AFRICA AGRICULTURE STATUS REPORT 2016

approach, organizational or system change is effected
through small experimental steps (trial and error), especially
in unstable contexts where the choice of an overarching
strategy is difficult to clarify. The emergence approach lends
itself well to complex adaptive systems, which characterize
most of the real world situations. In this approach, the driving
forces for change are not control, centralized direction or
adaptiveness; but rather relationships, interactions and
system energy. Capacity then emerges and forms out of
the multiple interdependencies and the multiple causal
connections that are operating and being encouraged within
the system (Baser & Morgan, 2008).
Thus, just like the progressive elaboration of agricultural
knowledge frameworks (or system concepts) for
organizing agricultural research, capacity development for
agricultural transformation has correspondingly mirrored
the shift in approach from linear to an innovation systems
perspective. This change has reflected to varying degrees
in the agricultural capacity development interventions
in SSA by several regional (AGRA, African Institute for
Capacity Development (AICAD), ANAFE, AWARD, FARA,
and RUFORUM) and international (e.g., CTA, FAO and
CGIAR,) agencies over the last decade. A few examples are
discussed in the following subsections.
The Impact of Capacity Development
Few studies have estimated the economic impact and
cost-effectiveness of capacity development interventions.
This lack of evidence on economic impact is a weak point
in capacity development evaluation. As reported by Posthumus,
Martin and Chancellor (2012), the reasons for the
limited number of evaluations on the impact on agricultural
development include: methodological difficulties in assessing
impact at this level (e.g., lack of counterfactuals and
attribution gaps); the long time horizon over which capacity
development generally translates into observed outcomes
and impact; the short timescales over which capacity development
interventions sometimes operate; and the limited
attention given to and resources provided for M&E and
impact assessment.
CASE STUDY
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
Transforming smallholder agriculture into a highly productive,
efficient, competitive and sustainable system
that assures food security and lifts millions out of poverty
requires a cadre of scientists, technicians, agribusiness
personnel and farmers with various capacities to ensure
success. The AGRA capacity development initiatives
aim to address the capacity gaps for increasing productivity
and incomes of smallholder farmers and develop
the skills sets and capabilities required to promote a
value-chain driven transformation. The emphasis is on
postgraduate training (MSc and PhD), and short-term
courses for scientists, technicians and other key stakeholders
(including agro-dealers, seed company personnel,
field and laboratory technicians and farmers).
The capacity development activities also focus on facilitating
linkages between research, private sector and universities
as well as building infrastructure in universities
and rural areas. Due to lack of adequate academic staff
(in terms of both numbers and qualifications) in universities,
arrangements for co-supervision of postgraduate
students’ research work has been fostered with the other
public national research agencies and the CGIAR. In addition,
all training grants for universities include 40 percent
funding for infrastructure development, for example,
cold rooms, computers, laboratory equipment, irrigation
facilities, transport and seed processing plants. In rural
areas, AGRA has funded the construction of warehouses
for storing produce and market stalls.
To date, over 750 postgraduate students specialized in
various disciplines such as seed systems, soils and applied
agricultural economics have benefitted from AGRA
scholarships. A special feature is that research for a PhD
thesis is done in the student’s home institution and includes
an initial participatory rural appraisal for research
problem co-identification with farmers. In addition, vocational
training has been conducted for over 20,000
personnel from the seed industry (over 800), grain aggregators,
research support staff (field and laboratory
technicians 300), extension workers (over 3,000), fertilizer
inspectors, agro-dealers (over 16,000) and farmer
organizations.
Theses capacity development initiatives have had significant
impacts in farmers’ fields and agri-businesses, and
on academia. For example, trained researchers have
released over 130 improved varieties of maize, rice,
beans, cassava, groundnuts, finger millet, sorghum, and
cowpea that are already widely adopted by farmers in 13
countries. A significant contribution to the global knowledge
pool has been made through over 300 scientific
publications on priority African crops. Businesses and
farmers have also benefitted from over 120,000 tons of
seeds produced.
218 AFRICA AGRICULTURE STATUS REPORT 2016