Introduction

The full name of this document is the SARD Project Toolkit: A Resource Guide for Promoting SARD in Projects and Programmes. The SARD Project Toolkit summarizes frameworks, approaches and tools that can be used to promote sustainability in the management of agricultural and rural development projects and programmes.

Frameworks provide an overall context for projects and programmes, approaches include methodologies and tools that can be used in practice to manage agricultural and rural development projects.

Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD)

The Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) concept emerged in the early 1990s to broaden goals for agriculture and rural development to include economic, environmental and social objectives. It aimed to focus attention on sustainability issues within agriculture and rural development in developed and developing countries. As a concept, it was introduced in the 1987 report on the Brundtland Commission on the Environment and Development. It was then confirmed at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and programmes and specific actions to promote SARD are identified in Chapter 14 of Agenda 21.^1,2

¹ A copy of Agenda 21 can be found at:
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21toc.htm

² The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was designated the role of UN Task Manager for Chapter 14 and is responsible for monitoring and reporting progress on SARD to the Commission on Sustainable Development.

The concept of SARD has evolved into a paradigm for holistic development and an overarching goal that encompasses principles and good practices for sustainability. SARD involves practices and outcomes that are: ecologically sound; economically viable; socially just; culturally appropriate; humane; and based on a holistic scientific approach. SARD is also a process that:

• Ensures that the basic qualitative and quantitative nutritional requirements of present and future generations are met while providing a number of other agricultural products
• Provides durable employment, sufficient income, and decent living and working conditions for all those engaged in agricultural production
• Maintains and, where possible, enhances the productive capacity of the natural resource base as a whole, and the regenerative capacity of renewable resources, without disrupting the functioning of basic ecological cycles and natural balances, destroying the socio-cultural attributes of rural communities, or causing contamination of the environment, and
• Reduces the vulnerability of the agricultural sector to adverse natural and socioeconomic factors and other risks, and strengthens self-reliance.

Within this framework, SARD can also contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and related targets.³

³ For further information about SARD, refer to http://www.fao.org/sard/en/sard/index.html.

There are many means for achieving SARD including, inter alia: people-centred development; the pursuit of sustainable livelihoods; the adoption of sound agro-ecological practices, sustainable forestry systems, sustainable fisheries management and Good Agricultural Practices; community-based natural resource management; participatory policy development; the incorporation of indigenous farming systems into land management practices; the adoption of fair labour conditions; and the promotion of equitable property rights and access to natural resources.

The adoption of SARD has required a fundamental change in how development projects are designed, implemented and evaluated and in the nature of the outcomes that development projects are trying to achieve. Some common difficulties are also experienced when trying to incorporate the multi-dimensional aspects of SARD into project management limiting the sustainability of project outcomes. To facilitate the adoption of SARD, researchers and practitioners have developed various frameworks, approaches and tools to incorporate the principles of sustainability into project management, improve project efficiency and effectiveness and maximize the sustainability or project outcomes.

Purpose of the SARD Project Toolkit

The SARD Project Toolkit provides an entry point into the many frameworks, approaches and tools (tools) that have been developed to promote sustainability in agricultural and rural development projects. The Toolkit helps readers to understand the scope of tools available, develop an initial understanding of tools and compare different tools. In this way, the SARD Project Toolkit can help readers choose which tools are relevant for their specific needs, operating context and project objectives and identify tools to investigate in further detail.

The Toolkit summarizes frameworks, approaches and tools that have been developed by practitioners working in agriculture and rural development and that have been tested in practice. It includes frameworks, approaches and tools that have been developed by various actors contributing to SARD, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its partner organizations. To broaden the scope of tools included in the Toolkit there is no focus on the tools developed by any one particular organization. The Toolkit also includes some frameworks, approaches and tools that address similar issues in a slightly different way.

This is the first version of the SARD Project Toolkit. This version does not include any assessment of the relative merits of the different frameworks, approaches and tools nor does it discuss their application or provide examples of their use. This version is not intended to prioritize the frameworks, approaches and tools that have been included or to be used as a training resource. However, additional information may be incorporated in future editions of the SARD Project Toolkit to serve these purposes. Such information would be sought from practitioners who are experienced in the use of the specific frameworks, approaches and tools SARD Project Toolkit presented in the SARD Project Toolkit. Ideas for the development of future editions of the SARD Project Toolkit are presented in Appendix 1.

