Research and Development

A Few Thoughts on a Big Topic

Frank Place

Economist & Theme Leader

ICRAF

A Loose Outline:

Conceptual linkages between research and development

Trends and concerns in research – development partnerships

Challenges in identifying priority research areas for development

Research for development – making the connections in two topical areas in Africa

Common Goals for Research and Development

Both research and development oriented organizations and projects will claim to be ultimately interested in the increase of food production, agricultural productivity, wealth, human capital, well-being, biodiversity, natural resource quality and the like.

The development sector may also take these to be objectives in their programmes or projects, perhaps in a village or a country, for a particular segment of the population, etc..

The research sector takes these as longer-term impacts that emerge from the outputs it produces.

Research is counted on, therefore, to take a longer view and anticipate future problems

Development organizations may:

Provide inputs

Establish organizations/institutions/systems

Disseminate information

Enhance incentives/opportunities

Build capacity of farmers and other stakeholders

Researchers, by contrast, create and test new inputs, study and test effectiveness of organizations and systems, generate new information and knowledge, study impacts of different incentive systems, and develop materials and methods for training of farmers and other stakeholders.

In research, the element of scientific inquiry is key

For the CGIAR, it is expected to organize its research to produce the following types of outputs (ideally of strategic relevance so as to generate international public goods):

•Materials

•Practices

•Policies and strategies

•Other knowledge

•Capacity

These outputs are expected to lead to outcomes – or external use, adoption or influence of a center’s outputs by a partner, stakeholder, or client

Outputs Materials Practices Knowledge Policies/strategies …..

Outcomes Use of outputs Better decisions Built capacity (in structure, function)

Impacts Productivity Poverty Environment

Schematic of Impact Pathway in CGIAR

There are many places along this pathway where research and development can link

Discrete Projects

Sustained Programmes

Input Acti-vity

Out-put

Frame

Out-come

Im-pact

Input Acti-vity

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ISSUE(n)

Input Acti-vity

Out-put

Uptake

Uptake

Out-come

Im-pact

ISSUE(n)

Input Acti-vity

Out-put

Uptake

Uptake

Out-come

Im-pact

Frame

Input Acti-vity

Out-put

ISSUE(0)

Out-come

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Input Acti-vity

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The project – impact cycle as multiple loops in an active learning spiral

There have been more interactions between research and development in recent years:

•Participatory research – farmer driven

•Research partnerships expanded to include development organizations

•Dissemination linkages strengthened in research organizations

•Research organizations engaged in more outreach/development activities

•Development organizations increasing hiring of former researchers

•Development organizations undertaking more research

•Development organizations sub-contracting research organizations

Much of this is good – or so we all believe or assume

But there are concerns as well:

1. Are research organizations competent to undertake development oriented activities?

2. Should the relatively few resources that flow to research organizations be further dissipated through development activities?

3. Can sound scientific methods of inquiry be maintained when research is too close to development (e.g. too participatory)?

There is no consensus on this – debates are continuing.

Research for Development

How can we know if our research is meeting a key development need, now or in the future?

Just because you can make the connection doesn’t mean others see it the same way; also connection ≠ priority

Check if there is demand for the research from key development organizations or policy makers or processes (sometimes

demands may be vague)

How can we enhance the likelihood that it will have impact?

Do we need / have ideal partnerships – collaborate with major development movements

What is the plan for disseminating the research results - market the importance of the research

1970 1980 20001990

Yield

0.5

1.0

1.5

Cereal Yields in Africa over Time (approx from FAO Data)

Are the research implications from this graph clear?

Is it clear from that graph what the key problems or constraints are?

– No

Is it clear whether solutions to the problems should focus on technological, institutional, or policy research?

-- No

Problem analysis•At all levels and scales

Enhanced productivity

• Quantity• Quality products• Efficiency

Enhanced human well-being

• Risk management• Resource users participation in decisions

Enhanced ecosystemresilience

• Nutrient cycling• Carbon sequestration• Biodiversity• Water balance

Analysis of synergies/tradeoffs Identification of ranges of flexible adaptive

technological, institutional and policy options

ExtrapolationDissemination

Policy implementationWide-scale adoption

Impact Assessment

Testing of interventions

INRM Research Framework

In general, it is very difficult to assess and compare the net gains from research across different research areas.

