In preparation for the launch of advocacy activities for the promotion of agropastoral systems, the Coordination Unit of the Research and Innovation for Productive, Resilient and Healthy Agro-Pastoral Systems in West Africa Project (PRISMA) organized a regional stakeholder capacity-building workshop from 16th to 21st September 2024 in Lomé, Togo. The workshop brought together PRISMA management units, focal points from ministries in charge of livestock, and representatives of professional livestock organizations from the project area.

For policy dialogue, the PRISMA project initially selected four (04) priority themes, namely: (i) conservation and restoration of pastoral areas, (ii) effective mechanism for the prevention and control of zoonoses, (iii) availability and accessibility of quality livestock feed, and (iv) development of an indexed insurance scheme to cover the risks of drought in the Sahel regions.

The training consisted in reviewing the key constituent elements of a policy dialogue, which include livestock issues and challenges with respect to the three beneficiary countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger), national public policies and arrangements of legal standards, sub-regional and regional public policies and their impact on national policies and strategies, concept of policy dialogue, conditions for successful policy dialogue and advocacy, a practical approach to developing a policy advocacy strategy, a case study of a policy dialogue in difficulty and development of the advocacy strategy and action plan, budget and issues of monitoring-evaluation of the advocacy strategy..

The training took participants through policy dialogue approaches to facilitate discussions and mobilize communities. ECOWAS and its partners plan to finalize the strategy document on policy dialogue before starting its implementation in the coming months.