Prolinnova Sudan Programme
Process
Description: Prolinnova Programme in Sudan started
in January 2005.
ITDG-Sudan,
being the leading agency for the programme informed the two concerned
government counterparts, the Technology Transfer and Extension Administration
(TTEA) and the Agricultural Research and Technology Corporation
(ARTC) of the fact that the programme has been approved and funding
of activities will start in January 2005.
ITDG-Sudan,
TTEA and ARTC agreed to form a National Steering Committee (NSC)
and in April 2004, the committee was formed from seven members of
the following institutions:
-
TTEA;
- ARTC;
- Sudanese
Environment Conservation Society (SECS) a local NGO;
-
Sudanese Organic Agriculture, a local NGO;
- UN
Food and Agriculture Organization;
- UN
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); and
- ITDG-Sudan,
which is the leading agency of the Prolinnova Programme in Sudan
and herefore
its representative, is now working as the Prolinnova Sudan Programme
Coordinator.
During
2004 only limited number of activities supported from ETC were achieved.
These include the following points:
The
NSC met several times at the ITDG-Sudan office at Khartoum and discussed
launching of the programme and preparations were made to start it.
It was agreed that the first thing to start with was convening the
national workshop to enlighten all the stakeholders of the programme
which should then be followed by convening of similar workshops
at the states level to invite more people from the respective states
and inform them about the programme in general
Prolinnova
Programme Coordinator was invited to attend the first Prolinnova
International workshop held at Yirgalem, Ethiopia during March 2004.
During that workshop Prolinnova Programme Oversight Group (POD)
was selected and the Prolinnova Programme Coordinator was selected
as one of the POG members.
Prolinnova
International Programme's leading agency, ETC Ecoculture, organized
a Training of Facilitators course for Training of Trainers and subcontracted
the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) at the
Philippines to conduct the training making use of the IIRR good
facilities and distinguished instructors in the field of Participatory
Innovation Development and Participatory Technology Development.
The course was convened during June 2004 at the IIRR Centre at Cavite,
Philippines and was attended by three people from Sudan, the TTEA
Director at Kassala State, the Project Manager of the Food Security
Project, one of ITDG-Sudan supported projects in the country and
the Prolinnova Sudan Programme Coordinator. Objectives of the course
was to train people (as TOT) from different countries to be able
to train others when they return to their respective countries.
While
attending the first International Workshop at Ethiopia and the Training
of Facilitators Course at Philippines the Sudan Prolinnova Programme
Coordinator met representatives from other organizations of other
countries and representatives of donors and was able to exchange
information with them. Accordingly, he was offered a chance to attend
the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) workshop held
at Accra, Ghana convened during April 2004. The overall aim of the
workshop was to develop a regional strategy for Information and
Communication Technology ICT / Information and Communication Management
(ICM) in Agricultural Research for Development, leading to the establishment
of a Regional Agricultural Information System. During the workshop
he briefed the participants about Prolinnova and how the programme
is relevant to the objective of the workshop. Also he was able to
obtain some useful documents in the field of pastoralists in the
Horn of Africa. He made a good link with the CAB International representative
at Kenya, which will be a good chance for exchange of information
to further develop the Prolinnova Programme in the country as well
as the ITDG-Sudan Programme in different aspects of development.
While
attending the Training of Facilitators Course, the Prolinnova Sudan
Programme Coordinator prepared, in collaboration with other participants
from Sudan and ETC Ecoculture participants the draft work plan for
the country. This was prepared as part of the course requirements.
Based on the draft work plan the National Workshop for the Sudan
Prolinnova Programme was convened on 29 November 2004. Minor changes
were made on the draft work plan during the national workshop and
the work plan was approved. One of the recommendations of the workshop
participants on the wok plan was to add a member from the training
institutions to the National Steering Committee members. The states
workshops will start by convening Kassala State Workshop which is
agreed that it will take place on 7 March 2005 for one day. Minister
of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Irrigation for Kassala State
and the Director General recommended this date for convening the
workshop and also agreed to allocate funds for covering the workshop
from Kassala State resources.
Work
plan for the next year (January – December 2005):
-
Convene all States workshops in time to in order to finish the
last one in August 2005;
- Inventory
of innovative ideas to select the appropriate ones in a one day
workshop to be conducted at Khartoum;
- Formation
of PTD/PID teams to conduct the experiments
- Conduct
experiments to validate innovative ideas; and
- Write
shop of innovative ideas.
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