ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGEAND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH INTEGRATED NATURAL
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (INRM) PROGRAMMES: THE
ROLE OF UNIVERSITIES AN EXAMPLE FROM KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (KNUST) KUMASI, GHANA
By: Dr. Sampson E. Edusah
Introduction
• The paper looks at the implementation of the Integrated
Natural Resource Management (INRM) project at the
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR),
KNUST initiated in 2005.
•
Four Dutch Consortium Institutions led by Tropenbos
International are offering technical support to CANR.
• The three other members of the consortium are the Centre
for Development Innovation (CDI) WUR, the International
Centre of oriental Research for Agriculture (ICRA) and
DHO formerly of the University of Amsterdam.
[2]
• CANR recognises that environment, climate change and
sustainable development are issues that have engaged the
attention of the world for some time now due to their combined
effect on the existence of human race.
• Many people who live in rural areas across the globe, particularly
in Sub-Saharan Africa, and are largely poor are dependent on
natural resources for most of their daily requirements. They own
their very existence and survival to natural resource.
• It has been recognised that natural resource management (NRM)
is complex and multi-faceted –having policy, institutional, social,
economic and technical dimensions.
[3]
• NRM needs to deal with these issues and circumstances as they
arise.
• Within NRM there can be many different reactions to dynamic change:
i.
existing management practices and technologies, policies and
institutional arrangements may no longer be sufficient;
ii. power relations, benefit distribution, and interests may no longer be
in balance;
iii. ecological functions may be disrupted;
iv. risks may exceed management capacity;
v. economic forces may outstrip conservation forces; and
vi. sanctions and cultural heritage associated with management
practices as well as ownership patterns, may no longer be operating.
Paradigm Shift
• Consequently a paradigm shift is call for, a shift from
business as usual, and a shift from lineal approach to
interdisciplinary approach.
• The paradigm shift needs to start with institutions of
higher learning.
• These Institutions, particularly the universities, are well
placed to make the necessary curriculum changes that will
turn out future professionals that have the skills and
knowledge to work in interdisciplinary teams.
• Interdisciplinary approach to problem solving means that
professionals of different backgrounds work together to
solve a complex problem.
[2]
• It was to respond to this paradigm shift and to address the
growing concern of the problems of natural resource use
that the CANR at KNUST initiated the Integrated Natural
Resource Management (INRM) project in Ghana.
• The project is entitled "Institutionalization of Integrated
Natural Resource Management (INRM) principles and
approaches in the strategy and academic programmes of
the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR)
of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
(KNUST)"
Objectives of the INRM Project
The overall objective of the project is to enhance the capacity
of CANR to offer programmes based on the approaches and
principles of INRM to strengthen the INRM capabilities
among environment related institutions and organizations to
contribute to environmental management and sustainable
development in Ghana.
The rationale for introducing INRM at CANR
The rationale for introducing INRM at the University is to
respond to the need to train higher calibre manpower that
would respond to the rapid environment, climate change and
sustainable development changing situation of Ghana.
Definition of INRM
• INRM is defined as an approach that integrates research on
different types of natural resources into stakeholder-driven
processes of adaptive management and innovation to improve
livelihoods,
agro-ecosystem
resilience,
agricultural
productivity and environmental services at community, ecoregional and global scales of intervention and impact’
(Hawkins et al 2009) .
• Also Sayer and Campbell (2004) defines INMR as a systems
approach and a process-orientated approach that leads to
measurable impacts and outcomes; work at multiple scales
with multiple stakeholders; address issues of tradeoffs; employ
new tools and methods; be amenable to scaling up and out; ....”
[2]
• CGIAR/ICARDA (2005) defines INRM as “an approach
to research that aims at improving livelihoods, agroecosystem resilience, agricultural productivity and
environmental services. In other words, it aims to
augment social, physical, human, natural and financial
capital.
• The CANR adopted a working definition of INRM as a
holistic and collective approach to resolving complex
environmental problems
INRM Efficiency
The efficiency of INRM in dealing with these problems comes
from its ability to:
i. empower relevant stakeholders
