IRRI Rice Seminar Series

Julian Alviar Lapitan

Current position: National Programs Relations Manager Education and training:
1982-2010 Trained in mentoring, gender and dignity advising; leadership and management development; performance management; participatory research and technology development; planning for sustainable rural development; target oriented project planning. 1981 Post-Masteral (7 Months) Course International Agriculture, Cornell University, USA, (DA-USAID Scholarship Award). 1980 MSc (Extension-Education), UP Los Baos, Philippines. (NFAC Scholarship Award). 1971 BSc Agriculture (Animal Science) UP Los Baos, Philippines (RFChandler Jr. Scholarship Award).

Work experience: With IRRI (April 1984-Oct 85, Jan 1987 to date)
Project coordination: RSSP R&D Support Project, Cyber Village, and URGENT (Philippines); LEARN IT (Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam); Prosperity thru Rice Phase 2 (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand); Cyber Extension (Sri Lanka); Rice Farming Systems Project (Bhutan). Managing and supervising IRRI Country Offices without IRRI Representative/Liaison Scientist (Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka). Facilitating support to countries without an IRRI country office (Bhutan, East Timor, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, PNG). Training development and management: Rice Technology Transfer Systems for Asia (Korea, China), Project leadership and management and strategic planning (Bhutan and Cambodia). Applied/adaptive research management: Multilocation testing and pilot production programs. Project (Concept Note) development (North Korea, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bhutan). Event management (Farmers and NGOs Day, CORRA, NARES VIPs, National Rice R&D PhilRice, etc)

Research highlights
Adding social and cultural capital to nurture productive partnership with NARES. Partnerships with various stakeholders can effectively address many NARES problems in the farm. Understanding local conditions and knowledge is equally important in providing solutions to NARES problems. IRRI must stay relevant to be needed and appreciated by NARES partners.

The top 3 IRRI things most valued by our NARES partners

Germplasm

Training

Partnerships

IRRIs Mission
To contribute to food security, poverty reduction, and environmental sustainability by generating technologies for rice-based farming systems through collaboration and further development of the capacity of national agricultural research and extension systems
IRRI BOT Vision Statement, December 2004.

IRRI has the NARES in mind since its foundation

It has established and cultivated new and better relationships with more NARES partners regardless of ideology

It used programs, organizational units, and staff members in initiating important investments that have since made IRRINARES partnerships more fruitful.

Better off NARES partners, becoming donors and leaders

IRRI, now more than ever with the advent of GRiSP, will need active involvement of and support from its NARES partners

Nurturing Partnerships with National Programs: Why should you care ??

The National Programs Relations: Office of External Relations

Overview
The way we were What are we doing Nurturing partnerships Our plans

The way we were

1981: Training and Technology Transfer Department (T3D); Technology Transfer Division (Dr. Glenn L. Denning): Multi-location testing of IRRIs research products; 1984: Externally funded bilateral projects (Bhutan, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos) Prosperity thru Rice Phase 2 (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka); Pre-1990: most country related affairs and concerns were handled by DDG (Dr. MVega) Office and informally through some senior staff.

The way we were

1990: TTD became the International Programs Management Office (IPMO) headed by Dr. GLDenning (under DDG International Services/Partnerships);
IPMO coordinated planning, implementation , monitoring, and evaluation of IRRIs country projects with special funding (Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Madagascar, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam); Served as the front office of IRRI Country Offices at HQ (provide support to ICOs operations from HQ) Involved in technology transfer activities under IRRIs MTP in view of staffs in house technical expertise.

The way we were

2002: Training Center and IPMO were merged again under Dr. MABell (under DDG for Partnerships); 2006: Dr. MABells departure and new structuring, IPMO separated again with TC and placed under DDG Research (Drs. RWang, TPTuong, ADobermann); 2010: Under Office of External Relations (Ms. CGuerta)

Transformation of NPR
DDG DDG Partnership/Research
Office of External Relations (OER)

Technology Transfer Division

IPMO

NPR

Two main components of our tasks:

1. International programs management (bilateral projects and supervision of country offices); 2. Involvement in action research, training and extension (in-house strength)
Effectively use research and training opportunities and facilitating assistance through Country Offices in nurturing relationship with NARES (ex. Sri Lanka);

NPRs Vision
Productive and sustainable collaboration among IRRI, the national agricultural research and extension system (NARES), and other partners in the development of rice science and adoption of its products for the benefit of rice farmers and consumers.

