RIU Zambia - New policy brief flags emerging lessons
22 December 2010

RIU Zambia has produced a new policy brief which is looking at the RIU approach and inviting comments on their work to date.

RIU Zambia has been working on conservation agriculture and rice value chain improvement. In so doing they are seeking to answer the question 'what is required to get research into use in these areas?'

This policy brief highlights some emerging lessons:

• Engaging a wide range of stakeholders in a consultation process is a good way to come up with strong, lasting solutions
• In processes such as the conservation agriculture voucher scheme, which take a long time, linkages amongst stakeholders might break if stakeholders don't see benefits quickly. Therefore it is important to maintain the linkages and networks
• Collaboration is necessary. It should build on existing systems or structures where participants are already involved in order not to overburden people with new structure
• Drawing up joint plans helps build ownership