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Human resources in Kenyan agricultural research: Trends, challenges, and policy options

Explore the latest trends, challenges, and policy options in human resource capacity for agricultural research in Kenya, including gender diversity, qualification levels, and potential strategies for improvement.

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Human resources in Kenyan agricultural research: Trends, challenges, and policy options

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  1. Human resources in Kenyan agricultural research: Trends, challenges, and policy options Nienke Beintema, program headInternational Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Inaugural High Panel Conference on Agriculture Research in Kenya ICRAF, Nairobi I 13-14 September 2018

  2. Overview presentation: Key human resource capacity trends and challenges KALRO compared with EIAR-Ethiopia, ARCN-Nigeria, ARC-South Africa, and NARO-Uganda Policy practices and options

  3. Background • ASTI/IPFRI and KALRO/KARI collaboration since 2001. • Conducted five survey rounds to collect detailed statistics on agricultural research investments, human capacity, institutional changes, and research outputs. • Factsheets, datasets, online tools available at www.asti.cgiar.org. • Latest factsheet published with data to 2016 in time for this conference.

  4. Institutional distribution The number of researchers at KALRO (and predecessors) remained fairly stable during 2000-2016. Strong researcher growth at other government research agencies, particularly forestry/fisheries. Higher education growth due to capacity increase at older universities combined with newly created universities.

  5. Qualification levels The number of researchers holding PhD degrees increased during 2000-2016. Strongest growth was at the higher education sector, which employed more PhD-qualified researchers (in full-time equivalent) than KALRO in 2016. However, the higher education sector is highly fragmented.

  6. Aging of senior researchers A large share of PhD-qualified researchers are in their 50s or 60s. Situation is particularly serious at KALRO: two-thirds of the PhD-qualified researchers and about half of the BSc- and MSc-qualified researchers were more than 50 years old as of 2016. High turnover is an additional serious constraint.

  7. Women participation The share of female agricultural researchers continued to increase. Furthermore, female researchers are comparatively younger and less well-qualified than their male colleagues. Good news: Equal share of women holding management positions (e.g., 31 percent at KALRO).

  8. Student population at major universities A large pool of enrolled PhD and MSc students at some of the major universities. Wide variety in disciplines. Female shares are between 40 and 60 percent.

  9. KALRO compared Absolute number of researchers Share of female researchers Share of PhD-holders in their 50s+60s Share of PhD-holders

  10. Policy practices and options: Kenya KARI institutionalized a variety of incentive measures over time in efforts to retain staff. • As such, KARI has offered a positive example to other African agricultural R&D agencies facing similar, or in many cases, more severe human resource challenges. • But this does not mean that the human resources challenges in Kenya’s agricultural research system are not severe. The government research institutes need solid hiring, training, and mentorship plans, backed by government support.

  11. Potential human resource strategies Recruitment of junior staff (new graduates, interns) Retaining the expertise of retiring researchers by hiring them on a contract base to provide training and mentoring of junior researchers. Promote collaboration between the government research agencies and higher education institutions to reform curriculums, create joint PhD and MSc programs with field research opportunities. Enhance linkages with existing regional initiatives (RUFORUM, AWARD). Conduct assessments of gaps in specific skills and disciplines.

  12. Concluding remarks The ability to build human resource capacity depends on longer-term financial and institutional capacities. • Evidence in Brazil, China, and India show that strong and sustainable government support leads to strong and effective research systems. • Underinvestment in agricultural research and the civil hiring freezing are the two major constraints to human resource development in Kenya’s agricultural research. Increased strategic planning and coordination in human resource management could make a significant difference.

  13. Thank you www.asti.cgiar.org

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