Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
The SCARDA purpose is:
• To strengthen the institutional and human capacity of African agricultural research systems to identify, generate and deliver research outputs that meet the needs of poor people.
The Programme is structured into two main components:
1. Strengthening competencies and capacity in agricultural research management.
2. Strengthening the capacity for professional development (of agricultural scientists
and extension workers) in research and development.
The first component focuses on improving research management by equipping personnel involved in stewardship of research at all levels, with the needed skills through
continuous training, mentoring and short-term attachments to institutions where they can update or gain new special skills.
The second component aims to enhance the depth and breadth of skills needed for NARS to conduct quality research that will assure impact to end users. It also aims to generate empirical information on the relationship between increased investment in strengthening agricultural research capacity; and agricultural productivity and profitability.SCARDA’s Activities
The development and implementation of the Programme will span two phases:
1. A 6-month inception phase during which a detailed strategy, work plan and budget
will be developed in a consultative fashion. During this phase, partnerships and
operational structures and procedures for implementing the programme will also be
established.
2. A 3-year implementation phase during which the Programme’s work plans will
be implemented. It is envisaged that the Programme will attract sufficient interest
from other development partners and African governments to progress to a further
implementation phase.
Programme’s main outputs
• A detailed articulation of the Programme and structures for its implementation in
place at the end of an initial 6-month inception phase.
• Improved agricultural research management systems and competencies to conduct
high quality research.
• Improvement in the capacities of NARS institutions, scientists and extension agents
to fully discharge their mandates.
• Adoption of innovation systems that underpin R&D by African NARS.
SCARDA Official Documents:
- Inception Report. SCARDA, Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research and Development in Africa
Volume 1: Main Report (Downloads)
- Inception Report. SCARDA, Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research and Development in Africa
Volume 2: Preliminary Institutional Analyses of Focal Institutions (Download)
- SCARDA briefing papers: Strengthening Capacity for Agicultural Research and Development in Africa. Volume 3 (Download)
- Agricultural Research Delivery in Africa: An Assessment of the Requirements for Efficient, Effective and Productive National Agricultural Research systems in Africa. Main Report and Strategic Recommendations. (Download)
- Agricultural Research Delivery in Africa: An Assessment of the Requirements for Efficient, Effective and Productive National Agricultural Research systems in Africa. Executive Summary and Strategic Recommendations. (Download)
- Download Brief on SCARDA - (French)
SCARDA Working Documents
- Report on SCARDA April 2007activitiesmodJune16Final (Download)
- Report on Dr Tim Chancellor Visit to Accra-Revfinal (Download)
- Report on Visit to Sadc17 April 2007 (Download)
- SADC Implementation Planning Mtg 8-10 Aug07 (Download)
- SCARDA Ralph Meeting with ProMukiibi and Dr Kibwika Entebbe 3 April 2007 (Download)
- Scoping Studies Mauritius Table of Content Exec Summary & Abbreviations (Download)
BASIC's purpose is to raise the quality and relevance of African tertiary agricultural education to encompass the crosscutting issues that are pertinent to attaining sustainable and profitable agriculture and develop new cadres of professionals for national, regional and international agricultural science, extension, business and policy forums
BASIC's approach is to establish a framework in which African universities can express their priority requirements and draw, as needed, on the pedagogical and subject matter expertise of leading academic institutions to build their scientific and institutional capacity in cutting-edge teaching and research methods and on the CGIAR centres to generate up-to-date and locally relevant training materials.
Networking Support Function
SCARDA/BASIC falls under FARA's Strengthening Capacity function. Please view this page to read more about this function.