Fact Finding in Prey Veng

From 11-13 May 2009, I went to Prey Veng province in purpose of conducting the fact finding for gathering the data information for the proposal writing. Mr. Yi Kimthan, Mr. Meas Samica and Mr. Chhin Chhunhoir who are the staff members of CEDAC also accompanied with me to that province. Our team has facilitated the group discussion with the key informants of the villages, those key informants are the leaders of village-based farmer associations, representatives of the collective saving groups, village chief and commune council members.

In each group discussion, our team spent about 3 hours to discuss about the general basis date of the villages, the positive impacts of previous CEDAC's projects as well as to discuss about the main problems which are happening now and what we should do to deal with those problems effectively. Totally, 3 group discussion meetings were organized separately in Baphnom, Kompong Trabek and Prah Sdach districts.

According to the result of the fact finding, we could know the real situation of the village concerning to the food security and to know more detail about the situation of the poorest families and other vulnerable families in the villages. The understanding of the situation is very helpful for us to write up the proposal appropriately with the real condition of the proposed targeted districts.

Presentation on the result of the monitoring and evaluation of the project SfR

A research team of CEDAC conducted a monitoring and evaluation of the project SfR (Saving for Self-Reliance project) for a few months and today on May 08, 2008 the result of this monitoring was presented to the participants including I myself (Yim Sok Sophors), other CEDAC staff from other departments/units, staff of Oxfam-America, etc.

Based on the presentation, I could learn some information relating to the real situation of the project SfR in the field, especially to know about the impact of the project to the the livelihood improvement of the cooperating farmers (including the poorest, poor, medium and better-off). However, I see that the presentation was not so detail, the presenters should prepare and set priority information/main finding for the presentation. Furthermore, during the presentation, I could see that many useful questions were raised among the participants, those questions are helpful for the project team and CEDAC to consider the future strategy to improve the progress and effectiveness of this project.

1. What are the reasons of dissolved saving groups? How about the members of those dissolved saving groups? Do they become the members of other existing saving groups or not?
2. How do the strong saving group consider about the dissolved saving group in their village? Do the poorest families saving group should be formed with the participation of among the poorest families only or mix with medium families?
3. Are there any potential to increase the number of members of saving groups?
4. How many families or percentage of families who not yet the members of saving groups?
5. Why do some villages have only one saving groups since the beginning up to now?
6. How to attract the poorest families to be a part of saving group?
7. Should we start to form saving groups with those who are interested in?
8. What is the impact of saving group to domestic violence?

Click here to see the detail information of the presentation

Coordination Meeting of CEDAC Field Program in Siem Reap

On 07 May 2009, CEDAC Field Program organized a coordinating team meeting in Siem Reap province with the participation of 29 staff. The main agenda of the meeting focused on:

1. Sharing information among the participants
2. Sharing the progress activities and results of the projects
3. Discussion on CEDAC staff policy, policy of using car and motor
4. Presentation on commune project by Mr. Say Tith
5. Participatory action research and further SRI data (yield)
   
6. Cooperation among the projects and other departments/units of CEDAC
7. Impression of the meeting
8. Make appointment for next meeting
   

After the meeting, I could know what we need to strengthen especially the improvement of participatory action research relating to the agricultural technical techniques in the field. The project staff will manage the human resources to involved in conducting this useful activity in the field, and the specific discussion about what we should conduct participatory action research will be discussed on 28 May 2009 during the meeting with Dr. Yang Saing Koma, the president of CEDAC. I think that it is really good that we discussed to improve the participatory action research because it allows us to spur and to develop new innovations for extension to the community farmers. It is to remind that CEDAC has conducted many participatory action researches in the field by collaboration with the community farmers, such as the action research on Ecological Chicken Raising (ECR), fish raising and natural fish trapping, cover crop and green manure, System of Rice Intensification (SRI), etc. Recently, it seems to be that staff have not paid highly attention to conduct participatory action researches meanwhile they are likely concentrating to the formulation of farmer organizations (village based farmer associations, rice farmer producer groups, vegetable producer groups, chicken producer groups, etc). Based on the result of the meeting, the staff will pay attention to conduct participatory action research in order to develop new ideas/agricultural innovations for widely extension to the community farmers.

Particularly, the meeting also discussed about the commune project. Mr. Yi Kimthan, senior program officer of CEDAC, will be responsible to supervise the commune projects which are implementing under the responsible of Mr. Say Tith. Additionally, the participants discussed about the regulation and policy of using car and motor and there are some main points were suggested for improvement. It is to note that CEDAC has been implementing a development project, called "Local Administrative and Reform" with funding support from PACT. But the commune project above means that the project that implemented by the commune councile with the sub-contract to other agencies/NGOs. On the other hand, relating to SfR project, only 40 out of 310 SGAs (Saving Group Animators) will continue to support the saving groups in the target villages. It means that the potential SGAs will continue thier work with the project.

