Institutional innovations for enhancing impact of research in Eastern Africa

The paper discusses the innovations required for effective institutionalization of integrated natural resource management (INRM) approaches in research organizations in eastern and central Africa to make them effective drivers for agricultural development. The research question being addressed is what changes in institutional values, mind-set, structures, practices and incentive system are required to institutionalize INRM approaches. Overtime, NARS partners have been exposed to new approaches such as integrated agriculture for development (IAR4D) and integrated natural resources management (INRM) through competence development sessions. Results show that research projects are compelled to integrate components of the new approaches in their work. Efforts to scale up participatory methods and ultimately, their institutionalization within the activities of partner organizations is a critical challenge. These endeavours are coupled with research to understand how methods can be disseminated more broadly without losing quality and the most effective institutional arrangements for the widespread application of the integrated natural resource management approach

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