Miriam Kinyua is Associate Professor of Biotechnology at Moi University in Kenya. What are her thoughts about the Change Initiative from a NARS perspective?
Before my appointment at Moi university, I worked at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) as a Center Director (in the station dedicated to wheat research). There, I was involved directly with the CGIAR. I am very pleased to see this willingness to change as the impact of the CG System in producing science for poverty reduction is enormous.
My experience of working within the national research system of Kenya has led me to the conclusion that the link between the CGIAR and NARS is not strong enough. During the change process, we need to make sure that link is strengthened. CG Centers and NARS should move from a stakeholder relationship to a true and real partnership for development. So far, have we seen much progress in trying to move in that direction? Not really, that relationship is being appreciated only on paper, and I am sceptical whether this can be fully implemented. And if it doesn’t, we will still have a poor impact, and competitors will overshadow us.
Filed under: CGIAR Change Management, CGIAR Change Retreat at IRRI Sept08, Stakeholder Reactions on CGIAR Change Management
