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Targeting Resources at Effective Innovation Support:Implications for EU Supported Research and

Development

Dr Tom KellyTeagasc

Director of Knowledge Transfer7/03/2012

(delivered by Dr. Kevin Heanue)

Outline of Presentation

• Teagasc (Irish Agriculture & Food Development Authority)

• Programming• Development and implementation process• Objective setting, prioritisation

• Lessons learned and implications

Teagasc Mandate

“To provide or procure educational, training, and advisory services in agriculture”

“To obtain and make available to the agricultural industry the scientific and practical information in relation to agriculture required by it”

“To understand, promote, encourage, assist, co-ordinate, facilitate and review agricultural research and development (including research and development in relation to food processing and the food processing industry)”.

1988 Agriculture (Research, Training and Advice) Act

Teagasc Mission

“To support science-based innovation in the agri-food sector and broader bio economy so as to underpin profitability, competitiveness, and sustainability”.

To do this, Teagasc itself must be innovative in how it serves the needs of clients and stakeholders.

To provide an excellent innovation support service requires three key organisational capabilities: leadership, partnership and accountability and governance.

(Teagasc Foresight 2030)

Teagasc Goals

1. “Improve the Competitiveness of Agriculture, Food and the Wider Bio-Economy”

2. “Support Sustainable Farming and the Environment”

3. “Encourage Diversification of the Rural Economy and Enhance the Quality of Life in Rural Areas”

4. “Enhance Organisational Capability and Deliver Value for Money”.

Integration and recognition of openness -Keys to a successful AKIS

Figure 1: Agricultural Knowledge Triangle

Teagasc Office Network December 2011

Research Expenditure €58.3mIncome: earned, grants, levy €22.0mGrant in aid €36.3m

Farm/trading income, €3,060,520

Fee for services, €3,170,300

Levy, €1,666,000

Irish competitive research,

€10,294,410

EU competitive research, €2,530,329

Other, €1,284,176

Research ProgrammesNo. of Projects by primary goal

317468245Total

3721223REDP

8989Food

813942CELUP

11021791Animal and Grassland

TotalDiversificationSustainabilityCompetitiveness

Teagasc Planning and Evaluation Framework

ImpactTechnology /

Practice Adoption

TeagascOutputs

Outcomes of Joint / Combined Actions of Research, Knowledge Transfer and Operations

Responsibility of Programmes / Departments / Units

Due to external factors Teagasc has less than 100% control over the achievement of Technology Practice Adoption and Impact.

Teagasc:• Statement of Strategy

2011 -2014• Business Plans• Road Maps• Foresight 2030

Influences: External• DAFM (Ministry)• Primary Producers• Stakeholder Consultative groups• Food Harvest 2020 • Funding (competitive)

Teagasc has 100% control over the achievement of these outputs

External Stakeholder Consultation, Feed back & InfluenceDepartment of

Agriculture, Food and

Marine

Forfás policy advisory board for enterprise, trade,

science, technology and innovation

Peer Review Panels

University Alliances / Co-

operations

Programme Stakeholder Consultative

Groups

Industry levy funding

committeesCommissioned

Research

Joint Industry Programme

working groups

Other state agencies e.g.

FSAI, EPA projects

International Scientific Advisory

Board (ISAB)

EU Framework ProgrammeTeagasc

Authority

TeagascProgrammes

Stakeholder Consultative GroupsObjectives• Provide advice, guidance and feedback to Teagasc on the direction of its

programmes, in terms of their objectives, focus and industry impact.• Identify and prioritise the key stakeholder issues to be addressed by the

programme.

MembershipEach SCG will ideally have no more than 12 members to include:

• Four – six farmers/producers• Four industry representatives • Four Teagasc representatives to include the Head of Programme

Meetings• There are at least two meetings per year. • The first SCG meeting is held in April/May.• A second SCG meeting is held in August/September.