Mission
We initiate and capture the full potential of IRRIs relationship with national program partners and provides advice on important developments in national programs and policies in countries where IRRI remains or wishes to establish rice research collaboration

What are we doing

Facilitate support to HQ staff, ICOs, and NARES partners Identify partners and needs and build/maintain relations Public Awareness Resource generation

What are we doing

Ensure that MOUs and work plans capture the full breadth and potential of our relationships with national partners. Provide advice to senior management on important developments in national programs and policies in countries where IRRI maintains or wishes to establish research collaborations. Plan higher-level country visits and events. Focal point for CORRA and all programmatic research and extension activities in the Philippines.

Role of NPR/ ICO

Researchers: Los Baos/ Outreach

Let scientists do what they do best; Help them in areas where they need support in country & at IRRI

NARES Partners
R & Development Res Infra Devt Capacity building Other needs

How can we further help??

Advise you on country protocol before starting your visit and collaboration; Introduce you to our Country Office staff and NARES partners (for new staff); Help you in developing MOU, MOA, or LOA with NARES partners; Assist in Trouble shooting

Do you know where our Country Offices are?

IRRI Country Offices

11 16 15

14

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Philippines Bangladesh Cambodia China India Indonesia Korea

8. Lao PDR 9. Myanmar 10. Nepal 11. Sri Lanka 12. Thailand 13. Vietnam

14. Africa-Mozambique 15. Africa-Tanzania 16. Africa- Burundi

IRRI Country Offices and Number of Staff

Region (No. of Country Offices) 1. Africa (3) 2. East and Southeast Asia (9) 3. South Asia (4) Total Research Staff 13 7 Admin staff

17 25

4 18

109

77

32

Total (16)

151

97

54

What can our Country Offices do for you??

Makes collaboration easier and quicker; Facilitates your collaborative arrangements and requirements with the scientists in these countries; Facilitates your visit, meetings, and fund transfers to your collaborating institutions; and Advises you on the country protocol details.

Nurturing present and future partnerships: Some suggestions

Personal touch: Add genuine social and cultural capital; Respect and treat well our scholars, trainees, collaborators, and visitors; Be kind and interested (career and sometimes families);

Nurturing present and future partnerships: Some suggestions

Broaden our

partnership base. Its

always wise to have more partners in the country as partnerships with various stakeholders can effectively address many NARES problems in the farm; If one fails, the others can be tapped.

Nurturing present and future partnerships: Some suggestions

Understand and appreciate our partners local conditions and knowledge

Nurturing present and future partnerships: Some suggestions

IRRI must continue to be relevant; Work on challenges and opportunities mutually important.

Nurturing present and future partnerships: Some suggestions Add value to what they are doing; Keep in touch regularly.

Plans
Continue to improve our support services to internal and external partners; Improve and update our data base (NARES directory, donor and media list, etc); Pursue the establishment of Country Champions (Resource Advisors) among IRRI Staff;

Plans
Capture recent country developments (occurrence of typhoons and other calamities affecting rice) and plan for IRRIs assistance; Capture IRRIs investment in country and vice versa; Continue develop business plan for the sustainable operations of ICOs; and Initiate opportunities to open or re-invigorate partnership (Malaysia, Iran, North Korea, Bhutan)

The Office of External Relations Family

Ben

Manny Margaret
Marlyn

Maricel Maan

Jojo

NPR Team

Where can you find us??

We are currently located at the Office of External Relations (beside the cashiers Office) FFHill building; Tel No. 2424; 2871; 2756 J.Lapitan@cgiar.org

The National Programs Relations: Office of External Relations at your service !!