Agricultural research and education institutes in sub-Saharan Africa are making an important contribution to agricultural development on the continent.  However, most of these organizations have a range of capacity needs which combine to limit their overall effectiveness.   Training activities in these organizations are usually designed to address a particular constraint, such as a low success rate in winning new research projects or limited expertise in maintaining laboratory equipment.  Sometimes, support is directed towards strengthening a specific department or programme, often with external donor support.  Although these interventions are helpful, they will not significantly enhance the performance of the organizations unless other capacity gaps are also filled.

The recently completed project on Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research for Development in Africa (SCARDA) took a different approach.  SCARDA worked with agricultural research and education institutes and their key partners in ten countries.  In each institute a comprehensive analysis of capacity needs was undertaken.  This was done through a participatory process involving a cross-section of staff and stakeholders.  The analysis formed the basis for an action plan which aimed to strengthen the management of research and improve technical skills in priority areas.  The action plan included a set of targeted capacity strengthening interventions, ranging from short courses and workshops to longer term training of individual staff.  The capacity strengthening activities were underpinned by a change management strategy which was implemented with mentoring support from external specialists.

Postgraduate training was a key element of the capacity strengthening support in most of the agricultural research and education institutes in SCARDA.  During the analysis of capacity needs, areas were identified where it was considered that the acquisition of new skills would bring clear benefits to the institutes.  The most suitable candidates were then identified, whilst ensuring that there was strong representation of women and younger staff.  Most students registered on Masters programmes in countries in Africa and a small number enrolled at the University of Greenwich in the United Kingdom.  Care was taken to ensure that the research topics chosen by students were directly relevant to the priorities of their institutes, although this was not possible in a small number of cases.

The identification, placement and support for the Masters students was coordinated by organizations with relevant experience in this area.  These were RUFORUM for Eastern and Central Africa; the African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) for Southern Africa; and the Centre Régional de Formation et d’Application en Agrométéorologie et Hydrologie Opérationelle (AGRHYMET) for West and Central Africa.   The Masters students were given additional training on soft skills such as communication, negotiation and conflict resolution.  They also participated in proposal writing workshops as part of a wider process of supporting them to re-integrate into their home institutes.  This will increase their chances of winning funding to conduct further research in which they can apply their new skills and contribute to the success of their institutes.

Many of the students have now returned to their own countries and have taken up demanding roles within their national agricultural research systems.  For example, after completing her MSc in Plant Breeding and Seed Systems at Makerere University, Micheline Inamahoro has been appointed Head of the Biotechnology Unit at the Institut des Sciences Agronomique du Burundi (ISABU).  For her MSc research project, Micheline identified root traits of banana that can be targeted in breeding for resistance to burrowing nematode, Radopholus similis. Since her return to Burundi she has submitted three research proposals, one of which builds on her project research on nematodes.  Meanwhile, as part of her efforts to strengthen capacity in the Biotechnology Unit, Micheline is using tissue culture to produce breeder seed for potato.  This will make it easier for farmers in Burundi to obtain high quality, disease-free potato seed and increase their opportunities to earn extra income.

Details of the research carried out by Micheline and five other Masters students through the SCARDA project are shown below.  More detailed information is now available on a new platform on the RUFORUM website which will be available for access in by the end of August 2011.  This platform has been set up under an initiative called Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research for Innovation (SCAIN).  One of the main aims of SCAIN is to document and disseminate approaches, methodologies and lessons from capacity strengthening initiatives such as SCARDA.  SCAIN is also developing and testing tools and methods for identifying and addressing capacity gaps in agricultural research for development initiatives that involve several different types of organization.  Finally, SCAIN will identify and collate information which shows how capacity strengthening for agricultural research leads to measurable and sustainable impact.

The SCAIN electronic platform includes a section on SCARDA alumni in which the abstracts of all the students’ research theses are shown as well as information on their current interests and activities.  An online forum provides a means for students to interact and to connect to other researchers in their field.

SCARDA was coordinated by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and implemented by the three sub-regional organizations (ASARECA, CORAF/WECARD and SADC-FANR), with support from RUFORUM, ANAFE, AGRHYMET and the Natural Resources Institute of the University of Greenwich.  Funding was provided by the Department of International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom.  Activities were carried out in Botswana, Burundi, Gambia, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sudan and Zambia.  The project ran from February 2007 to June 2010 and was subsequently extended to March 2011 to enable specific activities to be completed.  The SCAIN initiative, which is also funded by DFID, builds on the work done under SCARDA. 

RUFORUM on its part is now Scaling up some of the SCARDA approaches and using the lessons to design new initiatives, including strengthening university leadership and management project (9-ACP-RPR-118#5).

RUFORUM recognises contribution from Tim Chancellor, Natural Resources Institute (NRI) . He can be contacted at T.C.B.Chancellor@greenwich.ac.uk