Marc BARBIER ( INRA SADAPT - France ) et Valérie WEBER-HADDAD ( APCA Paris - France )

1. Funded by the European Union as part of the research programme "Improving human research potential and the socio-economic Knowledge base in the Fifth Framework Programme". Contract no. HPSE-CT-2002-60059. Figure 1. From Argyris, C. (1993) Knowledge for Action. A guide to overcoming barriers to organizational change, San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Mid-management of innovation in French Agricultural R&D system Experience and learning from an inter-organizational applied research project Marc BARBIER ( INRA SADAPT - France ) et Valérie WEBER-HADDAD ( APCA Paris - France ) With the collaboration of the participants to the project ACTA/MAAPAR/MNRT 2001-2004 « Icta-Acta : Formes d ’intervention des ICTA dans les processus d ’innovation » - 1. Context.The French R&D system for agriculture (Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Fishery , research organizations, technical institutes, extension services, and also R&D of Agro-industries and biotechnology firms) is under a pressure of changes. Many dimensions of this system are concerned : effects of globalization and food market dynamics on farm production, reform of financial public supports, public controversies and challenges about biotechnology, territorialization and multi-functionality of agricultural activities and demography of the sector. In this context, the 19 agricultural technical institutes (ICTA) and the Association (ACTA) which co-ordinates transversal projects between them are facing different challenges, one of them being the management of innovation. In this context a research projecton innovation processes (2001-2003) was coordinated by ACTA with the participation of 3 ICTA and the methodological support of INRA and Ecole des mines de Paris. 2. Arena for the LEARNing Project. This project on innovation processin agriculture with Mid-managers of R&D project from Agricultural Technical Institutes was connected with the LEARNing project knowing that the participants were involved in an empirical approach of “what is an innovation processes” that could have effect in terms of knowing and learning. Issue raised in the ACTA project for the LEARNing Project perspective.To engage the Mid-managers in discussions about the organizational aspects of ICTA activities that are engaged in innovation processes with a view to question how the practices of innovation could be an issue for strategicmanagement. Objective for theLEARNing project. To identify the relevance, the interest and the possibilities of issuing some research questions about the management of innovation process in industrialized agricultures. 3. Situation for Learning (see figure 1).. First order learning according to the mobilization of social sciences methodology in the realization of case-studies of innovation processes in agriculture. . Second order learning consisting in achieving the expansion of the knowledge acquired in the team to each organization participating to the project. 4. Learning and expanding from the project Mid-managers of Ictas involved in the Acta project realized a sort of “journey” in knowing more about innovation process (1st order learning at the team level, see figure 2). A reflexive assessment of the Acta Project shows that the team achieved a good range of knowledge and developed capacities of analysis in this field thanks to methodological learning. The methodology of cross-cutting case-studies also allowed mid-managers to work on innovation process in others ICTA. This was clearly identified as a collective learning within the team with positive effects on envisioning capacities in R&D networks. Figure 2. Co-ordination of partners based on shared values Co-ordination of partners based on agreement Learning about methods of sociology of innovation Knowing more about innovation process Expectation about functioning Expectation about objectives realization Knowledge about innovation management Institutional Recommendations Legend: Learning : 1st order learning at the team level Nevertheless this project did not really succeed in capturing the attention of ICTAs’ managers and officers. Recommendations and case-studies have not been valorized as expected outside the limit of the project and despite the recognition of the fact that communicating about innovation was initially put as a challenge. Moreover, the possibility of such an expansion of learning within ICTAs appeared particularly difficult to put on the agenda ICTAS despite some LEARNing Project incentives and proposals. The objective for the LEARNing project to enhance a collective approach of issues about strategic management of innovation did not follow. • 5. Towards a Research agenda about LEARNing in industrialized agricultures • Three research issues to be put on the agenda of LEARNing • Knowing more about the meaning of innovation for Mid Managers and managers of R&D and Extension organization is needed. • Knowing more about the diversity of activities of Technical Institutes within the institutions of R&D and within social networks of practitioners has to be acknowledged. • Knowing more about managerial settings and tools for R&D that are existing within this kind of organizations in their network of daily activities since the design of human and technical agency which is requested to shape innovation is largely muddled by such settings. • An emerging paradox : Why R&D organization “do not really want to learn” from their own practices of managing innovation processes despite the “managerial fashion” in public administration and organizations remains a research question. Our hypothesis is that the translation of business management practices, designed specifically to increase profit and efficiency in agricultural R&D is not particularly considered as completely - or necessarily- relevant according to the nature of innovation processes in French R&D agricultural system. Contact : barbier@grignon.inra.fr