Tools to observe innovation processes: The AgriSpin experience

In the AgriSpin project (2015-2017) fifteen organisations involved in innovation support tried to understand better how each of them made a difference in helping farmers to innovate. In principle, each partner organisation hosted a Cross Visits of 3 – 4 days, to present a number of interesting innovation cases in which it was involved. The visiting team, composed of colleagues from other partner organisations, interviewed key actors in each case, and gave feedback about pearls, puzzlings and proposals in these innovation processes. This paper reports about the methodological aspects of the AgriSpin project. How do you make observations with a team of 7 – 12 colleagues? How do you collect all these observations and how do you make sense out of it? And what did the innovation support agents who participated in the AgriSpin project take home from this adventure?