Innovation in the agriculture sector is a key pathway to poverty reduction, increased food security and broad-based economic growth. Building the capacity of agricultural researchers, their networks and institutions unlocks this innovation potential and supports countries to deploy contextually relevant, effective and agricultural practices and policies that reduce poverty.

Strengthening the capacity of individuals and institutions in developing countries is central to empowering communities to develop, implement and sustain their own solutions. Capacity building is much more than merely transferring skills and knowledge through training. It includes on-the-job training, leadership, mentoring, two-way transfers of ideas and technologies, and empowerment to undertake research. It is not a one-time effort to improve short-term effectiveness, but a continuous improvement strategy towards the creation of sustainable and effective development outcomes.

Our work

Capacity building is at the core of everything we do. Our goal is to ensure that the people we work with have the skills, resources and knowledge to sustain new initiatives, systems and approaches, both now and in the future, ensuring that our efforts lead to lasting change.

We deliver a range of innovative capacity-building approaches, focused at multiple levels for effective international agricultural research-for-development. Our approach includes both formal and project-based capacity building. We work with our partners to:

• facilitate formal programs in scientific research, leadership, management, policy and governance
• deliver tailored capacity-building approaches to on-the-job training, leadership, mentoring, two-way transfers of ideas and technologies, and empowerment to undertake research
• foster a strong alumni program, working closely with past Fellows to support ongoing collaborative capacity building
• ensure all capacity-building approaches are gender-aware and work towards gender equity
• tailor approaches at individual, organisational and institutional levels, ensuring our approaches are intertwined with our ongoing technical work.

Formal capacity-building programs

• Meryl Williams Fellowship: enhancing the skills and career prospects for women in agricultural science
• John Allwright Fellowship Program: providing formal postgraduate training
• John Dillon Fellowship Program: providing leadership and management training for career development
• Pacific Scholarship Program: supporting emerging agricultural scientists through scholarships at Fiji National University and the University of the South Pacific
• The Crawford Fund: delivering training and links with Australian-based networks, master classes and an annual conference at Parliament House
• Researchers in Agriculture for International Development network: supporting early-career Australian researchers to engage with agricultural research-for-development
• ACIAR Alumni program: supporting a diverse and dynamic network of agricultural researchers throughout the Indo-Pacific

Highlights

Capacity-building project builds on strengths of 10-year program

Pacific region | Capacity Building | University of the South Pacific

Since 2008, the ACIAR–University of the South Pacific (USP) Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme has supported students from seven Pacific island countries to complete postgraduate diplomas, masters degrees or PhDs in a range of agricultural fields. A recent 10-year review of the scheme showed it has granted scholarships to 91 awardees engaged in 121 courses. Of these, 108 courses have been completed, reflecting high completion rates for postgraduate diplomas (93%), masters degrees (94%) and PhD qualifications (80%). This is a significant improvement on completion rate of less than 59% in 2011–12, which prompted ACIAR to invest more in pastoral care and mentoring. These are exceptionally good results, given that in 2016 the general completion rate for PhDs at USP was around 10%, while completion rates for masters degrees was around 15%.

Plant biosecurity Fellows secure leading roles

Pacific region | Capacity Building

An ACIAR-funded project is strengthening the capacity of plant biosecurity officials in the Pacific region. Fellows are taking knowledge gained from placements in Australia back to their home countries, and they have been provided opportunities in leading roles for high priority tasks within their National Plant Protection Offices and governments. For example, a Fellow in Vanuatu is leading the operational response to the recent coconut rhinoceros beetle outbreak, and another Fellow is playing a key role in regional communication surrounding the response. In Samoa, two Fellows were invited by their agriculture minister to contribute to a ministerial brief on the Pacific Plant Biosecurity Program.

Australian farmers show Indonesia the dairy way

Indonesia | Agribusiness | University of Adelaide’s Centre for Global Food and Resources

Researchers from Indonesia visited rural Queensland in November 2019 to learn about industry best-practice from Australian dairy farmers. The visit included tours of several different dairy farms and set-ups, with the researchers experiencing how Australian dairy farmers took varied approaches to feeding systems, milk quality, herd management and business management, depending on their commercial objectives. The visit was part of a research project aiming to increase milk production and milk quality by 25% for 3,000 dairy farmers across Indonesia. The project has various focal points, including government policy and strategy intervention, supply-chain policy and on-farm research and development.

ACIAR research outcomes reach thousands

Global | Water and Climate | Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio

ACIAR-funded research outcomes underpinned a massive open online course run by Bihar Agricultural University and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. More than 4,000 participants from 60 countries enrolled in the course, which was presented in both Hindi and English. The course drew on eight years of successful ACIAR activities across the Eastern Gangetic Plains, focusing on conservation agriculture-based sustainable intensification approaches, which have been adopted by more than 90,000 farmers and have been shown to reduce labour and crop establishment costs, improve farm incomes and decrease greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

John Allwright Fellows graduate from leadership program

Pacific region | Capacity Building

In June 2020, the first cohort of the John Allwright Fellowship Executive Leadership program graduated in an online certificate ceremony hosted by the University of New England. Twenty-five inaugural Fellows completed a 15-month tailor-made program designed to give them the skills needed to become effective leaders in their home countries. The executive leadership program adds value to our significant investment in John Allwright Fellows by equipping them with leadership and management skills to complement their postgraduate journey in Australia.