TropIKA

The general discussion session took place after participants returned from the opening session of the NIMR Scientific Conference. The discussion session was moderated by Prof. Wen Kilama. The general discussion session focused on the following themes: research coordination; proposed increase of Tanzanian research funding to 1% of GDP; institutional reforms; and principles from the Paris Declaration.

On research coordination, it was generally observed that, institutions like the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and the Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) are all tasked to conduct research coordination. The general feeling though, is that though these structures are in place, a major question is how to improve the function of these structures. A participant noted that, “an authority tasked to coordinate research and independent institutions must have a mandate, and must be provided with resources – including budget responsibility”. Another participant however noted, that, “institutions, such as COSTECH have the mandate already. What is lacking, the participant said, are resources to fulfill this mandate. Another participant raised the issue that, the various stakeholder institutions have different “mother” organizations, such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology – to which they are answerable - not necessarily to COSTECH.

It was also mentioned that COSTECH has a responsibility to advise the government on research funding, but it is not known whether the government seeks advice on research funding from COSTECH. In this respect, the participant wondered how the proposed increase of research funding to 1% GDP will be utilized.

On capacity building, the question of the type of capacity to build was raised a number of times. A holistic approach to capacity building broader than just “developing people” was the consensus opinion. The importance of creating an enabling environment for research, the role of COSTECH in creating this enabling environment, and whether the proposed 1% GDP increase for research should be channeled through COSTECH, were issues debated at length.

On institutional reform, the capacity of the institutions to spend the proposed increase in research funding, even if this is made available was debated. Mechanisms to prevent conflict(s) of interest, setting up an independent body to oversee budgeting and fund disbursement and ensuring that those who will make the decisions on funding priorities are independent from those who receive thee funds were discussed at length. It was further observed that, there is scanty information on the proposed institutional reforms, to which a participant commented that alternative means of sensitization and informing people about these reforms – other than workshops – should be explored. Institutional monitoring and accreditation systems, including external mid-term evaluation were considered important. It was noted however that, most of the points raised above on institutional reform are covered in the COSTECH ACT.

On the principles of the Paris Declaration: “an analysis of the repercussions of channeling funds to a “common basket, and whether there are means of ensuring enough resources going to research” was raised by a participant.

Prof. Hannah Akuffo noted that, although she was not sure of her expectations before attending the meeting, she thinks the discussions have been generally good. A lot, she said, “has been learnt about the Tanzanian research architecture, and ESSENCE has provided an opportunity for mutual learning that opens a way for future discussions and collaborations”. She noted that, while the proposed increase of 1% GDP for research funding presents many opportunities, such as avenues for collaboration, it also presents many challenges, such as, adequate planning, policies on fund utilization and a challenge in defining what constitutes a 1% GDP in the Tanzanian context. Hannah further added “ in as much as there is fragmentation among R& D institutions in Tanzania, the same can be said for donors”. Importantly “we now have a sense about the extent of the fragmentation; and this provides opportunities and it is crucial that COSTECH is adequately supported – internally foremost” said Prof. Akuffo. She also commented on the issue of on alignment and harmonization, saying, “this is easier said than done; usually brings up hard discussions, even among partners who want to work together”. In concluding, Prof Akuffo said, “this pilot meeting has provided us with issues to analyze, with concrete, tangible ideas on how to do this better in the future” and said ESSENCE will meet again next week in Berlin, Germany. The full details of Prof. Akuffo’s viewpoint(s) on the way forward for ESSENCE is attached (See Hannah’s presentation here).

Dr. Hassan Mshinda then thanked all participants for attending the meeting and said he hoped Tanzania will use science and technology as an engine for growth. Hannah then thanked all on behalf of the visitors from outside Tanzania.

