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CAPACITY TO INNOVATEWhat does that mean??

Contact:

Dr. Peter Bezkorowajnyj, Project Manager, Fodder Innovation Project, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) c/o ICRISAT, Patancheru –502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Phone: +91 40 30713653, Fax: +91 40 3071 3074, E-mail: p.bezkorowajnyj@cgiar.org, Web: cgiar.org/ilri.

Dr. Dannie Romney, Enabling Innovations Acting Theme Leader, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), PO Box 30709 Nairobi, Kenya.

Phone: +254 20 422 3000, Fax: +254 20 422 3001, E-mail: d.romney@cgiar.org, Web: cgiar.org/ilri.

BUT

What happens if…

Department

Of Fisheries

Villag e

Council

I could go to the gov’t official for advice butI don’t know him very well – besides,

he doesn’t understand my situation.

I could go to my neighbor – he knows a traderwith whom I can discuss other possible markets.

Is there any other way to get that information?

I could ask for a loan to buy fingerlings andstart my own business, but there is no loan

available to buy the feed.

I could ask the village committee to invite the various gov’t departments for discussions

but the officials don’t talk to each other.

I could interact with the researcher who visitsbut he’s just interested in me growing mushrooms.

How do you go about it?

Where to go?

Who to talk with?

I could follow national market prices but how?

So, you can catch, store, sell fishin new ways or even forget fishing

and do something new- INNOVATION !

But…

Fix it if

materials are availablePurchase another if

capital is available

Learn new ways if

training is available

Technical problems are encountered…

Continue anyway if there are

ways of not getting caught

Protest if the

support is available

Become independent if

the expertise is available

or…

Policiesare changed…

Sell elsewhere if

alternative market is available

Trade locally if

other food items availableLearn ways to store if

knowledge is available

or…Market pricesfall…

Give a man a fish…

… you feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish…

…you feed him for a lifetime?

He is the 5th farmer today to ask

about fish prices

- I should set up a service and charge

an annual fee for market prices

And…

Will this change how things are done?

If so - How? Why?

Instead of meeting in the village every week,

lets meet in town with the government officials

- that should link us directly with resourcesand make our job easier

I should start spending more time

In the villages to understand better

what the farmers are doing

- I do want to make a difference

as Director of the Department

I should introduce him to

the traders I meet with regularly

- maybe he will stop coming over

and bothering me all the time

We should raise the issue of loans forfish feed at the next board meeting

- the increase in potential customers

should impress head office

I should start working with

the Department of Fisheries on this

- probably get a research grant

So, using something old in new ways, or applying something new to successfully produce a positive social and economic outcome

is INNOVATION

This is embedded in a network of those interacting to produce, distribute and use the knowledge to do so

-an INNOVATION SYSTEM

Improving interactionsbetween the actors in the system

changes the habits and practices, facilitates learning,

contributes to knowledge and builds

“CAPACITY TO INNOVATE”