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Agriculture and Natural Resources Management Research Priorities
Setting Exercise
Overview of the Research Framework For Economic Growth,
Agriculture & Trade Bureau’s Offices of Agriculture
& Natural Resources Management
Over the past six months, the Offices of Agriculture (EGAT/AG)
and Natural Resources Management (EGAT/NRM) in USAID’s
Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture & Trade (EGAT)
have been working to identify a coherent vision and priorities
that will direct their future research investments consistent
with the Agency’s new strategies and priorities. These
offices manage a range of research grants and agreements that
bring the experience and expertise of U.S. Universities, Non-governmental
Organizations, International Research Centers and U.S. Government
Agencies to bear on critical development questions. The goals
of this research priority setting exercise are to:
- 1) Identify a joint research framework for EGAT/AG and
EGAT/NRM that addresses Administration mandates, global
development needs, EGAT priorities, and U.S. comparative
advantage; and
- 2) Propose mechanisms for implementation of this framework
that will include but not be limited to a revised Collaborative
Research Support Programs (CRSP) Portfolio. Both the research
framework and CRSP Portfolio will be phased-in over the
next four years.
The Process:
USAID/EGAT commissioned the USAID Agriculture and Natural
Resources Management Research Priorities Desktop Review
to identify key research areas. The review analyzed the priority
setting exercises of donors and international research institutions
over the last five years, taking into consideration key USAID
policy and strategy documents in developing its recommendations.
After the draft review was made public, a stakeholder’s
forum and an Agency-wide consultation provided feedback and
identified gaps in the initial draft, which was subsequently
revised. In early July, an intra-agency working group was
formed with representatives from USAID Regional Bureaus, the
Bureau for Policy & Program Coordination (PPC), and EGAT
Offices of Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, and Environment
& Science Policy. This group took the findings of the
desktop review and aligned them with USAID’s evolving
strategic direction to elaborate the research framework and
identify mechanisms for its implementation. Additional consultations
with USAID stakeholders including the U.S. University community
will now be held to obtain further feedback prior to the finalization
of the research framework and the development of the research
portfolio.
The Criteria:
In developing priority themes for the framework, the overarching
goal was to identify research with potential for improving
food security, increasing incomes, and reducing risk and vulnerability
while promoting the sustainable use of the natural resource
base. Other criteria were that themes should: 1) be consistent
with USAID strategic direction; 2) use systems approaches
to research; 3) be broad enough to address critical development
issues holistically and (4) be flexible enough to meet USAID
Mission research needs over time.
The Framework:
The attached “Research Framework for the Offices of
Agriculture and Natural Resources Management“ consists
of four interrelated themes that will guide EGAT/AG and EGAT/NRM’s
diverse research portfolio. The products, services, and research
topics found under each theme are illustrative
in nature and are not meant to be comprehensive. In addition
to the four themes, the framework includes core program elements
and cross cutting tools relevant to specific research activities.
Although the framework will inform the elaboration of a CRSP
portfolio, it is important to note that the four themes
do not represent individual CRSPs within a revised CRSP Portfolio.
An eventual portfolio may include one or more CRSPs related
to each major research theme, and individual CRSP research
may have relevance for more than one theme.
The Offices anticipate a high degree of interaction
between research themes, with research in one theme
informing activities in others. While each theme has a focal
area, certain elements will run across several themes. For
example, it is expected that research on staples, high value
products, and maintenance of agricultural and natural assets
will address policy, incentives or market elements relevant
to specific products, services or geographical areas, while
the Policy, Markets, Trade and Governance theme may address
broader questions on policy and market access such as impact
of trade agreements, financial sector deepening, risk mitigation
and property rights. While research on Staple Food Systems
and Higher Value Products will address soil and water productivity
and management practices for specific products, the “Agricultural
and Natural Assets” theme may address landscape level
issues that impact ecosystem services such as water provision,
flood regulation and soil conservation and regeneration.
Drawing on recommendations from the desktop review, an attempt
has been made to move towards systems approaches
that consider social, institutional, political, economic,
and environmental components within a larger system that impact
the potential adoption of new technologies and practices.
Themes 1-4 incorporate a production system, value chain, ecosystem,
and political-economic system approaches respectively. As
a result, rather than focusing on the production of specific
staple crops, Theme 1 looks through a food security lens that
may include research on a range of staple crops and animal
products, human nutrition, adaptation to change and market
failures that impact food security. Theme 2 looks across the
value chain to examine on-farm production practices, local
capacity to meet emerging quality and safety standards, and
ability to effectively market products. Theme 3 examines the
relationships between practices in the field and forest and
the provision of environmental services and the resiliency
of the resource base, while Theme 4 looks at higher level
policies affecting productivity, trade, markets and livelihoods.
Next Steps:
USAID/EGAT is inviting further public comment on the research
framework and the criteria for developing the CRSP portfolio.
Substantive ideas for the CRSP portfolio and other research
programs are also welcome. Please email suggestions to: research.feedback@usaid.gov
by August 31st. USAID/EGAT will consider this feedback, along
with input from the Agency’s field Missions in developing
the CRSP Portfolio.
EGAT/AG and EGAT/NRM, intend to release a Request for Information
(RFI) on the draft CRSP Portfolio for additional comment prior
to finalization of the Portfolio. The draft will be posted
on USAID’s website (see below) and announced via FedGrants.
Web-site:
Relevant documents will continue to be posted on the USAID
web-site as they become available. Visit the USAID website
(http://www.usaid.gov/)
and select “Agriculture” under the “Our
Work” menu at the top of the screen. Then click the
“What’s New” box on right side of page.
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