The rapporteurs had the honour and pleasure to request for several minutes interviews with some meeting participants, to which they wholeheartedly agreed. The rapporteurs had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. F. Zicker, Portfolio, Policy and Development, WHO/TDR, Prof. C. Mgone, Executive Director, EDCTP, Prof. W. Kilama, Managing Trustee, AMANET, and Ms. Maria Theresa Bejarano, First Secretary, Higher Education and Research, Embassy of Sweden, Dar es Salaaam, Tanzania. Excerpts from the interviews, during which questions on the views, impressions and expectations of the conference were asked, are presented:

1. Dr. Fabio Zicker: (interview conducted on 09/03/2009): I think this initiative is unique in the sense that, the funding agencies/donors and the recipient country sits together to look for common areas of interest and collaboration. In view of the fact that resources are finite, this idea of looking for common areas and coordination, or better still, synergy, is good.

On the question of whether “coordination and harmonization” does not pose a threat to individual initiative, Dr. Zicker explained that is the reason he prefers synergy” to “coordination”, as the latter seem to suggest an entity prescribing for another. He clarified that, there are many other available funding mechanisms that encourages individual initiative and drive; however, when speaking in the specific context of bilateral cooperation and funding, it is to agree on common areas in order to avoid duplication of activities and inefficiency.

2. Prof. Charles Mgone: (interview conducted on 09/03/2009): My general impression about the meeting is good, for now. I would have wished though, that some of the more provocative issues were discussed a bit more thoroughly than has been done. However, I know there is still time for more discussions. I must say however, that, although this is not the first time we have met on this issue, this is the first time that we (I represent a donor organization), as donors, are sitting down with a country’s representatives, so there is more time I hope, for give-and-take. What I can say for sure though, is that this is a process, therefore I am not going from this meeting thinking we have all the solutions. The process will continue, even after we leave this meeting and there will be follow up sessions and reviews.

3. Prof. Wen Kilama: (interview conducted on 10/03/2009): I would say that these discussions have the potential to yield most benefits when policy makers and researchers sit down to identify common research priorities. These prioritized areas could then be advertised through an open, transparent system, for researchers to apply, or awarded, as appropriate. It must be mentioned however, that this sort of approach also requires a clear commitment from the donor community.  Prof. Kilama, on the question on whether “coordination”  will not suppress individual initiative, said, “if resources are limited, these resources cannot be used to hit in the dark”, especially in a situation where there is a clear research agenda. He therefore thinks that, in such a situation a country’s’ interests are better served if activities are coordinated.

4. Maria Teresa Bejarano: (interview conducted on 10/03/2009): said that she thinks the meeting is progressing well. However, a major issue, in her opinion, is how difficult it is to decide what/how much funding to give if clear guides on research priorities are non-existent. It will obviously be difficult to contribute towards a general budget support if there are no existing guidelines on what the national research agenda is, she said. On the question of how the organization she represents selects which institution to support, she mentioned that they support big universities, such as University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and the Muhimbili University Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) partly because, it is the only national university involved in health issues and added that even if one takes a look at the other private universities involved in health, most of the faculty of these newer private universities originate from MUCHS. Therefore, supporting MUCHS is in effect efficient. Maria Theresa also responded to the question on potential suppression of individual initiative by “harmonization and coordination” by saying that, if there is a national research agenda, these usually define broad themes and directions only, so there is always enough room for innovation. She further added that, thinking of harmonization could, or should also include discussions on how to share for instance the use of expensive equipment, which could also be used as a means of resource generation and therefore enhancing sustainability.

The session on harmonization and alignment was chaired by Dr. Judith de Kroon-Bloemen, Programme coordinator, Health, NOW/WOTRO. The first presentation was made by Mr. Mark Charles Temu, Principal Economist, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, on Tanzania’s experiences on harmonization. The presentation highlighted on Tanzania’s commitment to implement good practices and principles, and on triggers for reforms in AID management. The speaker spoke on the preferences of the Tanzanian Government on funding modalities, as well as achievements and challenges of the Joint Assistance Strategy - a national medium-term framework for managing development cooperation. The discussions focused mainly on the pros and cons of the preferred funding modalities.

