Indonesian government expressed its interest to fund the initial scale-up of the client’s biofortified rice.