Collaboration for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) Program
Ministry of Agriculture &
Rural Development
Agriculture Sector Research
Priorities and Investment Framework
2011-2015
Priority Setting Workshop
Hanoi
December 2010
Agriculture Sector Research Priorities i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1Introduction................................................................................................................. 1
2Methodology............................................................................................................... 3
2.1Research Priority Framework............................................................................... 3
2.2Pre-Workshop Preparation ................................................................................... 4
2.2.1Organisation and Planning............................................................................ 4
2.2.2Training in Priority Setting Methodology..................................................... 4
2.2.3Agriculture Research Opportunity Areas & Resource Material................... 4
2.2.4Data & Evaluation Sheets and Workshop Instructions................................. 5
2.3Workshop Format................................................................................................. 5
2.3.1Workshop Venues and Format...................................................................... 5
2.3.2Workshop Chairpersons and Group Facilitators........................................... 5
2.3.3Workshop Process......................................................................................... 5
3Workshop Results ....................................................................................................... 6
3.1Return on Investment ........................................................................................... 6
3.1.1Comment....................................................................................................... 6
3.2Attractiveness ....................................................................................................... 7
3.2.1Comment....................................................................................................... 7
3.3Feasibility............................................................................................................. 8
3.3.1Comment....................................................................................................... 8
4Interpretation of Results.............................................................................................. 9
4.1Limitations of Results .......................................................................................... 9
5Investment Portfolio ................................................................................................. 10
5.1Cross Sub-Sectors .............................................................................................. 10
5.2Across and Within Sub-Sectors.......................................................................... 12
6The Next Steps.......................................................................................................... 12
Attachments
1. Agriculture Sector Research Priority Setting Workbook
2. PowerPoint Presentations
Agriculture Sector Research Priorities 1
1 Introduction
The Government of Vietnam’s (GoV) Socio-Economic Plan outlines the government’s
expectations for agriculture and rural development. The Agriculture Sector GDP in 2009 was
220 trillion VND, approximately 18% of total GDP. Agriculture's share of GDP has steadily
declined GoV and while the GDP increased by 5.3% during 2009, the agriculture GDP increased
by only 1.8%. Never-the-less government expects GDP growth in the agriculture sector to
increase annually by 3 – 5 %.
Research intensity1 in Vietnam is less than 0.2% which is lower that most developing countries
of 0.5% and much lower than developed country average of 1.5%. GoV has targeted a 12%
increase of central government funding levels from 2006 – 2011 and to date total funding
increases in agricultural research funding have exceeded that level. MARD research funding
provides approximately 65% of all forms of local funding in Vietnam. Provincial budget provide
the bulk of the remaining 35%, but as GoV policies of decentralistion are further implemented it
is expected that both the total funding (Central & Provincial) will significantly increase and the
proportion of total funds sourced from Provincial budgets will also increase.
In spite of these increases, in real terms the budget has effectively kept pace with inflation.
Currently the use of Cost Norms for determining research project budgets is a major constraint.
Although these norms perhaps enable support for a greater number of research projects they have
restrict the scope, size and impact of research. Planned reforms in research funding are likely to
see research costs becoming more market related and the cost of salaries included in the budgets
of research proposals. Both these factors mean that even if funding continues to grow at 12% per
year, research intensity will not change much and funds for agricultural research will remain
very scarce and still well below that of other developing countries.
At the moment research funding decisions follow a traditional approach with incremental funds
based on funding from the previous year. Changes in the proportion of budget allocated to
different subsectors change by only small amounts (1 - 3%) over one or more years. In the past
most research was focused on the crop sector (mainly rice) for obvious food security reasons.
However as the agriculture sector is now expected to become more competitive (both for local
and export markets) research fund allocation based on historical allocations may not result in
effective use of limited resources (funds, human resources, facilities) for research.
This situation makes it imperative that MARD reviews its allocation of research budget based on
a research priority framework and through a consultative approach with key stakeholders.
The MARD Investment framework for the period 2006 – 2011 is shown in Figure 1.32% of total
funding is for the Crops-Plant Protection sector but most Agriculture and Post-Harvest
Technology research is also focused on the crop sector meaning in reality 36% of funding
support is for this sector. It is perhaps surprising that investment in the fisheries and livestock
sub-sectors is less than for forestry and that investment in economic and environmental research
is as low as it is. One of the objectives of the Agriculture Sector Priority Setting Workshop is to
determine if the current resource allocation is correct, or if modification is justified based on an
objective, criterion based assessment of priorities.
Figure 1
1Research intensity = public sector expenditure on agricultural research as proportion of agricultural GDP
Agriculture Sector Research Priorities 2
The CARD program received approval from the Program Coordinating Committee and support
from AusAID contract amendments to assist STED to develop methodologies for research
priority setting as a guide to revising its agriculture research investment framework. From 2006 –
2009 CARD assisted in facilitating workshops to determine priorities in the Crops, Livestock,
Forestry, Fisheries and Economic and Policy sub-sectors.
Using the established methodologies a final workshop was facilitated to prioritize the agriculture
sector. This workshop had the following objectives:
To assist MARD to develop mechanisms for determining agriculture research priorities as a
basis for investment decisions for high priority opportunities for agriculture research
programs and projects across all areas of the agriculture sector.
To prepare a draft set of research priorities the agriculture sector using objective and
subjective data and information and results of previous priority setting workshops at the
subsector level.
Agriculture Sector Research Priorities 3
This report details the methodology and results obtained from the Agriculture Sector (Crops,
Livestock, Forestry & Fisheries Sub-sectors) at the ASEAN Resort, Huyen Thac That, Hanoi on
December 14th2010.
2 Methodology
2.1 Research Priority Framework
Priority analysis is based on a criterion based analytical framework2, which has been adapted to
conditions in different developing countries. The conceptual framework is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2 Research Priority Framework
The Methodology was detailed in a Workshop Workbook (Attachment 1) which also included
inputs from key authors on the contribution of each of the four subsectors to the economic, social
and environmental well-being in Vietnam.
The workshop aim was to create ownership through developing a consensus between users and
providers of research for the research priorities. Nearly sixty stakeholders, representing
researchers and research managers, extension workers, universities and the private sector
enterprise and researchers participated in the workshop.
The workshop process required individual participants to score each of the four subsectors for
each of the 4 criteria (Potential Benefits, Ability (or constraints) to Capture Benefits, Research
Potential and Research Capacity) before they attended the workshop. Working groups,
facilitated by trained facilitators discussed the reasons behind individual priority scores and each
participant was invited to rescore if they desired. Individual Scoring Sheets were collected and
entered in an EXCEL Spreadsheet.
2 Foster, R.N., Linden, L.H., Whiteley, R.L., and Kantrow, A.M., Improving the Return on R & D, in ‘Measuring
and Improving the Performance and Return on R & D’ IRI, New York (originally published in Research
Management January 1985.