The next presentation titled “Mapping Health Research and Institutional Capacity in Tanzania” was made by Michael Devlin, representing COHRED. A background and preview of a study, still in progress, on alignment and harmonization in health research was presented. This was followed by a discussion which focused among others, on lack of ethics review capacity in Africa in general. As a response to the general discussion, it was mentioned that EDCTP for instance, is planning to do an ethics capacity mapping in Africa.

After this session, all the participants went to the Arusha International Conference Centre to participate in the opening ceremony of the Annual National Scientific Conference of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), where the Prime Minister of Tanzania gave the keynote address. Participants returned from the opening ceremony to engage in a discussion session.
In the general discussion, which was moderated by Prof. Wen Kilama, the following broad themes were discussed: research coordination; institutional reforms; principles of the Paris declaration; as well as the question of the proposed increase of the research budget to 1% of GDP, as recently declared by the President of Tanzania. A general consensus reached was that, although structures seem to be in place – albeit fragmented – improving the functions of these structures is what requires more attention. It was also agreed on that, creating an enabling environment for optimal utilization of available and expected funding is crucial.
The concluding remarks were made by Prof. Akuffo, who observed that among others, the discussions have been good in the sense that a lot has been learnt about the research architecture in Tanzania. Prof. Akuffo remarked that ESSENCE provides an opportunity for learning and future collaboration and that although there is fragmentation among donors and within the research institution architecture, the meeting has provided an excellent opportunity for participants to have a sense of the extent of this fragmentation. In closing remarks, Prof. Akuffo said this pilot meeting; having provided issues to analyze, also provides tangible ideas on how to improve in future

DATE
            10^th March 2009
AGENDA ITEM
            Harmonization and Alignment

MEETING ROOM
            Kilimanjaro Conference Hall

CHAIR
            Judith Kroon, NOW/WOTRO, Holland

PRESENTER (s)
            Dr .R. Rita Kingamkono, COSTECH, Tanzania
            Dr. A Kitua, NIMR, Tanzania
            Prof. W. Kilama, AMANET, Tanzania
RAPPORTEUR TropIKA
Deborah Sumari


REPORT ON ORIGINAL SESSION

This session focused on harmonization of research funds from the government. Mr. Temu, from Ministry of Finance and Economic affairs in Tanzania, directed his presentation on Tanzania’s experience on harmonization and alignment. He said, development partners (DP) and the Government are committed to implement good practices and principles on development partnership and cooperation. Aid harmonization is a major financial resource for Tanzania’s development, about 30% - 40 % of Government budget is DP funded and about 75 to 80% of development budget is DP funded. The government and the development partners want aid to be effective for poverty reduction and sustainable development. There is a need to shift the accountability from donors to citizens. He indicated that key issues in Helleiner Report & New Nordic-Tanzania Partnership that trigger reforms in aid are, Lack of National ownership and Government leadership, lack of participatory approach, lack of capacity and lack of predictability of donor support. He pointed out the objectives in development cooperation that will strengthen government budgeting and financial management systems, as well as national ownership of the projects supported by the funds. The key element that has guided the harmonization process in Tanzania is a country-based approach that emphasizes country ownership and leadership as well as reduction of transaction costs. Donor funds are increasingly channeled through Government Exchequer (budget support is fully integrated, basket funds and project aid increasingly use Exchequer). So the increased use of budget support allows for greater government control over resource allocation, Nevertheless, many external resources still flow directly to sector ministries and local governments whereas, integrating projects funds remains a key challenge.
Another presenter, Michael Devlin from COHRED, gave an overview of mapping health research and Institutional capacity of Tanzania. He said that, the study aims to improve understanding of national health research systems and of their priorities   through the mapping of such systems, then enabling donors to increase the alignment and harmonization of their support to      health research. This framework is developed by COHRED to help think through capacity strengthening in the country. It can also help identify the level at which capacity strengthening is needed and the nature of the intervention needed (depending on what is already in place). For the Tanzania health research mapping, they mainly looked at human resources available within institutions and at the capacity of the research systems. So he concluded by saying that, from their preliminary results on the system level and research financing, indicated that, there are difficulties to see how interactions happen across the ministries involved in the health research system. Moreover, there is no specific budget line for health research in government budget, nevertheless, medical sciences received largest public funding( 75% in 2004), but there is no information yet about institutional capacity building development strategies and plans about national capacity strengthening.
Discussion
There was a question on how the ministry of Finance in Tanzania manages money for research.
Mr. Temu responded as follows:”According to the government, all money are budgeted to every ministry, so it is the task of ministry of health to take the lead of the fund given so as to allocate them to research institutes for research or something else, depending on what should be prioritized, although they are supposed to priorities research than others at this particular era”.
On the study on mapping health research and capacity, Michael Devlin, said that, there is enough capacity in Tanzania, but what is need is just to reorganize that capacity it has for better development. The discussion should also focus on improving the infrastructure which is there in order to produce more.
RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

