In 2021, the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) developed an online Innovation Catalogue that provides a comprehensive, single-entry point for documenting and exploring agricultural innovations.

The RTB Innovation Catalogue seeks to close the gap between research and development, while ensuring that innovations are properly documented and findable by public and private partners. Moreover, it allows visitors to find suitable innovations quickly and easily.

While innovations are designed to achieve impact at scale, there are often difficulties in further adapting and embedding them into business and public policy strategies.

The Innovation Catalogue supports the uptake of innovations by fostering mutual awareness and increasing connectivity among scientists, governments, the private sector and farmers, and delivery or scaling partners. This assistance should enhance scientists’ awareness of client needs and improve the access of delivery or scaling partners to information on state-of-the-art innovations.

The Innovation Catalogue can be tailored to such users as investors/funders, evaluators, communications officers, or project/program managers. Data can be filtered according to several categories, including CGIAR Action or Impact Area, United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal, or geographic location, and data can be easily exported for use.

“User-friendliness was an important factor in our design and testing. We wanted to ensure that users would find the information in easy-to-understand format, the process is intuitive, and the search is adapted to their needs.”

Victoria Clarke, Knowledge Management Research Fellow with the International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas’ Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team

There are plans to implement the Innovation Catalogue across CGIAR, given its relevance to CGIAR’s 2030 Research and Innovation Strategy and new portfolio, and its potential to inform fit-for-purpose partnerships, investment decisions, resource mobilization, science communication, and innovation portfolio management at the CGIAR level.

“CGIAR is undergoing a transition that is largely geared towards ensuring a stronger impact-orientation through partnerships.”

“CGIAR needs tools and systems that provide a comprehensive overview of its innovation portfolio, the scaling readiness of that portfolio, and how that portfolio is expected to contribute to achieving development goals and impacts.”

Marc Schut, RTB Flagship Leader on Improved Livelihoods at Scale and Strategic Advisor on Innovation and Scaling and Stage-gating to CGIAR.

Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Team Video 2021