ii. resolve conflicting interests of stakeholders
iii. foster adaptive management capacity
iv. focus on key causal elements (and thereby deal with
complexity)
v. integrate levels of analysis
vi. merge disciplinary perspectives
vii. make use of a wide range of available technologies
viii. guide research on component technologies
ix. generate policy, technological and institutional alternatives
Principles of INRM
•
.
The ‘defining principles’ of INRM as being used by CANR are similar to those of
IAR4D and as applied by other institutions such as ICRA and Royal Tropical
Institute. These are:
•
INRM integrates the perspectives, knowledge and actions of different stakeholders
around a common theme. The theme or ‘entry point’ represents a research and
development ‘challenge’, identified by one or more stakeholders who recognize that
a broader working alliance is needed to achieve the desired development impact.
•
INRM integrates the learning that stakeholders achieve through working together.
Beyond simply a concerted action process, INRM is a social learning process, with
stakeholders learning from the experience of working together.
•
INRM integrates analysis, action and change across the different (environmental,
social and economic) ‘dimensions’ of development. The general and current
concepts of ‘sustainable development’ and ‘multi-functional agriculture’ emphasise
the interlinked ‘dimensions’ of such development.
• INRM integrates analysis, action and change at different levels
of spatial, economic and social organization.
How different is INRM
• The learning process of INRM are alternative generic
training programmes and a new way of impacting
knowledge to students particularly at the graduate level
by organizing learning around interdisciplinary teams.
• Interdisciplinary approach relies on the strength of team
members to train present and future professionals to be
able to solve complex INRM problems.
• INRM approach is markedly different from the lineal or
conventional approach to teaching and learning because
it relies on the strength of teamwork, institutional
collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
• Figure 1 illustrates the contrasting learning approaches.
Lecture Methods
(by Faculty)
Innovation is a complex,
multifaceted process
Integrating knowledge from
multiple sources
Institutional Charge
Balanced partnership
of multiple
stakeholders
Transfer of Knowledge
(Students Acquire skills)
Employment
Interdisciplinary and
inter-institutional teams
INRM
Stakeholders have different
perspectives, interest and
power
New Professional Roles and
Capabilities (Employment)
Joint ownership
of the process
Negotiate compromises
Clearly defined
between interest of different
responsibilities of
stakeholders
stakeholders
Approach to INRM institutionalisation at CANR
• Embedding INRM principles in academic programmes and strategy
of the College required pragmatic steps to be taken:
1. Institutional Arrangement for project implementation
It was realised from the onset of the project that some statutory
bodies of the College such as the Academic Board could slow down
the implementation of the project.
Consequently, a Project
Implementation Committee (PIC) was put in place to facilitate the
execution of the project.
2. Capacity development
Considerable effort and resources were committed to build the
capacity of academic staff of the College. This is because it became
clear at the start of the project that the staff of the College lacked
sufficient skills and knowledge in INRM principles.
[2]
3. Stakeholder Engagement
The INRM principles stress strong stakeholder engagement at
all levels and this challenge was taken up by the College.
Several stakeholders in the natural resource management in
both governmental and non-governmental institutions and
organisations are actively engaged.
4. Team work
There was the need to form effective cross-disciplinary
learning teams that are able to work effectively across
disciplines with good team management
Constraints to institutionalisation of INRM
• that awareness of INRM principles and the rationale of
embedding them in the College is low amongst staff
• Staff remain largely individualistic – staff are primarily
concerned with themselves – a culture of ‘what I can get’
rather than ‘what I can contribute to the University’;
• resistant to new ideas; and de-motivated.
• The academic staff involved in the project maintain their full
teaching loads at various departments of the College. This is
of great disincentive to them and as a result they tend to
adopt lukewarm attitude to some activities of the project
•
•
•
•
[2]
The large number of staff members, institutions and
stakeholders involved in the project makes coordination
difficult.
It takes considerable time to get some activities done.
The designing of the MSc programmes for instance
suffered considerable delays due to the extensive
engagement of stakeholders and institutions.
The university bureaucracy and requirements tend to slow
down some activities of the project.
Implementing INRM principles by
CANR
Education