Stakeholder Consultative Groups

•Meat•Cereals & Bakery•Seafood•Food & Horticulture•Dairy Processing Advisory and Sector Research Advisory Group

•Education and Training Forum

•Rural Diversification (including equine, organics, rural tourism) •Farm Management and Economics

•Crops•Environment•Forestry•Horticulture

•Dairy•Sheep•Cattle•Pigs

Food Industry PanelsEducation

Rural Economy &

Development Programme

Crops, Environment & Land Use Programme

Animal & Grassland

Programme

Teagasc Programme Development & Implementation Process

Stakeholder Consultative Group

Joint Knowledge Transfer/Research Professional StaffProgramme Development Team

Knowledge Transfer Managers Conferences

Research ProgrammeMeetings

Local Advisory Business Plans

Research DepartmentBusiness Plans

Prioritised Projects, Activities and Outcomes

Issues and priorities worksheets

R/A/E PRIORITY ACTION PROPOSEDISSUES/PROBLEMS

Joint Programme Development Team (Research, Advisors & Education)

Terms of Reference: To advance the issues and actions proposed by the Commodity Team and to propose additional issues and actions.

Expected Outcomes: Better and more relevant programmes (strategic, prioritised, focussed, integrated and action based).

Preparation: Review of the Commodity Team meeting report (circulated).

Agenda for meeting (workshop format)Step 1 Review the full list of issues from the Commodity Team and the

prioritisation. Team may add any additional issues to the list.Step 2 Agree a problem/opportunity definition in relation to each issueStep 3 Group to work in pairs and to propose actions to address the issues

assigned (framework sheet) Step 4 Take feedback; note additional comments of whole group.Step 5 Score each action on relative importance out of 20 and relative urgency

out of 20.Step 6 Conclusion.

Priority Action List for programme delivery (Framework)

How do we know

HowWhenWhoTarget --What

Selection of Research/KT Initiatives for 2012

• New Greenfield Dairy Farm with Connaught Gold in the West of Ireland

• Take first cohort of UCD Dairy Business Degree students through Moorpark

• New campaign to improve fertility in dairy cows

• Expansion in BETTER Programme: Beef farms from 16 to 30, sheep flocks from 7 to 10

• Phase 2 of Agri-Catchment Programme

• Develop a Carbon Navigator to guide dairy farmers towards a reduced carbon footprint

• Analysis of CAP reform post 2013

• New research on extracting value from waste streams in meat industry.

• Continue to increase links to industry through collaborative and contract research (e.g. Pfizer Centre for Digestive Health)

Beef innovation support programme - model

Component Research

Systems Research

Demonstration Farms

BETTER Beef Farms

Farmer Discussion Groups (BTAP)

One to one adviser support

Example Information flow

Beef innovation support programme - model

Component Research

Systems Research

Demonstration Farms

BETTER Beef Farms

Farmer Discussion Groups (BTAP)

One to one adviser support

Publications

Open Days

Media

Web sites

Public Events

Newsletters

Beef innovation support programme - model

Component Research

Systems Research

Demonstration Farms

BETTER Beef Farms

Farmer Discussion Groups (BTAP)

One to one adviser support

Genetics, Nutrition, Economics, Grassland etc

Beef Cows, Bull beef, Organic, Dairy beef

Integrated cow and offspring to beef

Improved commercial beef farms

Peer to peer

Traditional

Funding model for applied research; Prioritisation Criteria

• Applied Research should be supported by EU.

• Support programmes that have clear actions and deliverable• Knowledge generation• Technology transfer• User based evaluation

• Support for bottom up initiatives with• Stakeholder representation• Issues/problems clearly identified• Actions agreed and measurable

• Support collaborative programmes and projects within and between Regions

• Fund resource sharing initiatives, expand and stimulate research investment• More cooperation across expertise and resource sharing• New or existing projects where funding is restrictive • Match private industry funding of public research

European model for applied research prioritisation – advice

• High level prioritisation – Broad programme areas

• Competiveness – benchmarking, export value or import substitution• Sustainability – long term public good • Quality Food – public good, health and lifestyle

• Lower level prioritisation – Specific programmes• Commodity value • Enterprise value• Problem or issue- cost/benefit

• Project level prioritisation – Specific projects and clusters of projects• Science value• Commercial value• Public good value

Funding model for applied research

• Identify lead a major agency or formal network in Region or Member state• Evaluate portfolio of programmes against agreed criteria• Award funding up to a limit based on score against criteria,

challenge industry to come up with the balance

• Insist on co-operation between agencies to create viable networks and alliances (programmes of significant scale and impact)

• Flexibility in programme content and deliveryMix of component, systems and farm based knowledge transfer Public private partnership funding and expenditureOutsourcing some work to the private sector

Thank You