Consultation Summary Bangladesh. Consultation for the DFID research strategy 2008-2013.
Abstract
This summary report presents the results of DFID's research strategy consultation in Bangladesh, outlining the needs and ideas for research, and the ideas for improvement of the research process. It has involved close to 100 stakeholders from the Government of Bangladesh, Universities, Research Institutes, Non Governmental Organizations and the Private sector. The consultation process involved stakeholder interviews, topic specific workshops, a cross-sectoral workshop and senior stakeholder workshop.
Research goals identified for Bangladesh by the participants, under the
key areas, were as follows:
Sustainable Agriculture
- Increasing agricultural productivity and incomes
- Improving sustainability of agricultural practices
- Disaster protection for crops and farmers
Health and killer diseases
- Reducing child mortality
- Addressing toxification
- Increasing access to treatment
In addition, raising awareness of health issues, improving nutrition, and combating specific diseases (HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB) were mentioned as secondary goals. Climate change
- Ensuring effective waste management
- Limiting the effects of climate change on the poor
Governance and social research
- Raising education levels
- Ensuring citizen engagement in the decision-making process
- Ensuring the effectiveness of public institutions
Other goals mentioned included gender equality and environmental governance and justice. In addition to the four priority areas, the participants mentioned education most frequently as an area that is of specific importance for Bangladesh.
Cross-cutting issues
New and important research questions spanning two or more sectors were
also recorded and are considered under research in agriculture and
health, agriculture and the environment, agriculture and governance, the
environment and governance, governance and health, and health and the
environment.
Potential Research Contributions to Inclusive Growth
Participants in each topic-specific workshop were able to articulate a clear connection between improvements to their particular sector and inclusive growth. Agriculture was considered to be able to contribute to growth through the development of new, higher quality and/or more highly processed products for export. In the area of Health, participants felt that economic and inclusive growth could be facilitated though increased 'export' of skilled health professionals; growth in the domestic pharmaceutical, pharmaceuticals testing, and biotechnology industries; and through productivity gains resulting from a healthier work force. For the Environment, participants suggested that improved, more sustainable forestry practices, additional recycling, and improvements to soil health would all work to foster inclusive growth. In addition, better natural disaster modelling and prediction, including climate change impacts, would help minimize economic setbacks associated with environmental disasters. Improved Governance was also expected to lead to inclusive growth, at least indirectly, by changing behaviour and effectiveness of government institutions and through increased citizen participation. Research Process
Ideas generated across all sessions to make the research process more
effective are discussed under the headings:
(1) Priority setting and selection
(2) Capacity building to do research
(3) Capacity building to use research
(4) Partnerships in capacity building
(5) Dissemination to get research into use.
Citation
Dalberg, 30 pp.
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