Description

Operational experience provides invaluable insights into the challenges organizations and firms (such as start-ups) often face when mobilizing resources. Here are some key challenges: These range from limited funding, insufficient human resource capacity and limited Collaboration to a pervasive culture of donor dependency. Addressing these challenges requires a concerted dialogue effort from governments, government-sponsored institutions, private sector as well international partners to invest in R&D infrastructure, provide training and support for researchers and related workers, to streamline administrative processes and foster collaboration.

A special emphasis is placed on the Science granting Councils (SGCs) which perform several functions stipulated in the statutes that set them up. These vary from country to country but one common strand that runs across all is “Funding of Research and Innovation”. To perform this function, they receive funding from the exchequer (government) as well as leverage funding from other development partners (funders or donors). They in turn disburse these funds to their national institutions and researchers/innovators largely through a competitive grant system.

This function situates the granting organizations in a bipolar situation: On the one hand, they need to raise funds and grow their national research kitty while on the other hand they need to enhance their capacities to disburse funds efficiently and effectively. For these granting organizations to effectively deliver on their mandate, they need to have in place effective and responsive robust resource mobilization capacity. Unfortunately, most African SGCs are deficient in this regard.