PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988-2001 8 The role of developed country institutions: Is there a meeting point between the top-down and bottom- up?

Document begins: PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988­2001 8 The role of developed country institutions: Is there a meeting point between the top-down and bottom- up? Robin Grimbi The need for client-oriented and participatory yield broad or strategic results - what is the research and planning is unarguable; a large role in research for international centres and measure of responsibility for this rests with developed-country based institutions? Clearly local institutions. But what role is there for the answer will vary from case to case, but one international and developed-country research possible way forward is to concentrate organisations, largely dominated by natural attention on strengthening the capacity of local scientists, that are more development than institutions to do the work themselves. The academically orientated? need and opportunity would appear to be greatest in the public sector but NGOs could A major problem is that demand-led and also receive support. participatory research is, almost by definition, specific to local conditions to a particular set Appropriate assistance would depend, in the of environmental and socio-economic first instance, on an analysis of the strengths conditions. Identifying constraints and and weaknesses of the collaborating institution opportunities for research and development is and would need to take full ...