Agricultural innovation (AI) coaching

The concept is used when encouraging sustainable innovation. It has actors focusing on energy and connections to steer things along. A free actor has the capacity, insight and the position to do what is necessary to help the network overcome the major obstacles (source: Networks with free actors - Encouraging sustainable innovations in animal husbandry by using the FAN approach (Free Actors in Networks | H.E. Wielinga, B.W. Zaalmink, et al. | 2008 | Wageningen UR).

Action research is a particular approach to research that aims to improve practice or have a real world application. It aims to make a real change or impact in society, and is not simply research in and of itself. It is generally understood that ‘action research’ contributes to improving the welfare of marginalised communities and those working for progressive social change, and not the interests of powerful elites, including those within higher education. Action research involves an ongoing cycle of planning --> acting --> observing --> reflecting. Critical reflection is an important step in each cycle.

Action learning involves a group of people coming together regularly to help each other learn from their experiences. The group works together on problems in their community, workplace or project, in order to improve the problem. The people involved increase their skills and knowledge by learning with and from each other, working on real issues or problems, reflecting on their experiences, and taking action based on group decisions. Values associated with action learning include respect for others, honesty and integrity, collaboration, and developing trusting relationships with others.

Innovation intermediary (Howells, 2006, 720) – “an organization or body that acts as an agent or broker in any aspect of the innovation process between two or more parties. Intermediary activities comprise helping to provide information about potential collaborators; brokering a transaction between two or more parties; acting as a mediator, or go-between; bodies or organisations already working together; and helping find advice, funding and support for innovation outcomes of such collaborations”.

Innovation broker (Winch and Courtney, 2007, 751) – “an organization acting as a member of a network of actors that is focused neither on the organization nor the implementation of innovations, but on enabling other organisations to innovate”.

The enabling rural innovation (ERI) approach - developed and implemented by CIAT in collaboration with national research organizations -  can be seen as an attempt to capture the different elements required for effective and continuous innovation (Sanginga et al., 2004), and encompasses specific interventions to build capacity and collaboration for technological, organizational and market innovation.

The Participatory Market Chain Approach (Bernet et al., 2006), focuses on the development of niche market products in collaboration between producers and private sector, while simultaneously addressing technical constraints.

The CORMA approach (Heemskerk et al., 2003) focuses on organizational and institutional change to improve the delivery of services from agricultural research providers to producers. The approach is built on a thorough self- and client assessment of the existing research services, and organizational and institutional change to improve the client orientation of the research organization.