EWB in Burkina Faso Noémie Paradis African Program Staff Burkina Faso

1. Entrepreunariat Rural Agricole, Burkina Faso February 3th 2010 EWB in Burkina Faso Noémie ParadisAfrican Program StaffBurkina Faso

2. Your expectations What do you want to get out of this conference call ?

3. Outline • What do you know about Burkina Faso ? (3 min) • Meet team Entrepreunariat Rural Agricole! (3 min) • Agriculture sector in Burkina Faso (10 min) • The team strategy (10 min) • Questions ( 30 min)

4. What do you know about Burkina Faso ? • What is the HDIank of Burkina ? • 150/177 • 172/177 • 175/177 • What %of active population is engaged in agriculture? • 63% • 71% • 86%

5. What do you know about Burkina Faso ? • What %of population has access to clean water ? • 43% • 51% • 68% • When did Burkina Faso gained it’s independence from France ? • 1960 • 1969 • 1984 • How many sector team EWB has in Burkina Faso ?

6. Meet Team ERA ! Team Leader Réseau Gestion FEPAB Other Boris Romesh Charles Florian Noémie Nasser Cat Rosanne Etienne Valérie

7. Team ERA across Burkina Etienne Charles Nasser Florian Rosanne Noémie Boris Romesh Cat

8. Nasser, our 1rst Burkinabe volunteer ! • 24 years old • Master in Agricultural Economy and Environment • 1rst Burkinabe intern (1 year) • Passionate about soccer (and development !) • As every EWBers… filled with ambitions and willingness to make his part !

9. But… what does a mechanical engineer do in Africa? • What passionate me : • Outdoor activities • Traveling • Dancing • Teaching and coaching • Robots (!) • ..and development! • EWB and me : • JF in Mali (2006) • HSO director (2006–2008) • Curriculum Enhancement (2007) • African Program Staff (sept 2009 - ..)

10. But… what does a mechanical engineer do in Africa? • What motivate me here : • The team energy • My partner’s motivation • My host family • The life style – centered on people

11. Agricultural Advising Sector - Farmer sLevel - Farmers Union Government Market Field Agents NGOs President Representatives Field Agents Manager Financial Institution Private sector Farmers group Farmers group

12. Agricultural Advising Sector - Union Level - Government Farmers Federation Market Farmers Union Farmers Union Farmers Union Réseau Gestion NGOs Representatives Staff Financial Institution Private sector

13. Agricultural Advising Sector - Some Challenges - • Farmer level • Technical knowledge (use of fertilizer, field rotation, etc.) • Farm management (decision making, budgeting, etc.) • Lack of initiatives and entrepreneurship • Market level • Access to credit • Access to input (fertilizer, good quality seeds) • Information on markets (prices, trustable traders, etc.) • Access to market

14. Agricultural Advising Sector - Some Challenges - • Union level • Services quality and efficiency • Financial resources • Farmers mobilization • Sector level • Lack of coherence between the different services providers (NGOs, government, financial institution, private sector …) • Rigid control from services providers • Services or projects unaligned on farmers’ needs and reality • Non sustainable approach

15. Agricultural Advising Sector - Some Solutions - • Farmer level (mainly by farmer union and partners) • Technical training • Business development services • Support to local initiatives • Market level (mainly by farmer union and partners) • Grouped access to credit • Facilitate access to input (ex. provide fertilizer on credit) • Grouped sale

16. Agricultural Advising Sector - Some Challenges - • Union level (mainly by federation and partners) • Individual and organizational capacity building • Develop improved relations with partners • Make room for innovation • Sector level(mainly by federation and partners) • Influence donors for • more coherence among services provided • more flexibility in project design and monitoring • Etc.

17. Leverage point- Where EWB choose to act - • Farmer and market level - Support to business development services • Conseil à l’ExploitationFamiliale(CEF) • Through trainings and advices from field agents • Enable farmers to • Manage efficiently their farm • Have better interactions with the market and the different services providers • Make shift from subsistence activities to farming as a lasting business

18. Leverage point- Where EWB choose to act - Axis 2. CEF approach better answer to farmers needs • Farmer and market level - Support to business development services • The CEF approach is integrated to other services [approach] • The CEF approach is evolutionary [approach] • The federations are innovative organizations [organisational]

19. Leverage point- Where EWB choose to act - Axis 1. The quality of services given to farmers is improved • Union level – Individual and organizational capacity building • Field agents have better skills and tools to fulfill their tasks [individual] • Managers of unions/federations manage more efficiently information and human and financial resources [individual] • Unions/federations partners has more efficient support systems (eg. effective meetings, M&E …) [organizational]

20. Leverage point- Where EWB choose to act - Axis 3. “ Create a national coherence around the practice of agricultural advising • Sector level– Influencethe sector gouvernance • Evolve the relation between donors and farmer unionstoward • A greater autonomy • A greater investment in the union • Build on the existing management network to improve the coherence of support provided to farmers • Donors take into account the need to invest in implementation capacities of CEF

21. In summary- The EWB Strategy -

22. What about me ? Axis 1. The quality of services given to farmers is improved • Union level – Individual and organizational capacity building of a provincial union (UPPAB) • Create and implement a professional development program for the field agents • Build trust and develop a vision • Identify required KSA • Develop tools and learning opportunities • Invest in the field agent manager’s leadership and coaching capacities Alexandre

23. What about me ? Axis 1. The quality of services given to farmers is improved • Create and implement a professional development program for the president • Build trust and develop a vision • Identify required KSA • Develop tools and learning opportunities • Invest in his leadership and management skills to improve the union effectiveness overall Marc

24. What about me ? Axis 1. The quality of services given to farmers is improved • Support the union toward a greater quality and effectiveness of the services provided to the farmers • Carry out an organizational diagnosis of the union • Assist the president in identifying and acting on the leverage points to improve the effectiveness of the union (structure/communication/financial resources, etc.) • Assist the president and the field agent manager in developing, planning and implementing the different services provided to the farmers

25. What about me ?- Challenges - • Trust building requires time and thoughtfulness • Lack of availability of people • A complete new world (capacity building and agriculture ≠ robots ! ) • Cultural differences • working methods • communication rules • Gender inequality

26. What about me ?- Successes - • Partner organisation • Field agent manager (Alexandre) • Build trust and develop a vision with Alexandre • Workshops on leadership, coaching and analytical tools • President (Marc) • Initiate a vision for the union • Initiate a willingness for self development • Personal • HUGE amount of learning • Better understanding of Dorothy’s reality and complexity of the development sector • New friendships that cross over cultural differences !

27. Thank you !Noemie ParadisAfrican Program StaffBurkina Fasonoemieparadis@ewb.ca