In the past, it has been more common to view stand-alone training as sufficient to develop capacity. However, increasing evaluative evidence has suggested that such one-off interventions are rarely successful in developing sustainable organizational or institutional capacity. Although support to capacity development in agricultural research for development should be enhanced if agricultural productivity and poverty reduction targets are to be met, capacity strengthening initiatives should focus more on organizational and institutional strengthening and re-balance support at the individual level by prioritizing training programmes that are linked to organizational and institutional development.1 Further, multi-stakeholder initiatives should be pursued as these are likely to lead to larger impacts. For further information check out the meeting website: http://www.egfar.org/gcard-2012 En el pasado, ha sido más común ver suficientes para desarrollar la capacidad de formación independiente. Sin embargo, cada vez más pruebas de evaluación ha sugerido que tales intervenciones puntuales son raramente exitosas en el desarrollo sostenible capacidad organizativa o institucional. Aunque el apoyo a la capacidad de desarrollo en la investigación agrícola para el desarrollo debe mejorarse si los objetivos de reducción de la pobreza y la productividad agrícolas son para cumplirse, iniciativas de fortalecimiento de la capacidad debe centrarse más en apoyo de fortalecer y reequilibrar organizacional e institucional a nivel individual por dar prioridad a programas de capacitación que están vinculados a development.1 organizacional e institucional más, múltiples iniciativas deben buscarse como estos pueden causar grandes impactos. Para más información visite el sitio Web de la reunión: http://www.egfar.org/gcard-2012

1. Capacity Development
Sub-Theme: C2 Enhancing Capacities
Session C 2.1 Institutional knowledge and learning
30 October 2012 (08:30-12:30)
Context – the problems being addressed
In the past, it has been more common to view stand-alone training as sufficient to develop capacity.
However, increasing evaluative evidence has suggested that such one-off interventions are rarely
successful in developing sustainable organizational or institutional capacity. Although support to
capacity development in agricultural research for development should be enhanced if agricultural
productivity and poverty reduction targets are to be met, capacity strengthening initiatives should
focus more on organizational and institutional strengthening and re-balance support at the individual
level by prioritizing training programmes that are linked to organizational and institutional
development.1 Further, multi-stakeholder initiatives should be pursued as these are likely to lead to
larger impacts.
There are numerous existing interventions targeted at addressing the gaps in capacity, research,
education and knowledge in agricultural innovation. Taken together, these interventions have
insufficient alignment with country and regional policy and planning frameworks and with
institutional development needs, with too little coordination and synergy between each other. In
addition, many are small-scale activities with relatively high transaction costs and limited impact on
the ground. Others are based on inadequate analysis of interdisciplinary needs and the demands of
agricultural markets. Experience has demonstrated that enhanced coherence and stronger partnerships
can improve the quality, cost-effectiveness and impact of capacity development in innovation systems.
This session will focus on how to strengthen institutional capacities as well as multi-disciplinary and
multi-organizational networking, including through improved policies, management practices,
structures and incentives, so that institutions become more adaptive and responsive, as well as more
effective in linking farmers, research, education, extension and development actors.
Current activities presented and discussed in the session
Examples of initiatives in capacity development, knowledge sharing and learning in agricultural
innovation will be presented at the session, with particular emphasis on structuring and enhancing
collaboration between stakeholders in innovation systems from producers, consumers, researchers. It
will address the mechanisms required for strengthening organizational capacities in agricultural
research, education, and advisory services, towards collective actions. The session will present
experiences and perspectives of national initiatives, and how national innovation systems can
participate in and benefit from regional and global initiatives. Mechanisms for global initiatives to
share the knowledge and learning derived from such national experiences will be discussed.
National systems require appropriate capacities to use available resources effectively and efficiently,
especially when those resources are meagre. The National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) in
1
EIARD (2012) Policy Brief on Capacity Development for agricultural research for development .
http://www.eiard.org/media/uploads/File/documents/policy%20briefs/EIARD%201.1%20capacity%20development%20for%20A
RD%20policy%20brief%20final.pdf
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2. India launched in 2006 to contribute to the national goal of achieving four percent growth in
agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by strengthening scientific capacity, market orientation,
social inclusion and institutional capacity. The principal capacity development initiatives have
included enhancing the enabling policy environment, institutional effectiveness in the form of business
planning and development, strengthening of information and communication systems, and remodelling
financial and procurement systems, human resource development, and competitive grant schemes for
action research through public-private partnerships. NAIP’s technical programmes have shown some
success in addressing the critical problems faced by Indian agriculture, including enhancing
productivity, profitability and resilience of agriculture, but institutional capacity building has proved to
be challenging. Experiences of capacity development in the Mexican national agricultural innovation
system will also be presented.
