Niche Partnerships - A Guide to the Coaching Process

This Coaching Process guide was prepared under the project Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems (CDAIS), a global partnership (Agrinatura, FAO and eight pilot countries) that aims to strengthen the capacity of countries and key stakeholders to innovate in complex agricultural systems, thereby achieving improved rural livelihoods. CDAIS uses a continuous learning cycle approach to support national agricultural innovation systems in eight countries in Africa, in Asia and Central America. CDAIS brings together key partners and actors to address commonly identified challenges and opportunities in specific regions or within particular value chains.

The identified value chains/Innovation partnerships are supported by trained national innovation facilitators (NIFs) through a coaching process.

This guide serves as a resource for them and for other project stakeholders, as well as for other capacity development experts to i) to support the agricultural innovation niche partnerships in implementing their action plans designed based on understanding the actor’s needs (CNA), ii) to reflect on the achievements and the changes and, ii) to adjust the plans accordingly.