FACILITATING RURAL INNOVATIONS AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

1. FACILITATING RURAL INNOVATIONS AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS CURRICULA FOR POST-GRADUATE DIPLOMA AND SHORT COURSES FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS

2. Workshop Participants • Christine Onyango, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology • Isaac Kosgey, Egerton University • Mary Ambula, Egerton University • Maurice Shiluli, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute • Samuel Mwonga, Egerton University • Richard Hawkins, International Centre for development oriented Research in Agriculture • Gitonga Mburugu, Kenyatta University • Jessica Ndubi, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute • Peter Gitika, Kenya Federation of Agricultural Producers • Rosemary Mwanza, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development

3. Introduction • The Problem • graduates that are not adequately prepared to work on complex rural development problems. • graduates lack adequate skills in team building and facilitation, and the mindsets and attitudes required in the rural sector • Rural development professionals require skills in team building, and the facilitation of multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral partnerships.

4. A: Postgraduate Diploma Programme • Team Skills • Systems Thinking • Natural Resource Management • Agri-Business and Value . • Participation Gender and Equitable Development • Programme Planning and Resource Mobilization

5. Overall Learning Objectives The diploma graduates will be able to: • Work effectively in, and facilitate, inter-disciplinary teams and multi-stakeholder partnerships; • Analyse complex rural development challenges, integrating different disciplinary and stakeholder perspectives; • Work with local stakeholders to design sustainable agricultural production systems; • Develop business plans with different stakeholders in a product value chain; • Design interventions that empower rural people and lead to equitable development; • Develop integrated action plans and write competitive proposals.

6. General Programme Characteristics Target Group • Professionals in rural development (government, NGO and private sector) and graduates, with or without working experience, aiming at working for rural development Programme Duration and Structure • Nine Months distributed into 2 Semesters Admission Requirements • To be determined in accordance with University regulations. Learning Methods • Increased use of interactive and experiential learning methods Examination • Written final exams, Assignments, CATS, Peer assessment, Tutor assessment

7. Course Contents and Learning Outcomes

8. 1. Team Skills Content Team building, partnership development, facilitation, leadership, conflict resolution, negotiation skills and personal mastery. Learning Outcomes • Graduates should be able to work effectively in and facilitate interdisciplinary teams and multistakeholder partnerships. Specifically they should be able to: • Understand, appreciate and improve personal skills in communication;

9. Specific Learning Outcomes Cont… • Understand the factors that affect multi-stakeholder interaction, and develop and facilitate effective partnerships; • Understand factors that lead to effective teamwork, participate in and facilitate effective teams; • Analyse causes of conflict and formulate steps to resolve them; • Appreciate experiential learning and develop personal group learning skills.

10. 2. Systems Thinking Content Systems, stakeholder analysis, typology, integrating perspectives, stakeholder perspectives, macro-trends and scenario analysis Learning Outcomes • Graduates should be able to analyse complex rural development challenges integrating different disciplinary and stakeholder perspective.

11. 3. Natural Resource Management Content Agro-ecosystems, PRA, nutrient management, soil conservation, climate change, biodiversity, common property management, sustainability and environmental impact analysis. Learning Objectives • Graduates should be able to work with local stakeholders to design sustainable agricultural production systems

12. 4. Agri-Business and Value Chains Content Agribusiness, product chains, value addition, agro-industry cluster, competitiveness, cost-benefit analysis, farmer organization and empowerment Learning Objectives • Graduates should be able to develop business plans with different stakeholders within a product value chain

13. 5. Participation, Gender And Equitable Development Content Social organization, stakeholder linkages, livelihood analysis, gender analysis, farmer organization, social decision making. Learning Outcomes • Graduates should be able to design interventions that empower rural people and lead to equitable development.

14. 6. Programme Planning and Resource Mobilization Content Research methods, monitoring and evaluation, evaluation of the rural situation, project/project planning, proposal writing Learning Outcomes • Graduates should be able to develop integrated community action plans and write competitive proposals.

15. B: Short Courses in IAR4D for Rural Development Practitioners • Basic team skills for professionals (within organisations) • Personal mastery and facilitation of learning processes • Organising and empowering farmer groups • Managing and leading teams and organisations • Facilitating partnerships and proposal writing • Basic team skills for farmer groups

16. Overall Objectives • Promote partnership of rural people and other stakeholders. • Manage interdisciplinary and inter-institutional teams. • Apply systems thinking in the broad sense. • Combine scientific knowledge and procedures with local knowledge and experimentation capacity. • Prioritise research and development activities with stakeholders • Write and submit research proposals and business plans • Use information and communication technology

17. Course Contents/Themes

18. 1. Basic team skills for professionals (within organisations) Target Groups • Frontline extension staff of the Ministries of Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry Development; • Staff of development NGOs; • District development staff of Government offices (SDO, DWE, DFO, DDO); • Staff of microfinance programmes; • Trainers, lecturers at universities & other learning institutes; • Agricultural Researchers (KARI, Universities) Themes • Facilitation and leadership • Conflict management/negotiation • Personality types and personal skills • To foster team spirit in the work place

19. 1. Basic team skills for professionals (within organisations) Cont… Course Objectives • At the end of the course the trainees should be able to: • To initiate and manage teams • Perform as effective and efficient team players • Manage time effectively • Create an enabling environment for team operation • Embrace current leadership concepts • Know how to resolve conflicts through negotiation • Know how to communicate effectively with persons of different personality types

20. 2. Basic Team Skills for Farmer GroupsThemes Group formation Time management Leadership and leadership styles Conflict management 3. Personal Mastery and Facilitation of Learning Process Themes Emotional intelligence Adult learning Experiential learning Facilitation Learning styles

21. 4. Managing Organisational Change Themes The changing institutional environment in Kenya Organisational structure and change Personnel management and change Learning and organisational change 5. Organising and Empowering Farmer Groups Themes Value chains and farmer empowerment Organisational development and institutional strengthening Business plan and proposal writing

22. 6. Facilitating Partnership and Proposal Writing • Themes • Stakeholders analysis • Planning • Proposal writing • Building partnerships • Monitoring and evaluation

23. The End