In the African region, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and
African educational leaders launched the Tertiary Education for Agriculture Mechanism (TEAM-
Africa) in September 2012 to facilitate a radical transformation of the tertiary agricultural education
systems in Africa. The aim is to stimulate strategic changes in the tertiary education institutions
themselves and to harmonize and coordinate the support provided by development partners in line
with institutional priorities in tertiary agricultural education. Working through existing networks
(ANAFE and RUFORUM) and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), TEAM-Africa
will integrate tertiary agricultural education more effectively into CAADP country and regional
processes and should over time, result in a significant increase in the number and quality of graduates,
improved quality, relevance and impact of research conducted at tertiary institutions, and effective
translation of scientific knowledge to inform national agricultural development policies and strategies.
The session will also focus on the new institutional arrangements in innovation systems in Latin
America and the Caribbean that are required to address the profound challenges in the region.
Agricultural research for development is demanding more and better partnerships to achieve an
effective and inclusive use of the research outcomes by all farmers, as well as new institutional
arrangements for supporting interactive learning among various stakeholders involved in innovation
processes. Examples will be provided from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on
Agriculture (IICA) and innovation networks such as “Red INNOVAGRO”.
At the global level, the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP), a G20 initiative, will contribute to
greater coherence of capacity development interventions in support of less developed countries from
actors in more advanced agricultural innovation systems. Such partnerships need to acknowledge
national leadership and ownership and be aligned with national plans and demands, based on stronger
partnerships and shared visions. The wide adoption of the aid effectiveness agenda across the
international community will provide the context for this coherence. TAP will improve the
effectiveness and efficiency of capacity development programmes to facilitate the emergence of
innovation systems in tropical agriculture which contribute to food security and environmental
sustainability. Sustainable development solutions at scale will be developed with lower transaction
costs, based on integrated approaches across the three capacity dimensions of enabling environment,
organizations and individuals.
Expected outcomes
Drawing on the learning from a wide range of activities, some which are presented in this session, the
expected outcomes from this session are:
 Collective learning from experiences of stakeholders on good practices in capacity
development of agricultural innovation systems in less developed economies;
 Operational launch of TAP, incorporating the feedback received, linking and building on
existing national and regional policies and actions to develop capacities in agricultural
innovation;
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3.  Requirements for linking higher education to the needs of today’s agricultural sector and
development stakeholders shared;
 Strengthened support for a mechanism on tertiary agricultural education, to ensure
coordination and alignment on national/regional policies and actions.
Commitments to collective actions in 2012-2014 (national, regional or international)
i. With existing resources
1. TAP partners will widen and strengthen outreach, advocacy and promotion for the Platform to
strengthen engagement of stakeholders;
2. TAP partners will carry out assessment of current priorities, capacities and needs in
agricultural innovation systems, leading to the formulation of a strategic action plan for the
Platform, and development of a framework for coordinated actions in the short-term;
3. IICA with partners will strengthen and consolidate the knowledge base on Institutional
Innovations in food and agriculture in LAC countries.
ii. With additional support
1. TAP partners will promote capacity development activities in line with the strategic action
plan for strengthening agricultural innovation systems;
2. TAP will identify effective capacity development practices, and share agriculture innovation,
knowledge and experiences to guide national organizations and systems and their
development partners;
3. The TEAM-Africa initiative will develop an expanded work programme to increase
coordination and alignment of the support to tertiary agricultural education in the region;
4. IICA will expand the assessment of National Agricultural Innovation Systems of LAC
countries in collaboration with IICA partners.
iii. With specific large scale programme investment
1. Agricultural innovation actors and stakeholders will collectively further refine and develop
TAP and regional initiatives such as TEAM-Africa;
2. IICA will be able to support the development of biotechnology and biosafety programs in LAC
countries including public-private partnerships, and technology consortia.
3