Messages and meaning - Water Scarcity, Livelihoods and Food Security - page 215

Conclusions
In this final chapter we summarized our program messages for the purpose of
encouraging others to build on the change processes with which we have
engaged. By doing this we have two ambitions:
The ambition to inform a new R4D agenda
CPWF developed a model of research for development that we feel is viable.
It requires dedicated people, time and continuity. In the CPWF's six basins of
Phase 2, the most compelling outcomes were achieved when researchers had
engaged over 5-10 years with key stakeholders and related change processes,
whether as part of or in concert with CPWF activities.
In this model, outputs from R4D aim to influence decisions that affect
development outcomes. Research can and must inform development processes.
Consequently, the institutional environment for R4D—its leadership,
mandates and power dynamics—is a major determinant of its success. The
usefulness of this model is illustrated by the many examples of outcomes
described in this topic. Numerous partners and researchers are choosing to use
the CPWF R4D model. The continued momentum of R4D in basins,
building on CPWF achievements, is being carried forward thanks to the
resilient partnerships and engagement processes the CPWF put in place.
The ambition to influence donor investment patterns
Because of the necessary time to contribute to development outcomes, we
recommend that donors consider using time frames for investment that go
beyond the normal 3-5 years. This does not preclude financing in tranches
where progress on R4D along impact pathways can be confirmed. But long-
term financing on other major issues such as climate change (more than 20
years) has obviously borne fruit. So, why not on water and food which are
recognized as major challenges for the 21st century?
We also recommend that donors recognize that grand schemes that
implicitly assume that “one size fits all” can be misguided and can carry a
number of dangers. A larger number of smaller-scale investments in locally
adapted solutions to wicked problems can ultimately have more substantial
development impacts on larger numbers of people. Interventions and invest-
ments in R4D at the level of landscapes, catchments, sub-basins and basins can
be very effective with large cumulative impacts.
Acknowledgments
The research and work that is described in this topic was carried out through
the CPWF, which was funded by a number of agencies throughout its ten-
year life span. These partnerships went beyond funding and included mutual
learning, capitalization and cross-fertilization of projects. We thank the