Original presentation(s)

Leonard Mboera, NIMR; Michael Devlin, COHRED

Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs

DATE

            9^th March 2009

AGENDA ITEM

            Critical analysis of capacity development models in Tanzania

MEETING ROOM

            Kilimanjaro Conference Hall

CHAIR

            Paul Fife, Director, Norad, Norway

PRESENTER (s)

            Dr .R. Rita Kingamkono, COSTECH, Tanzania

            Dr. A Kitua, NIMR, Tanzania

            Prof. W. Kilama, AMANET, Tanzania

RAPPORTEUR TropIKA

Deborah Sumari

MAJOR TOPICS

Capacity development in Tanzania

REPORT ON ORIGINAL SESSION

Overview

This session focused on the current status of Science Technology and Innovation (STI) system in Tanzania. Dr. R. Kingamkono, Director of Research Coordination and Promotion, Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) said, evolution of Science and Technology is based on sustainable economic growth and prosperity in a society through an increased productivity, competitiveness and creation of employment opportunities. The speaker traced the history of research and development in Tanzania in the 20^th Century, beginning from 1968. The Tanzanian Act of Parliament No 51 of 1968 was the first national effort to coordinate research and development with the mandate to stimulate scientific research and technology for socioeconomic development; establish research priorities and coordinate scientific research at the national level. Dr. Kingamkono stressed that, COSTECH has the vision and mission of becoming a sustainable apex organization capable of effectively and efficiently promoting and coordinating the development and application of S&T for the betterment of the livelihoods of Tanzanians and their environment as articulated in the National S&T Policy and the Tanzania Development Vision 2025. Also to promote and coordinate research, technological development and transfer for attaining sustainable socio-economic development of Tanzania. She further indicated that creation of new STI institutions, facilities and strategies; Increased R&D institutional capacities and capabilities in knowledge generation and technology development as achievements in Science and technology in Tanzania. There are also challenges like Low national investment for R&D/STI developments (< 0.1% of GDP) and weak human resource capacities which are faced in COSTECH, as well as weak infrastructure. The way forward in COSTECH was mentioned as to look forward to the 1% GDP, develop new strategic plan and Proposals for capacity building of HR and infrastructure at COSTECH to Sida & World Bank.

Dr. Kitua, Director General, NIMR, emphasized on research and development capacity building in developing countries. He pointed out that, there are research management gaps contributed with weak infrastructures and quality labs. Numbers and disciplines of quality scientists, data management and analytical skills, these are research gaps which need to be addressed. A lot of institutions and universities have been doing research at national level, so then should be nationally prioritized.

Prof. Kilama, Managing Trustee, AMANET, mentioned that, capacity strengthening need to address several issues which some of them should be infrastructure development, site characterization and human resource development through workshops and long-term training (Masters and PhDs). Tanzania is supposed to be aggressive and flexible in recruiting staff in order to work on researches so long as the current number is low. Scientists need to be proactive in participating in North-South networking. Prof. Kilama mentioned the need for a strong African leadership, and strategic management as essential requirements to tackle the challenges. With respect to what Tanzania could do, he said setting local/national research priorities and agenda; move towards demand-driven and participatory type research; minimization of ‘subservient’ research; movement towards the competitive research arena; as well as aiming towards attainment of financial sustainability – and not only on bilateral-type research assistance are needed. Other core areas mentioned include, honing negotiating skills, institutionalizing financial and technical accountability, development of research culture at all levels and development of essential and new approaches o training. For instance, placement of junior research staff onto collaborative research projects, strengthen web-based learning, give product development its rightful place. He concluded by the message, “Be mindful of research and Institutional management”.

