Research questions

RIU Rwanda has identified a number of major bottlenecks: seed systems; access to rural finance; post harvest/value addition; and marketing and trade issues.

The key research question is:
What interventions do platforms require for turning identified value chain bottlenecks/challenges into business opportunities?

Through the work of the commodity-based innovation platforms, RIU aims to answer these questions:

• Given the Rwandese culture of solidarity and community involvement, how can 'best performer' farmers be active change agents in their communities?
• How can they effectively contribute to knowledge sharing and enhance demand for research outputs?
• What organisational settings are required and under what conditions can they be successful?
• What institutional and organisational changes are needed for RIU supported innovation platforms to become key players in the maize and potato value chains?
• What mechanisms are most suitable for enhancing demand for research outputs at platform level?
• What is the appropriate process for identifying, and selecting the farmers to participate?
• How should interventions be organised and what innovations will be (can be) promoted?
• What are their training/capacity development needs and how to address them?
• How will they collaborate with research and extension services and to what extend this will inform/influence the work of these institutions?
• What is the appropriate community-based reward system?
• What are the performance assessment mechanisms?

These questions will be contrasted with the finding of the potato innovation platform:

• How can be improved the output of informal seed system for potato and cassava, both in terms of quality of the products and predictability of supply?
• What organisational capacities are needed at community level?
• What suitable system for quality control is possible at local community level?
• Given the high rural population density and the tendency for potato monoculture in certain areas of Gicumbi District, what methods/patterns of land use are the most suitable for controlling the rapid spread of bacterial and viral diseases?

These questions will be contrasted with the finding of the phased out platforms

• How can be improved the output of informal seed system for potato and cassava, both in terms of quality of the products and predictability of supply?
• Under what conditions phased out platforms will survive the termination of RIU direct support?
• What lessons can be derived for the sustainability of other platforms?

Through the work of the establishing the National Innovation Coalition, RIU aims to answer these questions:

• What institutional and organisational changes are needed for NIC to be an effective policy dialogue platform at national level?
• How can NIC effectively support innovations at Platform level?

Through the work of the communications RIU aims to answer these questions:

• What are the circumstances under which information limits decision making?
• What are the most appreciated communication tools to fill this gap?
• What patterns of networking between researchers, decision makers and others complement communication?

The Monitoring and Evaluation Plan was agreed in December 2008. The major questions raised by Platform members were:

• What is the alternative solution to the under-resourced and underperforming Extension Service?
• How to enhance proper use of existing technologies not adequately applied by farmers such as quality seeds and fertilisers?
• How to improve the current inputs supply system?