Training for transformation

Insufficient consultation (involvement) of farmers by researchers 

Too often single disciplinary 

Farmer dis-empowerment by top-down system

Training for transformation 

Systems approach through multi-disciplinary research teams 

Training in participatory approaches (farmers, extension & researchers) 

Training in FSR-E

Study farmers’ strategies to overcome constraints 

Encourage (innovative)farmer / researcher 

Take up farmer ideas of problem 

solution

Poor understanding of cause & effects by all parties, especially among researchers 

Extension officer exclusion

Enhance interaction between farmers and researchers and extension

Work on reference farms 

Identify leading farmers

Training in FSR-E

Training in FSR-E

Lack of critical analysis of problems on the part of farmers

Improve farmers’ groups organisation 

Regional technical working groups

Communication problems

Taking farmers as a uniform group  

Often the farmer is more worried with present than future

Use input from a farmer group 

Improve farmers’ groups organisation 

Regional technical working groups

Define responsability (role) of each partner

Research, extension, farmer plan all steps together

Lack of understanding of planning methodology

Plan systematically

Conduct refresher courses on planning techniques

Lack of collaboration between research institutions

Difficult to adapt to crop calendar

Regular discussion sessions among farming groups and families about new technologies 

Plan demonstration activities

Poor knowledge on experimental design on part of research

Request annual methodology reviews

Lack of consideration of needs of research-extension-farmer to own process, findings

Ensure ownership

Research-extension-farmer plan all steps together

Appropriate experimental designs & methodologies not well known

Regular methodology updates

Request annual methodology reviews

Limited replication

Layout large plots 

Take large integrated measurements

Government Policy 

Community 

Government Technical 

NGOs 

Private Sector 

Training Institutions (university, colleges, rural centres, etc).

Lack of project team-work 

Donor competition 

Probleme de continuite des projets souvet a duree limitee 

Lack of cooperation at the community level 

Lack of ethics and culture for collaboration 

Conflicting messages 

Lack of communication 

Lack of ability to receive criticism 

Differences in views 

Fears and prejudices concerning potential partners (extension service - private sector, etc) 

Academic authority / narrowness

NATIONAL 

Form national coordinating body (IES): 

- clearly defined complementary roles for everybody 

- focus donor support 

- policy support 

- national action plan 

- network of research - extensions – farmer - industry  

(Conservation Farming Promotion Unit - CFPU)?? 

Promote networking that involves farmer associations 

Promote farmer’s organisation 

Develop / strenthen local expertise

Define terms of reference, constitution of NCB 

Select devoted organisations and individuals = 6 persons 

Draw up directory of stake holders 

Mobilise finance and resources by, e.g. involving the trade 

Include input suppliers 

Assess need of new network or use of existing networks 

(Funding) Dissemination programmes, NGO / GOVT / Private sector 

Identify simple / transparent partnerships

Different interests and objectives of potential partners 

Lack of knowledge and skills 

Political interferance 

Inadequate infrastructure (physical) 

Weak support institutions 

Competition for use of limited resources

Offer of farm services 

Involvement of private sector services : input supply and marketing of farm produce 

Agricultural services provider 

Farmers associations / union bundling input and implement sales with extension advise 

Integrate contil in all input supply, credit and marketing activities 

Use participatory approach between researchers, industry and farmers 

Include issue in school programmes / university

Start input promotion through village (group) 

Extension and research team training and monitoring 

Village committies integrating school teachers 

Involve support services 

Farmer training and exchange vists 

Training for input distributors 

Lack of sustainable funding of programmes

Mobilisation of funds from different sources, eg. donors, NGOs, and sustainable management of the locals 

Get sustainable commitment from supplier of funds

Write a comprehensive and well motivated business plan 

Develop fund raising skills by local staff 

Setting up a database of all possible sources of funds 

Develop and expose donors to successful case studies 

Carry out cost / benefit analysis

Lack of „real" farmer participation 

Lack of encouragement of farmer participation

Introduce and institutionalise participatory approach 

Farmer to be seen / accepted as equal partners who are „local experts" 

