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SEARCA: An Organizational Strategy Toward Greater Effectiveness
Abstract:
The purpose of this Management Research Report was to formulate a strategy for the SEAMEO Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) toward greater organizational effectiveness.
SEARCA is an inter-government organization whose mission is to promote sustainable agriculture and natural resource management in Southeast Asia. To achieve its mission, SEARCA provides opportunities for graduate education, fellowships, training, and other human resource development undertakings for agriculture personnel; coordinates and implements research programs related to the needs and problems of agriculture in the region; and disseminates the findings of agricultural research and experimentation.
An assessment of SEARCA’s external environment revealed the following opportunities and threats:
Opportunities: (1) continuing importance of agricultural research and education as a response to food insecurity and poverty; (2) favorable policy environment for the modernization of agriculture and conservation of natural resources; (3) need for the development of methodologies and approaches for sustainable agriculture; (4) need of national institutions to build institutional capacity for greater responsiveness; (5) need by agriculture personnel to enhance their skills in the areas of information technology, networking and linkaging, knowledge sharing, practical research skills, and extension; (6) need to produce a critical mass of human resources in agriculture as articulated by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education; (7) availability of expertise in SEARCA’s networks and partner institutions; and (8) availability of alternative funding arrangements for graduate scholarship program.
Threats: (1) donors’ current approach to development assistance is one of partnership and counterpart funds arrangement, hence, their reluctance to provide full support to agricultural research and other activities; (2) increased competition for research grants; (3) declining contributions from SEAMEO member countries, including the Philippines, SEARCA’s host country.
An internal assessment of the Center showed the following strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths: (1) good track record of performance in graduate scholarship administration, training program coordination and implementation, research project implementation, and funds management; 2) good credibility among donors; (3) diversity of fund sources; (4) competence and experience in developing operational networks and linkages; (5) SEARCA fellows, alumni, and University Consortium partners as potent force for the Center’s regional undertakings; (6) credible technical leadership; (7) information technology facilities were in place; (8) availability of facilities and services from which financial resources may be generated; and (9) renewed internal mandate of mandate of monitoring and evaluation.
Weaknesses: (1) unclear research mandate; (2) research activities lack regional representation; (3) weak market image among research clients; (4) inadequate capacity to document and disseminate research findings; (5) lack of integrated approach to the Center’s marketing and resource generation strategies; (6) skills gap in technical areas; (7) need for a strategy-driven approach to human resource development; (8) need to firm up systems and procedures, especially with respect to performance management system, reward system, human resource planning, inter-unit collaboration, planning, monitoring and evaluation, resource generation, and funds investment; (9) inadequate problem-solving and decision-making processes at the top management level.
Using SWOT analysis, adoption of the strengths-threats (S-T) strategy was recommended from four strategic options that were identified. Against the backdrop of reduced donor contributions to the SEAMEO Education Development Fund (SEDF) which were used to support the Center’s graduate study and short-term training programs, as well as heightened competition for research grants, SEARCA can exploit its strong track record in implementing human resource development programs and research project implementation, its competence in forming and maintaining linkages and networks, its good credibility among donors, and the presence of adequate opportunities for internal resource generation to overcome the threats. SEARCA has an enormous mandate (in scope and coverage), many potential partners, but limited resources. The recommended strategy calls for sharper focus of SEARCA’s institutional development efforts by concentrating its resources in areas that will provide the greatest impact to sustainable development initiatives. Since institutional capacity building is an intensive, long-term process, it should be implemented in the context of a long-range, viable strategic plan. The issue of sustainability then becomes a central concern; hence, SEARCA will have to operate in a setting of strong collaborative relationships with donors and other partners for joint programming and funding. The Center must also capitalize on its various products, services, and facilities to obtain internally-generated resources to augment external funds. The proposed strategy, therefore, will have three major components: (1) client identification; (2) impact area determination; and (3) building partnerships, alliances, and linkages. The first two components will provide the focus, while the third component will ensure sustainability.
Start-up activities for the proposed strategy will be implemented beginning June 1999. These would include (1) a regional consultation workshop to determine the needs and priorities for strengthening agricultural institutions in SEAMEO member countries; (2) Center-wide in-house strategic planning workshop to define, among others, the focus of SEARCA’s institutional development strategies, programs, and projects within the context of clearly articulated vision, mission, and objectives; (3) development of a framework for institutional assessment; (4) formulation of a framework for institutional development; and (5) formulation of a framework for strategic alliances and resource generation.