GCPBGD034MUL

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GCP/BGD/034/MUL National Food Policy Capacity
Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP) Preliminary
Findings of A Survey of Research Needs for Food
Security in Bangladesh J. Mohan RAO Adviser to
FAO University of Massachusetts and Institute
of South Asian Studies-NUS, Singapore 29 November
2006
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Aims of the Research Needs Digest (RND)

• To assess research needs and take stock of
  research appropriate to enhancing food security
  in Bangladesh
• For policy-makers, researchers and civil society,
  to inform decisions about setting research
  priorities
• For NFPCSP, to inform decisions about setting a
  research agenda for technical assistance and
  awarding grants

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Purposes of the Workshop

• To present the main findings of the work
  undertaken towards the RND
• To obtain feedback from the participants
• To secure participants sense of priorities
  across the full range of research areas pertinent
  to FS
• Note The work is still in progress and so this
  is an Interim Report with only tentative
  findings. In particular, we make no attempt to
  suggest research priorities or areas of focus

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Methodology Instruments

• The assessment is based on two instruments
• Interviews with individuals from
• Government Departments
• Research Institutes and Universities
• Non-Governmental Organizations
• International Organizations and Donors
• Bibliographic Search for the period 1999-2006

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Instruments (1) Interviews

• Personal interviews were conducted
• with the aid of a simple questionnaire that
  defined and illustrated each dimension of FS
• by eliciting from respondents research topics of
  importance from a national standpoint
• in dialog form with interviewer asking
  supplementary questions or requesting
  clarifications
• to get abstracts of each topic where possible

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Instruments (2) Bibliographic

• The bibliographic search was conducted
• with exclusive focus on research on Bangladesh
  done in Bangladesh elsewhere
• confined to the period 1999-2006
• based on search of relevant electronic data bases
  plus specific-source searches
• using all relevant search words

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Methodology Classification

• The topics generated by the Interviews and
  titles from the Bibliographic search have been
  classified by the following criteria
• FIRST, by principal dimensions of FS
• SECOND, by sub-dimensions or clusters

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Classification Principal Dimensions Considered

• Main 1. Production and Availability
• Dimensions 2. Social or Non-Market Access
• 3. Economic or Market Access
• 4. Utilization and Nutrition
• Cross-cutting 5. Governance and Institutions
• Dimensions 6. Infrastructure
• 7. Environment
• 8. Womenother Disadv. Groups

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Classification Clusters or Sub-Dimensions

• Clusters are chosen to partition the dimensions
• Each Cluster groups issues closely related in
  both logic and experience
• Please refer to the SURVEY form for the
  Clusters considered

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Distribution of Clusters by Dimensions
The 32 Clusters are distributed as follows
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Methodology Rationale for Classification Scheme

• This method of classification
• aims to create some order in what otherwise would
  be a chaotic jumble of hundreds of items
• does not presume any priority or ranking among
  the clusters
• NOTE Alternative clusterings are possible

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Interviews VS Bibliography
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The Progress So Far

• gt75 persons from gt50 agencies interviewed
• No. of respondent-identified TOPICS 251
• No. of bibliographic TITLES identified 582
• FINDINGS
• Findings from the Interviews and Bibliographic
  Search have been juxtaposed by cluster
• Please see the HANDOUTS

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Frequency Distribution by Clusters ()
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Frequency Distribution () Across DIMENSIONS
Interviews VS Bibliog.
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Scope and Limitations

• The intent is to focus on socio-economic research
  and socio-economic implications of
  scientific-technological research
• There is wide but not necessarily statistically
  representative coverage of respondents
• The dialog nature of interviews implies
  interviewer inputs may influence findings
• The findings are still work in progress

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The Way Forward

• A follow-up workshop in February will reflect
  feedback received here. It will also include
• findings from interviews of another dozen persons
  including eminent national experts
• cluster-wise analysis of topics and titles and
  further grouping into sub-clusters
• consolidation of the findings into a digest to
  inform NFPCSP and the research and policy-making
  communities

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Please Complete SURVEY

• Survey Scoring Clusters on a 1-10 Scale
• Please score each cluster on a scale from 1-10.
  A cluster is a group of related issues.
• Your scores must reflect your sense of national
  research priorities over the coming 5-10 years
• A score of 10 means "Very High Priority" and a
  score of 1 means "Very Low Priority
• Please score as many of the clusters as possible
• Feel free to seek clarifications from
  facilitators