In practice, researchers and donors make their own informed but subjective evaluations of the merits of different research topics and approaches.

Topics that are in vogue for a period of time may lose interest of donors and re-emerge later on. This is partly influenced by the fact that there is such little progress in Africa – there is relative ease of abandoning old approaches and the acceptance of new ones (even if unproven).

Linking Research and Development

The Examples of Property Rights Research and Soil Fertility Research – (not because these are high priority areas, but because I know something about them)

What are the development needs / constraints/ opportunities?

What research is needed?

Who demands the research?

Property Rights

Which do you think is most accurate?

(a) People agree that tenure is insecure in Africa but they do not agree on which tenure arrangement is best to use.

(b) People agree that tenure is insecure in Africa and they know which tenure arrangement is superior and research is only needed on implementation issues.

(c) People disagree as to whether tenure is insecure in Africa.

(d) People agree that tenure is secure in Africa

It turns out that SOME experienced and influential people hold views expressed in (a), (b), and (d) so my conclusion is that (c) is the correct answer.

Hasn’t research sufficiently dealt with this issue?

Certainly not in terms of drawing principles (what works best to achieve certain objectives under different conditions) and guidelines.

And perhaps not in terms of understanding the breadth and nuances of the problem itself.

How Can Property Rights Research – Old and New – Have Greater Impact

Developing of closer links to policy/development processes:

This is happening to some extent with a coming together of key players – International Land Coalition, Africa Union (NEPAD), Af Dev. Bank, UN-ECA, UNDP, Rockefeller, and CAPRi of the CGIAR.

Research needs as demanded by this stakeholder group include:

Synthesis of a relatively good body of research done, but not sufficiently analyzed or disseminated

Brokering role for linking key stakeholders in reform processes

New case studies of strategic importance to fill information gaps

Design of monitoring and evaluation systems for pilot policy reforms

Soil Fertility

Unlike the property rights area, there is considerable consensus that poor soil fertility is a major problem in Africa --- NEPAD, UN Reports, Inter-academy Council, World Bank, FAO, CGIAR, NARS. Exception appears to be within the PRSPs which is an area of concern for we researchers.

What research is needed?

On the one hand, many argue that fertilizer technologies are already well known and it is a matter of investments to encourage wider use. Rockefeller has thrown its money behind fertilizers, IFDC, some National Government Plans. There is a major fertilizer summit planned in 2006. They do not strongly endorse more research on soil fertility.

The World Bank is organizing (with many other partners now) funding for major development investments in sustainable land management (SLM) to be implemented through NEPADs CAADP.

The demand for improved soil fertility problem diagnosis and ISFM research has not yet clearly emerged and there is some risk that there will be serious underinvestment in research in this area (again, just my opinion).

In my view, researchers need to engage with these major development initiatives to both offer information on SLM principles and practices, but also to improve stakeholder understanding of soil fertility problems, investment constraints of farmers and governments, principles and productivity of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) methods.

ICRAF has been involved in several processes in collaboration with many partners to help define the priority research areas in soil fertility in Africa:

Bellagio statement

Soil fertility consortium for southern Africa

Participation in national soil fertility strategies

Working with NEPAD Science and Technology programme

NEPAD Science and Technology sees soil fertility and land degradation as a key area for research and capacity building in Africa.

A common agenda is emerging from this process.

Then the process of connecting the science to the development at various levels – continental, regional, national – awaits

It must be done for researchers cannot afford to isolate themselves from the major development initiatives in soil fertility/SLM

That’s it.

You should now know that:

Research and development linkages have strengthened recently and through various methods (project level to more strategic levels)

Platforms for linking research and development are sometimes non-existent, sometimes weak, and sometimes changing

Research organizations must invest time in making these linkages for their research to have greater impact

Even so, identifying priority research areas continues to be challenging (witness the CGIAR System Priorities – is anything left out????!!!)