CRISP - Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy

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Climate Adaptive Innovation

CRISP is currently involved in a study on Climate Adaptive Innovation: A study of Knowledge Networks and Agricultural Innovations in the Indo-Gangetic Plains in South Asia. This study funded by the Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) programme of CGIAR focuses on understanding the local innovation processes in relation to different types of risks and vulnerabilities primarily associated with climate change.

Research Into Use

RIU [Research Into Use] is a research and development programme designed to put agricultural research into use for developmental purposes and to conduct research on how to do this. The key research question for RIU is not just to find the best way of putting research into use. Instead the key research question concerns understanding which sorts of configurations are relevant under which circumstances and at which stages in different innovation trajectories. In 2009 RIU appointed LINK to act as its Central Research Team (CRT) with overall responsibility for designing and implementing its research. The CRT is headed by Andy Hall. Research is coordinated by Rasheed Sulaiman V in Asia and by Jeroen Dijkman in Africa.

For an overview of the Asia portfolio of RIU, click here

RESEARCH INTO USE: INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Andy Hall, Jeroen Dijkman and Rasheed Sulaiman V
Central Research Team, Research Into Use (RIU)

Abstract

This paper sets out an analytical framework for doing research on the question of how to use agricultural research for innovation and impact. Its focus is the Research Into Use programme sponsored by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). This is oneexample of a new type of international development programme that seeks to find better ways of using research for developmental purposes. The main analytical approach draws on contemporary innovation perspectives and focuses on understanding the ways in which the process of research is used, rather than only on how research products are transferred and adopted. It argues that there is a diversity of ways of organising innovation appropriate to different market, social, technological, institutional and policy niches. The framework developed in the paper is used to frame questions that will help RIU in its quest to provide practical policy with selection guidance in choosing the right sort of innovation support strategies for particular requirements of different niches at different points in the innovation trajectory.

TWO NEW DISCUSSION PAPERS FROM CRISP

CRISP is pleased to announce the publication of two new discussion papers, available for download. Click here to download.

The first, titled “Organised Retailing of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables : Is it helping producers”, authored by Rasheed Sulaiman V, N. J Kalaivani and Jatin Handoo, explores the procurement operations of organized corporate retailers in one of the major vegetable growing clusters in Andhra Pradesh, India and its impact on producers.

The second, titled “Tacit Knowledge and Innovation Capacity: Evidence from the Indian Livestock Sector”, authored by Rasheed Sulaiman V., Laxmi Thummuru, Andy Hall and Jeroen Dijkman. This paper explores the role of tacit knowledge in livestock sector innovation capacity though the case of Visakha Dairy, a producer-owned milk marketing company in India that used tacit knowledge to innovate around challenges.

On-Going Projects

Fodder Innovation Project

CRISP is partnering with an ILRI-UNU project on exploring fodder innovation in India and Nigeria (www.fodderinnovation.org). This project is looking at the issue of fodder from a capacity scarcity in relation to bringing technical and other changes in fodder practices and is exploring ways of strengthening this capacity in order to increase use of livestock fodder and help enhance the livelihoods of livestock dependent poor people. As part of this project, CRISP is collaborating with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in the organisation of a Fodder Innovation Policy Working Group. The purpose of the first meeting held in February 2009 was to share the findings and insights emerging from the project and obtain comments on the relevance and effectiveness of its approach. The project also sought contributions to the type of questions this research asks and assistance in promoting its findings.

The final workshop of this project “Enhancing Capacity for Innovation: Learning from Practice” was organied at Hyderabad during 5-6 May 2010. To read the extended abstracts of papers presented at this workshop, click here.

Advisory Services

CRISP has recently provided advisory services to a number donors and development organisations. These include:

Technical review of Research into Use programme of DFID.

Scoping study on South Asia Regional Agricultural Research Programme of DFID.

Review of Policy Training Course Module on Agricultural Extension (FAO).

South Asia Policy Review on agricultural research (Network Mapping and Opportunity Analysis) for RIU.

Codification of Tacit Knowledge and its impact on the strengthening of livestock sector related innovation capacity

Recent thinking on agricultural and rural innovation recognises the need to strengthen innovation capacity. Recent years has witnessed rapid changes happening in the livestock sector and to respond and adapt to these changes, the organisations in the livestock sector need to develop their capacity to continuously innovate. This task involves combining different elements of an innovation system and the patterns of interaction needed to sustain this. This perspective offers new ways to explore how science, technology and other forms of knowledge can best be deployed to stimulate innovation, economic growth and poverty reduction in rural areas. In rapidly changing sectors, tacit knowledge plays an important role in deciding innovation capacity. The project seeks to contribute to clarifying the role that the codification of tacit knowledge stocks could have on livestock sector innovation capacity, and the kinds of competencies and skills required to codify and effectively use such tacit knowledge stocks.

