Fourteen of PCAARRD’s Industry Strategic S&T Plans (ISPs) are targeted for ex ante analysis. The Council commissioned the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) to conduct the evaluation.
Ex ante analysis is a tool used in evaluating research and development (R&D) projects before these are undertaken through the estimation of expected return-on-investment. It is done through quantitative assessment of the possible net financial and economic benefits from a proposed R&D project.
The 14 ISPs will be grouped into three broad programs: crops (abaca, banana, coconut, mango, rice), livestock (duck, goat, native chicken, layer, swine), and inland aquatic resources (milkfish, mudcrab, tilapia, and shrimp). The aim is to estimate the economic value of each ISP and provide recommendations for improvement.
ISPs describe the targets for each industry and pinpoint the aspects of the industry where S&T will make a difference.
In addition to the estimation and validation of the expected economic impacts, the project is seen to benefit PCAARRD, SEARCA, and UPLB in terms of strengthened capacities and insights on improving S&T program planning and governance.
The initiative is also deemed to contribute to the body of knowledge and literature on ex-ante analysis, specifically in terms of the recommended analytical methodologies to use.
Moreover, the capacities of the 14 program and project leaders and their staff in assessing the possible outcomes and impacts of S&T programs and projects could be enhanced.
Overall, results of this project will provide the bases for more informed decision-making, and more effective and efficient implementation of the various ISPs with the end view of improving the welfare of the target beneficiaries in the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources sectors.
The P13.76-million ex ante analysis project will be conducted for 12 months. SEARCA will provide a counterpart fund of over a half million pesos.
Incidentally, the project commenced with an inception meeting held recently in SEARCA. Tackled were the overall analytical framework, refinement of the methodologies, implementation strategies, and expected deliverables of each ex ante analysis project.