RDRC Partners Visit IIRR

Representatives from the Regional Development Research Center (RDRC) of the Yunnan University in Kunming, and partners from the Yimen county visited IIRR last Jan. 22-27 to gain different perspectives on participatory approaches from interactions with local communities and local government officials.  The group visited the Learning Community Program in Bicol, specially the Lagonoy watershed, where they met with LGU officials and local communities.  They also visited the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The visit was coordinated by Amelia Chung and Emily Monville, together with Jocelyn Nique, Cathy Manlapig and Angie Algo.  During the activity the group also conducted a project review which was attended by several other IIRR staff including Orly Buenviaje.

Prior to the visit at IIRR, the RDRC team conducted a TNA (Training Needs Assessment) in Wuding County last Jan 11-12, which was recommended by the Provincial Government to test the training program which was developed through the project scheduled for Feb. 5-7.

IIRR Gears for a More Intensified Engagement with PROLINNOVA

The 1st phase of the PROLINNOVA Programme has ended in 2006 but RCA sees a more proactive role in the second phase of the program from 2007-2010.  The head of the PROLINNOVA secretariat, Mr. Laurens van Veldhuizen of ETC from the Netherlands, visited IIRR last Jan. 29-31 to discuss with the RCA PROLINNOVA team IIRR’s more enhanced role in the second phase particularly in training, website management and monitoring and evaluation.

The IIRR team, headed by Shayamal Saha and Jitendra Sinha, includes Jonathan Dayrit, Lynlyn Deocariza, Marion Tan, Orly Buenviaje, Philip Penaflor, Lilibeth Sulit and Cathy Manlapig.  SSaha and PPenaflor will represent IIRR in the PROLINNOVA International Conference on March 19-23 in Senegal where IIRR will facilitate a workshop on M&E.  IIRR has coordinated the electronic evaluation of last year’s accomplishments which was facilitated by PPenaflor last January.  The RCA team has just concluded its strategic plan as member of the PROLINNOVA Institutional Support Team where IIRR’s roles in the programme’s 2nd phase are clearly outlined.  The PROLINNOVA programme (Promoting Local Innovations), is a long term activity involving 9 countries in Asia and Africa, and three international organizations, which aims to mainstream indigenous agricultural and NRM technologies.

Posted on: February 2007