Research and innovation in Africa’s rural transport sector

The African Community Access Programme is a research initiative for the rural transport sector in Africa. The programme is funded by the UK Department for International Development and by partner governments in Africa. The programme in turn has funded a wide range of research projects in the rural transport sector. It provides support to users of the research outputs at all stages of the uptake process. Users of these new ideas include national transport sector institutions, local government organisations, practitioners and community groups. Under the programme the uptake of new ideas and innovations has been most effective in the road engineering aspects of rural transport. This includes the adoption of new standards and specifications for low traffic roads. The rate of uptake is affected by the level of institutional maturity and cohesion in the participating countries, and how closely the innovation is aligned to sector policies and strategic plans. Particular success has been achieved when there is a champion for the idea in the user organisation. The programme has focused on effective communication of research findings to user groups and building a strong community of practice for the rural transport sector. Long-term support from the principal funder has been a key factor.