What is ARD?

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CONCEPTS AND PERCEPTIONS OF IAR4D PRESENTED
AT SENIOR POLICY LEVEL WORKSHOP KARI
HEADQUARTERS 17 JULY 2008
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What is IAR4D?
THE ESSENCE OF ARD

• IAR4D started life in ICRA as an acronym for
  agricultural research for development (ARD).
• action research for development,
• rural innovation process.
• development challenges in rural areas are
  increasingly complex, cannot be resolved by
  individuals or institutions acting alone.
• The challenges are complex because different
  stakeholders have different ideas about what is
  desirable

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What is IAR4D? (cont.)

• They are complex because even when the
  development objective is agreed between
  stakeholders, achieving it usually requires
  integrated actions to improve institutions and
  policies as well as technologies involved in
  production and marketing.
• They are complex because these integrated changes
  require collective action and working together
  is never easy.

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What is IAR4D? (cont.)
IAR4D is a participatory process that results in
collective action at different levels to achieve
a shared vision of rural development.

• Flexible approach to promoting innovation and for
  dealing with complex issues in agricultural and
  rural development
• Considers the processes needed to effectively and
  efficiently resolve complex problems and/or
  realise complex opportunities
• It is an alternative to traditional reductionism
  and the linear approaches of technology
  generation, transfer and adoption and
  necessitates collective action by and interaction
  between multiple stakeholder
• Generic approach, based on practical experience
  of teams solving a wide variety of complex
  problems
• Can integrate a broad range of more specific
  approaches

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Two contrasting innovation models
Simple problems
Complex challenges
innovation is a complex, multifaceted process
balanced partnerships of multiple stakeholders
interdisciplinary and inter-institutional teams
Facilitating collective action of a range of
stakeholders
stakeholders have different perspectives,
interests power
negotiated compromises between interests of
different stakeholders
joint ownership of the process
clearly defined responsibilities of stakeholders
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Development challenge as entry point for
innovation learning
Joint analysis identifying joint strategies
Achieving common understanding
Formulating joint action plans
Forming partnership
ARD-PROCESS
Implementing joint action plans
Convincing stakeholders
Institutionalizing new ways of doing business
Raising awareness of opportunity
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Development challenge as entry point for
innovation learning
Joint analysis identifying joint strategies
Achieving common understanding
ARD-PROCESS
Formulating joint action plans
Acting
Forming partnership
INTERACTIVE LEARNING
Planning
Implementing joint action plans
Convincing stakeholders
Institutionalizing new ways of doing business
Reflecting
Raising awareness of opportunity
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Key characteristics of IAR4D and collective,
multi-stakeholder action/interaction

• Interdisciplinary
• Inter-institutional
• Iterative (not linear)
• Flexible
• Participatory
• Problem/opportunity focused
• Joint Actions
• Change focused
• Negotiative

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Key characteristics of IAR4D and collective,
multi-stakeholder action/interaction (cont.)

• Knowledge based and recognises multiple sources
  of knowledge
• Interactive learning by doing
• Pragmatic
• Promotes equity
• Promotes ownership
• Accommodative
• Sustainability oriented

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PURPOSE OF IAR4D IN KENYA

• To initiate and establish true partnerships for
  development
• To involve relevant stakeholders for innovation
  and development.

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Figure 1. Linking Stakeholders at different
levels for IAR4D and improving the water problem
in Katulani District

• Level of Organization and General Roles
• International
• Financing
• Technical
• backstopping
• National
• Financing
• Policy
• Planning
• Technical support
• Capacity Building
• District
• Planning
• Service Provision
• Capacity Building
• Community

vertical integration
horizontal integration
IAR4D as a research and development approach in
Kenya
Water management as a RD challenge in the ASAL
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Intensive Team Activities
Improved collaboration among stakeholders
April, 2006
6 weeks
3-5 years
Joint and coordinated activities
Agreement of objectives
Analysis and long-term IAR4D plan
Improved water availability for household and
agricultural use
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• ICRA is acknowledged for materials used in this
  presentation.
• All the partners who have so far enabled the
  team to engage in IAR4D
• Thanks to all for your patience and keen listening