Learning alliances : an approach for building multistakeholder innovation systems

Abstract

Millions of dollars are spent each year on research and development (R and D) initiatives in an attempt to improve rural livelihoods in the developing world, but rural poverty remains an intractable problem in many places. This Brief describes how the Rural Agroenterprise Development Project of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) is addressing the problem. A learning alliance is a process undertaken jointly by research organizations, donor and development agencies, policymakers and private businesses. The process involves identifying, sharing and adapting good practices in research and development in specific contexts. The learning alliances established by the Rural Agroenterprise Development Project at CIAT seek to: a) build links between researchers, donor and development agencies, the public sector and private enterprise to achieve more effective processes of rural enterprise development; b) establish an innovation system that matches the supply of new ideas with demand at the field or policy level; c) open communication channels between diverse organizations with relevant experiences; and (d) design and test tools and methods for analysis and documentation that facilitate collective learning within and between organizations. The key principles for successful learning alliances are as follows: (i) clear objectives; (ii) shared responsibilities, costs and credit; (iii) outputs as inputs; and (iv) differentiated learning mechanisms. The following challenges and recommendations were highlighted by CIAT’s experience: (i) partner and participant selection; (ii) process facilitation and coordination; (iii) funding and (iv) linking learning across levels.