Building a culture of impact in an international agricultural research organization: Process and reflective learning

Genowefa Blundo Canto (), Bernard Triomphe (), Guy Faure (), Danielle Barret, Aurelle de Romemont () and Etienne Hainzelin
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Genowefa Blundo Canto: UMR Innovation - Innovation et Développement dans l'Agriculture et l'Alimentation - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - Montpellier SupAgro - Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier
Bernard Triomphe: UMR Innovation - Innovation et Développement dans l'Agriculture et l'Alimentation - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - Montpellier SupAgro - Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier
Guy Faure: UMR Innovation - Innovation et Développement dans l'Agriculture et l'Alimentation - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - Montpellier SupAgro - Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier
Aurelle de Romemont: VALO - Délégation à la valorisation - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement
Etienne Hainzelin: Direction générale - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement

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Abstract: Most agricultural research organizations strive to address societal challenges and contribute to positive societal impacts. Fulfilling this ambition involves embedding a culture of impact in organizational culture, which, in our view, entails three main elements: understanding the role of the research community in contributing to impacts over the long term within the systems in which it operates; equipping researchers to support positive change; and implementing strategies that allow the culture of impact to percolate at various levels of the organization. To build just such a culture, in the past 8 years, Cirad, the French Agricultural Research Center for International Development, embarked on a transformational process, from which we draw key lessons. Building a culture of impact requires fostering transdisciplinary dialogue on the multiple roles of researchers, on their contribution to societal impacts, and on the relevance of this reflection. This involves adapting from pre-existing visions, interactions, and practices. Formalization in the organization's strategy and the action of leading change agents foster its institutionalization. Strengthening capacity to build shared visions of change and collective processes in research design, implementation, and evaluation while respecting the diversity of profiles and approaches in the organization favors appropriation. This requires adequate funding at the project, institutional and funding bodies level, and targeted communication to ensure buy-in by internal and external change agents. We argue that a culture of impact is a reflective culture and long-term dynamics that aims to overcome the dichotomy between research and development and bring agricultural research closer to societal needs.

Keywords: évaluation de l'impact; recherche agronomique; approche participative; évaluation; adoption de l'innovation; apprentissage; ImpresS; Evaluation; Changement organisationnel; Apprentissage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05173616v1
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Published in Research Evaluation, 2019, 28 (2), pp.136-144. ⟨10.1093/reseval/rvy033⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05173616

DOI: 10.1093/reseval/rvy033

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