Innovation platforms are equitable, dynamic spaces designed to bring heterogeneous actors together to exchange knowledge and take action to solve a common problem. Although innovation platforms are being set up to attain collectively defined development objectives, there are limited methods and tools available using quantitative data to evaluate whether they are effective. This paper elaborates a conceptual framework based on elements from new institutional economics and marketing relationship management to model the impact pathways within innovation platforms and how they contribute to attaining the objectives of the rural communities involved. The paper also proposes a field research protocol based on focus group discussions, semi-directive interviews of key stakeholders associated with the innovation platforms and individual surveys of platform members. The data collected is both qualitative and quantitative in nature allowing useful triangulation to test the model. Successive empirical tests of the model in different contexts should allow long-term strengthening and field validation of the conceptual framework.
This report is concerned with the ‘who?’ ‘what?’ and ‘how?’ of pro-poor extension. It builds on the analytical framework proposed in the Inception Report of the same study (Christoplos, Farrington and Kidd, 2001), taking it forward by fleshing out the...
The CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) is a research in development program which aims to foster innovation to respond to community needs, and through networking and social learning to bring about development outcomes and impact at scale....
An 'Outcome Mapping' approach was applied retrospectively to five diverse, highly collaborative research projects aimed at poverty reduction. Designed to help plan for, clarify, and document intended and actual changes in behaviour, actions, and relationships of groups and organisations that...
In this article is presented an emergent capacity development approach that the authors have developed through participatory action research in Peru and Ecuador, which they call ‘systemic theories of change’ (STOC), for organisational capacity development. They argue that capacity development should be...