This document discusses building research partnerships with low and middle-income countries. It provides information about Research Consulting, a mission-driven business that works to improve research effectiveness, and SARIMA, a not-for-profit membership body serving 15 SADC countries. It outlines a project called Strengthening Research Institutions in Africa that conducted a rapid evidence assessment and country needs assessments in 7 African countries. The document then discusses challenges of working with LMICs including status of research, research governance, human resources, and research management challenges. It provides contact information for Rob Johnson of Research Consulting and Therina Theron of SARIMA.

1. Research for development
Rob Johnson (Research Consulting and Therina Theron (SARIMA)
ARMA Conference 2019
1
Building research partnerships with low and middle
income countries

2. 1.
INTRODUCTIONS
2

3. Research Consulting
3
100+
clients
120+
projects
30
countries
Research
Management
Knowledge
Exchange
Open
science
15
LMICs
A mission-driven business working to improve the effectiveness and impact of research and
scholarly communication.

4. Southern African Research & Innovation Management Association
 A not-for-profit membership body established in 2002 that serves15 SADC countries
 led by a Committee of volunteers (elected by the members) together with the General
Manager, who heads up the Project and Operations team, based in Pretoria, South Africa
 a platform for research and innovation management professionals and support staff in
the public and private sector, aimed at:
 developing the discipline of research and innovation management,
 promoting and facilitating best practices in research and innovation management
 strengthening the research and innovation system to support regional social and
economic development
What is SARIMA?

5. Research Management
Initiative and drive activities relating to the development of capacity and elevating
the profession of RM in the region and globally
Innovation and Technology Transfer
Initiative and drive activities relating to the development of capacity and elevating
the profession of TT in the region and globally
African Engagement
Promote and strengthen R&I management throughout Africa, leveraging of existing
RM and I&TT portfolio activities
All of the above is underpinned by the Operations portfolio which is responsible for:
human and financial management, fundraising, membership, marketing and
communications, stakeholder relationships, administration
Key Focus Areas

6. Introductions…
6

7. 2.
STRENGTHENING
RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS
IN AFRICA
7

8. Strengthening Research
Institutions in Africa (SRIA)
8
1. Rapid Evidence Assessment 2. Country Needs Assessment
Jan – April 2019 March-October 2019
Strategies and interventions available to
strengthen research systems and research
organisations in LMICs
SSA focus: Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda,
Rwanda, Nigeria and Tanzania
Project financed by DFID Delivered by Research Consulting, in collaboration with SARIMA and Consort Strategy

9. REA: evidence base
9
1
3
6
7
25
39
138
-10 40 90 140
Europe & Australia
Latin America & Caribbean
Asia (east)
Asia (South)
Global
LMIC
Africa
Geographical focus
4
13
52
150
0 50 100 150 200
Professional body/business group
Charity/advocacy organisation
Government/international…
University/Research organisation
Sponsor organization
24
90
106
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Low
Medium
High
Quality
220
studies

10. Needs Assessment
Political economy
10
Socio-economic
context
National policy
Stakeholder
mapping
Diffusion
+
Production
110
indicators
Research system performance
National research environment

11. 3.
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS
IN LMICS
11

12. Your experience of working
with LMICs
12

13. Landscape challenges
13
Status of research
LMIC governments are yet to see research as engine of development:
universities’ primary role is educational, research is secondary.
Heterogeneity
The gap between flagship universities and everyone else is very large:
collaborations with non-flagship universities is especially difficult

14. Research governance challenges
14
Institutional research policies
Most institutions lack a formal research strategy and/or
implementation guidelines
Integrity and ethics
Failure to use ethical standards, difficult relationships with
research partners and lack of safeguards for recruiting
research participants.

15. Human resources challenges
15
Recruitment and retention
There is a shortage of senior scientists as RPOS struggle to
recruit when staff doubles in size every eight years.
Incentives for research
Low salaries and non-transparent promotion systems lower motivations
for research and publication and underpin brain drain.
Training and mentoring
There is a need for better and more systematic training
opportunities for LMIC researchers.

16. Research management challenges
16
Financial management
Multiple donor reporting requirements put a strain on financial
managers.
Research support
Researchers have little support from their institution, often
viewed by management as an expensive luxury.
RIS
Lack of electronic management systems makes it difficult to track
active projects, estimate institutional research income or maintain
good record management practices.

17. Q&A
17

18. Rob Johnson
Thank you
rob.johnson@research-consulting.com
@rschconsulting
www.research-consulting.com
18
Therina Theron
ttheron@sun.ac.za
www.sarimaconf.co.za