Completed Projects

1. New insights on rural innovation: Lessons from Civil Society

This is a collaborative project with the UNU-MERIT and the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), New Delhi. CRISP is undertaking case studies on civil society interventions in rural innovation to draw fresh insights on ways of promoting pro-poor innovation. The study also tests the prospects of using the innovation systems analytical framework to identify these lessons and how these could be promoted. As part of this study, CRISP is also participating in the Rural Innovation Policy Working Group (RIPWG) meetings and is currently co-ordinating the publication and policy outreach activities of this project.

Read:

1. RIPWG Reporter

2. LINK Project Brief – New insights project

2. Livelihood patterns, impact pathways and innovation systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains - A synthesis of existing information to enhance priority setting processes

This study was commissioned by the Rice-Wheat Consortium/CIMMYT as a CPR-CRISP collaborative work. The main objective of the study was to synthesize existing information on livelihood patterns, impact pathways, and innovation systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains in India and to assess implications for priority setting and targeting to achieve better poverty impacts. The study was completed in January 2007.

3. Co-ordination of the South Asia activities of the Crop Post Harvest Programme (CPHP) of DFID-UK

CRISP has been co-ordinating the activities of the CPHP, South Asia managed by the Natural Resources International (NRI) and funded by the DFID-UK during 2004-2006. The coordination function performed by the secretariat includes:

a. Facilitating the development and implementation of a small portfolio of action learning projects exploring pro-poor post-harvest innovation

b. Strengthening lesson learning, information exchange and network development among post-harvest stakeholders in the region

c. Adding value to the programme's portfolio by synthesizing lessons from across projects and promoting principles of good practice among policy makers and practitioners

Under this activity, CRISP facilitated the evolution of the 4 coalition projects and the development of institutional histories. This include:

Project 1: Developing coalitions approach to Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) for better livelihoods of tribal communities
Project 2: Exploring sorghum utilization opportunities through a research, industry and users forum/coalition
Project 3: Integrating markets, products and partners: An action research to explore and develop a management system for linking tribal communities to markets through value addition
Project 4: Institutional Learning and Change Coalition: A capacity development approach to exploring and strengthening post-harvest innovation systems in South Asia.

See: www.cphpsouthasia.com

Read: Institutional Histories: reflections on four Indian coalitions (pdf)

4. Institutional Learning and Change

Institutional History of Watershed Research: The evolution of ICRISAT’s work on Natural Resources in India

In recent years international agricultural research centres had to respond to changed mandates with a more explicit focus on poverty reduction and environmental sustainability from an earlier focus on improved agricultural productivity. Natural resource management (NRM) research has been an important area that has witnessed several institutional changes within the CGIAR system for the fulfillments of these goals. More research centres have sought and promoted innovations through concepts such as participatory research, partnerships and alternatives to the transfer of technology approach. This research study undertaken for ICRISAT uses institutional history as a tool to promote institutional learning and change. The study traces the evolution of the watershed work at ICRISAT arguing that the present activities need to be seen as part of a large narrative of several innovations, not all of them successful, by scientists over a thirty year period. It demonstrates that research managers in the CG system have not adequately accessed the institutional innovations of its own scientists in facilitating changes under newer mandates. By tracing the various ups and downs of ICRISAT’s thirty-year involvement in NRM research, the study points to the need for greater sensitivity in research design towards institutional constraints that prevent faster learning and the need for evolving mechanisms to enable real time learning in projects.

Institutional Learning and Change (ILAC) at ICRISAT: A case study of the Tata-ICRISAT Project

Institutional innovations are critical for effective performance of agricultural research centres in natural resource management projects that often include multiple and diverse stakeholders with contrasting objectives and activities. This study extended the approach of institutional histories to an on-going project of ICRISAT-“combating land degradation in India”. This study undertaken for ICRISAT, shows how institutional histories of projects could be used as tools to help reveal institutional innovations thereby promoting Institutional Learning and Change (ILAC). The learning from the historical study and the application of institutional histories in an ongoing project together reveal interesting insights on international agricultural research centres and their efforts towards a transition into learning organizations. The study also explores the use of actor-oriented tools for project management and recommends its use to enable collective reflection of partnerships in review and planning meetings of projects.

5. Supporting ILRI in Innovation Studies

CRISP has been partnering with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) since June 2004 on the “fodder innovation project”. CRSIP conducted an innovation systems study for ILRI in the Krishna and Guntur Districts, in 2004. The study provided insights into the nature and quality of interactions amongst the various actors in the local innovation system and identified the constraints and opportunities that would enable better development, adaptation and use of fodder varieties. CRISP has also provided inputs to the project through training of the project partners on actor oriented tools and institutional histories and has carried out a preliminary seed sector study on fodder. Recently, CRISP has completed a study on Livestock fodder innovations for the poor. This study based on analysis of several institutional innovations in fodder research, delivery and policy, offers fresh insights on promoting fodder innovations for the poor.

Read:

An innovation systems study on the fodder innovations project on enhancing livelihoods of poor livestock keepers in Krishna & Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh(word)