Orientation of extension agents towards participatory dissemination approaches 

Extensionists have to change attitude from knowledge provider to facilitator

Establishment of farmer working groups 

Develop dynamic demo programme in farmers fields 

Farmer to farmer exchange visits and hold field days 

Train extension agents in participatory and facilitation skills

Lack of operational resources and training materials

Mobilise operational resources 

Develop / access training materials 

Decentralisation of operational resources 

Coordination and management of operational resources

Do a needs analysis with regards to operational resources 

Establishment of an efficient logistical support system 

Identify available training materials 

Testing of available training materials

Unfavourable attitude towards contil 

Lack of empathy by extension

Convince extension staff of validity of CT 

Develop policy to support contil

Exposure to technology 

Interaction and exposure of results of contil positive results 

Conduct field demonstrations and expose results 

Exchange visits  

Training to change value base

Lack of motivation

Provide incentive package for extension agents 

Involve agents in on-farm research extension

Performance based bonuses 

Encourage and provide facilities for further training 

Provide adequate working tools and facilities to the extension officer 

Public recognition of good work

Lack of information exchange

Extension to work with rural schools 

Promote collaborative work between different extension disciplines 

Transfer of technology through mass media and strengthening radio network

Preparation and distribution of extension materials such as leaflets, posters, training manuals, etc. 

Produce a good video on contil 

Work directly in reference farms (learning by doing) 

Organise and conduct field days, workshops, seminars, etc for the stake holders 

Establish new and use existing information networks

Lack of technical skills 

Lack of social and communication skills

Develop training involving all stake holders 

Design and conduct tailor made courses for extension officers 

Offer more practical training during basic training and on-job training 

Exchange of experiences 

Develop training material for each department (package offers)

Shortage of extension staff in the total structure

Introduction of unified extension approach 

Form partnerships with other extension service providers 

Extension service should be demand driven

Multi disciplinary training of extension service providers 

Agree on the role of extension service providers 

Outsourcing of extension work

Organisational development 

Create a team based, interactive management approach

Define work plans and targets

Imbalance between top-down and bottom-up approach 

Transfer of technology packages to the farmer top-down 

Unguided pure farmers participation without technical concept

Define roles of stake holders, ie. Govt, NGOs, industry, farmers and private sector 

Empower farmers to play their role

Provide technical advise based on options 

Empowering farmers to decide on what they want 

More on-farm experiments for and with farmers 

Accessibility to various technology options for farmers to choose from 

Building on local knowledge and skills 

Encourage farmers curiosity : - no „packages" or „technology transfer" 

Involve farmers in all stages of technology generation 

Teach farmers process underlying contill to make choices

Social community structures do not allow individuals to improve / proceed 

Unconducive land tenure systems

Community planning including conflict resolution

Identify and support farmer groups 

Empower opinion leaders to initiate technology changes 

Work with entire communities or major groups within communities 

Review land tenure policy

Hidden financial risks and social fears 

Power structures in community conflict with progress

Education and public awareness 

Technologies should have a distinctive „value" to farmers

Involve farmer from planning phase to alleviate social fear 

Choose cooperating farmers with an eye to local acceptability 

Work with opinion leaders to initiate technologies 

Develop means for farmers to overcome fears

Differences in perception of problem, e.g. soil erosion 

Farmers have no confidence in extension service

Education and public awareness

Sensitise farmers on benefits of technologies 

Progressive farmers to be involved in extension 

Supoort farmer to farmer innovation transfer 

Enable information flow in a (more or less) coordinated way 

Encourage communication between farmers and extensionists

Lack of practical information to back farmers choices 

Lack of information on existing technologies

Rural based information system using different means of communication (radio, TV, newspaper) 

Inform farmers about events, fairs, training programmes 

Provide forecasting about marketing opportunities, inputs, crop prices, weather conditions, etc. 

Radio programmes 

Organise field days and agriculture shows 

Do drama  

Write manuals and newsletters

Lack of support services 

Communities are not attractive to commercial support and marketing services 

Lack of industrial extension

Enabling environment for all stake holders 

Involve stockists, industries in extension 

Create conducive conditions for support services 

Lack of short term socio economic interest for the farmer 

Perceived high cost of technology

Stimulate high value enterprises

Devise effective credit delivery system 

Develop technologies with short term benefits and long term effects (soil conservation, fertility) 

Identify income creating activities on and off farm