This document discusses the challenge of translating scientific research into practical applications that influence decision-making. It argues that partnerships are key to creating "information chains" between researchers, boundary organizations, and decision-makers. Effective partnerships require communication, trust, and incentives. The example is given of collaboration between crop modelers, weather scientists, producer organizations, and farmers in Colombia that has led to improved crop forecasts. For partnerships to succeed, resources must be jointly committed, external processes engaged with, and co-learning and capacity building invested in over the long term.

1. Ana María Loboguerrero
Regional Program Leader for CCAFS Latin America
From Science to Practice: The
Missing Link
Understanding impact delivery from agricultural research breakout session

2. How can science influence decision
making processes?
Formula for change
Tools Information
Farmers
Private
sector
Producers
associations
Government
Decision makers Better decisions
Poverty Unemployment Climate Impacts
Sustainable Development Environment International Agreements
Economic Growth
+ + =

3. But it’s not that simple…

4. Science, Policy, Decisions: Information
Chains
Knowledge
generation
Knowledge “Translation”
(Tailoring)
Knowledge
Application
New research
questions
Research centers,
Academia, NARS
Decisions, policyBoundary organizations
New knowledge
demands
Here are the main challenges:
Need a “new type” of Scientist
(Translator, Integrator)
From Walter Baethgen (IRI)

5. Example: Information Chain in Disaster
Risk Management
Climate
Science
Climate
Information
Products
Climate Information
and Outputs
for Disasters
National
Emergency
System
Local
Implementation
Photo: World Bank
• When the links are not present:
Create them
• Solution is not to “skip links”, but
to create/strengthen them

6. The example of Colombia
Crop
Modelers
Weather
Scientists
Producers
Organizations
Farmers
Millions of raw data
Relationships
between weather
and production
Make forecasts for
the next crop season
Inform what can
be expected
Key partners in the
success of the process

7. Why do partnerships
often fail?
In this context…
What is the role of
partnerships?
Are partnerships
essential to reach
scale?

8. My hypothesis
And are the “missing
link” when science
doesn’t translate into
practice
PARTNERSHIPS are
in the heart of the
information chains

9. But partnerships need:
Communication
(translation)
Trust Incentives

10. Sets of
partners
• Research partners
• Public sector, inter-
governmental and
policy partners
• Non-governmental
development
partners
• Private sector
partners
Principles for AR4D
• Allocate resources in
three thirds – needs,
research, capacity
• Join in external
processes
• Sustain co-learning
• Invest in, and monitor,
capacity enhancement
• Use research products to
build scientific credibility

11. Financial institutions, the
corporate world and civil society -
all must uphold high standards of
probity in their working. Only a
genuine partnership between the
Government and its people can
bring about positive change to
create a just society.
Extracted from: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/pratibhapa506705.html
Pratibha Patil

12. • What are the different ways of achieving impact
at scale and how do we engage major change
makers? (policy changes? Extension
approaches? Big data approaches?)
• What ways and models of working with partners
are successful? (Trust? Going beyond lip
service? Joint commitment? Communication?)
• What are the incentives for coordinated action
and what are the lessons learnt?
Questions