Kindly send back this questionnaire in word format

/ Secretariat HLPE, c/o FAO
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HLPE report #13 on

“Multi-stakeholder Partnerships to Finance and Improve

Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) in the Framework of the 2030 Agenda”

Existing MSPs: Case studies

The following questionnaire aims at collecting detailed inputs on existing MSPs. This material is to be used where appropriate by the HLPE to illustrate its abovementioned report #13 with concrete examples.

1. Name of MSP: Swedish International Agricultural Network Initiative (SIANI) / # (for HLPE use only):
2. Thematic domain of activity:
(X) Food production; food supply chain;
(X) Natural resource management;
(X) Education, information, knowledge sharing;
(…) Resource mobilization;
(…) Other (specify):
Gender and equality, agriculture.
Brief description of mandate / activities / objectives:
SIANI is a network-based communications platform focused on food security and sustainable agriculture. The organisation was started to spread awareness and knowledge of agriculture’s essential roll for sustainable development, and now has a specific mandate of working towards achieving SDG2 - No Hunger. SIANI creates a platform for dialogue between different sectors, develop knowledge through different ‘Expert Groups’ that provide support for evidence-based policymaking and continues to strive for multi-lateral cooperation. Through these activities the organisation has attracted membership from countries all around the world and strengthened north-south cooperation.
3. Website (official website of the MSP and, or, relevant web sources):
https://www.siani.se/
4. Year of Origin / Creation: 2008
5. Scale/Level of operation (choose one option):
( x ) Global - Specify major areas/regions of presence: SE Asia, Africa, Europe
( ) Regional (Specify region[1]:…………………………………………….….……………………………..)
(…) Sub-regional (Specify sub-region[2]: …………………………………………………………………….)
( ) National (Specify country……………………………………………………….………………………)
( ) Local (specify country: ……………………………………….…………………………………………)
I) STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION
6. Number of main partners: 9
7. Composition of the MSP: list of main partners: names and/or categories (i.e.: public sector, private sector, civil society, others[3])
- Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida (Public)
- Stockholm Environment Institute, SEI (Other, Research)
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU (Other; Research)
- Forest Climate Livelihood Network , Focali (Other; Research)
- Swedish Board of Agriculture (Public)
- Federation of Swedish Farmers, LRF (Private)
- Vi-skogen (Civil Society)
- Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (Civil Society)
- Tetra Laval (Private)
- Swedish FAO committee
- The Royal Academy for Forestry and Agriculture (Other; Research)
- The Agroforestry Network (Other; Research)
- Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, CGIAR (Other; Research)
8. Which partner(s) initiated the MSP? How the MSP may have evolved?
SIANI was conceived as a result of a joint-workshop where representatives from all four sectors were present. SIANI has since then gone through different phases: 1) establish a platform for cross-sectoral knowledge exchange and organise activities to raise awareness and expand the knowledge of partners, 2) network expansion and consolidation, 3) recognised neutral knowledge platform with a mission statement and goals specifically tailored to SDG2.
9. Degree of formalization: does the MSP result of an informal agreement, or is there a formal structure of decision-making?
(…) full legal entity: legal personality
(x) formalized agreement among partners, but no legal personality for the MSP
(…) informal arrangement
Describe the decision-making process (including frequency of meetings of the governing bodies…)
The highest decision-making body of SIANI is the Steering Committee (SC), made up of a maximum of ten members who must collectively comprise a broad and varied experience and expertise from different sectors in the aspects of international agricultural development. The SC meet at least three times a year. Once every year, a SIANI Member’s meeting is held where every member has the opportunity to submit proposals and opinions concerning priorities and ideas for activities. The SIANI secretariat is the responsible party for day-to-day decision-making and hosts weekly meetings where key partners such as SLU and Focali participate in person or through Skype.
10. Governance structure: describe the roles, responsibilities and level of involvement of the different partners in the partnership. Describe, the case being, power asymmetries between partners. Which partner(s) lead the MSP?
SIDA and SEI are the main contractual partners through a core funding contract with the latter. Together with SLU they are the three ex-officio members of the SC, albeit in that capacity they do not have the ability to vote. However, as hosting organisation SEI has the ability to potentially override SIANI SC decisions. Regarding the cooperation within the larger network, there is no distinction or hierarchy amongst the members.
11. Representativeness: How and by whom are the members chosen? Do they speak only for themselves or represent a broader category of stakeholders? How long is their mandate? How does the MSP ensure inclusiveness and “fair” representation of the most affected people?
