Early findings for funders and policy makers on getting research into use

20th July 2010. RIUs Central Research Team has produced an initial synthesis of some of the findings from the RIU Africa Country Programmes. These findings make a case for appropriately-funded rural development brokering agencies that can bring together a wide range of partners and find the best ways to remove bottlenecks that stop research getting into use. 

Jeroen Dijkman writes: "The policy implications from the preliminary findings by the RIU Africa Country Programmes are:

• that agricultural innovation, rather than simple investment in research and technology initiatives, may also require the establishment of appropriately-funded rural development brokering agencies
• that whilst the private sector may be ideally placed in some sectors, local circumstances may currently limit their role in many areas. In light of this, coalitions of private, public and civil society sector actors are important for developing, accessing and using knowledge and technology for agricultural and rural system innovation
• that rural development interventions and investment should not be solely about solving problems but also about pursuing exciting new options
• that investment in research capacity alone will do little to enhance innovation and rural development, unless that capacity is relevant to rural sector innovation and growth.

These findings raise important questions about how global public research and development efforts could or should reorient themselves to be able to respond."

RIU will be doing more work and analysis to test these early findings including reviewing the skills, competencies and other factors that need to be in place for the brokering agencies to be successful.

Africa matters: some policy relevant lessons emerging from the RIU country programmes  Author: Jeroen Dijkman June 2010 (PDF 80KB)