Research into use

Research Into Use (RIU) is a programme of the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the government department that manages Britain's aid to developing countries. RIU is part of the DFID Strategy for Research on Sustainable Agriculture (SRSA), which aims to get new technologies to poor farmers, and help governments to make better policies. The RIU Programme is designed to put the results of agricultural and natural resources research into use to reduce poverty, promote economic growth and mitigate environmental problems – and thus contribute to the Millennium Development Goals.

Aims of the Research Into Use Programme

RIU has the twin aims of maximizing the livelihood-improving potential of research in the natural resources sector and capturing lessons about best practice in achieving this for different social groups and in different environments. RIU takes an innovations systems approach. The programme works to improve the flow of information between those who have or ‘push’ information and those who want or ‘pull’ information in national and regional innovation systems. This means strengthening the 'pull' for knowledge by enabling poor producers to articulate and satisfy their demand for knowledge, technology and other resources. It also means building the capacity of all partners in the science community, government, private sector and civil society to work together more productively. The RIU Programme builds on the DFID Renewable Natural Resources Research Strategy 1995 to 2005, which funded research on crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry, post-harvest issues and natural resource management. Much of this research has a great deal of unfulfilled potential to impact on poverty. RIU aims to realize that potential and to learn lessons that can be incorporated into future research for development.

Outputs

RIU is delivering three major outputs to achieve its aims:
Firstly, RIU is enhancing access to research outputs to greatly benefit the poor. Output 1: Significant use of RNRRS and other past research results increased.
Secondly, RIU is gathering concrete evidence of what works and why. Output 2: Research-into-use evidence generated.
Thirdly, RIU is working to embed innovation for the poor in development agendas. Output 3: Research-into-use lessons on policies and practices gathered and shared.
==Target regions== RIU focuses on sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, and works in:

East Africa: Rwanda, Tanzania
Southern Africa: Malawi, Zambia
West Africa: Nigeria, Sierra Leone
Asia: covered by the Innovation Challenge Fund currently operating in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Vietnam

Innovation Challenge Funds

The RIU Innovation Challenge Funds aim to stimulate uptake of research results. Organizations in target countries submit proposals for adapting and using research results. Those that are successful set up coalitions or other partnerships with end-user groups and intermediaries such as farmer organizations, extension agents, NGO networks and policy makers. The emphasis is on action research, or learning by doing.

Guiding principles

The RIU Programme is guided by four principles:
1. Working with existing national and international processes, and development assistance arrangements to meet national demands. In Africa this includes aligning RIU to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme process.
2. Working through existing programmes, partnerships and institutions. RIU will not establish separate initiatives.
3. Making maximum use of existing information and systems, and of national and regional capacity, in its work.
4. Learning and disseminating lessons on the impact of getting Research Into Use to benefit poor people.

Management

The RIU Programme is a DFID programme managed under contract by Natural Resources International Ltd, UK, in association with Nkoola Institutional Development Associates (NIDA) Ltd. Uganda, and Michael Flint (and the Performance Assessment Resource Centre), UK. The programme is led by a Programme Director. Oversight of the programme as a whole is provided by a Programme Advisory Board.

Timeframe and budget

The RIU was commissioned in July 2006 as a 5-year programme. The inception phase ran from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. Full implementation runs from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2011. The RIU is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), UK. The total budget is £37.5 million.