During the meeting, it is able to know that there are many other call for proposals that CEDAC Field Program considers to apply such as call for proposal to EC on food security that CEDAC Field Program is interested to apply for this project in Odor Meanchey and Prey Veng provinces, call for proposal of WINROCK relating to children education in Prey Veng province, and many other call for research proposal, etc. Hopefully, those calls are the great opportunities to expand the projects and to diversify the intervention of CEDAC Field Program in the communities.

ALP will visit ILFARM-KP

ALP-MDR (Agricultural Livelihood Program for the Sok San Indigenous Community) will organize a field study on village based farmer association and to learn other agricultural innovations to ILFARM-Kompot in this month, May 2009. The potential farmers who are cooperating with the project will be invited to join the study tour. Hopefully, those will be able to learn new ideas relating to the practical experiences of formation and management of FAs in Kompot province and it will motivate them to set up village based farmer associations in their communities, the indigenous communities, to improve their livelihood and to contribute in the development of their own communities.

It is to remind that ALP used to conduct 2 external visits to Takeo for 22 interested farmers and another one visit to Ratanakiri province for 18 key farmers and this will be the third visit for potential farmers who can be the management committee members of village based farmer associations. Practically, based on the visits, the indigenous people can understand well about new ideas or agricultural innovations introduced by the project because they could learn directly from the experienced farmers and they could also see the real practices in the field/farm. Therefore, it motivated them to apply innovations amid the trust is being increased.

2008 Food Security Program of Cambodia (EC)

Today, i started to write another proposal, called "2008 Food Security Program for Cambodia". I will work closely with Mr. Yi Kimthan, the senior program officer of CEDAC to write up this proposal. I would like to let you know that Mr. Yi Kimthan, Mr. Meas Samica, Chhin Chhunhoir and I myself (Yim Sok Sophors) will go to Prey Veng for conducting fact finding from 11-13 May 2009.

We will conduct the situation study relating to the poverty, to study also the situation of existing farmers groups set up by the previous CEDAC's projects in that area, especially to find out possibilities of linkage those existing groups to this new call for proposal.
The result of fact finding will use mainly for the proposal writing with the combination of other secondary data relating to this proposed project's target area. It is to remind that CEDAC used to implement a development project, namely "Improving Livelihood of Small Farmers (ILFARM-PV)" since 2003 up to 2008, the project was funded by EC through CFSI. Hope that the call for proposal at this time will provide opportunity for CEDAC to carry out the project with direct funding support from EC.

Research proposal writing on rice market chain

Today, May 01, 2009 i wrote a research proposal for submission to CARF, my proposal's purpose is to conduct the study on rice value chain in Takeo and Kompot provinces. The study will conduct in both seasons, rice market chain in the wet season and rice market chain in the dry season which cover in 90 villages across 30 communes in 10 districts of 2 provinces. The research team will consist of CEDAC's staff (i myself who will be the team leader of this research project), government officials from the provincial department of agriculture, and students from National school of agriculture Prek Leap. I think that it is really good that we have opportunity to conduct a jointly research project together so that we could strengthen the knowledge and capacity in conducting rice value chain.

At the end of this research, we would like to assess the exported paddy and imported rice to the studied villages and we will assess the paddy demand, supply situation especially from the local farmers, to conduct in-depth study on rice market chain actors and the power of each actor in the whole chains. On the other hand, this research project will also conduct the study on the impact of community rice mill to benefit farmers in term of price and negotiation power with the middlemen, etc. This research project will be helpful for CEDAC, government officials and other NGOs to provide support for improving rice market in the communities.

Meeting with Dr. Craig A Meisner and Dr. John M.Schiller

On 27 April, 2009 Mr. Yim Sok Sophors met and discussed with Dr. Craig A Meisner (Research and Extension Manager) from Australian Center for International Agricultural Research and Dr. John M.Schiller (Honorary Consultant) from the University of Queenland at the office of CEDAC in Phnom Penh.

The discussion focused on the CARF-7 call for proposal. During the meeting, Dr. Craig A Meisner and Dr. John M.Schiller presented and explained about the guideline of the CARF-7 call for proposal especially the objectives of the research proposal are needed to be unique which is no one have conducted it previously, the proposed research proposal should include various members from different institutions to be the team members of the whole research team and finally, there should be a good mean of widely dissemination of research finding at the end of the project.

As a result of the meeting, we have shared and learned well about this call for proposal and we do hope that we can apply for this call successfully.

CEDAC General Assembly

April 10, 2009 CEDAC organized it general assembly with the participation of all CEDAC staff from the different main components such as CEDAC-Field program (FP), CEDAC Institute for Local Development (CILD), Research development and Consulting service, environment and health (RDC), publication unit, CEDAC Enterprise for Social Development (CESDE). Approximately, 250 staff had participated in the assembly.

