Building Science, Technology and Innovation Capacity in Rwanda : Developing Practical Solutions to Practical Problems

by Watkins, Alfred

• ISBN13: 9780821373569
• ISBN10: 0821373560
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-01-01
• Publisher: World Bank

Summary

'Building Science, Technology, and Innovation Capacity in Rwanda' presents the methodology, policy conclusions, and detailed action plans that emerged from a World Bank science, technology, and innovation (STI) capacity-building program in Rwanda in 2006-07. This book illustrates that even an economy dominated by subsistence agriculture such as Rwanda's needs to develop STI capacity to address everyday issues such as providing energy and clean water to rural areas, and to compete in the global economy.This book provides new insights into the STI capacity-building process and shows that this process is not an activity solely for wealthy countries, but is, in fact, a necessity for poorer countries that want to improve their economy. The methodology presented can be used to help poor countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals and increase their competitiveness, while helping middle-income countries to compete on the basis of innovation and quality.'Building Science, Technology, and Innovation Capacity in Rwanda' will be useful for policy makers and those in nongovernmental organizations in developing countries working to promote agribusiness, economic policy, and education, to reduce poverty, and to develop rural economic strategies.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Abbreviations	p. xv
Executive Summary	p. xvii
Overview and Summary of Results	p. 1
Current Social and Economic Situation	p. 2
Improving the Lives of the Rural Poor, Reducing Poverty, and Achieving the MDGs	p. 4
Creating Wealth and Diversifying the Economy	p. 6
Government Commitment to STI Capacity Building	p. 8
Methodology and Design of the STI Capacity-Building Program	p. 11
Lessons Learned	p. 15
Implementation Issues	p. 21
Notes	p. 22
The Food-Processing Industry	p. 25
Situation Analysis/Needs Assessment	p. 25
Standardization and Quality Management	p. 27
Human Resource Constraints	p. 27
Markets for Processed Foods	p. 28
Development Potential for the Food-Processing Industry	p. 29
Recommended Strategies	p. 30
Educating and Training People	p. 32
Developing Business Development Services	p. 33
Improving Transport and Packaging	p. 34
Conducting Market Research and Feasibility Studies	p. 34
Adopting Complementary Measures	p. 35
Value-Added Exports	p. 37
Situation Analysis/Needs Assessment	p. 37
Recommended Public-Private Partnerships for Capacity Building in Value-Added Enterprises	p. 40
Public-Private Partnership for Technical and Vocational Training	p. 40
Public-Private Grant Facility for Enterprise-Based Training	p. 41
Establishing a Public-Private Technology Information Service	p. 42
Establishing a Matching Grant Program for Investment in Productive Technologies	p. 43
Creating a Public-Private Organic Production and Research Association	p. 43
Building Capacity for Organic Production and Certification	p. 45
Public-Private Instruments for Capacity Building in Design and Product Development	p. 45
Notes	p. 46
Development and Diffusion of Appropriate Technologies	p. 47
Situation Analysis/Needs Assessment	p. 47
Agencies and Institutions Responsible for Promoting Appropriate Technology	p. 51
Factors Hampering the Development and Transfer of Appropriate Technology	p. 54
Recommended Strategies	p. 55
Building Capacity at CITT	p. 56
Building Capacity at IRST	p. 58
Building Capacity at Vocational Training Centers	p. 59
Establishing a Technology Development Fund	p. 60
Notes	p. 62
Delivery of Clean Drinking Water	p. 63
Situation Analysis/Needs Assessment	p. 63
Recommended Strategies	p. 65
Training Local Water Technicians	p. 65
Training District- and National-Level Managers	p. 68
Building Capacity at KIST	p. 68
Building Capacity at NUR	p. 69
Building Capacity at ISAE	p. 70
Geosciences and Geothermal Energy	p. 71
Fast-Track "Urgent" Plan for Geothermal Resource Assessment and Pilot Power Generation	p. 72
Institutional Set-Up	p. 74
Capacity Building through Hands-On Training	p. 74
Long-Term Institution/Capacity Building for Geothermal Energy and Geoscience Development: The Rwanda Geoscientific Center	p. 75
Required Capacity-Building Efforts	p. 80
Notes	p. 82
Client-Focused Agricultural Research and Outreach	p. 83
Situation Analysis/Needs Assessment	p. 83
Weaknesses in the Performance of the Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer System	p. 85
Weaknesses in the Public Research and Technology Transfer System	p. 86
Weaknesses in Private Sector Participation	p. 88
Weaknesses in the Agricultural Education and Training System	p. 88
Recommended Strategies for Capacity Building	p. 89
Strengthen the Key Components of the Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer System	p. 89
Empower the Beneficiaries of Agricultural Research and Outreach	p. 90
Promote the Profitability of Agriculture and Private Sector Participation	p. 91
Improve ISAR's Institutional Performance	p. 93
Improve Coordination, Methods, and Performance Standards for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer	p. 94
Develop and Manage Human Resources	p. 95
Build Capacity at ISAE and NUR	p. 96
Notes	p. 97
Appendixes
Background Documents	p. 99
Sample Terms of Reference for the Needs Assessment and Action Plan Studies	p. 101
Public Institutions Involved in STI Capacity-Building Action Plans	p. 105
Bibliography	p. 107
Index	p. 109
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