Opportunities and challenges in UK international development research
Prof Alastair Ager, Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser
As DFID’s Research and Evidence Division’s Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser, I’m aware of the enormous changes in the UK landscape for international development research. I would like to reflect on the opportunities and in some cases challenges that this brings for all of us involved in international development research.
The UK continues to be a world-leader in science and research for development, with expert knowledge of delivering innovative research programmes in developing countries. The doubling of ODA Research presents all of us working in development research with opportunities to:
- maximise the impact of funding and make sure that it really does deliver transformational change
- work together to coordinate effectively around the biggest development challenges, identifying technologies that have the potential to generate large scale impacts
- build equitable partnerships not just in research but also in the process of research uptake and scaling technologies
- measure impact and learning from research investments, share lessons and communicate research impacts
I direct a large part of DFID’s research investments in technology and innovation in agriculture, health, climate, energy and water. Whilst the technological solutions differ across these sectors, there are some common challenges and questions as each grapple with rapid technological changes. I want to share a couple of these challenges and how we’re facing them:
How do we harness the benefits of new technologies (including drones, sensors, 3D printing and artificial intelligence, as well as developments in genomics and bioinformatics), to work for the benefit of poor people?
The pace of change is increasing exponentially with frontier technologies, expected to transform the global economy. As an international leader in science and technology, as well as in development, the UK is well positioned to tackle major development challenges and catalyse new markets.
Over 4 billion people around the world lack access to the internet. Whilst the opportunities are significant, there are also new risks, relating to regulation that protects users’ privacy, security and data integrity. My research teams and I realise that there is often a need for complementary investments — regulations to support open competition, innovation and uptake or improved skills — so that people can take full advantage of technological opportunities.
We support programmes such as the Mobile for Development Connected Women programme to equip women with digital skills, develop content that is relevant, safe and easy to use, and educate the mobile network industry on the commercial benefits of closing the gender gap in mobile phone ownership and usage (estimated $170 billion market opportunity to 2020).
How can we deepen understanding of what drives innovation and scaling of technologies?
If we are to speed up the pace of innovation we need to understand how to take technologies to scale, and what are the constraints to commercialisation. This science of innovation and scaling is often neglected in the race to test and develop new technologies.
Evidence of impact is critical to both mainstreaming a technology in development practice, as well as attracting private sector investment. DFID builds evidence not just on the impact of new technologies, but also on the process of scaling-up. We also need to embrace new measurement and programming methodologies which place user insight and validation as central to scaling. The growing adoption of “adaptive programming” within development is critical because it allows for the technology and innovation to be piloted, measured and design adjusted, until scalability and sustainability can be demonstrated.
In education we are forming a global ‘What Works’ evidence hub to provide decision makers with cost effective solutions to spread education technology interventions to improve learning outcomes for all children. In agriculture, high quality evidence on the specific market failures which constrain technology adoption and how to overcome them is generated through initiatives like J-PAL Agriculture Technology Adoption Initiative and AgResults.
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Thank you
Alastair
