Monitoring the evolution of collaborations: Making research more effective

Approach

Interdisciplinary, multi-institutional and multi-actor innovation networks are needed for poverty-reducing research to have the maximum impact.

ILAC and the CGIAR Research Program (CRP) on Roots, Tubers and Banana (RTB) have engaged in a partnership to develop a project called "Partnerships and Knowledge Sharing for Innovation in Roots, Tubers and Banana Research for Development".

Through the study of a network called "CIALCA", the project will support priority setting and exploration of new models of research and partnerships in the RTB CRP by

  1. analyzing the evolution and current state of its partnerships and research routines;
  2. identifying actions that can increase its contribution to the SLOs; and
  3. exploring strategies that can facilitate knowledge sharing, capacity development and collective learning in the partnership.

By interacting closely with researchers and coordination of the MUSA network, the project will foster buy-in and utilization of its results, which are also expected to be useful for the RTB and other CRPs.

In preparation for the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) 2012, the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) and ILAC conducted an inventory of forward thinking activities in agriculture and rural development; maily in three main topics: land use, production and consumption, and farminig patters. 
 
As part of the inventory, a series of recent forward thinking studies were identified, analyzed and selected to be further developed into four-page briefs.
The briefs were produced during three 'writeshops' conducted in Rome, Bangkok and San Jose. These briefs, in English, Spanish and Portuguese languages can be found at http://www.egfar.org/content/foresight-write-workshops.
 

What is BetterEvaluation?
BetterEvaluation is an international collaboration to improve evaluation. BetterEvaluation is designed to support practitioners to share their knowledge and experience to take the field forward and develop fresh, innovative, and novel approaches to evaluation.

At the heart of the project is an interactive web-based platform about evaluation methods and approaches that supports evaluators and evaluation commissioners to choose the most appropriate combinations of evaluation approaches and methods, and to implement these methods well.

The platform can be accessed at www.betterevaluation.org

Interview with Javier Ekboir, ILAC coordinator (in Spanish with subtitles in English)

After a field trip to the Cañete River Basin in Peru, Javier Ekboir talked with us about his impressions about what he saw, the rural dynamics he could perceive and some common aspects he found with other places in the world. Pay attention about his interesting thoughts about how globalization could be an opportunity for some cultures, but also a problem for some populations.

Most changes in the CGIAR have occurred in a decentralized manner and few lessons have been drawn from these various experiences. To change in a more deliberate way, the CGIAR needs to develop the capacity to use adaptive management approaches (i.e., to learn during implementation and adapt the strategies as problems and opportunities emerge). To learn how to develop this capacity, ILAC has teamed up with the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) to try out a structure for decentralized experimentation with centralized learning.

Mayne, J. (2012) Making causal claims. ILAC Brief No. 26. Rome, Institutional Learning and Change (ILAC) Initiative

 

 

 

Horton, D., Prain, G., Thiele, G. (2010) Perspectives on Partnership: Highlights of a Literature Review. ILAC Brief No. 25. Rome, Institutional Learning and Change (ILAC) Initiative

 

 

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