Lead author: Thomas P. Tomich, Principal Economist, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), and Global... more Lead author: Thomas P. Tomich, Principal Economist, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), and Global Coordinator, Alternatives to Slash and Burn (ASB) Systemwide Programme of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) PO Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya ...
ASB, the Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins, is a decade-old, complex, multi-institution... more ASB, the Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins, is a decade-old, complex, multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary, multi-site research and development consortium. It has been recognized for its success in producing scientific outputs and real world impacts and as a pioneer in integrated natural resource management (iNRM). Until now, there has been little understanding of the reasons for its success in integrating different perspectives and ways of working. To fill this gap, an on-line consultation involving ASB researchers was structured following an analytical framework developed by the Initiative on Science and Technology for Sustainability. The structure of the presentation of major results presented in this article also follows that framework, which includes four dimensions of integration (disciplinary, functional, spatial/ temporal, and knowledge) and linked challenges of institutional learning and adaptation, fostering appropriate participation, and managing resource and capacity constraints. To lay the foundations for interpreting these insights and to motivate the study, introductory sections present qualitative evidence regarding organizational learning within the consortium (using research hypotheses as indicators) and success in producing integrated results (using a selection of research results as evidence).
The Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn (ASB) programme is a decade-old, complex, multiinstitutional, ... more The Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn (ASB) programme is a decade-old, complex, multiinstitutional, multi-disciplinary, multi-site research and development consortium. ASB applies an integrated natural resource management (iNRM) approach to analysis and action regarding tradeoffs between global environmental concerns and local rural development opportunities in the forest margins of the humid tropics. Addressing these issues necessarily involves analysis at many scales and interaction across epistemologies (knowledge systems). ASB has been recognized for its success in producing scientific outputs and real world impacts and as a pioneer in iNRM. But, until now, the consortium has devoted little effort to understanding its success in bridging scales and epistemologies. To fill this gap, an on-line consultation was held involving 42 ASB researchers and structured following an analytical framework on "harnessing science and technology for sustainability" developed by Harvard University researchers based on their studies of other comparable cases. This analytical framework includes 4 dimensions of integration (disciplinary, functional, spatial/temporal, and knowledge) and related challenges of institutional learning and adaptation, fostering appropriate participation, and managing resource and capacity constraints. A special website was developed for ASB's virtual consultation, which was professionally facilitated. This innovative use of information technology proved to be an effective means of triangulating perceptions of spatially dispersed researchers. Electronic polling was used to identify areas of consensus or broad agreement, as well as areas where views diverged. The cases of divergence received special attention in open ended 'virtual' discussions. Results reported in this paper advance understanding of the scope and limits of a complex international consortium to integrate information across disciplines, institutions, scales and knowledge systems. Conclusions emphasize issues that may be of interest to other research or assessment teams endeavoring to bridge scales and epistemologies.
Lead author: Thomas P. Tomich, Principal Economist, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), and Global... more Lead author: Thomas P. Tomich, Principal Economist, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), and Global Coordinator, Alternatives to Slash and Burn (ASB) Systemwide Programme of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) PO Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya ...
ASB, the Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins, is a decade-old, complex, multi-institution... more ASB, the Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins, is a decade-old, complex, multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary, multi-site research and development consortium. It has been recognized for its success in producing scientific outputs and real world impacts and as a pioneer in integrated natural resource management (iNRM). Until now, there has been little understanding of the reasons for its success in integrating different perspectives and ways of working. To fill this gap, an on-line consultation involving ASB researchers was structured following an analytical framework developed by the Initiative on Science and Technology for Sustainability. The structure of the presentation of major results presented in this article also follows that framework, which includes four dimensions of integration (disciplinary, functional, spatial/ temporal, and knowledge) and linked challenges of institutional learning and adaptation, fostering appropriate participation, and managing resource and capacity constraints. To lay the foundations for interpreting these insights and to motivate the study, introductory sections present qualitative evidence regarding organizational learning within the consortium (using research hypotheses as indicators) and success in producing integrated results (using a selection of research results as evidence).
The Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn (ASB) programme is a decade-old, complex, multiinstitutional, ... more The Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn (ASB) programme is a decade-old, complex, multiinstitutional, multi-disciplinary, multi-site research and development consortium. ASB applies an integrated natural resource management (iNRM) approach to analysis and action regarding tradeoffs between global environmental concerns and local rural development opportunities in the forest margins of the humid tropics. Addressing these issues necessarily involves analysis at many scales and interaction across epistemologies (knowledge systems). ASB has been recognized for its success in producing scientific outputs and real world impacts and as a pioneer in iNRM. But, until now, the consortium has devoted little effort to understanding its success in bridging scales and epistemologies. To fill this gap, an on-line consultation was held involving 42 ASB researchers and structured following an analytical framework on "harnessing science and technology for sustainability" developed by Harvard University researchers based on their studies of other comparable cases. This analytical framework includes 4 dimensions of integration (disciplinary, functional, spatial/temporal, and knowledge) and related challenges of institutional learning and adaptation, fostering appropriate participation, and managing resource and capacity constraints. A special website was developed for ASB's virtual consultation, which was professionally facilitated. This innovative use of information technology proved to be an effective means of triangulating perceptions of spatially dispersed researchers. Electronic polling was used to identify areas of consensus or broad agreement, as well as areas where views diverged. The cases of divergence received special attention in open ended 'virtual' discussions. Results reported in this paper advance understanding of the scope and limits of a complex international consortium to integrate information across disciplines, institutions, scales and knowledge systems. Conclusions emphasize issues that may be of interest to other research or assessment teams endeavoring to bridge scales and epistemologies.
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Papers by Joyce Kasyoki