STAMP + Sustainable Technology Adaptation for Mali's Pastoralists STAMP+ aims to improve resilience among climate affected pastoralists, through access to and use of geo-satellite and ground derived data. The information is provided by USSD messages and a call center.  It gives pastoralists improved decision making security for their seasonal livestock movements. In addition advise on livestock production is provided and access to financial services and business to business linkages are facilitated **Livestock for Livelihoods**

As part of the strengthening of the STAMP + project in the regions of Gao, Ménaka, Mopti, Timbuktu and Kidal for the period from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021, SNV Mali has developed a proposal that has been approved by the donor: the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The STAMP+ project is implemented as part of a public-private partnership involving several partners, including SNV, ORANGE Mali, Hoefsloot Spatial Solutions (HSS), TASSAGHT and the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. Since its launch in November 2017 till end of the year 2018, the GARBAL service initiated as part of STAMP (the first phase) has recorded 1,307 calls and 84,816 USSD requests from 55,821 users (93% male and 7% female), a result that reflects the interest in this service and its active use.

The main objective of the project is to strengthen the resilience of (agro-)pastoralist and improve the efficiency of the livestock value chain in the regions of Gao, Ménaka, Kidal, Timbuktu and Mopti by generating economic and social benefits (including avoided costs), induced by the use of an appropriate M-Agri solution offering integrated services.

Improved access to useful decision-making information for mobility, advice on pastoral exploitation (production, animal health, etc.) and the resources needed (inputs & finance) for better livestock management makes it possible to achieve the following specific objectives by 2021: (i) Improved access to advice, inputs and financial resources; (ii) Improvement of income from the sale of livestock products and/or livestock productivity; (iii) Achieve institutional and financial viability for the sustainability of the GARBAL solution.

In addition, during the final evaluation of the STAMP project, it was noted that women's use of the service was very modest. To change this situation STAMP+ aims to better target women and youth in order to encourage their increased use of the service.

Finally, a baseline study will be carried out at the start of the project. A endline study as part of the final evaluation will take place at the end of the Project. Particular attention will be paid on validating the attribution of measured changes of outcome indicators to service use; the causal link between service use, the frequency of service use. The measurement of changes observed at the level of pastoral production units will be further developed.

The security situation has further deteriorated in the first quarter of 2020 and notably in the Mopti Region. The Project had difficulties to reach some areas which is a major obstacle at a stage were the user group has to be informed about our products and collectors to be put at work. The measures taken to control the spread of the Corona Virus are further slowing down activities which need travel and meetings. The Project has to adapt to the situation by adopting protective measures, by re-planing activities and by changing ways of implementation.

**Summary of the evolution of STAMP+ activities: 1st Quarter 2020**

The first quarter of 2020 saw the restitution, finalisation and acceptance of the gender strategy study. The results have now to be integrated into the overall Project designe and planning.

The baseline study is underway. The field work has been finalised for Gao, Meneka and Kidal regions. For Mopti and Tombouctou regions, finding consultants has taken more time than anticipated as suitable consultants accepting our conditions could not be found with the first round of tendering. The consultant is now identified and should undertake data collection in April. The study should thus be ready in Mai.

The Terms of Reference for the feasibility study have been finalized and an international tender put out in March. We hope to start undertaking the study from Mai on. The study is looking into our sustainable business model, updating it to take into account recent developments. Based on a needs assessment, the study also aims to identify and develop technologies and approaches with regard to financial products, business to business platforms and USSD client journeys. The study should also produce advice with regard to the marketing of the GARBAL and other services of the Project.

This quarter the Project has updated its communication strategy, taking into account a fast changing environment and notably an aggravated security context and Corona virus impacts.

Data collection continues with the 16 existing collection sites and the Garbal Map sites are regularly updated. However we are having again technical issues on updating the USSD messaging service. The SNV and TASSAGHT Project teams are working with ORANGE to solve the issue.

All new Sites and Collectors have finally been identified (there were some corrections to be made) and the data transmitted to ORANGE. The new sites have all been put on the GARBAL Web map page by HSS.

The collectors smartphones are with our partner ORANGE to install the application for field data collection.

The development of Satellite based technology continues. Unfortunately we had to drop our plan to make use of the IGNITIA company produced rainfall data. In view of our sustainability objective the proposal made by the company has simply be to expensive. We continue looking for other and possibly free ware options.

