Client Oriented Research and Developmnet Management Approach (CORDEMA) - _ Changing the Mind set

The government of Tanzania has been undrtaking reforms in the agricultural sector- aiming at improving service delivery. The catchy word is "business unsual" and tells the minstry's intention to adopt new ways of conducting its day to day activities and working with partners. What is striking about the approach is the focus on changing the mindsets of staff though trainng giving rooms for feedback through implementation of CORDEMA

What is real CORDEMA?
Thia is an approach that helps agricultural research organization to improve their level of client orientation for effective and efficeint research. It entails the facilitation of comprehensive organizational change and affects both research managers, scientists, support staff donors and other partners of the agricultural research such as NGOs and farmer organizations.

Under the approach it is believed that change is gradual but continous and that every research organization has certain degree of client orientation. As said earlier CORDEMA's goal is to increase the level of client orientation of agricultural research centres through improved management and organization. The goal can be achieved by fulling the five purposes also known as the five management areas of CORDEMA

1. ensuring the availability of qualified staff through improved human resource management within
agricultural research centres.
2. enhancing efficiency, transparency and accountability of agricultural research institutes through
improved financial management
3. ensuring long term viability of agricultural research institutes through improved external relations,
collaboration and demand-driven research
4. guarantee implementation of quality research projects through improved research planning,
co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation
5. increasing the impact of agricultural research on rural development through increased output
production and information dissemination

For each management area/ purpose there is set of activities that in needed to achieve a certain set of expected output (or management capacities i.e abilities that are required to achieve an objective defined in each CORDEMA area). aslo for each management capacity there are sets of management activities.

Looking at the overall concept and the sets of activities necessary to achievel the goal (internal organization of research institute and the relation ship between research centres and other stakeholders) I believe it is time that our research system in Tanzania can move farmers to a new level but also attract global attention and take a lead role in supporting smallholder farmers what we need is comitments and moving from business as usual to business unsual. " I believe we can"

For more information about CORDEMA and ASDP can be observed at
http://www.kit.nl/
http://www.kilimo.go.tz/ .