R4D_Aug12

=Targeting research design to integrate technologies at farm scale= = Africa RISING Early Wins Project (Ethiopian Highlands) =

Read more information about this early win project on the Africa RISING program blog.

Developing a R4D approach at farm-level - consultation workshop
13-14 September 2012, ILRI Ethiopia, Infocentre break out room.

Objectives

 * Share and discuss a methodological approach for demand-driven R4D within the context of the Africa RISING.
 * Identify and discuss major issues of the approach with a larger R&D community.
 * Find ways forward to tackle these issues based on the knowledge and experiences of this larger community.
 * Reformulate the proposed approach in the light of the discussions.

Workshop information
>>
 * Agenda
 * Participants
 * Background materials:
 * **[[file:USAID - R4D farm scale background document.pdf|Background document about this workshop]]**
 * What is an innovation system: Link to chapter 20
 * About replicating participatory processes when scaling up: link to article
 * Participation as negotiation: Link to article
 * Operationalizing Demand-Driven Agricultural Research: Institutional Influences in a Public and Private System of Research Planning in The Netherlands: Link to article\
 * Stakeholder participation in agricultural research projects: a conceptual framework for reflection and decision-making: Link to article
 * Convergences of Sciences program’s special issues on diagnostic studies - special issue 1 and special issue 2.
 * An innovation systems approach to institutional change: Smallholder development in West Africa: Link to article

Background information
This workshop is part of a fast-track project funded by the AfricaRISING program (USAID), whose purpose is to: //“Provide pathways out of hunger and poverty for small holder families through sustainably intensified farming systems that sufficiently improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and conserve or enhance the natural resource base//”.

AfricaRISING combines both research and development objectives to identify and evaluate demand-driven options for sustainable intensification and facilitate partner-led dissemination of integrated innovations. The objective of this fast-track project is to propose a methodological approach to implement demand-driven research for development (R4D), while promoting partner-led processes and dissemination. Although the testing of the whole approach goes beyond this fast-track project, we combine expert knowledge, secondary literature and fieldwork to ensure a generic and flexible framework. In the first day, we will work on the first three objectives of the workshop, while in the second day we will focus on the fourth objective (see workshop agenda).

This workshop is part of a fast-track project funded by the AfricaRISING program (USAID), whose purpose is to: //“Provide pathways out of hunger and poverty for small holder families through sustainably intensified farming systems that sufficiently improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and conserve or enhance the natural resource base”.// AfricaRISING combines both research and development objectives to identify and evaluate demand-driven options for sustainable intensification and facilitate partner-led dissemination of integrated innovations. The objective of this fast-track project is to propose a methodological approach to implement demand-driven research for development (R4D), while promoting partner-led processes and dissemination. Although the testing of the whole approach goes beyond this fast-track project, we combine expert knowledge, secondary literature and fieldwork to ensure a generic and flexible framework. This workshop is part of this process and it particularly aims to: 1. Share a methodological approach for demand-driven R4D within the context of the AfricaRISING. 2. Identify and discuss major issues of the approach with a larger R&D community. 3. Find ways forward to tackle these issues based on the knowledge and experiences of this larger community. In the first day, we will work on the first two objectives of the workshop, while in the second day we will focus on the third objective (see workshop program below).