Insights based on BAIF s four decade s of work in development sector

Transcription

1 Capacity Building Of Youths On Livelihoods : Insights based on BAIF s four decade s of work in development sector Presentation For Workshop By Manthan Team Co creating New Practice :Innovations In Livelihoods Education at XIMB- Bhubaneshwar,Feb : 5-6 th 2015 Rajashree Joshi BAIF Development Research Foundation

2 Livelihoods for poor and disadvantaged in rural areas is at the core of BAIF s work strategy and approach BAIF s Mission is to create opportunities of gainful selfemployment for the rural families, especially disadvantaged sections, ensuring sustainable livelihood, enriched environment, improved quality of life and good human values Since Inception, BAIF has developed and transferred successfully several technologies for increasing the livelihood options of rural poor and dis-advantaged sections of the society mainly in remote rural and tribal areas

3 Constant need for good quality livelihood manpower /human capital while working There is constant need for good quality livelihood team with sound techno managerial skills and sensitivity towards poor and disadvantaged. Team with proper Community knowledge and awareness on contextual needs Team with ability to respond quickly to changing development context and policy changes Team with required sensitivity, attitudes, value system and commitments Team with required skills to understand beneficiary's perspective Team with proper mix of subject expertise and interdisciplinary knowledge base Team with required people skills

4 BAIF 'S Response 1: Internal Management Development Programs, induction programs Helps to equip staffs for livelihood program conceptualization, planning, management, monitoring and evaluation ( NRM based livelihood options, non farm,innovative livelihood options ) Helps in sensitizing staffs on emerging issues, recent policy changes related to livelihoods of disadvantaged in rural and tribal areas ( Ex: issues like Climate Change, Policies and programs like : FRA,PESA, IPP, NREGS,Vanbandhu Kalyan,NRLM etc ) Helps to facilitate cross learning sharing on livelihood Best Practices, transfer and internalization of values, vision and philosophy of the organization. This is achieved by facilitated interactions with BAIF seniors, field exposures, screening of archival video clippings ( Interviews of BAIF seniors ) etc The uniqueness of BAIF MDP and Induction program is that the learning is contextualized and is drawn using field experiences of senior staffs from across 9 different states and agro ecological zones where BAIF has programmatic presence. BAIF has also developed repository of knowledge based on field experiences covering variety of sectoral interventions and required social processes!

5 BAIF s Response 2: Fellowship programs( Spark and SBI Youth for India created as an opportunity to youth to get engage and contribute to in rural development cause and learn! Started and strengthened as an opportunity to youth,having organized set of knowledge and passion to contribute to the cause of rural development Helps in creating a platform to allow the interested youths to get engaged and contribute meaningfully to rural livelihoods Provides an opportunity to understand the rural and tribal development context and then apply knowledge and skills Helps in sensitizing urban youth about causes of underdevelopment and nature of interrelationship of factors responsible Fosters innovations and creativity ( Bamboo processing kits, promotion of tribal art and craft, NAHARI etc) Learning is interspersed with specially designed in house training and perspective building efforts involving BAIF s domain experts and senior officials!

6 BAIF s Response 3: Encouragement for innovative livelihoods and newer program directions within BAIF : Learning while doing opportunity for the staff! Encouragement for newer development directions and incubation of new livelihood promotion ideas ( Ex: Promotion of small plot high value agriculture crops like floriculture, yam, castor ) Forest resource based livelihoods ( Lac, tasar, in land fishery, water chestnut cultivation, CFRA facilitation etc) New program directions such as work around crop germplasm conservation, revival of local healers in tribal areas, bamboo based livelihoods, work around FRA, CFRA etc Work through new Thematic Centers to address the needs of Niche geographical regions ( Hill and Desert ) and to respond to emerging development opportunities ex: Agri business, tribal tourism, vocational skill building etc.

