Joint meeting with IDE (International Development Enterprises)

Today, on August 19, 2008 I and Mr. Lang Seng Horng, director of CESDE (Cedac Enterprise for Social Development) went to IDE office in Phnom Penh for a whole-day discussion on a new project, that project is called "Linking farmers with Market for Rural Prosperity" and it will be jointly implemented by IDE, CEDAC and PADEK. The target area will be selected along the national road 1, Prey Veng to Svay Rieng province. Up to now, we have discussed and agreed to prepare the project's budget of each partner, to identify and select the target site, etc. Hopefully, this project will be implemented very soon so that we can improve the capacity of farmers, especially the poorest farmers to produce vegetable for market supply, it is to note that each of CEDAC and PADEK will be responsible to improve the livelihood of 500 target families with increasing of income 150$, the vegetable farmer producer group is conducted. There will be 60,000 USD of the project's budget for both CEDAC and PADEK. To me, I think that even though this project seems to be small, but we can have more change to strengthen the vegetable farmer producer group and especially to link those groups to NAP (Natural Agriculture Product) in Svay Rieng and Prey Veng provinces and a few CFAs will be employed.

Field Monitoring by Mr. Nop Sotheara, programme officer of USAID

August 07, 2008, Mr. Nop Sotheara, program officer of USAID visited 4 farmers in 2 villages, Kangan Pong and Romdeng village of Spean Thnot commune, Chi Kreng district, Siem Reap Province. The hosted visit was taken place at the target villages of AIBC3 (Avian Influenza Behavior Change Project), Mr. Kin Mengse, program officer of CEDAC who is the project coordinator of AIBC accompanied him for the field visit. The purpose of the visit is to (1) monitor farmers’ understanding and practice on the messages of avian influenza, (2) Check the progress of farmers’ practice on the technique of ecological chicken raising (ECR).

Based on the result of the visit, we can conclude that farmers have practiced well the techniques of ECR such as “build up the fence for chicken, provide mix feed, separate healthy chicken and sick chicken, clean to ensure good sanitation inside the chicken fence and chicken house, use herbal plant to soak within water for chicken, make compost for chicken to scratch, etc”. However, farmers need to try more effort in order to increase the chicken production so that they can increase more income for the family, the alternative of setting up chicken producer group should be conducted among farmers in these new target villages.

Strategic meeting of FNP

On August 04, 2008, 13 staff who are the core team members of FNP (CEDAC’s Field Program Unit) joint a special meeting, the meeting venue was held at SUON SOBEN resort, the meeting aimed to discuss on the following points: -Definition of this group (Core Team of FNP) -Review strategy of FNP -Discussion on CFA (Community Field Assistant) and its policy support -Discussion on role and responsibility program officer, farmer community facilitator, -Revisit the structure of CEDAC

As the result, we could discuss and decide some main points such as:

-We have thought about the main criteria of staff who are able to include as the member of FNP core team and we have determined the unique role of FNP's core team members, especially to distinguish the different role between FNP's core team and FNP's coordination team.

-In relating to the future strategy of FNP, we will try to develop more proposal to expand our field activity. Specifically, the proposal relating to women empowerment will be developed and Mr. Tath Sok and Ms. Mok Chenda are hopefully to be the persons who are responsible for this task. Additionally, the participants have also discussed how to strengthen the quality of FNP's rural development work, for example the discussion on the optimal number of target village that should be responsible for one staff or FCF (Farmer Community Facilitator).

-Concerning to CFA, we will develop a clear contract with them if they are recruited as the project's staff, we need to make clear about the policy support to all of them, especially CEDAC will pay more attention to the quality of CFA in order to ensure that majority of them will be able to find a good job after completion of the course with CEDAC.

-It was nice to review and determine precisely the role and responsibility of FNP’s staff at different position, such as the role and responsibility of FNP's director, program officer, zonal coordinator/provincial coordinator, project coordinator, project officer and farmer community facilitator, etc. It is to remark that the program officer of FNP need to be responsible to manage 3 development projects at least. On the other hand, we have agreed to continue discussion on capitalization of practical experience of FNP and strategic support to FNN (Farmer and Natural Net) on the other days, the meeting will be taken place on 26-27 August 2008 at CJCC (Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center) in Phnom Penh.

Meeting of AIBC3 working group

I would like to brief you the internal meeting of AIBC3 working group that was held on June 06, 2008 at CEDAC office in Phnom Penh.The main meeting’s agenda is indicated as follows: -Sharing attractive information and activity and result of the project -Summing up the progress of chicken producer group -Preparing format for data collection on the project’s impact -Training on main poultry diseases in Cambodia -Providing impression and making appointment for next meeting. Based on the result of the meeting, we could know that during May 2008, the project’s staff have done some activities as follows:

-10 commune workshops were organized with 123 commune council members and village chief, among them 21 are women.
-4 district workshops with representatives of chicken producer groups were organized with 311 participants, 73 women.
-15 village meetings were organized in order to set up chicken producer group, 189 participants participated in the meeting
-30 training sessions for village promoters were organized with 483 VPs (149 women) Particularly, up to now, the number of chicken producer group has increased up to 751groups (9294 group members). It is a success rate that the project’s donor may well satisfy because the project expectation is only 500 chicken producer group if refer to the project document.

