ASSAR-GHANA STUDENTS’ SCOPING VISIT

By: Prosper Adiku & Prince Ansah

The fields are back to life and awash with greenery, nearly empty households in virtually all communities and tethered animals grazing in the neighbourhoods are strong indications of the peak in agricultural activities as the rains pour in in an unpredictable consistency

Between 20^th and the 26^th of August, 2016, the second batch of ASSAR Ghana students embarked on a scoping visit to the ASSAR study areas in the Lawra and Nandom districts of the Upper West region. The scoping visit follows the successful induction meeting between the students (2 PhDs and 4 MPhils) and the ASSAR Ghana Team on the 9^th of August to introduce the students to the project in general and ASSAR Ghana in particular. During the induction, the students were taken through the needed information including research themes, financing and contract as well as guidance on how to look out for and shape research topics using the knowledge gaps as identified from the RDS and the first batch student research activities. The scoping visit was intended to:

• introduce the new students to ASSAR research sites and local stakeholders, give them the opportunity of interaction with community members for exchange of relevant contacts.
• provide students opportunities to select their potential research communities and to further modify their research topics and proposals.
• promote the deepening of the relationship between the ASSAR project, the communities and stakeholders in the districts.

On arrival at the Lawra district (21^st August), the Team with the help of the Technical Officers paid a visit to the facilitator Mr. Eric Kaliebu, a retired agriculturist who is also a reference group member for the ASSAR Transformative Scenario Planning (TSP) process and a key stakeholder for the ASSAR project in the district. Mr. Kaliebu welcomed the team to his residence and the district at large and went on to brief the team on the nature of agriculture and livelihood activities in the district. The students in turn elaborated on their research interests, sought answers to pressing questions such as those regarding the kind of information and data they required to be able to select and carry out their research activities.

In all, a total of 12 communities were visited, 6 from each of the two districts. In the Lawra district, the Kalsagri, Kampouh, Zakpee, Tolibri, Berwong, and Orbilli communities were visited. Kalsagri was the first community visited, the representative of the Chief of the community who met the team was happy about the visit and promised the readiness of the community to assist the students in any way they can to ensure a successful data collection. At Kampouh, the community known as the champion for the adoption of good local adaptation practices in the district, the students interacted with some community elders who were willing to assist them in their research activities. The team also had a warm reception from the members of the Zakpee community. Even though the team could not meet community members at Tolibri and Berwong communities due to the fact that they had all gone to attend to their fields or other activities, the students established contacts with some community leaders. The team finally visited the Orbilli community which is closer to the Black Volta and as such heavily involved in dry seasoning farming and shea butter processing.

In the Nandom district, the team’s visit was facilitated by Mr. Tieh Kpokpori, a field officer and community development worker of the Nandom Deanery Integrated Rural Development Programme (NANDIRDEP) a key ASSAR local stakeholder. The team visited the Segru, Ketuo, Zedung, Betaglu, Waleteng, and Goziire communities. The team had a great reception from these communities and available community members and leaders were willing to interact, answer questions and exchange contacts with students. They were also ready to provide any assistance the students will need during data collection. The team also visited the Nandom District Assembly and interacted with the Planning Officer, who promised to send relevant documents to the team including the map of the district containing the location of all the communities. 

Community engagement at Zakpee community (Lawra district)

Major developments arising from the scoping visit:

1. Local governance on natural resource management is a major factor in boosting agriculture productivity and forestry in both districts. For instance, communities such as Kampouh and Goziire in the Lawra and Nandom districts respectively, communities have become model communities for the adoption of good local adaptation practices that boost productivity.
2. Thesis areas should respond to the ASSAR thematic areas and at the same time questions on agriculture intensification, which is the main theme of ASSAR West Africa. For instance, an MPhil student intending to work on “Shea butter processing and its impacts on livelihood in Semi-arid regions” should be guided to explore the linkages between the shea processing and agriculture productivity.
3. Concerns from community leaders on the need to share results from research findings with the communities. This can be in the form of developing communication products and disseminating them to the communities. This will also motivate communities to respond positively to any future data collection activities in the area.
4. A technique should be developed to reduce repeated use of same respondents from the various communities. This will reduce the wearying out of respondents answering similar basic questions from different enumerators.

The table below summarises the broad research interests of the students.

	Name	Level	Research Area
1	Ophelia Kaba-Ayamba	PhD	Local knowledge on ecosystem management
2	Edward Koomson	PhD	Ecosystem services
3	Belinda Assabil	MPhil	Food security
4	Francis Awaafo Akugre	MPhil	Land security and tenure
5	Abdul-Karim Suleman	MPhil	Sheabutter processing
6	Rabiatu Abass	MPhil	Integration of formal and informal systems in sustainable adaptation

In general, the scoping visit was a success and the students had the opportunity to interact, ask questions and exchange contacts with stakeholders and individuals in all the 12 communities visited.  Community leaders committed are committed to assisting students in to ensure a successful data collection. Even though only a few communities were visited due to time constraints, students will have the opportunity to collect their data from other communities within the districts when they return to start their research activities. The need to share findings with communities, local governance on natural resource and appropriate techniques to reduce repetitive basic questions were some of the major issues that came up during the visit.