J. Riley
Statistics Department, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, UK
E-mail: janet.riley@bbsrc.ac.uk
Between 1995 and 1998 the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) commissioned a study by Rothamsted Experimental Station to examine the reasons underpinning the problems encountered by scientists in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) in incorporating good biometric quality in their research work (Riley 1998).
The study comprised three phases.
Over 500 scientists in ACP countries were sent a questionnaire to find out their level of biometric training, their understanding of design and analysis methods, the availability of facilities and their use of software for data handling and analysis. This phase culminated in a workshop at the University of Hohenheim, Germany where representatives of both biometricians and scientists met to discuss the outputs of the first phase and to make recommendations for the next steps.
Four desk studies were conducted:
In order to explore more deeply the reasons why scientists may not have good biometric skills or support, a case study was made of a national agricultural research service in an African country. This three-week study involved an assessment of the position in the organisation of the biometrics personnel, a study of the efficiency of the services provided by them to the scientists and recommendations for future developments of the group.
These two phases demonstrated the current status of biometrics in the ACP countries, the poor and declining availability of professional biometricians, the outdated ability of available biometricians and of scientific researchers, the inappropriate levels of statistical computing, Internet facilities and biometric books. The lack of relevance of many national and international biometric training courses was shown and their relationship with the paucity of ACP scientific research publications. The location of biometric departments and lack of responsibility of biometricians within institutional structure and management programmes may be one reason for biometric decline, compounded by decreases in donor funding for biometric support and research. Excellent attempts by international institutes and professional societies to promote the biometric discipline were noted and are applauded although such initiatives cannot be broadly effective if made in isolation.
Recommendations based on these findings build upon the necessity for a focused, concerted effort by many involved players to reverse this perceived decline. Governments and national institutions are urged to appreciate that long-term policies incorporating research quality, underpinned by professional biometric input, are essential for precise recommendations for sustainable multidisciplinary agricultural development. Donors (funding agents, international and regional institutes, professional societies and training institutions globally) are encouraged to modify their activities to incorporate a professional, modern, computer-based biometric input in all their projects and training activities. Biometricians are encouraged to address practical agricultural problems and to interact with scientists using fewer technical terms to promote biometric understanding. ACP biometricians are encouraged to seek new and sustainable directions for limited aid funds. Finally, the necessity is stressed for multilateral actions: only in combination can the recommendations proposed above have any appreciable impact.
The study of the African NARI showed a number of key issues which were hampering the efficient provision of professional biometric skill to the researchers.
The NARI had already been subject to a major restructuring programme to modernise its approaches in relation to globalisation and market reform. The biometrics personnel- comprising a single person-had been given the added responsibility for organising the documentation and publications section of the organisation and had been provided with extra staff to handle this. However, he/she had no extra staff to provide biometric support while he/she organised the documentation staff! The biometrician clearly had a good relationship with the Director General of the NARI, who had requested this review and who suggested that a project be designed to assist the biometrician's professional development.
The research activities of the NARI encompass a wide range of disciplines-socio-economic, animal, perennial crop and annual crop studies. However, the multidisciplinary interactions are not strong and the biometrician is responding very much to specific disciplinary requests and is not able to develop his/her own perspectives in multidisciplinary studies. As scientists become more adept at routine statistical analysis using commercial software, the skills of professional biometricians may become sidelined. The need for the biometrician to develop skills in multidisciplinary areas is essential, both to be equipped to respond to the changing needs proposed by the NARI restructuring programme and to ensure continued job prospects. Time must be made available by the biometrician to talk to scientists and to plan collaborative work programmes.
The biometrician had received no formal university training since 1983, although he had attended a number of short courses given at IARCs. His access to the Internet and software are excellent, so computing facilities are not problematic. He/she is very much aware of the need for more up-to-date skills and proposed topics to upgrade his/her knowledge.
Together with the biometrician we proposed a strategy to provide: a) improvements in the skills of the biometrician, involving short attachments to biometricians in European universities, b) training courses provided by IARC biometricians (from which the NARI biometrician would gain knowledge) and c) the identification of key scientific personnel to go to the IARC centres for training in specific biometric topics. In this way, skilled biometric resource persons would be available in the scientific departments, alleviating pressure from the NARI biometrician who could concentrate on the provision of more advanced biometric advice.
The case study in Phase 3 represents a unique situation. However, whilst all institutes are different, there are common factors underlying the lack of progress in improving biometric skills.
It is better to manage well a little knowledge than to mismanage a lot of knowledge.
Riley, J. 1998. Strengthening biometry and statistics in agricultural research. Study Report. CTA (Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation), Wageningen, The Netherlands. 27 pp.
