Identifying Synergies with USAID Mission Programs and Implementing Partners

 

The SANREM CRSP anticipates that successful Long Term Research Proposals will demonstrate strong synergies and complementarities with USAID Mission programs. SANREM can provide a significant benefit to USAID Missions through research and analyses that inform their strategic direction and programs. USAID Staff and Implementing partners can provide equally important benefits to CRSP researchers. They have strong relationships with a range of governmental, non-governmental, private sector and civil society stakeholders that may be important partners in CRSP research. They also have on-going programs that can extend knowledge, approaches and tools developed by the CRSPs to large numbers of local resource users. We highly recommend that you consider including USAID Missions staff and implementing partners in the participatory process leading to the development of your long term research proposal. The information below is designed to facilitate the identification of linkages between your research and USAID Mission staff and implementing partners.

 

Before contacting USAID Missions we strongly recommend that you learn about the USAID Mission strategic objectives and programs and identify specific linkages between your research and USAID activities. Mission Strategic Objectives (SOs) are extremely important as they drive USAID activities in-country. Keep in mind that because of the nature of SANREM themes, there may be Democracy & Governance, Economic Growth, Conflict Mitigation, and other SOs with high potential synergy for your research even though they are not identified as Agriculture or NRM SOs. Some resources that can help you learn about USAID activities follow:

 

USAID website: Mission information can be found under the "locations" pull-down menu at: http://www.usaid.gov/ with links to a USAID directory, and Mission specific web sites. Mission websites will have strategic plans and some information on current projects.

 

SANREM has developed a database of USAID Strategic Objectives in Agriculture and Natural Resources drawn from Congressional Budget Presentations. This is available at: USAID_SOs.pdf.

 

http://www.nric.net has information on regional and bilateral natural resources projects active in each country with links to project documents and websites.

 

Once you have identified linkages between your research and Mission Strategic Objectives and programs, Chris Kosnik, the USAID Program Manager for SANREM is willing to initiate contact with Mission staff. If you would like his assistance, he will need the following:

1. A short description of your research topic that describes: 1) research objectives, 2) specific linkages to Mission SOs and programs; 3) current and potential research partners, and 4) geographic location of proposed research (specify the regions of the country in which you plan to work if that is known). This should be concise - no more than an email screen on the computer, and can be drawn from your abstract. However, please make sure that all four elements noted above are included.
2. CVs of two key researchers (maximum of 2CVs)
3. Permission to forward the technical section of your planning grant proposal to USAID staff in the mission in order to provide greater detail about your proposed research.? If you would like to send an edited version of the 6 page technical section that incorporates feedback from the Evaluation Review Panel, you are welcome to do so. The proposal will be appended to an introductory email that includes the summary information described above.

 

Chris Kosnik contact information: email: ckosnik@usaid.gov; Tel: (202) 712-1364;  Cell: (240) 838-5800