Improving the delivery of climate information services for agropastoralists: Lessons from multidisciplinary working groups in Senegal

Climate Information Services (CIS) are widely promoted to support climate adaptation in agropastoral systems, yet uptake remains limited across sub-Saharan Africa. While low adoption is often attributed to user-side constraints, institutional factors affecting the relevance, accessibility, and responsiveness of climate information are increasingly recognized as important determinants. This study examines how institutional processes shape CIS effectiveness by assessing Multidisciplinary Working Groups (MWGs) responsible for generating and disseminating climate information in three livestock-dominated areas of Senegal: Ndame, Oudalaye, and Yarang Balante. Guided by Organizational Learning Theory and Diffusion of Innovations theory, the study examines how institutional learning influences CIS relevance, delivery, and uptake among agropastoralists. Using a qualitative design, data were collected through focus group discussions with 40 stakeholders across the three sites and analyzed using Structural Topic Modeling. The result show that although MWGs provide an important platform for CIS delivery, weaknesses persist in information localization, timely dissemination, and systematic integration of user feedback. Participants perceived climate information as generic, delayed, overly technical, and insufficiently aligned with livestock management decisions. Further, uptake is constrained by low literacy, language barriers, limited digital access, infrastructure challenges, and reliance on Indigenous forecasting systems. The findings indicate that low CIS uptake reflects interacting institutional and user-side constraints, with institutional learning gaps limiting service responsiveness. Strengthening climate resilience therefore requires transforming CIS delivery platforms into adaptive learning systems through systematic feedback, localized livestock-specific advisories, and inclusive communication strategies.