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DFID's response to the "Evaluation of DFID's Engineering Knowledge and Research (EngKaR) Programme" report

CRD welcomes the publication of this report and sees the recommendations as a firm foundation to forming future work programmes. In particular, we see the endorsement of continuing commitment of DFID to research and dissemination activities in the transport, water, and energy sector as supportive to the DFID programmes as a whole and also the contribution to global public good.

The report recommended that “the programme be continued in a modified form. It should focus on a smaller number of themes (such as its historic strengths of water, energy and transport) in fewer countries. More detailed priorities cannot be set at a distance but must be decided in negotiation with selected DFID country offices and other stakeholders with a good understanding of needs and with the power to do something with the results of the programme. Longer-term, programmatic funding is needed to build the Southern research capacity and policy networks needed, using an instrument such as the Development Research Centres (which is already used by DFID elsewhere)”. CRD concurs with that view and has developed a process to commission Research Programme Consortia to deliver the refocused objectives.

CRD has formed a responsive programme with ESRC in line with the report’s recommendation that “a small part of the programme budget should be reserved for responsive funding of good ideas and for studies that meet DFID’s policy needs.”. CrD has also adopted a communications strategy at both project and programme level and more attention will be paid to monitoring and evaluating needs, project progress and impacts.

The report acknowledges that EngKaR already has traditional areas of strength, especially in water, energy and transport, which provide solid bases for a more focused strategy that is also consistent with DFID’s climate change priority. Taking into account the proposed climate change work that operates across some of the EngKaR sectors, the current transport work and the proposed water, energy and urbanisation programmes, the financial commitment is broadly similar to the funding of the “EngKar” programme and in line with the study recommendations.

The proposed new programmes will include the report’s recommendation to a demand-led approach in a small number of countries. The UK institutional strengths and the knowledge base built up by EngKaR, together with DFID’s role as a significant donor, give the programme a solid basis for making a yet stronger contribution to poverty reduction in the future than it has in the past. CRD has also taken into account the report’s recommendations to cluster projects thematically and geographically, anchoring project design in the needs of specific beneficiaries at an earlier stage in the project life cycle, to enhance local championing and output impact.

In the water sector there will be a three stage approach for future programmes. The first and second stage will be research programme consortia (RPC) a team of institutions and developing country participants delivering against a common objective. The third stage will be a E.U. members’ collaboration.

The first RPC is scheduled for commencement in April 2006. It will be a programme to:- Scale up good governance in water management & distribution, and by using the outputs of previous research and more focused techniques lessen the barriers for poor peoples access to W&S.

The second stage including the inputs of the EUWI ERA-NET and regional consultations will be a new programme for commencement in Autumn 2006 - ‘Getting research into practice’ incorporating some or all of the themes below.

  • Regional programmes with World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank (AsDB) and DFID country offices in Asia and Africa.
  • Evidence based approaches to impacting better practice and good practice techniques
  • Synthesis of existing work and optimisation of possibilities
  • Decentralised water purification (perhaps new science - nanotechnology)
  • Delivery of non-potable water (with associated bottle supply) to urban environments use of tankerage systems
  • Good hydrological and engineering practice

The third stage involves member state co-operation. CRD is currently the co-ordinator of an E.U. research grant under the ERA-NET scheme with objectives to achieve closer co-ordination of member states research and dissemination for water and sanitation research for developing countries. It is envisaged that a member state joint project will be operational by April 2007.

In the energy the programme for commencement in 2006 work has been scoped with developing countries and energy research practitioners, also with the UK DTi and will be based around:- Improving access to reliable and affordable energy services towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. This will be achieved through research into creating sustainable electricity generation from renewable resources to remote communities through innovative technology and equitable governance systems. It is envisaged that this will incorporate :

  • Working with leaders (private companies, academic institutions) in innovative technology to adapt and implement in developing countries
  • Demonstrating strengthened governance and energy security
  • Economic modelling to assist decision-making in developing countries
  • Regulatory models that work for the poor; getting them into place
  • Innovative funding models and revenue models;

In the transport area DFID has already supported the creation of the Global transport Knowledge Partnership (gTKP) aimed at collating demand and disseminating the outputs of global public good including past EngKaR products, as well as updating and filling gaps in policy dissemination. GTKP is organised around four themes, Transport and health, transport and exclusion, transport and governanace and transport and economic growth. CRD also supports the community access programmes, influencing sustainable approaches to major programmes through evidence based approaches to adaption of local materials, training of local labour and ownership techniques to produce sustainable and value for money approaches.