Title: Analysing organisational learning capacity as a window on the national agricultural innovation system: a participatory approach in Nicaragua

Authors: Charles Staver, Elia Kuan, Danilo Padilla, Falguni Guharay, Mario Lopez, Danilo Saavedra

Addresses: INIBAP/IPGRI, Parc Scientifique, 34397 Montpellier, France. ' CATIE/NORAD IPM, Apartado P-116, Managua, Nicaragua. ' CATIE/NORAD IPM, Apartado P-116, Managua, Nicaragua. ' CATIE/NORAD IPM, Apartado P-116, Managua, Nicaragua. ' CINET – UNAN, Facultad de Ciencias Economicas RUCFA, Apartado Postal 763, Managua, Nicaragua. ' FUNICA, Apartado Postal A-273, Managua, Nicaragua

Abstract: The agricultural innovation system can be strengthened by increasing the learning capacity of research and field organisations. Participatory methods were developed to study three dimensions of the capacity of such organisations in Nicaragua to access and analyse information, highly correlated to learning capacity – the individual routines of their professionals, the formal procedures of the organisation and the organisation|s use of collaborative projects to strengthen core operations. These and the results of a study of the origins of recent innovations in agro-industry and on farms, indicated the strength of linkages in the innovation system. The system is producing innovations at a slow rate and not necessarily with substantial gains in efficiency. Research and field organisations have some links with farmers, but not with farmer organisations and even fewer with the input supply sector, agro-industry and traders. Suggestions are made for improving individual information seeking routines, using collaborative projects for strengthening learning capacity and for building strategic alliances.

Keywords: agricultural innovation systems; Nicaragua; organisational learning; learning capacity; participatory methods; collaborative projects; strategic alliances; information retrieval.

DOI: 10.1504/IJARGE.2007.012704

International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2007 Vol.6 No.2, pp.194 - 221

Published online: 09 Mar 2007 *

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