SIANI membership is free and open to all who register via the SIANI website. The ability to apply for a funded focus group is also open to those who send in applications, though the Secretariat will make decisions concerning qualification and contracts. Likewise, every SIANI membership organization has the ability to approach the Secretariat to collaborate in arranging SIANI Events.
Members of the Steering Committee (a board) sit for a period of three years, and a nomination group is responsible for proposing new members though every SIANI member has the ability to suggest a SC member via email to the Secretariat. Each SC member is nominated based on personal capacity stemming from the perspectives and knowledge of their sector. However, an SC member should to the fullest extent possible be representative of the whole range of SIANI’s collaborating sectors.
What are the channels of communication between the MSP and the government(s)? Are the decisions/recommendations of the MSP to the government(s) are prescriptive or consultative? What public strategies/priorities this partnership supported at different scales?
There are a number of potential communication channels between SIANI and the Swedish Government. Generally the purpose and method of SIANI is to facilitate joint-action between key SIANI members to act collectively and provide evidence-based knowledge and information that can in turn be the support for informed decision-making. However on special occasions hearings on specific topics like antimicrobial resistance, people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation being members of SIANI
Through SIANI’s engagement in the Swedish FAO Committee which is chaired by the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation. SIANI publications are shared on the Swedish FAO committee´s website.
12. Finance: How and by whom the MSP is funded? Who underwrites the partnership? Add relevant data about the budget, and budget share of each category of partners (public, private, civil society). Is the budget sufficient for work plan implementation? What are the financial tools and mechanisms used by the MSP?
SIANI is funded by multi-year grants from Sida in addition to co-funding from a variety of partners on a ‘per activity’ basis.
Sida supports SIANI’s work in coordinating the actions according with agreed workplan. With the increasing recognition of the platform and its role as a neutral knowledge platform, the contribution from partners are increasing and many activities are now organized fully supported by collaborating partners.
SIANI is hosted by a larger organisation (the Stockholm Environment Institute) and as part of this relationship gains the use of their HR and finance departments.
II) OUTCOMES
13. What is the main function of the MSP? Is it mainly:
(x)“policy-oriented”
(….) “action-oriented”
(…) Other (specify):
14. What are the main areas of contribution of the MSP? Please tick in the table below the main, secondary and tertiary areas of contribution of the MSP.
Outcome Area / Primary / Secondary / Tertiary
1.  Policy design, policy implementation, laws, advocacy and awareness / x
2.  Increased participation/inclusiveness: priority given to women as well as to marginalized and vulnerable groups. / x
3.  Capacity building, among the MSP partners, and beyond / x
4.  Resource mobilisation and fund raising / x
5.  Activities related to facilitating improved FSN outcomes (e.g. environmental stewardship towards biodiversity/ water conservation…) / x
6.  Outcomes that directly contribute to FSN (e.g. increased production, economic growth, income and employment generation, improved diets, better nutrition education and information…) / x
7.  Monitoring and evaluation / x
8.  Other (Specify: ______)
For each of the areas of contribution mentioned above, please give examples of the MSP outcomes and impacts:
1. Raising the profile of important issues related to the ‘Swedish experience’ on an international stage – such as the recent AMR work, originating from a Swedish context. SIANI participates in the development of several strategies for development such as public consultations and with written contributions. SIANI has also jointly with other actors been writing opinion pieces to highlight the importance of e.g. agroforestry.
2. Communicating stories and narratives from vulnerable groups, presenting this as learning and opportunities for the education of network members. SIANI has always worked to highlight female role models, and strive to have female representatives and other voices e.g. from youth or minority groups in panels at organized seminars. SIANI has raised the importance of female participation in Forestry at e.g. UN CFS http://www.fao.org/cfs/home/plenary/side-events/37/en/
3. Organisation of regular seminars and activities bringing in a diverse selection of speakers from across the globe to ensure multiple viewpoints are included in discussions and debates. SIANI publications are used for training and educational purposes and often cited. For example: 1) https://www.siani.se/publication/bookgender_relations/ 2) https://www.siani.se/publication/antimicrobial-use-livestock-low-income-countries
