Closing date: 28 Feb 2017
An Innovation Workshop to develop actionable recommendations for crop or animal breeding programs seeking to undertake plant or animal breeding that is gender-relevant and responsive is planned for mid-2017. The Workshop Organizing Committee (WOC) seeks a senior international Consultant to write a paper Setting Breeding Priorities and Objectives that will systematically review and analyze how selected public and private sector breeding programs set breeding objectives and priorities with different actors and disciplines along the breeding cycle. The consultant will write a paper, prepare a slide presentation synthesizing the main findings and attend the “Innovation Workshop” (in June 2017 or thereafter) to present and discuss the paper with participants. All travel expenses associated with the Workshop will be covered by the project.
Historically, plant breeding programs have generally developed from farmer and agronomy initiatives, and were thus usually embedded in a rather local agricultural research and development effort, and thus shared knowledge, understanding and insights about the target production systems, target users and their uses. However, recent developments of genetic and bioinformatics tools have led to situations where decision making for genetic enhancement of specific crops, traits and germplasm involves personnel and disciplines that are not rooted in agriculture and agricultural research, i.e. do not share a common tacit knowledge about the context for which improvements are being sought.
The purpose of the paper is to discuss and illustrate how the priority setting process in breeding requires more explicit analysis and communication to be effective for guiding decision making of scientific/ management teams working towards such targets. This is especially pertinent for programs that have an international, broad outlook and wide stakeholder group and are held accountable for meeting explicit equity objectives.
Objectives of the paper
To review and analyze in a case-study approach, how a selected number of public and private sector breeding programs set breeding objectives and priorities with different actors and disciplines, at different points in the breeding and delivery cycle.
To compare and contrast the selected programs on critical aspects of practice, including methodologies and management approaches used at different points in the breeding cycle.
To identify from the preceding analysis, promising approaches, methods and management strategies that should be considered in the Innovation Workshop as foundational inputs for formulating recommendations
How to apply:
Applicants should apply online through CIP’s Job Opportunities website (http://cipotato.org/open-vacancies/) or through the direct link: https://goo.gl/NlR1gD including a submission of interest (max 2 pages) explaining how the consultant(s) would move ahead to implement the study and a full C.V.