Context and issue

Number of highly qualified staff is low and Tanzanian need to give priorities to their own research needs. Prof. Kilama emphasized that, placement of junior Tanzania research staff onto collaborative research projects should be included in negotiations.

He also said that, if professionals from other countries visit, their expertise should be utilized in areas such as, making presentations, seminars or symposia.

Findings and conclusions

What Tanzania should do is to set local/national research priorities and agenda. Involve researchers, stakeholders and partners such as policy and decision makers together with funders. There is need to minimize subservient research culture.

New model of millennium development goals should create mechanism to shorten this research management gap.

Policy aspects/Recommendations

There is a need for researchers and research managers to interphase policy and decision makers in research

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

Original presentation(s)

Dr .R. Rita Kingamkono, COSTECH

Dr. A Kitua, NIMR

Prof. W. Kilama, AMANET

Donors are experimenting by giving Kenya and Malawi US$14 million each to spend how they see fit on their health research.

Source: SciDev.net http://www.scidev.net/en/news/donors-test-pioneering-funding-model.html

The session on strategic plans from universities was chaired by Berit Olsson, a consultant for Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). In the first presentation, Prof. Franklin Mosha, Director of Research at the Kilmanjaro Christian Medical Centre, narrated the history and establishment, as well as a description of the structures of the centre. He said that the main activities of the centre are teaching, research and provision of clinical service. The core funding for the hospital, which is a designated zonal referral centre, is provided by the government. The centre provides training at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and there are plans to realign all the programs at the centre to fit into the organogram and programs of the newly established Kilmanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI). The KCRI is involved in research into many communicable diseases, health systems research and community-based studies and has field sites for clinical trials among others. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and critical successful factors for the institute were presented.Prof. Yohana Marshalla, Principal of the Weill Bugando University of Health Sciences (WBUCHS), mentioned that the institution, which is strategically located in the lakes zone in the north western part of the country, was established to contribute to the training of professionals in the health sector in Tanzania. The mission, vision, themes and values of WBUCHS were presented. Some of the influences impacting on the operations of the College are national, regional and global considerations.On the question on how long the funding for WBUCH is supposed to last, the Principal mentioned that, originally, funding was supposed to be guaranteed till 2015; however, in view of the current global economic downturn, this may be problematic. The issue of linkages with R&D Institutions and with other universities as a means of minimizing funding was raised. An observation made by a donor agency representative was that in Tanzania has “solid capacity” but it is the way the system is organized that is the problem. The fragmentation of the system, with its many institutions, each with their expectations of expansion, as well as the tying of funding to specific projects and lack of a coherent approach were identified as some of the main constraining factors. A local participant however mentioned that part of the challenge also resides with the donors, who are also fragmented and noted that the Ministry of Science and Technology has already started reforms in this direction. The subsequent session focused on the types of reforms being made by the Ministry of Science and Technology, as well as commentaries by representatives of donor agencies.A representative of the International Development Research Centre mentioned internal coordination, clarity, and coordination of research prioritization as some of the characteristics they would like to see. A representative of NOW/WOTRO mentioned harmonization among donors as the biggest challenge. She also mentioned that coordination is important, but this should not be seen as simply “coordination for more” but rather, a real commitment by all stakeholders and transparency. A representative of the Volkswagen Foundation described a trust fund mechanism as an innovative way of providing core funding. A NORAD representative mentioned that the funding mechanism available from his agency is more flexible, predictable and premised on strategic self-interest in a “win-win” fashion. A SIDA representative also outlined the different funding mechanisms available as well as the changes these mechanisms have gone through over the years. She mentioned the need to streamline activities and promote transparency as critical. According to the EDCTP representative, the funding philosophy of EDCTP is based on partnerships and every grant has, capacity-building, networking, and project management components. He mentioned that there is lack of capacity to conduct clinical trials under best practices in much of sub-Saharan Africa. The strategy of “brokering” which is based on the formation of consortiums by groups involved in similar activities is often employed by EDCTP in situations where there are few institutions or groups conducting a certain type of research activity.

