Participatory Innovation Development (PID):  A Training of Facilitators' Course
June 26 to July 11, 2006
Kampala , Uganda

This two-week course is a Prolinnova initiative and will be jointly organized by the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) with the Environmental Alert Uganda. It is open for practitioners from Prolinnova (Promoting Local Innovation), a global learning network promotes local innovation in ecologically oriented agriculture and natural resource management, as well as from other organizations and networks.

…The challenge

Technology-driven approaches to development assumes that local people, farmers in particular, do not know much about their situation and continue to adhere to “backward” farming practices. Experience shows however, that local people adapt their farming practices and develop appropriate institutions in order to achieve food security, sustain their livelihoods and safeguard the environment. They develop new and better ways of doing things through informal experimentation. It is important for those providing development services such as agricultural/natural resource management research and development organizations to be aware of these processes and be able to engage in them. This engagement will strengthen their capacities to support community-led initiatives through participatory innovation development.

The course recognizes the need for researchers and extension officers to be more capable of supporting innovations by farmers, validating, documenting and spreading them more widely, conducting joint experimentations with them, and building-on farmer innovation in their work. It hopes to build the capacities of key resource people to become effective trainers in PID for agricultural/NRM research and development professionals.

…The objectives

At the end of the two-week course, the participants will have:

1. Understood the different strategies to identify and spread farmer/local innovations and link-up and support local innovation using a PID approach
2. Identified capacity development needs of professionals and farmers, developed training design, evaluate training and set up follow-up activities after training;
3. Demonstrated facilitation skills that encourage active participation of “trainees” in training and learning
4. Identified concrete ideas for applying learnings from the course in their organizations' PID capacity building efforts and/or formulated a draft country specific action plan for training and coaching in PID.

…Creative learning methods

The course will employ methodologies that will contribute to the personal transformation of participants towards giving value to participatory processes, respect and being agents of learning during the PID process. The methods used, behaviours and attitudes of the facilitators will mirror the principles of PID. Key learning methodologies include experience sharing, field practicum, interacting with local people, action planning and group work. Through experience sharing, the participants will be aware of the challenges faced by development professionals and scientists in moving local innovations further towards joint experimentation and integrating relevant information and ideas coming from others including formal research. Action planning will concretize ideas for learning application in the participants' PID efforts.

…Subsidized cost

This course is primarily intended for representatives from the ongoing Prolinnova country programs. The costs for their participation are being underwritten by a grant from DGIS. Recognizing that others may wish to participate in the training program, a limited number of participants will also be accepted to the course, provided they meet the minimum selection criteria. Cost for their participation will be a ‘subsidized' fee of US$1,800. Resource persons include PID experts from Prolinnova country programs and International Support Team.

…What participants say about the course:

“This was a very good training course, highly well-organized and this is reflected in the extent to which the objectives were met.  It balanced theory, practical and fun.”

“I think the course facilitators were flexible in changing the schedule to accommodate participants' views and that was very useful to me.  Since I did not have full conceptualization of the subject, the presentations made by participants really helped me.  In closing, I feel confident and ready to challenge the world again.”

“If the learning experience provided by the talented team of IIRR provides a perfect cake, just you wait till you see the icing – the country to country learning.  I rate this course tops!”

“I found the course very practical as it showed me exactly what to do. Very useful in showing steps on how to analyze the situation and draw conclusions from.'

“I have learned a lot from this course.  Before I came, I only had little knowledge on the difference of local innovation and indigenous knowledge.  And also on PID/PTD.  Now I can go back to my country with much knowledge acquired here.  I have also learnt a lot on facilitation skills.  I am glad to IIRR for this great opportunity.”

…To apply

For more information and to receive an application form, contact:

Education and Training Program
International Institute of Rural Reconstruction
Y.C. James Yen Center
Silang, Cavite 4118, Philippines
Telefax: 6346 414 2417
Email:education&training@iirr.org and/or angie.algo@iirr.org

Environmental Alert
P.O.Box 11259 Kampala Uganda
Email: rlutalo@envalert.org
Telephone: +256-41-510215/510547/ 256-712404738
Fax: +256-41-510547

IIRR Uganda
Telefax: +256-41542339/ +256-712803937
E-mail: iirr@utlonline.co.ug