By Louis Sène. Presented at the ASTI-FARA conference Agricultural R&D: Investing in Africa's Future: Analyzing Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities - Accra, Ghana on December 5-7, 2011. http://www.asti.cgiar.org/2011conf

1. Staff Aging and Turnover in Agricultural
R&D: Lessons from Five National
Agricultural Research Institutes in Africa
Louis Sène
Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute (ISRA), Dakar
ASTI-IFPRI / FARA conference Accra, Ghana
December 5–7, 2011

2. Outline
 Introduction
 Methodology
 Distribution of Scientists by age and degree
 Attrition of scientists
 Reasons for leaving the NARI
 Number of scientists that retired or resigned as a % of total R&D capacity
 Lessons learned and recommendations
 Reasons for dissatisfaction and areas for improvement
 General recommendations
 Country-specific recommendations

3. Methodology
 A study conducted in five countries focusing on human
resource challenges in agricultural R&D (aging, attrition and
retention) :
 Burkina Faso Environment and Agricultural Research Institute (INERA)
 Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI)
 Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute (ISRA)
 South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council (ARC)
 Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI)
 A standardized questionnaire collecting HR info for 2001-2010
was disseminated to these 5 agencies.
 The analysis of the ensuing data resulted in a series of
recommendations

4. Distribution of Scientists
by Age and Gender
ARC ISRA 60-64
60-72
55-59
55-59
50-54
50-54
45-49 45-49
40-44 40-44
Age
Age
35-39 35-39
30-34 30-34
23-29
25-29
50 30 10 10 30 50
Number of 28 21 14 7 0 7 14 21 28
Female Male
Number of
Female Male
KARI ZARI
60-64 60-64
55-59 55-59
50-54 50-54
45-49 45-49
40-44
Age
Age
40-44
35-39
35-39
30-34
30-34
27-29
25-29
40 30 20 10 0 10 20 30 40
140 105 70 35 0 35 70 105 140
Number of Number of
Female Male Female Male

5. Distribution of Scientists
by Age and Degree
ARC 25
ISRA 60
Share of researchers (%)
Share of researchers (%)
20 50
15 40
30
10
20
5
10
(%)
0
0
25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64
Age Age
BSc MSc PhD
MSc PhD
KARI 50 ZARI 70
Share of researchers (%)
Share of researchers (%)
40 60
50
30
40
20 30
20
10
10
0 0
27-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64
Age Age
BSc MSc PhD BSc MSc PhD

6. Attrition of Scientists

7. Reasons for leaving the NARI,
2001-10 average
100
80
Shares of departed scientists (%)
60
40
20
0
ISRA KARI ZARI
Retirement Death Resignation Transfer/leave

8. Number of retiring / resigning scientists as a %
of total number of scientists
12 12
10 10
Share of resigned scientists (%)
Share of retired scientists (%)
8 8
6 6
4 4
2 2
0 0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
ISRA KARI ZARI ISRA KARI ZARI
Retiring Resigning

9. Lessons learned and
recommendations

10. Reasons for dissatisfaction and areas
for improvement
■ ARC: low salary levels (38%)
poor working conditions (16%)
no clear reason given (29%)
■ INERA: lack of training opportunities
limited career opportunities
low salary levels (and allowances)
poor working conditions
■ ISRA: limited career opportunities (55%)
low salary levels (31%)
lack of mentoring and poor working conditions (13%)
lack of government recognition (1%)

11. Reasons for dissatisfaction and areas for
improvement (cont’d)
■ KARI: low salary levels (23%)
lack of career opportunities (13%)
lack of training opportunities (11%)
poor working conditions (8%)
■ ZARI: Incentives mentioned:
- need for a personal loans policy (35%)
- better training opportunities (24%)
- Accommodation, opportunities for promotion,
improved salary levels, provision of insurance
(6% to 10% each)

12. General recommendations
■ Increase the ratio scientists / other staff (by hiring qualified
scientists and by offering training opportunities to junior
scientist)
■ Boost salary levels to maintain current capacity and attract
future capacity
■ Increase of the overall number of female scientists
■ Need for the establishment and the implementation of
comprehensive training and rejuvenation plan for agricultural
scientists

13. General recommendations (cont’d)
■ Maximize R&D capacity through enhanced national and
international partnerships (e.g. WAAPP, EAAPP)
■ Improve scientists retention policies (salaries, training and
performance assessment);
■ Extend case studies to other SSA countries to enable
comparison between NARIs.

14. Country-specific
recommendations

15. Topic ARC INERA ISRA KARI ZARI
1. Gender Reasonable Raise female Raise female Raise female Raise female
equity share from 12 rate share from share from 30 share from 19
to 20 % by 20 to 40 % by to 40 % by to 29 % by
2020 2020 2020 2020
2. Age Lower Lower average Lower average Lower average Maintain
distribution departure of scientist age scientist age scientist age current
those with 11 from 55 to 40 from 50 to 40 from 45 to 40 average
to 15 years of by 2020 by 2020 by 2020 scientist age of
experience. 39 by 2020
3. Retirement Good Good Extend it from Good Extend it from
age 60 to 65 years 55 to 65 years
by 2012 by 2013
4. Attrition Reduce Not available Reduce its Maintain Maintain
turnover rate turnover rate current current
of scientists from 18 to 8 % turnover rate turnover rate
from 17 to 8 % by 2015
by 2015
5. Recruitment Increase Increase Establish a 10- Enroll Increase
recruitment of recruitment of year sufficient recruitment of
PhD scientists PhD scientists recruitment number young PhD scientists
plan PhD-holder
scientists

16. Topic ARC INERA ISRA KARI ZARI
6.Remuneratio Sensitize Increase Lobby the Make the
n package government salaries government remuneration
to improve especially for for approving package more
salaries of scientists the new ISRA competitive
scientists . rules and
regulations
7. Performance Resume Initiate an Reward the Maintain Establish a
appraisal and performance internal best scientists current performance
reward appraisal scientist resulting in the effective appraisal
system, but performance performance system system
include more evaluation, evaluation example for
effective adapted to other
rewards local research countries
demand
8. Training Extend the Establish a Improve the Maintain Detach ZARI’s
policies Professional training plan process by current training plan
Development based on a sensitizing the efficient from the
Program to training need research system; overall public
new young mangers example for service plan
scientists other
countries

17. Thank you for your
attention