GTZ APPROACH TO PARTICIPATORY EXTENSION. FROM INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO THE DRAWA MODEL AREA IN FIJI

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1 FROM INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO THE DRAWA MODEL AREA IN FIJI GTZ was established in It is organized as a Ltd- company owned by the German Federal Government. GTZ works on a public benefit basis, using all generated benefits exclusively for projects in international cooperation. Our work is international cooperation for sustainable development. We operate worldwide. Currently we are implementing some 2700 development projects and programs in over 130 countries. GTZ has own offices in 67 partner countries. Of our ca. 10,000 employees some 1000 work at our German Head Office Christine Fung & Rainer J. Blank SPC/GTZ Pacific-German Regional Forestry Project PACIFIC-GERMAN REGIONAL FORESTRY PROJEC

2 .. These figures I have given are wrong.

3 GTZ as an international service provider. Short history of approaches to agricultural and rural development extension Mid 1970 s Early 80 s Objectives were mainly set by the cooperating Governments of the Partner Country (e.g. line- Ministries) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Objectives aimed at poverty eradication, improved food security, increased production, enhancing self-help and generate employment Addressing identified core problems (e.g. information and communication gaps), focus was to provide commodity oriented, technical expertise (information, education, advise) which was mainly sectoral (e.g. infrastructure development, farm diversification, increase rice or seed production, establish market information or veterinary services, pest eradication programs, establishing and management of irrigation schemes) Projects were targeting and worked with both the primary target groups (e.g. farmers) and on- site staff of defined sector agencies (Ministries/Departments). Project staff was often located in rural areas

4 Development and obligatory application of the Goal Oriented Project Planning and reporting tools (GOPP = ZOPP) which required proportional participation of beneficiaries. Identifying the core problem in the mid 70 s..

5 Mid 80 s Early 90 s Objectives were mainly set by the cooperating Governments of the Partner Country (e.g. line-ministries), also involving main rural stakeholders( e.g. representatives of farmer groups, producer associations, NGO) Objectives aimed at poverty alleviation, food security, increased production in an economically viable, socially and culturally acceptable manner, enhancing self-help capacities, income and employment generation Reduced direct involvement of projects in working with primary target groups. Focus on advisory tasks and cooperation with intermediary counterparts (Government and NGO) who were expected to deliver extension services to the target groups Shift from mainly sectoral, technical extension services to an integrated / polyvalent/ multisectoral extension service approach, focusing and promoting holistic / integrated farming systems (putting Farming Systems Research into practice)

6 .Sir, all have come today! The Soil Scientist, Pest Controller, Sales Agent and I m the Planning Officer..! But this strange character over there don t know what he s doing..!

7 cont.: Mid 80 s Early 90 s Provide assistance and support to restructure extension services. Establishing model cases for e.g. Integrated extension and marketing centers, linking services of several sectoral / line agencies Provide Information and advise in strategy and policy development, strengthen decentralized organizational structures (e.g. formation of farmer groups, producer associations, cooperatives) Maximum participation of beneficiaries- and stakeholders-representatives in project planning became obligatory Farms were widely understood as being an integrated enterprise, requiring professional management Link rural enterprises (individual and cooperatives) with research institutions (e.g. on-farm research, farmer-owned and managed model farms) and private sector business (e.g. marketing, processing) and the banking sector (e.g. mobile banking services, micro-credit schemes for rural areas)

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9 Mid 90 s Early 2000 s Objectives were mainly set by the cooperating Governments of the Partner Country (e.g. line-ministries), and the main rural stakeholders( e.g. representatives of farmer groups, producer associations, NGO) Objectives aimed at poverty reduction, enhancing self-help capacities, participation and gender balance, income and employment generation, sustainable and integrated management of natural resources and the environment Strengthen commercialization of extension services and a greater involvement of civil society organizations in service delivery (e.g. resource-owner associations, NGO, Land care / environmental groups) Strengthening small & medium scale-, agro-based enterprises Professionalizing and commercialization of the farming sector Promote Public-Private Partnership and private service providers (for profit and not-for-profit e.g. NGO s) like Chambers of Agriculture, Farmers Associations, large enterprises e.g. Forest Plantation Companies or the Sugar Industry Enhance project ownership, cost and benefit sharing of farmers/resource-owners (e.g. co-financing extension services

10 Assist and support partner countries to review / outline strategies, policies, regulatory frameworks and legislations on regional, national and local levels also in view of international and regional obligations (e.g. MDGs) Since 2003 GTZ shifted focus from result/target oriented planning and M+E to impact oriented project planning and M+E

11 THE DRAWA MODEL AREA IN FIJI Christine Fung SPC/GTZ Pacific-German Regional Forestry Project

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13 Challenges How to restructure and maintain an efficient and effective extension Service, despite: Restricted Human and financial resources of Pacific Island Countries and Territories, forcing Governments to further reduce funding and staff The growing demand for participation of both commercial and non-commercial resources-owners Few income and employment alternatives to an increasingly unsustainable subsistence agriculture The risk to further marginalize low income households through commercialization of extension services ( If you don t pay, you don t get!) The different needs of subsistence farmers, commercial smallholder and community based producers How to balance the need to increase productivity and income in all sectors (e.g. agriculture, forestry, water/energy, settlements and infrastructure or tourism) with the growing international, regional and national requirements to sustainably manage natural resources and the environment (e.g. conflicting land use) How to reduce sectoral fragmentation of extension services and promote integrated extension service delivery How to avoid role conflicts (more often inherent in public sector organizations): Adviser controller middleman How to reduce dependency from external funding/donors

14 THANK YOU!