Strategic approach to agricultural research program planning in sub-Saharan Africa

An approach to strategic planning for agricultural research in sub-Saharan Africa is outlined in this paper. The paper focuses on: (1) the contributions of various parts of the agricultural research system, especially the national agricultural research system (NARS), and individual entities within the NARS, such as agricultural research institutes; (2) the levels, types, and mix of activities carried out in agricultural research institutes (staffing levels, commodity focus, mix of applied and adaptive research); and (3) the design of individual research programs. The paper first defines strategic planning, and then discusses concepts of structural and agricultural transformation and outlines how agricultural research fits into these processes. Central to this analysis is the importance of coordinating economic activities in a given country in order to break out of poverty agriculture; this, it is emphasized, requires various participants in the economy, including the NARS, to make strategic decisions. Particularly stress is laid on how this approach differs from past NARS planning efforts. The final section of the paper discusses how a strategic planning approach can be put into practice.