The challenge of HIV/AIDS: Where does agroforestry fit in? - World ...

Chapter 18: Building capacity for research in agroforestry153impact that evaluates the extent of institutionalizationof agroforestry within aninstitution’s or a country’s programmes.This can be measured in various waysincluding the evaluation of policydocuments to assess whether and howagroforestry is articulated in these policydocuments, the perceptions of key policymakers on the role of agroforestry,changes in practice, etc.This kind of impact assessment and evaluationmay be internal or external or acombination of both. There are advantagesand disadvantages in internal and externalevaluations and the two should be combinedin order to reap maximum benefitfrom their advantages. While an internalevaluation allows and encourages learning,corrective measures and improvements,it may be subjective, since actors may failto highlight weaknesses and concentrateon positive aspects. Building capacity inevaluation for learning and change can,however, reduce this risk. External evaluationsmay provide a more objective view ofthe strengths and weakness of an institutionand the recommendations should be usedto make improvements.learning that do not offer agroforestry as afull postgraduate course, it is still left to studentsof agriculture and forestry to integratethe two if they want to pursue researchin agroforestry. Measuring the impact ofcapacity building efforts also presents achallenge.New opportunities for capacity building inagroforestry are presented by forming linkswith sub-regional and regional organizations,such as the Association for StrengtheningAgricultural Research in East andCentral Africa (ASARECA) and the Forumfor Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).The World Agroforestry Centre forms acentral point for linking educational institutions,NAROs, NGOs, donors andregional organizations (Figure 5). In thepast, links between educational institutionsand research institutions have been weakand have failed to address issues of strategy,such as joint research and educationprogrammes involving different types ofDonorsinstitutions. While links between researchand extension have improved, there is stilla gap between research and education. Inmost cases, the only points of contact areuniversity students, who attend researchinstitutions for experiential learning and tocarry out their thesis research, and researchstaff, who attend university courses. Theselinks need to be strengthened to promotesharing of information and development ofcoordinated agroforestry programmes.A good model for improving the coordinationof agroforestry education is the formationof a national agroforestry coordinationcommittee. This would include representativesfrom different ministries or departments,universities, national agricultural andforestry research institutions, NGOs, theprivate sector and international agriculturalresearch centres that are engaged in or havean interest in agroforestry. The World AgroforestryCentre is well placed to support thedevelopment of such committees.Conclusions andrecommendationsCapacity building in agroforestry has comea long way since the 1982 agroforestryeducation conference. Most of the majorrecommendations from that conferencehave been implemented and the WorldAgroforestry Centre has played a leadingrole. However, significant challengesremain. The sectoral nature of research,education and administration has affectedthe institutionalization of agroforestry. Lackof funding and loss of staff to better-payingjobs also limits the effectiveness of capacitybuilding efforts. In the institutions of higherUniversities(North and South)WorldAgroforestryCentreFigure 5. Institutional links in agroforestry.FarmersNAROs(research and extension)and NGOsRegional andsub-regionalorganizations