It seems to be that the project has succeeded in forming up chicken producer group. It is apart of the project’s success because number of chicken producer group is one among the main project’s outputs. Additionally, we can conclude that the participants understand more and more about the main poultry diseases especially we have learned about the basis and how to prevent chicken from disease, for example the definition of disease, source of diseases come from, how to prevent it, etc.

The meeting provided us the basic idea and guideline for organizing group training on poultry disease to village promoters and other beneficiary farmers. With the understanding on lesson of disease, it stimulated us to take action on prevention method rather than cure or treatment. Therefore, if farmers would like to get a good result, they actually need to improve the prevention method.

Additionally, meanwhile the meeting, we could see the progress of number of chicken producer group especially the situation of collective selling that is likely not so progressing well due to shortage of negotiation skill and marketing strategy with middlemen. Ultimately, all of us have agreed to collect data of project’s impact based on the distributed form and the result will be given back on 09 July 2009 during the training on interpersonal skill. The result of this study will be helpful to determine the project’s impact both quantitative and qualitative information.

Field visit to ALP Modulkiri

From 21-24 July 2008, I had been at Sok San commune, Koh Ngek district of Modulkiri province to conduct the field monitoring support for the project, namely ALP "Agriculture Livelihood Project".

During the visit, I have reviewed the activity plan of the project as well as the project output that we have achieved so far. Generally, i could see that the project has achieved as planed, excepted one activity, called "village general meeting to share agriculture innovation" we have done one meeting out of 4 expected meetings.

Furthermore, we see that there are now 4 farmers have applied SRI experiment and there will be around other 20 farmers are interested to apply SRI in case of they have enough raining water in the field. Some other agriculture innovations like vegetable growing, ecological chicken raising have been conducted by several farmers.

During the visit, i have also discussed with the project staff on the overview of the project's progress in term of activities and output-based. Additionally, we have also consulted to anticipate about the next quarterly activity plan and expected output. It is to note that most of farmers have not yet transplanted their rice because they have no enough water for transplanting. There will be more farmers apply SRI while they have water. Recently, we observed that farmers are busy to plow their rice field as the rain started.

CEDAC's core team meeting at CJCC

On 25 July 2008, there is a special meeting among the core team members of CEDAC at CJCC to discuss about the perspective of CEDAC beyond 2008. Dr. Yang Saing Koma presented the historical background of CEDAC as well as the current progress. Later on, we have discussed about decentralization of each CEDAC's component like CEDAC-NGO (included Field Program, consulting service, publication), CEDAC enterprise for social development (CESDE), and CEDAC institute for local development (CILD). We talked about the risk and solution to challenge the risk, especially we have presented the future perspective of each main components of CEDAC beyond 2008. As the importance of the meeting, we have made clear about our destination and how to reach it. Additionally, the discussion on collaboration among each component was raised for talking, including the role and responsibility of CEDAC's president. To me, I think that we have gained more idea relating to decentralization of each component of CEDAC. However, what we actually need to do urgently is to make sure what we want to do and how to achieve it as well as to realize it into the practice.

Meeting with AED coordinator

On Monday 19, 2008 I and Mr. Kin Mengse met Mrs. Cecile Lantican (Phd) at the office of AED Phnom Penh, she a new AI-BCC Country Coordinator for Academy for Educational Development in Cambodia. Generally, we met and talked about the progress of AIBC3, where we are if compare to the project’s objective. So, each of the project’s output in the project document was reviewed one by one.

After discussion on those points, we have talked about the financial report of the project, based on the information from Cecile, she told us the fiscal year of USAID as it is based on the system of USA calendar, it will be conducted around September or October so she requested us to complete the activity by August 2008 and the financial report need to be done as fast as possible so that she has enough time for the preparation to USAID.

In addition to the project’s impact, she prefers to go with us, on May 26, to observe the training session that our staff will organize in the field and she also plan to meet several good farmers to see the progress of innovation practice, ECR. We plan to bring her to Takeo province. Furthermore, AED planed to provide our staff and FAO’s staff the training on the inter-personal skill as Mrs. Berengere DeNegri (the previous AED country coordinator) used to discuss with us about that. They suggest us to select a few master trainers among our all field trainers to receive the training that can be possibly organized between 1-7 July and the training for whole staff will be held on 8-9 July.

I am wondering whether AIBC4 can be implemented or not meanwhile AED seems to have no budget to cover for the next phase. According to the result of our discussion, we see that we are working well on the previous target provinces (in phase 1 and phase 2), many activities were done, but in case of new target provinces, we have approximately have achieved around 20-30% as we have just completed the commune workshop, selection of village promoter, provide training to village promoter on AI, and some VPs are now organizing the training to villagers. Among the whole new VPs, some of them are not operating. Afterward, it is better to conduct the training on poultry disease and its prevention in June and there will be an end-evaluation at the end of the project.

