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METRICS FOR MEASURING S3A PROGRESS
Potential Contributions by ASTI
Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa (S3A)Side event and launch | Celebrating FARA
Johannesburg | 25–28 November, 2014
Nienke BeintemaASTI Program Head
Summary of Agricultural R&D Challenges
• Insufficient and unstable funding, combined with high donor dependency in some countries
• Inadequate human resource capacity with high staff turnover and aging of senior scientists
• Poor research infrastructure
• Lack of appropriately supportive policies
• Overall quantity and quality of research outputs constrained in many countries
Capacity Levels and Trends: ASTI Evidence
Regional Trends, 2000–2011
• Total agricultural R&D spending increased by one-third and total researcher numbers by half.
• Growth was uneven over time and across countries.
Regional spending and researcher trends
Main drivers of spending growth Main drivers of researcher growth
Institutional Fragmentation
• Agricultural R&D systems in SSA are predominantly small and quite fragmented in terms of number of agencies.
• Government agencies continue to play a central role.
• Involvement of the higher education sector is on the rise.
• The role of the private sector remains small.
Distribution by institutional category, 1991–2011
Shifts in Researcher Qualifications
• The increase in the number of researchers mostly stemmed from the recruitment of junior BSc- and MSc-qualified scientists.
• Of a sample of 30 countries, 13 reported a decline in their absolute number of researchers with PhD degrees during 2009–2011.
Regional trends in researchers by qualification level, 2000–2011
Staff Turnover and Retirement
• Long-term recruitment restrictions have left many research agencies with aging pools of researchers.
• In 19 of a sample of 37 countries in 2011, at least half the PhD-qualified researchers were older than 50 years.
• The situation is comparatively more severe in West Africa.
Share of PhD-qualified researchers over 50 years of age, 2011
Low Female Participation
• The share of female agricultural researchers has grown over time, but women remain underrepresented, especially in francophone Africa, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.
• Growing shares of women in the younger age brackets indicate that the gender balance is improving over time.
Shares of female researchers, 2011
Widespread Underinvestment (1)
• Yearly growth, on average, was half the 5-percent target proposed by the United Nations for 2015–2025.
• Of a sample of 27 countries, only 13 recorded spending growth of more than 1 percent during 2000–2011.
Annual growth rates in spending, 2000-11
Widespread Underinvestment (2)
• In 2011, SSA invested 0.51 percent of agricultural output in agricultural R&D, far below the AUC’s target of 1 percent.
• Of a sample of 38 countries, 28 invested less than the 1-percent target.
Regional public research intensity ratios, 2000–2011
High Donor Dependency
• Agricultural R&D is highly dependent on donor and development bank funding
• Governments mostly fund salaries and operating costs.
Comparisons of public spending allocations and funding sources, 2011
High Funding Volatility
• Agricultural R&D in SSA is more than twice as volatile as funding in other developing regions.
• Research agencies that are highly dependent on funding from donor and development banks are more vulnerable to funding shocks.
Fluctuations in yearly public spending
Policy Implications
• Governments and research agencies are limited in their choice of options to address the many challenges they face because of funding constraints.
• Nevertheless, various successful policy changes already adopted in certain countries offer valuable lessons to other countries.
• Increased government commitment to agriculture and development, combined with the launch of 3SA, will hopefully lead to increased agricultural R&D funding and a lessening the current challenges.
Measuring 3SA Implementation
Measuring Progress: Metrics and Targets
• CAADP Results Framework: Indicators to measure overall sectoral improvements.
• ASTI indicators to measure changes in national-level financial, human resource, and institutional capacities (research outputs in future).
• Need for additional metrics:– Related sectors (for example, extension, education)– Technology provision and adaptation– Nonagricultural science for agriculture– Others?
• A more systematic approach, for example, as a component of the 3SA implementation plan?
ASTI Data and Methods
Current Datasets
• Institutional arrangements• R&D spending by cost category• Funding sources• R&D staff by degree, gender, and age• R&D focus by commodity and theme
Collection Methods• Focus on low- and middle-income countries• Institutional survey rounds (primary data)• Large network of national, regional, and international partners• Led by IFPRI
Planned Datasets
• Output indicators• Student population
New ASTI Outputs for Africa
Regional Synthesis Report
Country Benchmarking Tool (www.asti.cgiar.org/benchmarking/ssa)
Interactive Country Pages (www.asti.cgiar.org/countries)
Country Factsheets
ASTI’s Data Download and Mapping Tool (forthcoming in January 2015)
Planned ASTI activities for Africa
2015: will provide benchmark of ASTI indicators at time of S3A implementation
2017/18: will give a first look on progress of S3A targets
Increased focus on uptake of the data/messages by policymakers/others
Need enhancing existing partnerships with FARA, AUC, SROs, NARIs, and others.
Benchmarking Countries
Interactive Country Pages
Thank You
www.asti.cgiar.org/ssa-outputs