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GCP/BGD/034/MUL
National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP)
Preliminary Findings of
A Survey of Research Needs for
Food Security in Bangladesh
J. Mohan RAO*
Adviser to FAO
*University of Massachusetts and
Institute of South Asian Studies-NUS, Singapore
29 November 2006
Aims of the
Research Needs Digest (RND)
To assess research needs and take stock of
research appropriate to enhancing food
security in Bangladesh:
• For policy-makers, researchers and civil
society, to inform decisions about setting
research priorities
• For NFPCSP, to inform decisions about
setting a research agenda for technical
assistance and awarding grants
Methodology: Instruments
The assessment is based on two
instruments:
• Interviews with individuals from
– Government Departments
– Research Institutes and Universities
– Non-Governmental Organizations
– International Organizations and Donors
• Bibliographic Search for the period 1999-
2006
Instruments (1): Interviews
Personal interviews were conducted
• with the aid of a simple questionnaire that
defined and illustrated each dimension of FS
• by eliciting from respondents research topics of
importance from a national standpoint
• in dialog form with interviewer asking
supplementary questions or requesting
clarifications
• to get abstracts of each topic where possible
Instruments (2): Bibliographic
The bibliographic search was conducted
• with exclusive focus on research on
Bangladesh done in Bangladesh &
elsewhere
• confined to the period 1999-2006
• based on search of relevant electronic
data bases plus specific-source searches
• using all relevant search words
Methodology: Classification
The topics generated by the Interviews and
titles from the Bibliographic search have
been classified by the following criteria:
FIRST, by principal dimensions of FS
SECOND, by sub-dimensions or clusters
Classification: Principal Dimensions
Considered
Main 1. Production and Availability
Dimensions 2. “Social” or Non-Market Access
3. “Economic” or Market Access
4. Utilization and Nutrition
Cross-cutting 5. Governance and Institutions
Dimensions 6. Infrastructure
7. Environment
8. Women+other Disadv. Groups
Classification: “Clusters”
or Sub-Dimensions
• Clusters are chosen to partition the
dimensions
• Each Cluster groups issues closely
related in both logic and experience
• Please refer to the SURVEY form for
the “Clusters” considered
Distribution of Clusters by
Dimensions
The 32 Clusters are distributed as follows:
Production and 6 Governance and 3
Availability Institutions
“Social” or Non- 4 Infrastructure 3
Market Access
“Economic” or 6 Environment 2
Market Access
Utilization and 5 Women + Other 3
Nutrition Disadv. Groups
Methodology: Rationale for
Classification Scheme
This method of classification
• aims to create some order in what
otherwise would be a chaotic jumble of
hundreds of items
• does not presume any priority or ranking
among the clusters
NOTE: Alternative clusterings are possible
Interviews VS Bibliography
Interviews Bibliography
yield important topics is set of completed
to be researched research issues
often express worries or scientifically defined
concerns without problems or puzzles with
scientific niceties established methods
topics emerge from a often emerge from
respondent-interviewer imperatives internal to
dialogue the scientific process
respondent is prompted research expresses the
to consider national researcher’s or
interests originator’s interests
The Progress So Far
• >75 persons from >50 agencies interviewed
• No. of respondent-identified TOPICS 251
• No. of bibliographic TITLES identified 582
FINDINGS
Findings from the Interviews and Bibliographic
Search have been juxtaposed by cluster
Please see the HANDOUTS
Frequency Distribution by Clusters
(%)
FS DIMENSION Interviews Bibliog.
Production and Availability 25 18
“Social”/Non-Market Accesss 10 10
“Economic”/Market Access 12 19
Utilization and Nutrition 29 18
Governance and Institutions 5 12
Infrastructure 4 7
Environment 8 3
Women+Other Disadvantaged Groups 7 13
Total Number 221 578
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Interviews VS Bibliog.
En
Bibliog.
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en
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Frequency Distribution (%) Across DIMENSIONS:
Scope and Limitations
• The intent is to focus on socio-economic
research and socio-economic implications
of scientific-technological research
• There is wide but not necessarily
statistically representative coverage of
respondents
• The dialog nature of interviews implies
interviewer inputs may influence findings
• The findings are still work in progress
The Way Forward
A follow-up workshop in February will reflect
feedback received here. It will also include
• findings from interviews of another dozen
persons including eminent national experts
• cluster-wise analysis of topics and titles
and further grouping into “sub-clusters”
• consolidation of the findings into a digest
to inform NFPCSP and the research and
policy-making communities
Please Complete SURVEY
Survey: Scoring Clusters on a 1-10 Scale
• Please score each cluster on a scale from 1-10.
[A cluster is a group of related issues.]
• Your scores must reflect your sense of national
research priorities over the coming 5-10 years
• A score of 10 means "Very High Priority" and a
score of 1 means "Very Low Priority“
• Please score as many of the clusters as possible
• Feel free to seek clarifications from facilitators
