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Competitive grants in the new millennium : a global workshop for designers and practitioners - proc |
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The workshop provided a forum for the exchange of experiences in the
design and implementation of competitive grant programs for research
and extension (CGPs). This report provides a brief outline of concerns
and lessons learned from common experiences in competitive programs
from country, regional, and donor perspectives. It provides country
case studies, and the various papers presented by participants on a
range of issues that influence, both policy formulation, and the
performance of competitive programs. These include the evolutionary
status of the research and development (R & D) system, size and
economic status of the country, source of funds, commitment of the
government, and differences in objectives. Considerations when
introducing a competitive program suggest that competitive programs are
a funding mechanism with both advantages and disadvantages: they are
not appropriate in all situations, and should be linked with other
funding sources for research, extension and training to promote a
complementary system of R & D funding. On program policy and
administration, suggestions include the need for strong and independent
governance; qualitative and quantitative measures; rigorous,
independent, and transparent review process; monitoring and evaluation
guidelines with clear objectives and indicators for the program.
Recommendations for establishing procedures for a positive impact on
institutional reform, include inter alia, the promotion of co-operation
through the competitive process on a partnership basis, and, the
development of mechanisms to internalize experiences from competitive
funding to upgrade quality of block (or core) funding (e.g., peer
review). A recurring theme was the issue of balancing of public and
private objectives. This means protecting proprietary knowledge and
technologies to attract the participation of the private sector, while
ensuring that public funds are used for social objectives. Likewise,
equity concerns must be weighed against the needs of a competitive
market economy.
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