7 BAIF s Response 4 : Building partnerships with Scientific And Technical Institutions for capacity building staff and participants As a program strategy, linkages are built with technical and scientific institutions ( such as ICAR ) which helps in scouting of relevant technologies and building capacities of our teams,which helps in improving quality of livelihood program delivery (Ex: Institute of Gums and Resins,Ranchi, CAZRI,Jodhpur etc) BAIF has recently entered into an overarching MoU with ICAR for Research, training and technology transfer related collaborations Regular exposure visits of staff and participants are planned to these research and technical institutes, which helps in adoption of suitable technologies for livelihood generation BAIF has also developed working partnership with two Open Universities i.e.- IGNOU and YCMOU for extension of training modules on agri- horti activities and Watershed And Water Harvesting Programs for working professionals ( The curriculum is modified based on four decades of work experience of BAIF team ).Also involved in development management training for 4 batches with S.P. JAIN Institute for the course PGCDM ( Post Graduate Certificate in Development Management : For development professionals )

8 BAIF s response 5 : Building capacities of field teams for participatory livelihood need identification and preparation of development perspective plans, Regular MRMs ( Monthly review meetings) and regional Project Review Committee meetings To remain responsive to changing development context and to actual needs of villagers, a field level assessment is undertaken to assess livelihood needs in remote tribal clusters Special efforts are put in to build the capacities of field teams, by conducting in house sessions, exposure visits, field exercises etc. During interactions effort is made to develop proper perspective and sensitivity amongst the staff Livelihood facilitation is also achieved through regular review meetings in each state and at regions. This ensures phase wise inputs and support by senior and experienced team members Thrust is also laid on promoting and nurturing people s organizations such as cooperatives, SHG federations, farmer s collectives, Commodity Interest Groups ( CIGs) This helps building local capacities for anchoring and coordinating livelihood promotion activities and village level entrepreneurship / micro enterprise development

9 BAIF s response 6 : : Internship opportunities for students and professionals from management schools, Agriculture universities, social work schools, corporate houses ETC Many interns are placed with BAIF every year. This provides opportunity to fresher's to understand the ground realities, development issues. This also helps in getting practical skills by independently working on short duration assignments The assignment topics ranges from : Baseline studies, evaluation of a program intervention, preparation of a business plan for group activity, SWOT analysis, preparation of case studies as best practice document, exploratory studies, getting involved in activity implementation, extension and community mobilization work etc. Tailor made exposure visits and sensitization programs are also conducted for in service livelihood professionals and fresher from Tata Administrative Services, Co-co cola, HSBC etc In the process participants learn many aspects of livelihood development and also get required development perspectives and program management skills

10 BAIF s response 7 : Building cadre of local technicians and CRPs In all important programs thrust is laid on building capacities of local youth and equip them with required skills, knowledge and attitude ( Ex:Water academy, lac program, wadi program etc) Approach of Bakri Mitra, Prerak ( Lac /tasar expert, para vet, vaidu CRPs, field guide, CDC Center In charge etc) This team of local technicians helps in further replication and up scaling of programs

11 Key Learning's Livelihoods is a system and thus it s promotion in rural and tribal areas require multidisciplinary team efforts.. There is a need to make team aware about interdependence of livelihood interventions in a given context Livelihoods are formed within broader socio -economic, environmental and political contexts. Thus understanding these is precondition for successful promotion of livelihoods.. The skills in livelihood baseline assessment are necessary before planning new interventions Policies creates obstacles or opportunities for livelihoods in a region,thus need to make professionals aware of these changing policy scenarios as well Need to make youth aware about stresses and shocks which affects livelihood promotion efforts in rural settings Partnerships with technical and scientific institutions helps in scouting and adoption of suitable technologies for improved options for livelihoods

12 Key Learning continued Need to foster innovations and nurture talents by creating more immersion opportunities for youth having required organized knowledge and commitment Need to facilitate process to translate theories in to practice and develop new theories from generated practical learning's For livelihoods' one of the approach is to enhance and sustain production base of natural resources.. Here a subject matter specialist/ domain expert can contribute best,with his organized technical knowledge,which helps blending of S& T tools Building local cadre of livelihood facilitators/ local technicians is very useful approach for promotion of livelihoods Need to explore scope for contextualizing livelihood approach strategy related learning..as this helps in effective learning! Need to teach ways to understand the beneficiary perspectives, contextual needs, setting and how to remain responsive to changing context and how to benefit from emerging opportunities..

13 Thank you