4. Support smaller groups and individuals to engage in debates and relevant for a, and to give equal opportunity to be heard. SIANI also received funding from collaborators relating to specific activities. SIANI plays an important role to raise the importance of smallholder agriculture for FSN in the public which has resulted in more financial support to the sector through different development policies.
5. We are an information platform so support members to engage with knowledge and skills in these areas. As SIANI is hosted by one of the most influential think tanks within the area of environment and policy, the sustainability aspects of Agriculture and linking FSN to the climate agenda has been a core activity for the network
6. We are an information platform so support members to engage with knowledge and skills in these areas. SIANI has been proactive to raise the following issues and linking them to production and FSN; social safety network and agriculture, food waste and losses to food security, AMR and livestock to food safety, food security and sustainability, food security, climate and agroforestry.
7. We have innovated our own versions of outcome monitoring that are best applied to our work with a distributed network.
What are the main organizational and collective benefits gained from setting-up this MSP?
Our partners benefit from the fact that we are an independent body who promotes evidence-based approaches to FSN. We facilitate many different dialogues and activities, even safe spaces for discussion and learning.
III) OVERALL ASSESSMENT
15. Please rank your overall assessment of the MSP, ranking from 1 to 5 (with 1 being lowest to 5 highest)
16. Explain your above ranking
17. How do you assess the MSP according to the following criteria (high, medium, low)? Why?
Criteria / Assessment / Low / Medium / High
Inclusiveness
(the intention to include everyone affected by decisions, especially those who are routinely ignored) / X
Accountability
(assigned responsibility that a representative or a group acquires with the action of speaking or deciding on behalf of someone else) / X
Transparency/Access to Information
(openness to public scrutiny, availability of information) / X
Reflexivity
(capacity of a MSP to learn from mistakes, to assess long-term trends, and to react accordingly / X
Effectiveness
(assessment of the achievement of MSP’s objectives) / X
Efficiency
(comparison between the use of resources with the potential benefits the MSP can generate, including intangible benefits) / X
Resource mobilisation
(raising of financial resources, and other enabling resources to improve FSN) / X
Impact
(impact on FSN in its four dimensions at different scales) / X
18. Any comments on the above ratings:
19. How do you rate the power relations between participants? (choose one option)
( X ) More Equal
( ) Equal
( ) Less Equal
( ) Un-equal
20. Explain your above rating
One of the basic tenets of SIANI is to encourage multi-sector dialogues, and much of our funding is distributed on the basis that dialogues will represent multiple viewpoints and be inclusive.
IV) THREATS, OPPORTUNITIES, LESSONS LEARNED AND WAYS FORWARD
21. Could you identify current strengths supporting and/or weakness challenging the MSP?
Strong and supportive base in Sweden the partners support each other and regularly share information. New network constellations on specific issues have emerged e.g. Agroforestry Network. However this success is also a limitation as it is hard to locate other donors of to support a Nordic network a similar size and outreach outside the Nordic region.
22. Could you identify projected threats and/or opportunities that the MSP would cause/offer, (included for those stakeholders that are not included in the MSP)?
Threat: The network is dependent on Swedish government support and support from Sida .
Opportunity: is that the partners are willing to invest in this collaboration with their time and with other resources.
23. Which conditions could enable the MSP to better function?
A commitment of funding for an extended period (7-10yrs) so work-streams could be properly developed over time and with greater efficiency.
24. What is the potential of this MSP to influence public priorities across sectors and allocation of budget for improved FSN? What is its potential to mobilise further funds for improving food security and nutrition?
High within the Swedish context and Swedish funding spurs commitments from other donor and philanthropic agencies e.g. our experiences with AMR and livestock.
25. What is the potential of this MSP to address the specific needs of marginalized and vulnerable groups most affected by food insecurity and malnutrition?
High, dependant on the partners and the issues that are bring focused on at that time within the network.
26. How can other regions/countries use this experience to organize similar spaces? what are the necessary conditions to extrapolate/adapt/scale-up this MSP experience?
Very easily. We can present a transparent model of our system which should be successful in most other contexts.
REFERENCES
27. The HLPE is interested by any article, mainly scientific references but also practical experiences on MSPs you would like to share (scholarly articles, reports, reviews, analysis, etc):
SIANI Outputs 2017
Blogs:
1.
Putting Agenda 2030 into practice, how the landscape perspective can contribute?
https://www.siani.se/blog/putting-2030-agenda-practice-how-landscape-
perspective-can-contribute/
