Strengthening Agricultural and Nutrition Extension (SANE) Quarterly Report 3 | FY2018/19

The Activity was awarded to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as prime implementer under Cooperative Agreement Award No. AID-612-LA-15-00003. The Activity is part of the Feed the Future initiative, which seeks to address food insecurity and malnutrition in some of the world's poorest countries. The SANE Activity focuses on strengthening the agricultural extension system in Malawi, with a particular emphasis on improving the capacity of District Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (DAESS) platforms, extension workers, and farmers. The Activity also aims to strengthen research-extension linkages, improve the policy environment, and enhance coordination and collaboration among stakeholders. One of the key achievements of the SANE Activity during the third quarter of FY2018/19 was the finalization and implementation of the National Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Strategy (NAEASS) and the Agricultural Sector Food and Nutrition Strategy (ASFNS). The Activity also supported farmer participation in policy dialogue, including co-sponsoring farmer involvement in district-level policy forums and national-level policy forums. In addition, the SANE Activity made significant progress in strengthening the coordination and capacity of extension service providers. This included partnering with districts to implement District Strengthening Action Plans (DSAPs), orienting platforms and training on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and enhancing coordination in DSAP implementation. The Activity also improved capacities and strengthened coordination within DAESS, including training on governance and accountability, participatory stakeholder mapping, and coordination skills training. The SANE Activity also made progress in implementing monitoring and evaluation efforts, including the mid-term evaluation report, data quality assessment, and implementation of monitoring and evaluation efforts. The Activity also reported on its communications efforts, including working relationships with partners, national taskforce on Fall Armyworm, and USAID/Malawi partners meeting. The SANE Activity has made significant progress in improving the policy environment, strengthening the coordination and capacity of extension service providers, and enhancing research-extension linkages. The Activity continues to work towards its targets, including improving agricultural and nutrition outcomes, increasing farmer participation in policy dialogue, and enhancing coordination and collaboration among stakeholders.