New strategies for farmer training

The farmer training arm of the University of Natural Resources and Environment’s Kairak Vudal Resource Training Centre (KVRTC) has developed new strategies to effectively deliver its integrated agriculture training programme (IATP) to farmers.

The centre, through its monitoring and evaluation (M&E) section developed three new strategies: livelihoods analysis, interview techniques and extension skills and stakeholders’ analysis which they recently implemented in Maprik in East Sepik Province.

Officer in charge of the M& E section, Linda Ningo, said these new approaches were introduced to ensure that IATP trainings brought maximum positive benefits to people’s livelihoods.

Ningo explained that livelihood analysis assisted  the university know exactly which IATP training module would be most relevant to the needs of a target group of people in a certain area.

The stakeholders’ analysis finds out how effectively the university can work closely with stakeholders in delivering IATP training, while the interview techniques and extension skills assist field data collectors establish whether or not IATP trainings achieved their desired outcomes with farmers.

The three strategies were trialled in Maprik last month by university lecturer Mathias Liu and three KVRTC officers Leo Darius, Janna Candy and Ningo.

Livelihood analysis was conducted in Kuminibis village 1&2 in Maprik/Wora local level government (LLG) and Ulupu ward in Yamil/Tamaui LLG and focused on five target groups: women, men, young women, young men and community leaders.

Based on the analysis, the team came up with recommendations for the areas.

Modules recommended for the two wards were: sustainable livelihoods, basic bookkeeping, land use and soil fertility, vegetable farming, cocoa, livestock and market and supply chain management.

The stakeholders’ analysis conducted involved four stakeholders: Foundation of Women in Agriculture Development (FOWIAD), divisions of primary industry and commerce and Coffee Industry Corporation.

The team discovered that in order to effectively deliver training to people, the university should continue to remain neutral and work closely in partnership with all stakeholders in Maprik and East Sepik province as a whole in delivering IATP training.

In the interview techniques and extension skills workshop that was conducted for two days, 25 participants from various organisations such as FOWIAD, division of primary industry and some women’s groups were assisted to develop questionnaires to ascertain suitable interview methods to find out whether IATP trainings had benefited the population.

The interview techniques and extension skills can also be used for M&E purposes.

Ningo said the outcomes of the two analyses carried out and the workshop were successful and would recommend that the same approach be taken in all new areas IATP trainings were taken into.