Field visit to ALP Modulkiri

From 21-24 July 2008, I had been at Sok San commune, Koh Ngek district of Modulkiri province to conduct the field monitoring support for the project, namely ALP "Agriculture Livelihood Project". During the visit, I have reviewed the activity plan of the project as well as the project output that we have achieved so far. Generally, i could see that the project has achieved as planed, excepted one activity, called "village general meeting to share agriculture innovation" we have done one meeting out of 4 expected meetings.

Furthermore, we see that there are now 4 farmers have applied SRI experiment and there will be around other 20 farmers are interested to apply SRI in case of they have enough raining water in the field. Some other agriculture innovations like vegetable growing, ecological chicken raising have been conducted by several farmers. During the visit, i have also discussed with the project staff on the overview of the project's progress in term of activities and output-based. Additionally, we have also consulted to anticipate about the next quarterly activity plan and expected output. It is to note that most of farmers have not yet transplanted their rice because they have no enough water for transplanting. There will be more farmers apply SRI while they have water. Recently, we observed that farmers are busy to plow their rice field as the rain started.

Field monitoring to Modulkiri province

From 08-11 June 2008, i went to ALP (Agriculture Livelihood Project) in Modulkiri province with Mr. Kin Mengse, the program officer of CEDAC. The purpose is to monitor the progress of the project, especially the application of SRI at the beginning of this rainy season. Importantly, the result of the visit is useful for the project's staff to improve their work. Various farmers were met individully with the accompanion from the project's staff. Importantly, we all had facilitated a farmer field day to transplant rice with SRI method. The village chief is interested to experience SRI on a plot of his rice field. Remarkbly, some farmers have already broadcasted the rice seed on the seedbed, but some other farmers have not yet prepared it due to they still lack of water. However, we observed that some farmers are going to transplant soon while they have water in the field. To prosper the SRI practice, project's staff and field assistant will work closely with farmers to explain and show them on how to transplant their rice with SRI method. We will spend most of the time at the rice field with farmers. Hopefully, it can help to increase number of farmers who are intrested to apply/experiement SRI at the first year. Ideally, we can explain and ask farmer a piece of their field for SRI transplanting so that they can see the differences of SRI and traditional rice practice. From 08-11 June 2008, i went to ALP (Agriculture Livelihood Project) in Modulkiri province with Mr. Kin Mengse, the program officer of CEDAC. The purpose is to monitor the progress of the project, especially the application of SRI at the beginning of this rainy season. Importantly, the result of the visit is useful for the project's staff to improve their work. Various farmers were met individully with the accompanion from the project's staff. Importantly, we all had facilitated a farmer field day to transplant rice with SRI method. The village chief is interested to experience SRI on a plot of his rice field. Remarkbly, some farmers have already broadcasted the rice seed on the seedbed, but some other farmers have not yet prepared it due to they still lack of water. However, we observed that some farmers are going to transplant soon while they have water in the field. To prosper the SRI practice, project's staff and field assistant will work closely with farmers to explain and show them on how to transplant their rice with SRI method. We will spend most of the time at the rice field with farmers. Hopefully, it can help to increase number of farmers who are intrested to apply/experiement SRI at the first year. Ideally, we can explain and ask farmer a piece of their field for SRI transplanting so that they can see the differences of SRI and traditional rice practice. On the other hand, field assistants have seemly learned well from the project's staff but one among 2 of them stay at Sra Thom village which located far from the office so that it is difficult for him to go and return from office to his house. We need to reinforce with that one with frequently take him to go with the project's staff, guide him how to work with the community people.

Field Program meeting at Veal Veng district, Pursat Province

1-3 June 2008 all staff of field program including me have assembled in Veal Veng district of Pursat province for the core team meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to share the progress of each field program’s project and cooperation among the projects and FNN for next month. 1-3 June 2008 all staff of field program including me have assembled in Veal Veng district of Pursat province for the core team meeting.

The purpose of the meeting is to share the progress of each field program’s project and cooperation among the projects and FNN for next month. Recently, there was a rumor saying that CEDAC sells organic fertilizer to farmers that is why during the meeting, the discussion on selling of organic fertilizer by usage the name of CEDAC was also included in the meeting agenda.

All participants have decided that those who are explicitly determined of doing such activity, which is contradictory to CEDAC’s policy and core principles must be received a hefty fine from this organization, for example they are excluded from CEDAC’s staff with the public declaration in newspapers. If CEDAC still allow such event to be happened simultaneously, CEDAC will be failed to win control the name of a NGO that has been working on ecological agriculture.

Later on, field program director will consult CEDAC steering committee on the result of decision against selling of organic fertilizer in the name of CEDAC. Additionally, we also have consulted the expansion of the target village up to 6000 villages in 2012. Based on the result of discussion, the main strategy is to find more proposals to cover on the new target villages. Therefore, it actually needs to improve the quality and capacity of project officer so that program officers are able to allocate their time for external work especially with the funding agencies.

At grassroots level, we will reinforce YCL/CFA to work more effectively with the community people, furthermore we will also work closely with independent village based farmer organization to run development projects with funding support from CEDAC’s field program unit