Integrative science in practice : Process perspectives from ASB, the partnership for the tropical forest margins

ASB, the Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins, is a decade-old, complex, multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary, multi-site research and development consortium. It has been recognized for its success in producing scientific outputs and real world impacts and as a pioneer in integrated natura...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Tomich, Thomas P., Timmer, D.W., Velarde, S.J., Alegre Orihuela, JC, Areskoug, V., Cash, D.W., Cattaneo, Andrea, Ericksen, Polly J., Joshi, L., Kasyoki, J, Legg, C., Locatelli, M., Murdiyarso, Daniel, Palm, Cheryl A., Porro, R., Rescia Perazzo, A, Salazar Vega, A, Noordwijk, Meine van, Weise, Stephan F., White, D.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2007
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/43602
_version_ 1855540934587973632
author Tomich, Thomas P.
Timmer, D.W.
Velarde, S.J.
Alegre Orihuela, JC
Areskoug, V.
Cash, D.W.
Cattaneo, Andrea
Ericksen, Polly J.
Joshi, L.
Kasyoki, J
Legg, C.
Locatelli, M.
Murdiyarso, Daniel
Palm, Cheryl A.
Porro, R.
Rescia Perazzo, A
Salazar Vega, A
Noordwijk, Meine van
Weise, Stephan F.
White, D.
author_browse Alegre Orihuela, JC
Areskoug, V.
Cash, D.W.
Cattaneo, Andrea
Ericksen, Polly J.
Joshi, L.
Kasyoki, J
Legg, C.
Locatelli, M.
Murdiyarso, Daniel
Noordwijk, Meine van
Palm, Cheryl A.
Porro, R.
Rescia Perazzo, A
Salazar Vega, A
Timmer, D.W.
Tomich, Thomas P.
Velarde, S.J.
Weise, Stephan F.
White, D.
author_facet Tomich, Thomas P.
Timmer, D.W.
Velarde, S.J.
Alegre Orihuela, JC
Areskoug, V.
Cash, D.W.
Cattaneo, Andrea
Ericksen, Polly J.
Joshi, L.
Kasyoki, J
Legg, C.
Locatelli, M.
Murdiyarso, Daniel
Palm, Cheryl A.
Porro, R.
Rescia Perazzo, A
Salazar Vega, A
Noordwijk, Meine van
Weise, Stephan F.
White, D.
author_sort Tomich, Thomas P.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description ASB, the Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins, is a decade-old, complex, multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary, multi-site research and development consortium. It has been recognized for its success in producing scientific outputs and real world impacts and as a pioneer in integrated natural resource management (iNRM). Until now, there has been little understanding of the reasons for its success in integrating different perspectives and ways of working. To fill this gap, an on-line consultation involving ASB researchers was structured following an analytical framework developed by the Initiative on Science and Technology for Sustainability. The structure of the presentation of major results presented in this article also follows that framework, which includes four dimensions of integration (disciplinary, functional, spatial/temporal, and knowledge) and linked challenges of institutional learning and adaptation, fostering appropriate participation, and managing resource and capacity constraints. To lay the foundations for interpreting these insights and to motivate the study, introductory sections present qualitative evidence regarding organizational learning within the consortium (using research hypotheses as indicators) and success in producing integrated results (using a selection of research results as evidence). This report on ASB's experience in integrative science and organizational learning is intended to advance understanding of the scope and limits of a complex international consortium to integrate activities across disciplines, organizations, scales and knowledge systems in order to produce knowledge and policy relevant outputs. ASB's processes and structures have weaknesses as well as strengths. And while there almost certainly are a range of effective alternative approaches to integrative science, the insights from ASB's experience documented in these online discussions could be of interest to other geographically dispersed teams, especially those working on environment and development issues. Moreover, from a methodological perspective, the use of information technology reported in this article proved to be an effective means of triangulating the perceptions of geographically dispersed researchers. In doing so, this web-based consultation provided a medium for reflection by a large ‘virtual team’ on whether words about integration are translated into practice, at least as perceived and self-reported by the scientists who participated. These techniques could be employed for process documentation by other dispersed teams, thereby adding to the stock of information on what works (and what does not) in efforts to put integrative science into practice on a significant scale.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace43602
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2007
publishDateRange 2007
publishDateSort 2007
publisher Elsevier
publisherStr Elsevier
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace436022024-08-27T10:37:14Z Integrative science in practice : Process perspectives from ASB, the partnership for the tropical forest margins Tomich, Thomas P. Timmer, D.W. Velarde, S.J. Alegre Orihuela, JC Areskoug, V. Cash, D.W. Cattaneo, Andrea Ericksen, Polly J. Joshi, L. Kasyoki, J Legg, C. Locatelli, M. Murdiyarso, Daniel Palm, Cheryl A. Porro, R. Rescia Perazzo, A Salazar Vega, A Noordwijk, Meine van Weise, Stephan F. White, D. tropical forests natural resources management partnerships research networks sustainable development bosque tropical manejo de los recursos naturales coparticipación redes de investigación desarrollo sostenible ASB, the Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins, is a decade-old, complex, multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary, multi-site research and development consortium. It