CaribVET operates mainly through research, capacity building and development projects that are implemented and coordinated by various partner organisations. Before developing a new project portfolio and before the 14th Annual Meeting of the CaribVET Steering Committee (SC), selected SC members worked together on the future impact of CaribVET. Participants used an "Ex ante" approach consisting in looking at the future, defining a shared vision, in order to develop a common strategy to build a plausible and sound strategic plan.

Objectives :

The workshop aimed at defining the impacts that CaribVET wants to achieve in the future (within the next 5-10 years) in the region and defining a common strategy, but the objectives are also to :

• Develop more impactful projects
• Ease the development of strategic plans
• Get easier collaborations development
• Improve coordination of synergistic projects.

Building a shared vision of change, using a participatory approach

The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Genowefa Blundo, from CIRAD Innovation Research Unit (Montpellier, France), and expert on the approach developed by Cirad and called ImpresS (Impact of Research and Development in the South). The workshop involved multiple stakeholders, representative from the diversity of the CaribVET SC: CARICOM Member States, CARICOM Associate MS, Dutch Antilles, French Antilles, Cuba and the DR, as well as regional research institutes, universities and organisations in order to build a plausible and compelling impact narrative and shared visions of change throughout the greater Caribbean. The participants selected the topic of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), which was extensively discussed at the 13th CaribVET SC Meeting, during a Special Session (Antigua, June 2018) and is among the top priorities of the Network.

A structured approach for a 5 years strategic planning

The participants agreed on a shared vision of the future, and then identified the key issues. Subsequently the desired outcomes were defined : the changes in behaviours, practices, interaction, and the major changes needed to generate them (such as changes in knowledge, motivation, capacities...), that will be needed to achieve the expected impact. The group produced an impact pathway and impact narrative highlighting strategies and activities that will allow development of a strategic plan. It is expected to ease answer to call for project applications, and development of partnership.

Highlights of the Workshop

The members of CaribVET SC identified the disparities in development and implementation of current DRRM national strategies for the livestock sector as a key central issue hindering the achievement of a shared DRRM strategy that would reduce vulnerability and increase disaster resilience in the region. These causing problems were expressed and a problem-tree was built in order to prioritise issues and to identify the root causes where an action can be applied by CaribVET & its partners in the region

Among the causing problems that CaribVET will address in its strategic plan: lack of political recognition of the importance of the livestock sector (at both the national and the regional level); low capacities to prepare and respond in a coordinated manner to disasters; lack of regional coordination for DRRM encompassing the entire Caribbean region, lack of coordination between the public and private sector. The implementation of the One health approach in DRRM is crucial to enhance intersectorial collaborations.

The strategic plan consisted in identifying the solutions and the outcomes that will later lead to the impacts. The core of this exercice is to explicit the major changes and the strategies needed to achieve the shared vision.

Perspectives and expected benefits

Two Chief Veterinary Officers (Bemuda and Sint Eustatius) will present the results of the work achieved in Guyana to their colleagues from the entire Caribbean in Varadero, Cuba week of 6th May for discussion and validation. Indeed, several key meetings are organized in Cuba that week. The 14th Meeting of the CaribVET SC, the 19th Meeting of the CARICOM CVOs and the 3rd International Seminar on Agricultural Health (SISA) where a Round table on One Health and Disasters will also be organized.
The CaribVET members hope to pave the way for a common vision of the future in Agriculture, animal and veterinary public health and to maximize the positive social and environmental impact.

Assessment of the Carbon Footprint of the workshop

A brief discussion at the end of the workshop focused on Climate Change and the recent IPCC Special Report. The Carbon footprint of the workshop was assessed taking into account only travels, and figures were compared to the desired Green houses Gaz emission per person to raise awareness on what mitigation of climate change would require. The group shared their concern on this topic and on the consequences the CaribVET activities might have on GHG emissions.