Science Quality at ICARDA: A Key to Rationalized, Efficient and Transferable Innovations

Abstract

The document reviews the status of science quality (SQ) at ICARDA in the context of research, training and out-scaling dimensions. The overall objective of introducing the notion of SQ is in ensuring that the focus of the research effort within the Centre is of a standard that meets international norms and is achieving the goal of rationalized, efficient, repeatability and transferable innovations that emerge from its research efforts. The narrative describes the approaches undertaken to ensure SQ, lists a series of indictors to measure SQ and tabulates them over the recent years (2000-2015). These indicators reflect that the SQ at ICARDA is at a high level and is stable. We believe that factors such as budget cuts, staff turn-over and the changing environment in which staff have been required to operate in have had little impact on SQ. However, it will be critical to continually monitor these indicators particular in the coming years as ICARDAs staffing levels have declined dramatically over the past 12 months. There is a need to begin rebuilding the Centre in a sustainable manner ensuring that the Centres research effort is quick to respond to change, flexible and nimble to the changing environment in which research for development is undertaken.