We continued looking into the option of developing satellite imagery derived soil humidity maps for biomass development forecasting technology. However the first results show that the matter is not straight forward. Several factors play a role for the development of biomass (pasture) and the subject is more complex than anticipated. To produce a result having an added value for pastoralists would need significant research and development efforts with an uncertain outcome. We have thus put a hold on further development for the time being, but keep an eye on sector developments of this technology.

The development of automatized satellite imagery derived land-use mapping continues. We have been able to get free high resolution maps from World Food Programm in Mali, permitting us to develop quite accurate algorithms. We think that this rainy season we should have the product ready for Niafounke and Mopti areas. The maps should show where fields are and thus help pastoralist to avoid them when planning for their seasonal transhumance journey and destination area.

We have also added long term data on the evolution of cereal and livestock prices on our GARBAL Web map page. This allows site visitors to look for historic long term trends and to call center advisors to share this information with users.

The HSS Technical advisor undertook a technical mission to Mali in order to exchange with technical staff from other consortium Members and WFP. He used the opportunity to hold different training sessions for STAMP + staff and partner organisations on the technology of Garbal, land-use mapping and digital cartography

With regard to pastoral infrastructure data to be added to our GARBAL map and thus advisory service the Mali Institute of Geography (IGM) and the National Water Directorate (DNH) have been identified as data providers and data collection Partners. The Data will be put on the map by HSS.

IER, the Institute of Rural Economy, has been selected to assist the Project with the collection of technical sheets of livestock production advice. However, due to measures taken to control the spread of the Corona Virus they have declined to work at this time.

With regard to the security situation we are having increased consultation with local authorities, resource people and other field projects as well as INSO in order to find ways and means to implement our activities with an acceptable risk level. INSO has to this end produced an analysis. The advice provided can be summed up as: collectas much as possible information before moving or choosing an intervention area and get yourself known (maximum transparency and information of all stakeholder about the goals of the Project). This means one has to move at the speed permitted by security concerns (no precipitation) and being flexible with regard where and how to implement.

With regard to Governments measures taken to contain the Corona Virus we started adaptive planning. The underlying assumption is that the measures taken by governments will stay as they are till end of June 2020. Under this assumption re-planing is mainly going in the direction of delaying certain activities which need meetings and travel and to switch to more virtual communication. Second we will work more in smaller groups and work more in a cascading way. Third there is a need for protective gear against Virus infections and there have to be new activities to inform staff and target groups about the Virus and how to avoid getting infected. Under the assumption stated this will not cause major changes of program but will slow down and delay them. Should the measures taken become more restrictive or will be kept in place for a longer period than more significant adaptation planning has to be considered.

In terms of priorities for the 2nd quarter of 2020, particular attention will be paid to the following activities: (i) the start of data collection on all new sites as well as the dissemination of the data (ii) the training of the new field data collectors and supervisors, and the continuation of information campaigns at the project site level, (iii) the continuation of the information campaign activities of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, (iv) the finalisation of the Baseline Study, (v) the operationalisation of the project's gender strategy , (vi) the test/adaptation of the new maps based on satellite imagery (vii) Continue the collection of production system and infrastructure data(viii) the selection of the feasibility study consultant and the start of the study. The services are offered over simple mobile phones against a modest fee to subscribers per request to a Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) menu for livestock and cereal prices. The mobile platform and call centre is owned and run by ORANGE Mali, who exploits it commercially. The satellite data are processed and stored by Hoefsloot Spatial Solutions (HSS). SNV and Tassaght ensure that the information format matches perfectly with the pastoralists realities, needs and aspirations, and ensure the field data collection on biomass quality, herd concentration and market prices.  Revenues generated from the Garbal infromation service by the financial and Business to Business products should cover costs at the end of the Project.

​ At the end of the project phase, it is expected that an additional 45,000 pastoralists will use the GARBAL information services, having improved access to advice, inputs and financial resources, an increase income due to sales and improved productivity of their livestock. And finally the Information service should by 2021 reach financial and institutional sustainability. The direct Target group are 

Towards the end of the project period, an additional 45,000 pastoralists will regularly use the information service the regions of Gao, Ménaka, Mopti, Tombouctou and Kidal/ Mali. At the end of the Project, the pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in this regions will see their:

- 10% improved access to advisory services, inputs and financial resources for 45000 service users
- livestock productivity improved by 10%
- income from livestock sales increased by 10%