Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat

Objective 2: Advocating and Coordinating Global Awareness and Cooperation

The world’s inability to conduct a coordinated defense against Ug99 reflects a strategic shortfall in planning, investments, and policies in both national and international spheres. Correction of this shortfall requires a framework for coordinated action as well as informed advocacy for appropriate activities and commensurate investments by an array of agencies.

Activities of this Objective will address the needs in coordination and advocacy through establishment of an Advocacy and Coordination Office that will coordinate the Durable Rust Resistant Wheat Project, promote linkages with other partners, act as the Secretariat for the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI, previously known as the Global Rust Initiative), and promote/facilitate informed advocacy. The Advocacy and Coordination office will be managed by the Project Coordinator, who will also act as Facilitator for the BGRI. The BGRI, formed by the UN-FAO, CIMMYT, ICARDA, and Cornell University, represents formalization of the Global Rust Initiative (www.globalrust.org). Chaired by Dr. N.E. Borlaug, the BGRI represents a framework for coordinated global action in the battle against wheat rusts.

Effective advocacy depends on up-to-date awareness of advances in science and technology related to the wheat rust problem. Today, there is no compilation of investors or research/development agencies and no single source of information on the states of relevant sciences and technologies related to the wheat rust problem. In turn, these deficiencies render nearly impossible the task of describing the status quo, or the best case scenario as regards activities and investments. Taken together, these deficiencies preclude both informed advocacy, and coordinated global action.

To address this, the Advocacy and Coordination Office will create a Web-accessible wheat rust knowledgebase/portal. The knowledgebase will provide Project personnel, laymen, scientists, and donors/investors with:

Global inventories of research institutions working on wheat rust including ARIs, IARCs, and NARS with information on:

research personnel,
capacities, and
projects;

Global inventories of donors, traditional and non-traditional, international, regional, and country-specific, including contact information and priorities;
Global inventories of professional societies and other international advocacy groups; and
Tools for facilitating communication leading to partnerships and coordinated action.

The Advocacy and Coordination Office will also generate an annual “gap analysis” showing the shortfall between actual funding and research, and what is needed.

The Advocacy and Coordination Office will also promote awareness of the importance of robust policies and strategies for optimized gene deployment, and conduct special initiatives as need/opportunities arise.

Objective 2: Advocating and Coordinating Global Awareness and Cooperation
Activities	Outputs	Outcomes (Short- and Long-Term)
2.1 Create Advocacy and Coordination Office with comprehensive web-based knowledge base and portal.	Advocacy and Coordination Office is operational. Web based knowledge base and portal provides laymen, scientists, and donors/investors with: User appropriate awareness of the rust problem; global inventories of research institutions working on wheat rust including ARIs, IARCs, and NARS with information on: research personnel, capacities, projects Global inventories of donors; both traditional and non-traditional, international, regional, and country-specific; including contact information and priorities. Global inventories of professional societies and other international advocacy groups Tools for facilitating communication leading to partnerships and coordinated action. ‘Gap analysis’ showing shortfall between actual funding and research and what is needed.	International efforts to grow and sustain coordinated efforts to mitigate and eliminate the rust problem are no longer limited by lack of ready access to comprehensive knowledge and communications.
2.2 Coordinate Project activities and promote linkages with other partners.	Inter-Objective cooperation is optimal. Cross project ideas, insights, and discoveries are rapidly translated into action and impact. Project activities leverage additional investments and partnerships.	Project impact is increased through within project efficiency and leveraged partnerships.
2.3 Advocate for rational, coordinated, and sustained global strategies through education outreach and through logistical and other support for the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative.	Borlaug Global Rust Initiative becomes the global forum for technical and policy. Pesentations and other communication tools maintained and updated for advocacy at all levels High profile advocates (e.g. NE Borlaug, key NARS DGs, etc) visit key actors in donor community detailed background on donor priorities maintained and updated. Key donor staff are visited by advocacy office personnel or others. Expanded engagement and investment by multiple stakeholders/Donors/investors in an effective, coordinated response to stem rust. A rational, coordinated, and sustained global strategy to mitigate and eliminate the threat of rust to wheat	Vulnerability to wheat rusts is minimized in the shortest time possible.
2.4 Facilitate awareness of the importance of robust policies and strategies for optimized gene deployment.	Gene deployment is accepted as a critical element of the resiliency of wheat production in the developing world. Scientific societies and policy makers actively address the issue of alternative gene deployment strateges.	Genetic vulnerability to wheat rusts is lowered leading to increased food and livelihood securities.
2.5 Conduct Special Initiatives (ad hoc gatherings, travel facilitation to critical events, etc)	Enlarged buy-in or collaboration from NARS, ARIs, Donors, and investors.	Opportunities for advocacy and collaboration not missed.