External stakeholders engaged in
curricula development / design and
teaching

Room for experiential learning by
doing (rather than being taught)

Focusing on problem solving
capacities (rather than on just
acquiring knowledge)

Room to apply real world issues in a
professional context (rather than on
classroom case studies or artificial/
academic field work situations)

Room
for
inter-disciplinary
curriculum
development
and
teaching within and between
faculties

Collective learning (rather than
individual)
Research

Joint research with stakeholders

Room for inter-disciplinary research
within and between faculties

Problem-oriented
research
coidentified/co-researched and (partly)
paid for by external stakeholders

Research more linked to policy
processes with long-term strategic
engagement

Link research to teaching around
real life cases

More
consistency
and
complementarities
in
research
programmes

Experimentation with other research
models such as action research
Service to the community

Clear strategic orientation on
intended impact and service delivery
(whose problem will be solved?)

Consistency in programme to
translate new knowledge (research
result) in societal impact

Long-term R&D assignments in
support of change processes in
society

Quality checks in place by
engagement of independent bodies
Way Forward
The following suggestions have been put forward to help accelerate the process of
institutionalisation of the INRM at CANR.
1. Working together:
• Ownership of INRM principles should firmly shift from project context to the
leadership of CANR with the Change Coordinating Committee leading the process.
•
Organise and invest in (long-term, mutually beneficial) partnerships, platforms,
networks around research and development themes.
•
Proactively and in a business-oriented manner engage stakeholders in jointly
designing, implementing, documenting and reviewing research activities,
educational programmes and outreach.
•
Push the boundaries with the University especially in relation to HRM systems and
procedures. This is necessary to embed a new way of working into the work culture
of CANR.
Reward/ remuneration policies need to be developed and implemented, revised
responsibilities need to be clearly outlined and captured in job descriptions.
•
[2]
2. Learning together:
•
The need to recognise the importance of communication in a change process and
develop a communication strategy which views all communication strategically and
which uses advanced techniques to communicate CANR’s vision and mission to
relevant internal and external stakeholders
•
Recognise the link between learning and change. Learning should be at the heart of
the performance review and M &E systems as well as opportunities of learning
built into the working week.
•
Make time and space available for staff to reflect on and exchange experience, both
formally (learning oriented M&E, publications and seminars) and through informal
mechanisms.
•
Design incentive structures and working processes that encourage working,
experimenting and learning in teams and partnerships.
•
Document and capitalise on learning; encourage documentation of lessons learnt
and have knowledge sharing and management procedures in place.
[3]
3. Changing together:
• CANR should develop and test a Theory of Change – currently
the college is engaged in a major change process without
having developed such a theory. The present theory centres on
awareness raising/engaging stakeholders. A detailed theory
based upon systems thinking - needs to be developed and
tested along with a theory of implementation which identifies
priorities surrounding how the change process would be rolled
out through the College.
• An important step would be for CANR to update its Strategic
Plan ensuring that INRM principles are firmly embedded
within it. This will entail revisiting CANR’s vision, mission,
goals, strategic objectives as well as any associated budgets
and budget lines.
Strengthening INRM capacities
At individual staff level
(competencies)
At CANR/KNUST
organizational level
(norms & culture)
At institutional level
(conditions & mechanisms
for inter-institutional
linkages)
At individual staff level (competencies)

Apart from knowledge in the
individual academic discipline also
in meta-disciplines: systems
thinking, knowledge management,
strategic planning, knowing how to
learn, effective writing, use of ICT,
etc.;

In social skills: communication,
teamwork, networking, facilitation,
etc.,

In mindsets and attitudes: empathy,
self-awareness, self-regulation, selfmotivation, social awareness
At CANR/KNUST organizational level
(norms & culture)

In structures and processes needed
to provide performance and
incentives that encourage
interdisciplinary teamwork

In partnerships with other
stakeholders

With emphasis on mutual learning

Improved communication

With effective knowledge
management that promotes learning
and change
At institutional level (conditions &
mechanisms for inter-institutional
linkages)

That allow different stakeholders individuals and organisations, from
public and private sectors – to come
together on a “level playing field”

Finding appropriates ways to
manage & finance inter-institutional
space

Linking education and research to
policy development, remaining
relevant and problem-oriented.
Contribution of the INRM project
The project is making considerable contribution to climate change,
environment and sustainable development
through the
development of new and innovative graduate and re-tooling
programmes.
1. Masters programmes:
• MSc in Governance in natural resource management;
• MSc in Development innovation.
2. Short Course in:
• Adaptive management in natural resources
• Governance in natural resources management
• Value Chain Governance in natural resources
Conclusion
•
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has come a long way in the
implementation of the INRM project.
•
The adaptation of the concept of INRM by CARN is in line with current thinking
and development in environment climate change and sustainable development.
•
CARN recognises that issues related to natural resources management are complex
and encompasses different disciplines.
•
CANR recognises that the conventional approach to teaching and learning has
outlived its usefulness. Furthermore, stakeholders particularly, employers of the
products of the KNUST are asking for graduates with the ability and skills to
function as team members.
•
INRM approach to teaching and learning offers the alternative and the platform for
teaching and learning that will turnout professionals to deal with INRM issues in a
holistic manner to contribute to environmental climate change and sustainable
management challenges facing Ghana.