2.
In the search for food security, how can African scientists make themselves heard?
https://www.siani.se/blog/search-food-security-how-can-african-scientists-make-
themselves-heard/
3.
Real –life experiences for understanding women economic empowerment
https://www.siani.se/blog/real-life-experiences-understanding-womens-economic-
empowerment/
4.
The importance of self-reflection in research
https://www.siani.se/blog/importance-
self-reflection-research/
5.
Why does animal health matter?
https://www.siani.se/blog/why-does-animal-
health-matter/
6.
Det internationella baljväxtåret 2016 – vad hände och hur fortsätter vi framåt?
https://www.siani.se/blog/det-internationella-baljvaxtaret-2016-vad-hande-och-hur-
fortsatter-vi-framat/
7.
Going organic in Russia – the case for better marketing
https://www.siani.se/blog/going-organic-russia-case-better-marketing/
8.
Can muscles be a secret answer to sustainable aquaculture?
https://www.siani.se/blog/can-mussels-be-secret-answer-sustainable-aquaculture/
9.
Age aside: Young leaders are still leaders
https://www.siani.se/blog/age-aside-
young-leaders-are-still-leaders/
10.
How a forest walk can hold a key to immigrant integration
https://www.siani.se/blog/how-forest-walk-can-hold-key-immigrant-integration/
11.
Forgotten fruit always tastes better
https://www.siani.se/blog/forgotten-fruit-
always-tastes-better/
(part of the SIANI spotlight on GFAR)
12.
The future food system is open-source, high-tech and operates through networks
https://www.siani.se/blog/future-food-system-open-source-high-tech-and-operates-
through-networks/
13.
Boosting youth engagement in sustainable development, what will it take?
https://www.siani.se/blog/boosting-youth-engagement-sustainable-development-
what-will-it-take/
14.
Leveraging agrobiodiversity: A recipe for food forever and happily ever after (
published at the UN CFS website)
https://www.siani.se/blog/leveraging-
agrobiodiversity-recipe-food-forever-and-happily-ever-after/
15.
Indigenous food: More than just taste bud tingling ( in collaboration with Slow Food
Int.)
https://www.siani.se/blog/indigenous-food-more-taste-buds-tingling/
16.
Aquaculture: Pandering to the elite r a tool for rural development and food security?
https://www.siani.se/blog/aquaculture-pandering-elite-or-tool-rural-development-
and-food-security/
17.
Leapfrogging into the green future, is it going to be tech for tat?
https://www.siani.se/blog/leapfrogging-green-future-it-going-be-tech-tat/
18.
The gender agenda, a vortex of misunderstandings? (published at the UN CFS
website)
https://www.siani.se/blog/gender-agenda-vortex-misunderstandings/
19.
Smoking hot: changing the way we cook (published at the UN CFS website)
https://www.siani.se/blog/leapfrogging-green-future-it-going-be-tech-tat/
20.
Why good policies and public money (only) won’t change the world (published at UN
CFS website)
https://www.siani.se/blog/why-good-policies-and-public-funding-only-
wont-change-world/
21.
Growing food in concrete - urban farming pioneers in Stockholm
https://www.siani.se/blog/growing-food-concrete-urban-farming-pioneers-
stockholm/
22.
Wastewater in forestry?
https://www.siani.se/blog/wastewater-in-forestry/
23.
Weaving smart food loops, for me, for you and for the farmer ( published at the UN
CFS website)
https://www.siani.se/blog/weaving-smart-food-loops-planet-farmer/
24.
Trees of refuge giving back lost chances ( published at the UN CFS website)
https://www.siani.se/blog/trees-refuge-giving-back-lost-chances/
25.
Communities in Sweden and in Kenya, water crisis in common?
https://www.siani.se/blog/communities-sweden-kenya-water-crisis-common/
26.
Virtual reality for development: Impact through empathy
https://www.siani.se/blog/virtual-reality-development-impact-empathy/
27.
A playground for a sustainable lifestyle, deep in the woods
https://www.siani.se/blog/playground-sustainable-lifestyle-deep-woods/
28.
Forest and food, a matter of social justice?
https://www.siani.se/blog/forest-food-
matter-social-justice/
29.
What happened in Stockholm during the “land rights autumn”?
https://www.siani.se/blog/happened-stockholm-land-rights-autumn-reflections-
lasse-krantz/
30.
Trust infusion: Developing a software for sustainable landscapes ( published on the
GLF)
https://www.siani.se/blog/trust-infusion-developing-software-sustainable-
Landscapes/
Publications:
1.
Linking water, sanitation and agricultural sectors for food and nutrition security
https://www.siani.se/publication/linking-water-sanitation-and-agricultural-sectors-
food-and-nutrition-security/
2.
Farming + Forests= Food Security: Integrated landscapes offer hope of sustainability
in Asian uplands
https://www.siani.se/publication/farming-forests-food-security-
integrated-landscapes-offer-hope-sustainability-asian/
3.
Use of livestock resources for food security in the light of climate change
https://www.siani.se/publication/use-livestock-resources-food-security-light-
climate-change/
4.
Reducing food waste across global food chains
https://www.siani.se/publication/reducing-food-waste-across-global-food-chains/
5.
Slå vakt om fattiga landsbygdsbors rätt Riktlinjer för ansvarsfull förvaltning av
naturresurser
https://www.siani.se/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/170626a_bess-
siani_land_tenure_pb_1706-23_final_.pdf
28. Any other observation.

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