[Visit www.innovationstudies.org for more of our work.] Institutional innovation involves enabling new ways of working within an organisation. Two changes have been at centrestage in pressing for institutional innovation in agricultural research and development (ARD): stronger client orientation and greater use of partnerships. Further innovation in ARD Institutions is necessary to reach development goals. It is more sensible to enable institutional change to cope with an evolving situation in a specific context than prescribe changes. Therefore, there is a need to focus on transition rather than on destination in institutional arrangements.