OC-1: Number of research and development innovations (Stage 4)

Owned by Enrico Bonaiuti
May 05, 2020
2 min read

Definition: Research and development innovations are new or significantly improved (adaptive) outputs or groups of outputs - including management practices, knowledge or technologies. Innovations could also refer to a significant research findings, methods or tools.
A significant improvement is one that allows the management practice, knowledge or technology to serve a new purpose or a new class of users to employ it, for example a new variety, a blend of fertilizer for a particular soil type, or a tool modified to suit a particular management practice.
In many circumstances, an innovation may be identical to an output, but outputs may also be grouped together as a single innovation.
This indicator is meant to track innovations at stage 4 (i.e innovation taken up by next users- actual proven uptake and application). Taken up by next-use means that public-and/or private-sector actors has/have institutionalized or provided support for dissemination, independent of direct ICARDA assistance. This indicator does not therefore refer to uptake by the end user (e.g. farmers).

Unit of Measure: Count

Disaggregated by: Innovation type, Next-user organization type, Geographic location (national, sub-national)
Innovation type: Genetic (varieties and breeds), Production Systems and Management Practices, Social science, Biophysical research, Research and Communication Methodologies and Tools
Next-user organization type: CGIAR, Academic and Research, Development organizations (NGOs, networks and regional organizations), NARES/NARS (National agricultural research and extension systems or National agricultural research systems), CBOs (Community based organizations) and farmers' groups, Private Sector, Foundations and Financial Institutions, Government, Bilateral and Donor governments, Multilateral, Other (Please specify)

Method of Calculation: Summation of count.

Data sources: Next-users and end-users

Data collection method: Survey, key informant interviews and focus group discussions as part of outcome assessment

Data collection and reporting responsibility: Program leaders, project leaders, country managers, project M&E focal points

Data Collection and Reporting Frequency: Continous/routine archiving of evidence on MEL as part of reporting project deliverables and capacity development reporting. Annual reporting.

Evidence required: Outcome case study supported by appropriate evidence.

Rationale: This indicator is meant to measure ICARDA's development and delivery of international public goods through innovation in scientific excellence, knowledge generation, problem solving, expertise, and advice as well as technological packages that support the building of resilient and profitable farming systems in the dry areas.

Comments and limitations:

  • Innovations vary tremendously in their importance and scope, so a simple count of innovations reported may not ba an accurate reflection of the relative performance of ICARDA (research) unit/program over another. It is however anticipated that the mix of the quantitative and qualitative information related to this indicator can capture significant innovations.

  • Research managers should not feel under pressure to 'over-report' innovations to boost counts. The main objective of this metric is to capture significant innovations in a database, rather than to place emphasis on the numbers.

  • A technology should be counted only once per project and not reported in subsequent years,i.e reported once only during the first reporting year when the technology, practice or approach has demonstrated uptake.