Framework
for Analysing and Synthesising the Experiences
A growing number of organisations are actively involving farmers in all
stages of agricultural research and development from situation analysis and
planning right through to impact evaluation. The ultimate aims are: 1) to
strengthen the capacities of local people to experiment and innovate in farming
techniques and social organisation, and 2) to strengthen the capacities of
agricultural service providers to support these farmer-led processes. Such
approaches are vital for sustainable development efforts in agriculture and
natural resource management, especially in resource-poor, rainfed areas. In
recent years, some promising efforts have been made to incorporate PTD into the
regular work of large institutions of agricultural research, development and
education.
The processes of scaling-up PTD (horizontal coverage to achieve geographic
spread) and / or institutionalising PTD (vertical integration into structures
at local up to national levels) were documented from 18 countries: Brazil,
Cameroon, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Honduras, India, Kyrgystan,
Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda,
Vietnam and Zimbabwe. A total of 20 cases were prepared.
From 17–21 September 2001, 23 PTD practitioners involved in these cases
convened at the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) in the
Philippines to draw lessons from their experiences in scaling up and
institutionalising PTD not only in government organisations but also in large
NGOs and farmer associations.
|
Southern Ethiopia: an example of
institutionalising PTD In 1998 a
peer review of FARM-Africa’s Farmers Research Project recommended that the
approach be incorporated into the main institutions of agricultural research,
extension and training in Southern Ethiopia. The EU-financed project aims to
incorporate the tools and processes of PTD into the work of the Bureau of
Agriculture, Bureau of Planning and Economic Development, Awassa and Areka
Research Centres and Awassa College of Agriculture. A Steering Committee
brings together the heads of these organisations in a multi-stakeholder
platform to coordinate the process. A Technical Team comprising members from
all the organisations implements the training, research and monitoring
activities. Personal knowledge, skills and enthusiasm to engage in farmer
participatory research are developed through training in participatory rural
appraisal, participatory monitoring and evaluation and supporting farmer-led
experimentation. Personal and institutional self-analysis is leading to
changes in procedures and policies to facilitate the application of PTD
tools, methods and strategies. |
|
Dimensions |
Mission/Mandate |
Structure |
Human
Resources |
|
Administrative: "the nuts and bolts” |
Operations Designing and implementing action plans Monitoring + evaluation Budgeting |
Tasks/responsibilities Levels, positions, tasks Procedures and instructions |
Expertise Quantity and quality of
staff |
|
Political: |
Policymaking |
Decision making |
Room to manoeuvre |
|
Sociocultural: |
Organisational culture |
Cooperation and learning |
Attitudes |
Framework
for Analysing and Synthesising the Experiences
The
“Advancing PTD” study is coordinated by IIRR and ETC Ecoculture (Netherlands)
and sponsored by the CGIAR Non-Governmental Organisations Committee (NGOC),
DGIS (Netherlands), Rockefeller Foundation, CTA, MISEREOR and CIIFAD (Cornell
University).
For more
information, contact: