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Capacity Building

Goal

The goal of the CPWF Capacity Building Initiative is to:

“Increase the ability of scientists to carry out integrated research on water and food with a basin perspective”

The  above quote highlights the components of the CPWF capacity building initiative which distinguish it from other types of capacity building that takes place in the context of international development and water resources management. Read the Capacity Building Strategy (pdf 165 kb)

Who is the primary target of CPWF capacity building?

The primary target of CPWF capacity building is researchers, people who generate or utilize scientific knowledge in the pursuit of development goals.  Our activities train researchers in scientific methodologies which incorporate involvement, consultation, and communication with other stakeholders, including policy makers, agricultural extension staff, water managers, non-governmental organizations, farmers, fishers, herders, and communities.

What are the mechanisms used by the CPWF for capacity building?

1. Capacity Building within CPWF Competitive Call Research Projects

The research portfolio of the CPWF currently supports capacity building for scientists in the biological, physical, and social sciences, providing practical training in use of tools, methodologies and processes for integrative water and food research.  Read about the involvement of Capacity Building in First Call Projects 2004 - 2006 (pdf 49 kb)

Capacity building activities fall within three major categories.

Scientific mentorship

Includes informal activities such as advising; network building; attendance and/or opportunities to present at conferences or seminars; interdisciplinary exposure; and research planning and management.  These activities are primarily targeted toward NARES scientists, but also include NGO’s as beneficiaries.

Specialized skills

These are targeted primarily for researchers to improve technical skills associated with a particular analytical task related to the research project. Specialized skills are built through short term and long term training, including research support to university students at undergraduate, post graduate and post doctoral levels.

Action research methodologies

These belong to a family of research tools which pursue action (or change) and research (or understanding) at the same time.  Within the CPWF context this means providing an interdisciplinary understanding and tools for measuring water use for food production, environmental protection, and poverty alleviation.   Action research methodologies include training across a broad range of stakeholders, including farmers - working on fields and with communities to test how innovations can make a difference in the food security, livelihoods and environments of the poor. 


2. CPWF Capacity Building activities outside of the research portfolio.

Programs such as the CPWF attempt to have a basin wide impact. In river basins composed of countries, provinces or states at different levels of social and economic development, the asymmetrical distribution of knowledge and resources can be reinforced when research funding is offered through competitive processes.

An extended capacity building program designed in tandem with a research initiative helps to reduce these inequities. Rather than research objectives, CPWF capacity building can focus on learning objectives, according to project, institution, country, and basin specific needs.

Objectives of the activities outside of the CPWF research portfolio include:

Contact

CPWF Capacity Building Officer
Marcia Macomber m.macomber@cgiar.org