In the meantime, practitioners can refer to the SARD Initiative Examples of Good Practice for case studies of good practices and lessons learned in implementing agriculture and rural development projects that seek sustainable outcomes.⁴

⁴ SARD Initiative Examples of Good Practice: http://www.fao.org/sard/en/init/1574/969/index.html. Note that this page is undergoing revision and may not exist in its current form by the time the Project Toolkit is finalised.

The SARD Project Toolkit is designed for use by two principal groups. Firstly, it can be used by professionals engaged in the design of agriculture and rural development projects and who are seeking sustainable outcomes. This might include consultants, civil society, development organizations and missions within governments and United Nations (UN) agencies. The Toolkit can also be used by those who are involved in the implementation and monitoring and evaluation of existing and ongoing projects to address specific project management problems. This group might include project managers and administrators and government and United Nations agencies.

Content of the SARD Project Toolkit

The frameworks, approaches and tools summarized in the SARD Project Toolkit were identified in a review of methods developed by international development agencies and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and of the international scientific literature relevant to SARD.⁵ Frameworks, approaches and tools have been included in the Toolkit where there is:

⁵ Organizations reviewed included the United National Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United National Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), European Commission (EC), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Dutch Cooperation, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), OXFAM, Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE), The World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Centre for International Earth Science Information (CIESIN).

• A functional use in the management of development projects
• A clear link to SARD practices and outcomes
• Potential to add value to agriculture and rural development projects
• Relevance across different projects (i.e. are not sector-or institutionally-specific)
• Relevance to small and large-scale projects and programmes
• Quality and practical information available
• Information that could be summarized in a way that is helpful for project managers.

The summaries of individual tools include the following information:

• Common project management problems that the tool can be used to help
• Project activities the tool can be used for
• Reasons for using particular tools
• Further considerations for applying each tool
• A brief background outlining the context in which the tool was developed (where relevant)
• Links to other relevant tools in the SARD Project Toolkit (i.e. frameworks, approaches and tools that address the same or similar issues and that can inform or be informed by the framework, approach or tool in question)
• Links to original source material.

In each summary, information is presented in the order of the points above. A description of the tool is presented first, preceding specific details about the method and contextual information. This approach aims to minimize the amount of detail that readers need to cover in determining which frameworks/approaches/tools will meet their needs.

Table 1 provides a brief description of each framework, approach and tool that is summarized in the SARD Project Toolkit. This table also identifies the relationship between different tools in the Toolkit by identifying frameworks, approaches and tools that are: similar to; inform; or informed by each framework, approach or tool. Each framework, approach and tool is also given a reference number that is used to identify it throughout the SARD Project Toolkit.

The SARD Project Toolkit does not represent a comprehensive set of frameworks, approaches and tools for SARD. However it will be expanded over time to include additional frameworks, approaches and tools and additional information about the current tools.

The SARD Initiative welcomes suggestions of other frameworks, approaches and tools that have been useful in promoting sustainability in agriculture and rural development projects; and encourages the development of frameworks, approaches and tools where there are none currently available. Frameworks, approaches and tools proposed for inclusion in future editions of the SARD Project Toolkit and for development are listed in Appendix 1. Suggestions for the further development of the SARD Project Toolkit should be forwarded to [email protected].

Structure of the SARD Project Toolkit

The frameworks, approaches and tools included in the SARD Project Toolkit are linked to the stages of the project cycle (see Figure 1). The project cycle is the sequence of stages that may occur multiple times throughout the lifetime of a project (see Figure 1). The stages include: project design and formulation, project implementation and monitoring and evaluation.⁶ These stages occur in succession and each stage forms the basis of the following stages. Project design and formulation inform project implementation and the requirements for monitoring and evaluation. Periodic monitoring and evaluation provide feedback to adapt project implementation and inform the design of future projects in terms of lessons learned and changes in the project context. Good project management also involves processes that take place after project completion for the maintenance of project outcomes, the communication of results and lessons to transfer project benefits and learning.⁷

⁶ Herweg, K. and Steiner, K.,2002. Impact Monitoring and Assessment: Instruments for Use in Rural Development Projects with a Focus on Sustainable Land Management, Volume 1, Centre for Development and Environment, Switzerland and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Germany

⁷ The actual terms used to describe the different stages of the project cycle can vary between different models of project management. For example, the project design and formulation phase may also be referred to as project planning.