The session was chaired by Dr. Hassan Mshinda. The first presentation was by Dr. G. Ndossi, Managing Director of the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre. The link between nutrition and good health, poverty, child and maternal mortality was illustrated, and the import of nutrition on six out of the eight millennium development Goals was highlighted. The speaker traced the history of TNFC, from its inception in 1973 to date, as well as the mission statement, vision and strategic plan of TNFC.  Some of the gaps and challenges, in particular the lack of the appropriate infrastructure that hindered the institution carry out its work were mentioned.Dr. S. Abdullah, Director, Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), traced the history of the IHI from its inception, presenting an overview of the infrastructure, staff structure, and core competencies currently available. The setting up of centers of excellence in specific areas, clinical evaluation of diagnostics and pharmaceuticals, mosquito ecology and intervention studies, surveillance of emerging infectious diseases, and monitoring and evaluation platform for health were some of the core areas the institution is focusing on. The capacity development needs of the institute were, i) infrastructure, and ii) human resource development, such as setting up of a skills-based institutional development training and think tank. The speaker enumerated a range of achievements, including, competitive grants received; number of peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals, as well as policy papers; research for policy and action and for societal impact, such as larviciding, rapid diagnostic tests, direct observed therapy in TB, and reduction of the malaria burden in Ifakara. Patents and trademarks obtained; as well as international recognition, such as the Prince of Asturias Award in 2008 were mentioned.Dr. L. Mboera, Director of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) also spoke about the history and core functions of the institution, from its inception in 1979.In the ensuing discussion a point about whether IHI has any links or collaborative agreements with the universities to provide training. The speaker replied that there are agreements with some universities for training. However, it was generally agreed that a lot more needs to be done in terms of linkages between R&D institutions and universities in Tanzania. Some participants wanted to know about the relationship between the budget of institutions, prioritization and management, and whether the public institutions receive core funding from the government. The speakers mentioned that, NIMR for instance, receives funding from the government, through the ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and within this are embedded clear budget lines for specific activities, such as research. The IHI on the other hand, receives funding from both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology. However, it was emphasized that the total amount received is less than 5% of the total expenditure of the institution. Another main discussion point was on whether, in view of the multiplicity of funding sources, some of the resources should not be pooled for efficiency and better utilization. However, a participant raised the issue of how difficult it will be to influence funds that are pooled.It was therefore considered that the structures of the institutions needs another look and that the situation in which institutions are denied core funding because they receive development agency funding needs to be reviewed.

This session focused on the current status of Science Technology and Innovation (STI) system in Tanzania. Dr. R. Kingamkono, Director of Research Coordination and Promotion, Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) said, evolution of Science and Technology is based on sustainable economic growth and prosperity in a society through an increased productivity, competitiveness and creation of employment opportunities. The speaker traced the history of research and development in Tanzania in the 20^th Century, beginning from 1968, when, by an act of parliament, the first national effort to coordinate research and development with the mandate to stimulate scientific research and technology for socioeconomic development was established. Dr. Kingamkono stressed that, COSTECH has the vision and mission to become a sustainable apex organization capable of effective and efficient promotion, as well as coordinating development and application of science and technology to better the livelihood of Tanzanians and their environment. This vision is also been articulated in the National Science &Technology Policy and the Tanzanian Development Vision 2025. The speaker further mentioned creation of new STI institutions, facilities and strategies; increased capacity of R&D institutions, as well as capabilities in knowledge generation and technology development, as achievements in Science & technology in Tanzania. However, the Director mentioned challenges like low national investment for R&D/STI developments (< 0.1% of GDP) and weak human resource capacities, as well as weak infrastructure as some of the challenges facing COSTECH. In this respect, the 1% GDP was seen as a good development.Dr. A. Kitua, Director General, NIMR presented and elaborated on several historical and chronological models of health research, how some of the models did not help the health research agenda of the developing countries to the present, where there is a general move for “Research and Developments in developing countries (DC), by DC, for DC, and driven by DC priorities. He stressed the need for more North-South and South-south links, networks and collaboration in research and capacity development. Prof. W. Kilama, Managing Trustee, AMANET, elaborated on the AMANET experience in capacity strengthening for malaria Research and Development. Prof. Kilama mentioned that, “malaria is largely an African problem; current control tools continue to fail; and there is a need for re-tooling” e.g., with vaccines. Prof. Kilama mentioned the need for a strong African leadership, and strategic management as essential requirements to tackle the challenges. With respect to what Tanzania could do, he said setting local/national research priorities and agenda; move towards demand-driven and participatory type research; minimization of ‘subservient’ research; movement towards the competitive research arena; as well as aiming towards attainment of financial sustainability – and not only on bilateral-type research assistance are needed. Other core areas mentioned include, honing negotiating skills, institutionalizing financial and technical accountability, development of research culture at all levels and development of essential and new approaches o training. For instance, placement of junior research staff onto collaborative research projects, strengthen web-based learning, give product development its rightful place.

