Niche Workshop 2023

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Thanks for registering for the Niche 2023 User Feedback and Innovation Design Workshop!

The Niche project, started in 2021, was designed to optimize seed development and placement in Sub-Saharan Africa in an effort to increase agricultural productivity in these regions.

At the two year mark of this four-year project, Niche partners humbly turn to subject matter experts to help us refine the vision for Niche and ensure that our outcomes meet the needs of farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Thank you in advance for joining our User Feedback and Innovation Design Workshop. Through collaborative working sessions and knowledge-sharing, your valuable insights will help us move into the next phase of this project with clear direction. Together, we will develop a tool that builds agricultural resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This page will be your hub for workshop information, including the agenda and travel logistics. We will continue adding content and resources to this page as the workshop approaches.

Project partners:

Agenda

This 2-day workshop will be run in two sessions: the first will be held in Kigali, Rwanda from 23-24 October and the second in Nairobi, Kenya from 26-27 October. The agenda for both locations is identical.

Day 1

8:30 - 9:00

Arrival and registration

9:00 - 10:00

Welcome & Introductions

The Niche team will share agenda and objectives for the 2023 workshop and conduct a round of introductions for partner organizations and participants.

10:00 - 11:00

The Niche Approach: An Overview

The Niche partners will introduce the project motivations, goals and approach - sharing the project background and the research and development conducted to date, and highlighting key learnings.

11:00 - 11:30

Coffee break & group photo

11:30 - 13:00

Co-Creation Session: Gaining a Deep Understanding of our Customers

In this interactive session, the Niche team will highlight our core end-user groups, identify pain points, and explore opportunities for customer adoption and implementation of Niche tools.

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch

14:00 - 15:30

Prototype Feedback

Niche partners will present the prototype tool for feedback. Participants will be asked to provide initial feedback and work in groups to identify opportunities to enhance the product.

15:30 - 16:00

Tea & networking

16:00 - 16:45

Day 1 Wrap Up and Learnings

Participants will discuss learnings and key takeaways from sessions.

17:00 onward

Social hour & networking to conclude day 1
Details will be provided to participants based on location.

Day 2

8:30 - 9:00

Day 2 Welcome

The Niche team will share reflections from Day 1 and share the agenda for Day 2.

9:00 - 10:30

Partner Presentations

The Niche project partners will present their research to date, with an emphasis on their individual contributions to the project.

10:30 - 11:00

Coffee break

11:00-12:30

Data-Driven Precision Agriculture

In a couple of breakout sessions, groups of participants will have an opportunity to discuss the data that fuels precision agriculture and explore why this data is essential in building resilient cropping systems.

12:30 - 13:30

Lunch

13:30 - 14:30

Innovation Design Workshop

Participants will review a case study of the Niche project tool and discuss its utilization, intended impact and opportunities for expansion.

15:00 - 15:30

Workshop Wrap Up and Learnings

Participants and partners will share learnings and key takeaways from the workshop and review what’s next for the Niche project.

Location

Workshops will be located at Marriott Hotel Kigali and Four Points by Sheraton, Nairobi Huntington. Please note that the workshop location in Kigali is not the same as the lodging hotel for those needing accommodation. However, the workshop is located a short distance from the hotel (3 min walk).

Accommodation

We will have hotel rooms available at Four Points by Sheraton hotels, in both Kigali and Nairobi Hurlingham locations, for those who require accommodation.

We will book all rooms for guests that confirm their travel details using the travel accommodations form by Sept 29, 2023, and will provide room numbers for guests upon arrival. More details about hotel accommodations can be found in the travel guide below.

A modern outdoor patio seating area at Four Point Kigali

Explore Four Points Kigali

A scenic dining area with outdoor views at Four Points Nairobi

Explore Four Points Nairobi

Travel Guide

Both partners and workshop participants: please review our travel guides for important details about the workshop, including travel accommodations, required documents, connectivity, and best practices for travelers in Nairobi and Kigali.

Download the Participant Travel Guide

Download the Partner Travel Guide

Travel Accommodations Form

If you are traveling to Kigali and/or Nairobi via air or land, please complete our latest travel accommodations form. Here, you will provide more information about your transportation plans so that we may accommodate airport transfers and hotel rooms as necessary.

Complete the travel accommodations form by 29 September, 2023.