The role of international agricultural research centres in research support

R. Coe

Research Support Unit, International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF)
P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya
E-mail: r.coe@cgiar.org

Introduction

Much of the function of a research institute can be considered to that of supporting research. However, here I use the phrase `Research Support' to refer to technical input to research activities with the aim of increasing their effectiveness, efficiency and overall quality. Biometricians have provided much of this support, traditionally in the areas of design of experiments and surveys and analysis of data. In recent years, however, the type of support demanded has broadened to include design of a wide range of study types, data management and computer modelling, but the same group of professionals is still expected to provid it. They have become `research methods experts', and it is this role which is discussed here.

Research support for the region

There are now around 10 Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) international agricultural research centres (IARCs) with research activities in the region covered by this workshop. They work in collaboration with a range of partners including national agricultural research institutes (NARIs), universities and regional networks. Research support is provided in a number of ways:

1. Those centres (International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)) with headquarters in the region have small but experienced biometrics groups.
2. Of the remaining centres some get limited support from their own headquarters, others do without.
3. NARS have varying levels of biometrics skills, from none to those with reasonable numbers of support staff but of limited experience.

IARC biometricians work actively with national agricultural research systems (NARS) staff to increase their capacity and effectiveness. However, the limited mandate and biometric resources of each centre make it difficult for them to work with NARS in a strategic and comprehensive way on development of skills in research methods.

The demand for research method skills in the region is enormous. Young scientists joining research teams today are no more adept at using traditional methods than those who joined 10 or 20 years ago. Yet, in addition to learning these traditional methods, changes in the nature of much of the research require skills in new areas. Some of the changes include:

• increased emphasis on natural resource management, with the need to work at multiple scales and to analyse tradeoff
• increased emphasis on output of options and decision support, rather than recommendations and technical packages and
• increased responsiveness to stakeholder needs.

Each of these changes involves new methods that are not within the standard toolbox of most scientists in the region and may not even be documented well.

This large demand is not currently being satisfied. It is unrealistic to expect a large increase in resources to meet it. Instead we have to find ways of using existing resources more effectively.

A possible development

A regional research support group (RRSG) could be established with the overall aim of increasing the effectiveness of agricultural and natural resources research in the region. This could be achieved by pooling the resources of the international centres to create a single unit.

The RRSG would be managed as a single unit, but it would be geographically dispersed. Biometric support functions are provided most effectively when biometricians are in close contact with the scientists with whom they work. The staff will therefore be placed in locations with a high concentration of scientists and any increase in research support staff numbers would increase the number of locations with staff, rather than increase the number of staff at any one location.

The RRSG would therefore pool resources currently committed to research support, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their use. The effect would be to:

• increase the range of biometric and other research support skills available to research teams
• provide local and accessible support, allowing support staff to be active research team members
• increase the speed and effectiveness with which new methods and approaches are disseminated to all researchers in the region
• provide a base from which researchers in all projects in the region (whether at headquarters or not) can get support
• provide a body with the mandate, skills and resources to undertake effective and structured capacity building with NARS
• provide a body of sufficient weight that can attract funding and `buy in' from other organisations and
• encourage interactions among biometricians and hence increase their capacity to undertake research on the development of new methods.

Getting started

Before such a group can be started reactions are needed from the various stakeholders, including those represented in this workshop. The next step will be the completion of a concept note for discussion with NARIs, IARCs and other research organisations in the region. Based on these reactions the preparation of a proposal to potential investors, both research centres and donors, will commence.