Workshop on ASTI Pilot Results and Agricultural R&D Data Collection (Tbilisi, Georgia)

From 21 to 22 July, FAO and its partners organized a workshop to present the results and lessons learned from the ASTI pilot in Georgia, and to provide training on agricultural R&D data collection.

On the first day, international participants received technical insights into the ASTI methodology and explored lessons learned from country pilots to deepen their understanding of various models and approaches.

On the second morning, the results of the Georgia pilot were presented and validated with national stakeholders, in the presence of international observers. In the afternoon, international participants worked with the FAO-ASTI team to develop action plans for ASTI data collection and institutionalization in their respective countries.

Objectives
The specific objectives of the workshop were to:

• Introduce the ASTI programme and its new operational mechanisms.
• Discuss strategies to enhance the institutionalization of ASTI and maximize the uptake of its outputs at the national level.
• Present and discuss the ASTI country pilot reports, including key findings, lessons learned, and recommendations for global rollout.
• Share the results of the pilot test in Georgia, gather feedback from national stakeholders, and outline next steps.
• Train international participants on the ASTI methodology and the new FAO questionnaire.
• Co-develop country-specific work plans for institutionalizing ASTI and reporting to FAO.

Collaboration
This event was organized in collaboration with the TECHINFORMI Institute of the Georgian Technical University and FAO’s agricultural R&D statistics team, in coordination with the Central Asia and Caucasus Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (CACAARI).