Author : Falconi, Cesar

Summary : Priority setting is a complex process of choosing among different sets of research activities to make the most effective use of available resources. Priority setting helps plan for research and resource allocation. Participation by those who are responsible for the decision making and those who provide the information is essential for any successful priority setting exercise. The best method for priority setting depends on the purpose of the analysis, the availability of resources, the inclusion of unique features of biotechnology research, and the participants' or clients' understanding of the process. The most useful priority setting methods for agricultural biotechnology are the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and a combination of AHP and the economic surplus approach to facilitate consistency with the economic framework. Even though the selection of the method is critical for the priority setting, research managers should attach the same importance to identifying the final user(s) of the research results and the political support required and available for conducting and implementing the outputs of the priority setting exercise.