Agricultural research delivery in Africa: an assessment of the requirements for efficient, effective and productive national agricultural research systems in Africa

This assessment was commissioned by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) to advance efforts to strengthen the principle providers of agricultural research for Africa's development, known as National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS). Subsequently, the aim is also to strengthen the sub-regional research organisations (SRO), established to support the NARS.

The four main potential areas of intervention are highlighted as:

• improving governance and management
• improving financial status and management
• strengthening scientific capacity and management
• strengthening collaboration.

The paper identifies the strengths and weaknesses of NARS in each of these four areas, which are used to form the basis for recommendations as to how FARA should support the SROs, and through them the NARS, to enhance African agricultural research.

The authors conclude by noting that the key question is, to what extent can the SROs mobilise support to sustain FARA? The new concept of the NARS-SRO-FARA continuum is not fully understood at the subregional level, they argue, with SROs sometimes perceiving FARA as a threat and there is a need to improve the understanding of their relationship.

The paper details a series of strategic recommendations for addressing these issues.