The partners are in a jointly- developed, resourced and managed, solutions-driven, global academia consortium whose mandate includes domestic resource mobilization, knowledge sharing and management and cross-institutional resource sharing and technology transfers; it also defines each consortium members and their roles expectations. The work in the food, energy and water nexus, its social contribution to health and capacity for impact in addressing development problems - primarily reducing hunger and extreme poverty in a sustainable manner - are aligned with institutional goals of the participant institutions.

WP1 (Preparation Stage – 6 months) - aimed at analyzing the institutional and national contexts for change in LMIC through transnational collaboration in research and analysis, benchmarking. Activities here will include the formation of thematic working; development of guidance and benchmarking tools for: a) national innovation system analysis; b) institutional self-assessment; development of national innovation systems assessment reports for LMICs; development of institutional capacity assessment reports for each LMIC institution. WP2 (Development – 6 months) - aimed at planning and generating support for Innovation database at LMIC HEIs in support of innovations at the local level through external stakeholder consultation (both ad hoc and creation of permanent channels); transnational peer learning, collaboration and problem solving (US-LMIC & LMIC-LMIC); sustainability and feasibility analysis. WP3 (Development – 2 years) - this work package will include requirement specification, system design, development/coding, testing, implementation, training and review. It is aimed at the creation and pilot implementation of Innovation portal. Develop database for the innovations and researches which will be categorized by the FEW, area or region, institution, country e.t.c. We will also development of feasibility and sustainability assessments for the establishment of Innovation database. WP4 (Quality plan – 3 years) - Quality improvement measures will be agreed within steering committee and implemented regularly in case of divergence between planned and actual quality. Expenditures for quality improvement are borne by the partners responsible for the divergence. WP5 (Dissemination – 3 years) - Dissemination and exploitation will be coordinated and managed by the steering committee. Dissemination will be embedded in all WPs. Partners will present key project activities to internal target groups through: a) internal publication (HEI website and social media); b) email distribution of Information; c) regularly informal communication. External primary target groups in LMIC will include senior management in the public and private sector; academe-based faculty, staff, and students; research institutions; small and medium sized enterprises, entrepreneurs, industrial associations; grassroots innovators, community leaders; public institutions responsible for higher education, research, innovation and sustainable development; non-profit organizations; donors; relevant media. We will also target wider audiences including US academic communities - reached through wider dissemination (as above). The local communities will be engaged in a two-way information exchanges through planned outreach activities.

The proposed FEW NEXUS Network affirms an innovative understanding of research, development and innovation as an endeavor involving a variety of stakeholders in addition to enterprises and government: non-governmental organizations, local communities, and business community. The capacity building (CB) approach will be aligned with the specific challenges and priorities of the innovation system context in LMICs: importance of the citizen sector, the informal sector and grassroots knowledge, continuing significance of agriculture and low-tech sectors, focus on equality and poverty, etc. US partners are tasked with building the knowledge and good practices base and providing continuous consultation, while LMIC institutions are tasked with planning and implementing tailor-made innovation support structures and policies, thus ensuring sensitivity not just to national and local contexts but also to institutional development plans and existing coalitions and interests within local institutions. We will pay attention to grassroots innovation up-scaling and inclusive innovation, which are vital for economies in LMIC yet they remain under-researched and under-promoted, especially within the HE sector. The attempt to change this is the main innovating element of FEW NEXUS Network. FEW NEXUS Network activities are geared toward integrating LMIC institution's innovation capacities, with a focus on innovation and research findings. Data will be captured on innovation in FEW covering product, process and services. The FEW NEXUS Network encourages initiative and ownership on the part of LMIC institutions, while Penn State University will provide leadership and technical support and promote knowledge and innovation management tools.

Since 2015, consortium members have taken a co-create approach, with round tables, focused discussion groups, fora and remote consultations with: Government ministries, county governments, development partners and other key contributors. Penn state University is committed to working collaboratively with key stakeholders in the public and private sector as well as development partners from sectors within which the FEW NEXUS-related challenges are nested. The FEW Nexus Initiative is being developed with a long-term, transformational view of building national and sub-national capacity, enhanced production of Food, Energy and Water and forge new, as well as strengthen existing partnerships. Paraclete is managing the activities on the ground through FEW NEXUS secretariat. There is an Advisory Board with representatives from all the institutions.

Penn State University The Health Sector Development Partner Forum Paraclete Consults IBM University of Nairobi The Catholic University of East Africa Uganda Martyrs Cavendish University of Zambia St Augustine University of Tanzania Makerere University KIM University of RWanda Catholic University of Zimbabwe The Ministry of Energy Kenya School of Government Development Initiatives Wajir County Government Tana River County Government The Frontier Counties Development Council The Lake Region Economic Bloc