The task of preparing a training manual on Agricultural Research Institute Management began with the FAO Expert Consultation on Strategies for Research Management Training in Africa, held at the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 12-16 December 1983. Following the recommendations of the consultation, and on the basis of the curriculum design adopted, FAO embarked upon the preparation of this manual. In the process of its preparation, many agricultural research managers and management specialists have contributed. Besides the two main consultants, namely Dr Ronald P. Black, Denver Research Institute, University of Denver, USA, who prepared the first draft, and Dr V. N. Asopa, Professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India, who prepared the current version of the manual, the contribution of the following specialists in various fields must be singled out: Ramesh Bhat, J. Casas, A. K. Jain, F. S. Kanwar, V. Martinson, Gopal Naik, P. Nath, R. K. Patel, T. P. Rama Rao, S. K. Sharma, E. S. Tayengco, and J. S. Woolston. FAO expresses its gratitude to them all.
Special thanks are due to the International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR), which has willingly made available its valuable experience and relevant materials throughout the preparation of the manual.
FAO also thanks all those authors and publishers who have allowed the use of copyright material from their publications, even though the courtesy is recognized in each case.
This manual has been prepared under the responsibility of the Research Development Centre, Research and Technology Development Division, FAO, with the guidance of: Mohamed S. Zehni, former Director; and J. H. Monyo, E. Venezian and B. Müller-Haye, past Chiefs of the Research Development Centre. Scientific supervision was provided by G. Beye, Senior Officer, now Chief, Research Technology Development Service.
This module comprises six sessions devoted to the management of human resources in a research institute:
1. RECRUITING AND MAINTAINING STAFF IN THE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT.
2. THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
3. HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT EXERCISE.
4. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL.
5. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL CASE STUDY: SUZENE KOPEC.
6. EXERCISE IN DESIGNING PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FORMATS.
To begin with, some general observations on human resources management (HRM) - as distinct from personnel management - should be made. The components of a HRM system - planning, recruiting, appraisal, reward system and training - should be identified. These will be discussed in this module.
Issues in recruitment, induction and promotion of staff at various levels in the organization are discussed during the first two sessions.
The exercise in HRM in the third session provides an opportunity for application of concepts discussed in the previous two sessions, and draws on participants' experience.
The overall focus of this module is on performance appraisal, as discussed in the fourth session. The concepts of performance appraisal provide a theoretical basis for discussing the case presented in the fifth session. The fifth session involves a performance appraisal case study, which provides an opportunity for participants to apply the concepts learnt in earlier sessions.
The sixth session is devoted to an exercise in designing performance evaluation formats for various levels. If time is a constraint, this session could be dropped and the relevant issues covered during the case discussion in the fourth session.
