The value of partnership and engagement in research

When the Challenge Program for Water and Food (CPWF) started research in the Limpopo Basin, Nile and Volta Basins nearly a decade ago, few people realized how valuable the investment would be. The combined contribution of dozens of institutions, hundreds of scientists and thousands of farmers has generated new approaches and improved technologies for capturing, storing and managing water resources to reduce poverty and increase food security.

The CPWF contributed to innovative ways of conducting research for development outcomes that lead to impact. It also helped develop new approaches and processes for ensuring that research is relevant to next users, end users and decision makers at all levels. Among the key findings, researchers found that on-going engagement and partnerships are critical for the transition between research outputs to outcomes and impact.

Researchers hold a unique position in trying to address the challenges facing rural populations and natural resources in Africa. The situation is critical and exacerbated by climate change. Researchers and their agencies need to be willing to engage early and often with next and end users in order to design relevant research and answer pressing research questions of value to the rural poor, as articulated by them.

For donors, strategic partners and development agencies, alignment with established programs, such as Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), is vital. Such alignment ensures that good science and solid findings have audiences who can use them to solve relevant issues in local settings. This same group should take care to understand local development contexts and build upon existing initiatives, partnerships and networks. When each new program begins from ground zero, little real impact can be recognized within a project lifecycle.