Coordination (and management)

As the initiating and coordinating organ for Danish R&D in organic farming, DARCOF must first and foremost ensure that the research system focuses on the most relevant challenges, that the projects are undertaken in the most appropriate manner, and that the various target groups are regularly informed of the findings.

The remit of the centre management is to coordinate a joint research effort in organic farming, which combines the knowledge and skills of the research groups and institutions participating in DARCOF II. This will be done by means of the following management activities:

• Continuing dialogue with the project leaders in order to ensure that the individual projects are con-ducted according to plans, and if necessary ensure that plans are changed
  
  
• Conducting a critical evaluation of annual status reports in dialogue with the project leaders
  
  
• Motivating maximal publication and communication activity, partly through annual status report meet-ings (planning, follow up and adjustment) and partly through external meetings and information ses-sions
  
  
• Avoiding unnecessary overlap between projects
  
  
• Striving for the greatest possible synergy in the allocation of resources
  
  
• Encouraging the review and evaluation of research findings in both national and international forums
  
  
• Recalling / reallocating resources in cases where the returns do not live up to expectations
  
  

The management is conducted with a basis in annual status meetings, where the project leaders meet in relevant groups to discuss results and plans for the individual projects. Coordination and management is supported by additional centre activities.

The principal objective of the combined centre activities is to enhance the results of the joint research effort through transdisciplinary synthesis and communication of knowledge, and thereby improving the width and depth of research in organic farming.