The opening session was chaired by Dr. Andrew Kitua, Director General of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR). Dr Hassan Mshinda, Director General of the Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology welcomed the Minister of Communication, Science and Technology, Prof. Peter Msolla, as well as other delegates. Dr. Mshinda stated that, this is the first ESSENCE workshop to be held in Tanzania, and that this is a meeting of Tanzanian researchers with representatives of funding agencies to discuss different models of funding and other issues of common interest. The meeting also provides a forum to share strategic plans for the various institutions with the development partners. Dr. Mshinda thanked the development partners for accepting the invitation to participate in the workshop and said this meeting could provide ideas on how to how to move science and technology in Tanzania to the next level.The Minister of Communication, Science and technology, Prof. Peter Msolla, in his keynote speech, addressed several issues: He commended the members of the ESSENCE Initiative for organizing this workshop in Tanzania, and said the workshop provides an excellent opportunity for Tanzanian Researchers and Managers to exchange information and share experiences with development partners and funding agencies. The Minister mentioned that, “Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) can be a powerful tool to combat poverty, through its contribution to sustainable economic growth and its application in agriculture to increase food production. In health, he said STI plays a pivotal role in meeting the health related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); therefore, capacity development in Science, Technology and Innovation is an absolute necessity. In recognition of the importance of STI for sustainable development, the minister mentioned that, the government of Tanzania has decided to raise public investment in research from the current 0.3% to 1% GDP from next financial year, and congratulated His Excellency, President Jakaya Kikwete for this bold move to rejuvenate scientific research in Tanzania. The Manager of the ESSENCE Initiative, Prof. Hannah Akuffo, presented an overview of the ESSENCE initiative in research capacity development. She said among others that, research in low developed income countries requires the presence of robust in-country research capacity. She said that Essence is an initiative in which funding agencies are committed to finding efficient ways of working together with researchers to strengthen research capacity for health in low income countries. In her remarks, Prof. Akuffo mentioned that, sustainable research capacity requires national and institutional commitment to address the barriers that prevents efficient safeguarding and enhancement of capacity and that ESSENCE is a response by funding agencies to the Paris Declaration. She emphasized that “ESSENCE is not a new initiative for disbursing research project funds or a budget support arrangement, but a mechanism by funding agencies to establish effective funding modalities”. The ESSENCE Manager further highlighted the point that, research capacity is more than human resource development. With respect to university research capacity building for instance, she mentioned that this should include, facilitation of the training of PhDs as well as instilling a culture of enquiry within the institution. In her words, “we expect these workshops to provide an excellent opportunity for Tanzanian Researchers and Managers to exchange information and sharing experiences directly with Developments Partners and Funders of health research”Dr. Kitua in his remarks thanked the minister, saying his (the ministers’) presence at the meeting reflects the commitment of the government to research.