InnovATE Work Plan FY 2015

As the InnovATE project moves into Year 3, the LEARN, DESIGN and TRAIN components of the project are starting to bear fruit. These project elements have motivated the implementing team to continuously reflect on how InnovATE is attaining the core goal of creating vibrant Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). In Year 3, we will work to develop the human and institutional capacity needed to promote innovation and meet workforce demands to achieve sustainable food security while reducing poverty, conserving natural resources, and addressing related cross-cutting development problems. InnovATE will define and disseminate strategies and approaches in support of vibrant value chains across food systems via agricultural education and training (AET) reform and investment that may or may not involve traditional AET institutions. InnovATE will focus on what support is needed to strengthen local value chains to foster a vibrant food system. InnovATE will work to develop investments that are focused on how best all levels of education (youth, primary and secondary educational systems, vocational/technical levels, and the university and post-graduate levels) and private sector training can be combined to provide support within the value chains that create a food system. InnovATE will engage institutions and individuals, both within and outside of the formal education and training systems, who are involved in rural workforce development to create and reinforce linkages between rural workforce development and value chain innovation. The work plan for Year 3 was prepared with input from collaborating faculty and staff of the Management Entity (ME) Virginia Tech (VT), the InnovATE consortium partners: the Pennsylvania State University (PSU); Tuskegee University (TU); the University of Florida (UF); the Program Advisory Council (PAC) and the USAID Agreement Officer Representative (AOR) and colleagues in the Bureau for Food Security (BFS). As work throughout the year progresses, lessons learned will be incorporated into the project implementation strategy. Program adjustments and re-orientations will be managed through subsequent annual work plans approved through the AOR in USAID/BFS. This is the work plan for the third year of the InnovATE project. This introduction is followed by a short overview of Year 3 activities. Next, the activities for each of the project’s three components during Year 3 are described in detail. In the appendices we provide a summary table of performance indicators (A) and present a Gantt chart for Year 3 activities and tasks (B).