The agenda of the assembly was mainly focused on sharing of each component's achievement during the first quarter of this year (2009) especially to compare of what has been doing by each component which is contributed to the achievement of overall goal and mission of CEDAC in general. It is to note that CEDAC-Field Program has got direct funding support from EC for implementing a development project in Mondulkiri province. It is the first project that CEDAC gets direct fund support from EC.

Particularly, during the meeting, Dr. Yang Saing Koma provided several questions for participant to take into account. Those questions were raised to the participants in order to consider about what kind of society that they prefer to live especially they prefer for their children to live in? Are they currently working to contribute to the accomplishment of their expectation?
In response to this question, Mr. Prak Sereyvath who is the senior program adviser of CEDAC had shared his knowledge based on his visit to France. He had shared about the restaurant that sell organic food for students at schools. He expected that his children will be able to eat organic good in Cambodia too. Organic good is very necessary important to ensure a good health of students that is strongly effected to the human health of the whole society in the coming future, he added. Moreover, Mr. Phin Sopheap who is the member of advisory board of CEDAC had shared that there are 5 capitals (human capital, social capital, financial capital, physical capital, and natural capital), but the most important among them is human capital and he emphasized on health. If we have a good health and education, the other capitals will be achieved automatically afterward, he said.

Furthermore, at the afternoon of that day, the financial regulation was also raised for plenary presentation and discussion during the assembly. It was picked for discussion in order to strengthen the quality of financial management of CEDAC to become an international standard. Relating to the progress of work, it is to note that the participants also had opportunity to discuss and share what they have achieved during the first quarter of this year to each other so that they could learn and understand each other in term of their successful works and what need to be improved for the next quarter.

At the evening of the meeting day, CEDAC organized a party with the staff in order to celebrate the fruitful result of the meeting and especially to celebrate for Khmer New year that is coming soon after the meeting. Please new year brings to all CEDAC staff and all people with new success and happiness in life, especially your role and contribution to the community development.

Meeting with ECHO and FORESTA

On April 03, 2009 there was a meeting with Mr. Rick Burnette, Regional Director for ECHO Asia and Mr. Bob Morikawa, director of Foresta from Thailand. The meeting was taken place in CEDAC Office in Phnom Penh from 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM and then from 1:00PM to 2:30PM. The purpose of the visitors is to seek for more understanding about CEDAC's work in Cambodia and to cooperate with each other in term of agriculture and rural development.

During the meeting, Mr. YIM Sok Sophors presented about CEDAC work included the six main components of CEDAC and then more detail on CEDAC Field Program. At the afternoon, there was a in-depth interview and discussion on the topic of SRI extension in Cambodia. The historical background of SRI extension in Cambodia was raised to present as well as the strategy and methodology to widespread SRI throughout the country. It is to note that SRI is now the national program of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).

As the result, Mr. Rick Burnette would like to organize a study tour from Thailand to visit CEDAC in Cambodia in order to learn more detail about CEDAC's experiences and he also would like to cooperate with CEDAC to produce EAN newsletter in Khmer translation. Now, the process is being progressed.

Staff capacity building by Dr. Yang Saing Koma

02-03 April 2009, 14 staff of CEDAC Field Program have attended the training support which is trained by Dr. Yang Saing Koma, the president of CEDAC. Such training is conducted regularly every 3 months with direct support from the president of CEDAC.

The purpose of the training is to provide capacity building the core staff of CEDAC field program in term of self development and the updated development approach of CEDAC.

Relating to the activities of during the training, first of all, each participants have shared to each other the general information relating to the work and achievement. Later on the small group discussion which consisted of 3-4 participants was conducted in order to share the successful things and unsuccessful things that each one have done during the first quarter of this year, furthermore the participants have also discussed about the improving points and main expectation for the next quarter, April to June 2009.

After presenting the impression of group representatives relating to their small group discussion, some key words were found out like: Team Learning, Learning Network, Learning Facilitators, Leading to ask questions, etc. All participants have learned to development questions for empowering the others.

To me, I noted that the methodology used during the training was followed to the adult learning approach that allowed most of the participants actively participated in the whole training session. Especially, it was a good time for all participants to exchange their knowledge and practical experience (Best Practices) in the field. The training enabled me to review on what I have learned, for example the concept of learning organization and other main key words as mentioned-above. Additionally, it stimulated me to consider about what should i do specifically after the training.

There are some Best Practices that we need to capitalize:

1. Staff management and team work
2. Staff capacity building
   
3. Capacity building for farmer leaders at the communities
   
4. How to formulate the farmer group, village based farmer association and network
5. Reporting skill
6. Database management
   
7. Budget and financial management
   
8. Cooperation with local authorities and stakeholders
   
9. Project Monitoring and Evaluation
   
10. Cases-studied
    
11. How to arrange and organize a good workshop
    
12. Self Development
    
13. Capacity building to next generation to become a good leader/manager