Tracking National Agricultural Research Investments in Developing Countries: ASTI

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Tracking National Agricultural Research
Investments in Developing Countries ASTIs
experiences
Nienke Beintema Head ASTI initiative,IFPRI-Rome
office

• Presentation at the GFAR/EIARD/GDPRD Stakeholder
  workshop on Tracking Investments for ARD, Berlin,
  20 January 2012

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Outline of presentation

• Introduction to ASTI and ASTI
• ASTI outputs Focus on Africa
• Dissemination activities
• Main challenges

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General objectives

• Collects national-level investment and capacity
  dataon agricultural RD
• Focused on developing countries
• Institutional survey rounds (primary data)
• Aim is to provide
• Trends over time at country and regional
  levels.
• Comparisons across countries and regions
• Collaborative network with large number of
  national, regional and international partners
  led by IFPRI

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How data is collected

• Based on internationally accepted definitions and
  statistical procedures for compiling ST
  statistics (OECDs Frascati Manual)
• This facilitates comparisons of ASTI datasets
  with other relevant ST datasets
• FAO definition of agriculture crops, livestock,
  forestry, fisheries, natural resources, etc.
• Measure who is performing agricultural RD

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How data is collected (contd)

• Typically in close collaboration with the main
  agricultural research institutes or, in a few
  cases, with consultants
• National partners coordinate survey
  implementation, and coauthor/co-publish country
  notes
• Three different survey forms one for government
  agencies/nonprofit institutions, one for higher
  education agencies, one for the private sector
• Survey forms are constantly being improved/revised

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Data portfolio at country level

• Agricultural RD investment and human resource
  capacity
• Institutional arrangements and changes affecting
  agricultural RD
• Funding sources of agricultural RD
• Degree qualifications of agricultural researchers
• Female participation in agricultural RD
• Agricultural RD focus in terms of crops,
  livestock, and other commodities, also themes

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Country coverage

• Sub-Saharan Africa 2008
• South Asia 2009 (ongoing)
• Other Asia-Pacific 2002-03 / GCARD2 activities
• Latin America 2006 / GCARD2 activities
• Middle East/North Africa 2002 / GCARD2
  activities
• OECD and China external data

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Current ASTI outputs

• Country notes
• Regional and subregional reports
• Data in-focus sheets
• Datasets and country profiles
• Country/regional/other seminars and presentations
• Analytical assessments
• Blog
• Workshops / Accra conference
• Press releases/media outreach
• ASTI website

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Outline of presentation

• Introduction to ASTI
• Expanded ASTI (ASTI)
• ASTI results Focus on Africa
• Main challenges gaps

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ASTI transformation andexpansion (ASTI)
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Transformation from adhoc activity to a
sustainable data collection system

• More decentralized and regular data collection
  system by establishing a set of national and
  regional focal points (incl. development of an
  online work space / data management tool)
• Will lead to closer linkages with national
  stakeholders, but also with specialists at
  regional organizations, other CGIAR centers, and
  other partner institutions
• Will increase ownership of data by national
  partners, stimulate the use of the datasets for
  further advocacy and analysis, and secure
  continuity of data collection
• Focus on Sub-Saharan Africa / South Asia, but
  system can be used for other regions as well

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Outline of presentation

• Introduction to ASTI
• Expanded ASTI (ASTI)
• ASTI results Focus on Africa
• Main challenges gaps

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Longterm investment and capacitytrends in
Sub-Saharan Africa

• Investments (and human capacity) in agricultural
  RD increased by more than 20 during 200008.
• Most of this growth was driven by just a handful
  of countries (mainly following boosts in salaries
  and rehabilitation of infrastructure).
• In many other countries (particularly in
  francophone West Africa), investments have
  declined since 2000.

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Trends in agricultural RD spending in the Big
Eight since 2008
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Investment challenge Underinvestment

• NEPAD target Allocation of at least 1 of GDP
  to RD
• In 2008, Africa spent 0.61 for every 100 of
  AgGDP on agricultural RD
• Despite an overall increase in recent years,
  Africa is widely underinvesting in agricultural
  RD

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Africas investment challenge High
donor-dependency

• Many countries are extremely dependent on donor
  funding and development bank loans

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Africas investment challenge Funding volatility
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Drivers of funding volatility in African
agricultural RD
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Outline of presentation

• Introduction to ASTI
• Expanded ASTI (ASTI)
• ASTI results Focus on Africa
• Main challenges gaps

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Overall challenges

• Continued financial support
• Coverage out of date for some regions
• Boundaries of ASTI datasets
• Which activities do and do not support RD
• Institutional diversity
• Private sector coverage
• RD beyond the national level

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Data collection challenges

• Lack or slow response by agencies surveyed and
  increasing survey fatigue
• Infrastructural issues (eg, geographical
  dispersion)
• Difficulties interpreting and applying ASTIs
  standards and definitions
• Difficulties in constructing financial overview
  due to multiplicity of funding sources
• Poor data quality / data management systems

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Dissemination challenges

• How to make information available/known?
• How to communicate to a diverse set of
  stakeholders?
• How to enhance the relevance of ASTI information
  for national policymakers and RD managers?
• How to reach policy-makers, directly or
  indirectly?
• Increase dissemination and use of ASTI outputs at
  the national levels

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Please visit www.asti.cgiar.org

• Thank you