Opinions from FARA: Strengthening Research and Innovation Management in Africa and the Caribbean

The "Strengthening Research and Innovation Management in Africa and the Caribbean" project is funded by the European Union under the S&T programme of the ACP programme. The project number is FED/2009/218782. The goal of this project is to strengthen research and innovation management in Africa and the Caribbean with a budget of about 3 million euros between 2010 and 2012.

PAEPARD interviewed dr Frank Heemskerk of Research & Innovation Management Services bvba on the need to back up African Agricultural research scientists with brokers who can manage grants and innovative consortia.

The "Strengthening Research and Innovation Management in Africa and the Caribbean" project had its kick off meeting on 11-12 January 2010 and its overall objectives fall into seven strands:

4th Row: Frank Heemskerk & Pieter van der Bijl

3rd Row: William Cullerne Bown, Idowu Olayinka, Peter van Eldik & John Kirkland

2nd Row: Isaac Mazonde & Carien Engelbrecht

1st Row: Riana Coetsee, Karen Bruns, Josepha Foba Tendo, Joseph Tesha & José Jackson-Malete

Seated: Corline Kriel

STRAND ONE - Creation of an Africa wide and Caribbean communication network for those with an interest in research and innovation management issues, and R&I managers employed at institutional, faculty or research group level.

STRAND TWO - Support for the further development of existing regional research management structures in Southern and Western Africa, and for the establishment of a similar structure in East and Central Africa respectively, as well as the Caribbean region.

STRAND THREE - Design and development of a sustained training programmes for recipient individuals, with the long term aim of providing the first professional qualifications for research and innovation managers on the continent and continuous professional development opportunities;

STRAND FOUR - Provision of mentoring partnerships, through which experienced research and innovation managers in developed and other developing countries will be available to assist with the design of specific projects and management practices.

STRAND FIVE – Expansion of an expert electronic facility, based in Africa, to provide support in the identification and exploitation of new ideas and training materials, for those institutions without in-house expertise

STRAND SIX - Maintenance and updating of an existing database of international best practice principles in the field of R&I management, which institutions will be able to draw on in order to help design their own structures, and inclusion for the first time of francophone material as well as expanding for the first time to serve the Caribbean region

STRAND SEVEN - Establishment of mechanisms through which African and Caribbean institutions can benchmark their progress and problems with each other, both at operational and strategic level.