Sponsors and clients of agricultural R&D are showing increasing concern
about research costs and benefits. R&D organisations need to assess the
impact of research to justify spending, obtain continuous technical and
financial support from donors, and research sponsors. Further, impact
assessment for R&D organisations are essential to assess their management
systems in order to optimise the benefits from scarce research resources. At
present criteria to assess the performance, objective verifiable indicators and
means of verification are not available. No systematic method is in practice to
assess the research management performance.
Therefore, a study was under taken to develop tea R&D management criteria
and incorporated these in a methodology to assess performance of research
management in the tea sector. A case study approach was adopted. Six case
studies were conducted on Tea Research Institutes of Asia and Africa. Case
studies were grouped into two phases. Phase One was exploratory in nature and
developed the conceptual framework for the research. This enabled the
identification of research management criteria, objective verifiable indicators
and means of verification. These can be used to improve in R&D management
decision making. In addition, a scoring model was developed to assess the
performance of research management in tea.
Phase Two applied the developed conceptual model to four tea R&D
organisations and analysed their performance. This clearly showed that the
identified criteria and developed conceptual model can be used to analyses the
performance of tea R&D management. Results indicated that there is lack of a
structured approach to organising and conducting R&D activities. Research is
carried out without any systematic approach for research prioritisation. Appraisal and resource allocation are inadequately addressed. Management
information systems for rational, quick and effective decision making for the
most part are weak and unorganised. Data on resource utilisation and benefits
derived by individual research projects are rarely recorded and maintained
properly. There is a lack of general awareness especially regarding importance
of studying the rate of uptake of technology.
A good correlation, however, was observed between organisations adopting
best practices and suggested guidelines and the performance of tea R&D
organisations in terms of perceived benefit to the client industry. The most
effective R&D was associated with committee culture, problem identification,
monitoring, evaluation, publication, technology dissemination and feedback.
The developed model was applied in specific context of Bangladesh Tea
Research Institute. Specific suggestions are made on how to improve the
linkages with the industry, better ways of problem identification, evaluation
and technology dissemination, and there by increased contribution to the
productivity of the tea sector.
A research management cycle (RPCM) was developed which proposes to carry
out research in an organised way emphasising the participation of the
beneficiary. Best practices for all the identified criteria and guidelines for major
research management criteria were developed to support in R&D decision
making. The study recommends further work to monitor and evaluate the
application of the guidelines in practice
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