The tools are linked to the stages of the project cycle because tools are generally designed to assist with specific project management activities. However, some tools can be used to guide activities in multiple stages of the project cycle. Readers should refer to the summaries of individual frameworks, approaches and tools for the full range of activities that each tool can be used for. Linking tools to the project cycle is just one way of clustering the contents of the SARD Project Toolkit to helps readers access the material.

In the SARD Project Toolkit, frameworks, approaches and summaries are also linked to common problems that can arise in the management of agricultural and rural development projects. This is because tools are often developed to address one or a number of related project management problems and readers may look for tools to address specific problems that they are experiencing. Project management problems can arise at each stage of the project cycle and will have implications for successive stages. Therefore there are often a number of options for preventing and mitigating project management problems that can be implemented throughout the project cycle. For example, problems that can arise during implementation may be addressed during project implementation or prevented through good project design.

The common problems that the SARD Toolkit can help to address are identified in Table 2. This list is a synthesis of the problems that individual frameworks, approaches and tools can help to address. The common problems are listed in Table 2 according to where in the project cycle they tend to arise. However, as some problems will be able to be addressed at more than one stage of the project cycle, tools relating to each of the stages of the project cycle may be identified to help address the problem. For example, tools to assist in project design, such as the Project Design Handbook, may be identified as relevant for addressing problems that arise in project implementation.

Table 1: Frameworks, approaches and tools summarised in the SARD Project Toolkit

* Note: Most tools are relevant to more than one stage of the project cycle e.g. the selection of indicators and development of a monitoring plan should be considered in project design.

Figure 1: The flow of information and action in the project cycle

Table 2: Project Management Problems to address with the SARD Project Toolkit

Definitions

These definitions are based on those provided in the original source material for the frameworks, approaches and tools in the SARD Toolkit. This is to ensure consistency with the concepts that are inherent within each tool. It is possible that there are other definitions for these terms.

Evaluation: The measurement of progress with respect to original project objectives and the assessment of whether objectives have been attained and/or are relevant.⁸

⁸ Borrini-Feyerabend, G., 2000, Co-management of Natural Resources: Organising, Negotiating and Learning by Doing, IUCN, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Gender: The social roles and relations between men and women, including the different responsibilities of women and men in a given culture or location. Unlike sex, which is biologically determined, the gender roles of women and men are socially constructed and such roles can change over time and vary according to geographic location and social context.⁹

⁹ FAO, 2004. Training Manual on Gender Analysis for Monitoring and Evaluation, Rome,

Household: The basic units in which resources are organized and allocated to meet basic needs.¹⁰

¹⁰ Caldwell, R., 2002. Project Design Handbook, CARE International, Atlanta

Indicators: Variables for measuring inputs, outputs, outcomes and impacts of project activities.¹¹

¹¹ The World Bank, 2004. Selecting Indicators, Poverty Monitoring Guidance Note 1, The World Bank, Washington D.C.

Livelihoods: The stocks and flows of food, cash and other resources required to meet basic needs including on-farm and off-farm activities for the procurement, storage, utilization and management of activities to meet those needs. Needs include: nutrition; potable water; health services and facilities; education; housing; social freedom etc.¹²

¹² Caldwell, R., 2002. Project Design Handbook, CARE International, Atlanta

Monitoring: The systematic recording and periodic analysis of activities and outcomes to observe progress and changes in the project context.¹³

¹³ FAO - Special Programme for Food Security, 2003. Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluation. FAO, Rome

Participation: A process through which stakeholders influence and share control over the development initiatives, decisions and resources which affect them. Participation can take different forms, ranging from information sharing and consultation methods to mechanisms for collaboration and empowerment giving stakeholders more influence and control.¹⁴

¹⁴ Rietbergen-McCracken, J. and Narayan, D., 1998. Participation and Social Assessment: Tools and Techniques, The World Bank, Washington D.C.

Project design: The collaborative and systematic identification and prioritization of problems and opportunities to be addressed and the planning of solutions (in terms of inputs, activities, outputs, effects and impacts) and assessment of project outcomes.¹⁵

¹⁵ Caldwell, R., 2002. Project Design Handbook, CARE International, Atlanta

Stakeholder: Those affected by and who can affect (positively and negatively, directly and indirectly) the process and outcomes of development projects.¹⁶

¹⁶ McPhail, K. and Jacobs, S., 1995. Social Assessment, Social Development Notes, Note No. 13, September 1995, The World Bank, Washington D.C.