Resena historica de la investigacion sobre politicas en Centro America

This chapter reviews Central America's experience with regional collaborative policy research efforts focusing on rural issues, with particular emphasis on natural resources issues. It first presents a historical description of these efforts. Regional rural policy research began with the institutions developed around the Central American Common Market in the 1960s and 1970s, then became heavily tainted by the region's military conflicts in the 1980s, and came under the predominant influence of CGIAR Fund centres and international agencies in the 1990s. Some specific issues are examined, including the need for greater Central American control over the research agenda, stakeholder participation, the role of regional research coordinators, the quality of the research being conducted, the balance between primary and secondary research, and coordination between different regional initiatives. (DK)