has been recognized for its success in producing scientific outputs and real world impacts and as a pioneer in integrated natural resource management (iNRM). Until now, there has been little understanding of the reasons for its success in integrating different perspectives and ways of working. To fill this gap, an on-line consultation involving ASB researchers was structured following an analytical framework developed by the Initiative on Science and Technology for Sustainability. The structure of the presentation of major results presented in this article also follows that framework, which includes four dimensions of integration (disciplinary, functional, spatial/temporal, and knowledge) and linked challenges of institutional learning and adaptation, fostering appropriate participation, and managing resource and capacity constraints. To lay the foundations for interpreting these insights and to motivate the study, introductory sections present qualitative evidence regarding organizational learning within the consortium (using research hypotheses as indicators) and success in producing integrated results (using a selection of research results as evidence). This report on ASB's experience in integrative science and organizational learning is intended to advance understanding of the scope and limits of a complex international consortium to integrate activities across disciplines, organizations, scales and knowledge systems in order to produce knowledge and policy relevant outputs. ASB's processes and structures have weaknesses as well as strengths. And while there almost certainly are a range of effective alternative approaches to integrative science, the insights from ASB's experience documented in these online discussions could be of interest to other geographically dispersed teams, especially those working on environment and development issues. Moreover, from a methodological perspective, the use of information technology reported in this article proved to be an effective means of triangulating the perceptions of geographically dispersed researchers. In doing so, this web-based consultation provided a medium for reflection by a large ‘virtual team’ on whether words about integration are translated into practice, at least as perceived and self-reported by the scientists who participated. These techniques could be employed for process documentation by other dispersed teams, thereby adding to the stock of information on what works (and what does not) in efforts to put integrative science into practice on a significant scale. 2007-07 2014-09-24T08:42:23Z 2014-09-24T08:42:23Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/43602 en Limited Access Elsevier
spellingShingle tropical forests
natural resources management
partnerships
research networks
sustainable development
bosque tropical
manejo de los recursos naturales
coparticipación
redes de investigación
desarrollo sostenible
Tomich, Thomas P.
Timmer, D.W.
Velarde, S.J.
Alegre Orihuela, JC
Areskoug, V.
Cash, D.W.
Cattaneo, Andrea
Ericksen, Polly J.
Joshi, L.
Kasyoki, J
Legg, C.
Locatelli, M.
Murdiyarso, Daniel
Palm, Cheryl A.
Porro, R.
Rescia Perazzo, A
Salazar Vega, A
Noordwijk, Meine van
Weise, Stephan F.
White, D.
Integrative science in practice : Process perspectives from ASB, the partnership for the tropical forest margins
title Integrative science in practice : Process perspectives from ASB, the partnership for the tropical forest margins
title_full Integrative science in practice : Process perspectives from ASB, the partnership for the tropical forest margins
title_fullStr Integrative science in practice : Process perspectives from ASB, the partnership for the tropical forest margins
title_full_unstemmed Integrative science in practice : Process perspectives from ASB, the partnership for the tropical forest margins
title_short Integrative science in practice : Process perspectives from ASB, the partnership for the tropical forest margins
title_sort integrative science in practice process perspectives from asb the partnership for the tropical forest margins
topic tropical forests
natural resources management
partnerships
research networks
sustainable development
bosque tropical
manejo de los recursos naturales
coparticipación
redes de investigación
desarrollo sostenible
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/43602
work_keys_str_mv AT tomichthomasp integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT timmerdw integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT velardesj integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT alegreorihuelajc integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT areskougv integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT cashdw integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT cattaneoandrea integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT ericksenpollyj integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT joshil integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT kasyokij integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT leggc integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT locatellim integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT murdiyarsodaniel integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT palmcheryla integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT porror integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT resciaperazzoa integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT salazarvegaa integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT noordwijkmeinevan integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT weisestephanf integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins
AT whited integrativescienceinpracticeprocessperspectivesfromasbthepartnershipforthetropicalforestmargins