Africa Regional Program
Maximizing the Impact of Agricultural Research in Africa: A Workshop on Research Communication Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 21st-22nd October 2008
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Background and Rationale
Agricultural development in Africa is regaining attention, particularly in the recent light of food security challenges. The World Bank and other donors, as well as African initiatives such as NEPAD, FARA, AGRA, etc. are investing major resources to stimulate agricultural production across essential food staples and commodities for both agribusinesses and smallholder farmers. Research and technological advancements represent a key to enhanced productivity and are also receiving much attention. In fact, Robert Zoellick of the World Bank recently proposed that funding for the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research should double in the next five years. However, research by itself does not necessarily lead to change either in the field or at the policy level. How can this link be strengthened? This workshop will explore in detail how research institutes working in agriculture can maximize the impact of their work through enhanced communication efforts.
Read more about the GDN Knowledge Management Capacity Building Program in Africa More »
Given the focus that agricultural research in Africa is getting, the need to communicate that research to the people who need it the most – policymakers and practitioners – is even more critical. The proposed workshop is an opportunity to take a concrete step in this direction and to share experiences as to how can Research Institutes working in Agriculture maximize the impact of their work through enhanced Communication Efforts.
Kindly click on the tab arrow to the right to scroll for available details regarding the workshop. |
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- To examine past efforts at partnerships, peer learning and experience sharing and to explore the causes of success and failure.
- To develop the capacity of staff in improving the impact of the research being produced by their research institutes and universities, and to examine how this has been done by their peers.
- To facilitate the sharing of knowledge among key research institutes and to discuss ideas on how to strengthen this exchange.
The workshop accommodated about 50 participants from major research institutes, universities, networks and media in Anglophone Africa focusing on agricultural research and policy analysis.
The workshop was a two-day interactive learning event that comprised of knowledge and experience sharing, group discussions and exercises, developing a learning community and other activities so that particiapnts were able to draft their institution's communication startegy.
Online Agenda available with links to material shared and workshop
Download Agenda (PDF)
To cover highlights of the workshop on Maximizing the Impact of Development Research in Africa, please check out the attached blogs, video interviews, and pictures frmo the workshop where particpants expressed their ideas to enhance the impact of research to policy:
Global Development Network: Communications Capacity Buildinghttp://www.gdnet.org/cms.php?id=com_cap_buil
International Food Policy Research Institute
http://www.ifpri.org/
Overseas Development Network: Research in Policy in Development
http://www.odi.org.uk/rapid/
Knowledge Sharing Project of the CGIAR's ICT-KM program
http://www.ks-cgiar.org
World Bank Institute: Knowledge for Development Program
http://go.worldbank.org/AW9KZWJB10
The CGIAR's program on Information Communication Technologies and Knowledge Management(ICT-KM)
www.ictkm.cgiar.org
Long term investments in agriculture essential to grasp and sustain opportunities
http://brusselsbriefings.net/2008/10/24/long-term-investments-in-agriculture-essential-to-grasp-and-sustain-opportunities/
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