Ukama Ustawi: From Field to Future: 10 Partnership Secrets Behind Ukama Ustawi’s Success

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African proverb 

In 2021, the CGIAR set out to diversify maize-based systems in East and Southern Africa through the Ukama Ustawi Regional Integrative Initiative (RII). “Ukama Ustawi” combines “Ukama” (Shona for “partnerships”) and “Ustawi” (Swahili for “well-being and development”), representing a vision to achieve system-level development through innovative partnerships. In an effort to create this inclusive, sustainable and truly transformative initiative, the UU team and partners shaped itself as a Community of Spirit (CoS) [inspired by a Rumi poem], an innovative approach designed to foster collaboration and alignment among stakeholders.  

As the CGIAR embarks on the implementation of its new portfolio, the lessons learned from the UU CoS in ESA are numerous, particularly as it transitions from a Community of Spirit to a Community of Practice in the CGIAR 2025-30 CGIAR Portfolio through the Scaling for Impact Program. Here, we present our top 10 key reflections, which together form a blueprint for building, sustaining, and scaling collaborative projects rooted in a cross-national network. 

         1. Create shared Value  

The foundation of any thriving community is a common vision and joint value. In our case, a vision for the agricultural  sector in the region; ranging from research institutions, government agencies, private sector actors, and farmer organizations to sustain collaboration over time and ensures research is not only published, but rolled out. The UU CoS fostered engagement and alignment, strengthened relationships, built leadership capacity, and encouraged knowledge sharing. A sense of fun and belonging was also integral—those who participated felt part of something meaningful. This sense of unity was instrumental in building momentum. 

         2. Inclusivity matters 

Building on a strong purpose, inclusivity became a driving principle. The CoS was made up of the 184 CGIAR staff across 8 centers, 105 partners, consultants, 71 farmers, 100 extension workers, and other stakeholders, altogether over 360 people directly involved in the Initiative. The UU CoS started small but grew in size and ambition as the Initiative matured. To build such a network requires dedicated resources, especially if the requirement is to be inclusive, equal, far-reaching, and inclusive. These principles helped anchor the CoS, ensuring that as it grew, it remained aligned with its foundational values. 

           3. Create Operating Principles 

To ensure a common vision and direction and operational the inclusive network, the CoS UU defined its Operating Principles in 2023 as (Reos Partners, 2023). These principles helped anchor the CoS, ensuring that as it grew, it remained aligned with its foundational values.  

          4. Networks require resources 

The UU CoS was run by the Project Management Unit of UU ensuring it was prioritized alongside other initiative activities. Resources—both financial and human capacity—were necessary for maintaining a Secretariat, communication channels, and operational funding to facilitate collaboration. Investing in these structures ensured that the CoS met regularly and that activities were on-going. If not maintained, similar partnerships lose momentum quickly. 

        5.Communities are multipliers 

With a strong purpose, inclusivity, and guiding principles in place, the CoS activated its network through tangible actions that amplified impact. Concrete activities reinforced collaboration and created a multiplier effect: 

• Quarterly online meetings 

• A Solutions ShareFair for Ethiopia  

• Regional farmers’ ShareFair in Zimbabwe 

• Virtual Field Trips with VR technology in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa and Zimbabwe (here and here) 

• Intern placement in the CoS partners and a Design Sprint UU I2G Innovation Challenge showcase 

• IPSR workshops to scale UU innovation bundles 

• Inclusion of GenderUp in the IPSR methodology 

• GALS workshops in Malawi 

• Tanzania Seed Sector Development Strategy 

• Famer field days in Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe 

• Implementation of the collaborative partnership on knowledge management policy in Africa (Learning Alliance)  

• Gender Mainstreaming Guidelines 

     6. Communities support scaling 

With an active and engaged community, the scaling potential of the CoS increased exponentially as it fostered bottom-up research processes and greater buy-in.   A prime example was the UU Virtual Field Tour (VFT) in Kenya, which engaged over 150 partners and showcased conservation agriculture innovations across various regions, demonstrating how community-driven initiatives can accelerate scaling efforts. Leveraging the strength of its partnerships, the Ukama Ustawi (UU) initiative collaborated with partners to develop innovative and suitable mechanization solutions. Our goal was to close the farm power gap by providing smallholder farmers with affordable mechanization options. In this context, government support for mechanization efforts is growing, aiming to enhance agricultural and livestock productivity to ensure food security in Africa. The event highlighted UU’s efforts across various countries and communities in scaling out conservation agriculture. 

       7. Communities require agile leadership 

Agile leadership is the engine behind dynamic and scalable partnerships. Strong networks and scaling potential mean little without leaders who are transparent, responsive, and unafraid to foster a culture of honesty and vulnerability. Creating space for real feedback—and acting on it—signals to partners that their voices matter. That is how we build trust and credibility. Ukama Ustawi’s record-setting Pause and Reflect was not a coincidence—it was intentional, a clear reflection of leadership that prioritizes adaptability and continuous learning. By investing in tight-knit networks and collaborative spaces across Work Packages and Centers, the Initiative not only fostered long-term partnerships but also amplified results through synergy, not duplication.  

      8. Communities require patience and trust 

There is a common idea that you introduce the Initiative once at a kick-off event and from there people are on board. We have found that this is certainly not the case and changes are part of in the community. Over the course of three years, new partners, new consultants, and new internal and external staff have come on board and had to be onboarded. There is a constant balancing act between creating a shared experience without seeming “clique” and exclusive, between updates and bringing everyone on board. It requires repetition, goodwill, and patience.  

       9. Achieving impact at scale through partners 

Ukama Ustawi (UU) demonstrated that achieving transformative agricultural outcomes requires more than innovations; it takes deliberate co-creation with partners, agile decision-making, and an honest feedback culture that builds trust. 

Approximately 1.05 million people—8.4% of the rural population in target districts—were aware of UU’s work. More importantly, 164,363 people directly benefited from UU innovations, exceeding the original target of 100,000 farmers. Of these, 52% were women and 56% were youth, surpassing gender and youth participation goals and reflecting a strong commitment to inclusion. 

However, a persistent gap between awareness and adoption of technologies highlighted the need for deeper, more sustained engagement and tailored support. The benefit-reach ratio—a key metric for scaling effectiveness—varied across countries, with Zimbabwe (61%) leading, followed by Malawi (31%), Ethiopia (15%), Zambia (10%), and Kenya (7%). 

These findings emphasize the importance of embedding communities within regional networks from the start to enhance learning and ensure sustainable impact. To bridge the gap between awareness and use, continued, long-term, and trusted partnerships are the critical aspects to lean on for real change on the ground. 

       10.Communities form transformation 

Ultimately, the Community of Spirit has proven to be a transformative model for addressing water and climate challenges. By aligning stakeholders and fostering innovation, the initiative has created lasting impacts in East and Southern Africa—paving the way for a water-secure and climate-resilient future. When asked in a close out survey what made UU stand out, “partnership” emerged as the highlight from the team and our partners. It is this spirit of partnership—rooted in trust, shared vision, and collective action—that will continue to drive transformative change across communities. 

Authors:

• Nora Hanke-Louw, IWMI South Africa Deputy Country Representative and Ukama Ustawi Initiative Project Coordinator
• Inga Jacobs-Mata, Ukama Ustawi Initiative Lead, Director Water, Growth and Inclusion at IWMI, and Scaling for Impact Writing Team Transition Deputy Director
• Manisha Shrestha, Consultant for CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa

Featured image: The Community of Spirit during the Pause and Reflect event in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia in 2023. Credit: Ukama Ustawi Initiative