Prolinnova Sudan Platform
Process Description: Prolinnova Programme in Sudan started in January 2005.
ITDG-Sudan, being the leading agency for the programme informed the two concerned government counterparts, the Technology Transfer and Extension Administration (TTEA) and the Agricultural Research and Technology Corporation (ARTC) of the fact that the programme has been approved and funding of activities will start in January 2005.
ITDG-Sudan, TTEA and ARTC agreed to form a National Steering Committee (NSC) and in April 2004, the committee was formed from seven members of the following institutions:
- TTEA;
- ARTC;
- Sudanese Environment Conservation Society (SECS) a local NGO;
- Sudanese Organic Agriculture, a local NGO;
- UN Food and Agriculture Organization;
- UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); and
- ITDG-Sudan, which is the leading agency of the Prolinnova Programme in Sudan and herefore its representative, is now working as the Prolinnova Sudan Platform Coordinator.
During 2004 only limited number of activities supported from ETC were achieved. These include the following points:
The NSC met several times at the ITDG-Sudan office at Khartoum and discussed launching of the programme and preparations were made to start it. It was agreed that the first thing to start with was convening the national workshop to enlighten all the stakeholders of the programme which should then be followed by convening of similar workshops at the states level to invite more people from the respective states and inform them about the programme in general
Prolinnova Programme Coordinator was invited to attend the first Prolinnova International workshop held at Yirgalem, Ethiopia during March 2004. During that workshop Prolinnova Programme Oversight Group (POD) was selected and the Prolinnova Programme Coordinator was selected as one of the POG members.
Prolinnova International Programme’s leading agency, ETC Ecoculture, organized a Training of Facilitators course for Training of Trainers and subcontracted the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) at the Philippines to conduct the training making use of the IIRR good facilities and distinguished instructors in the field of Participatory Innovation Development and Participatory Technology Development. The course was convened during June 2004 at the IIRR Centre at Cavite, Philippines and was attended by three people from Sudan, the TTEA Director at Kassala State, the Project Manager of the Food Security Project, one of ITDG-Sudan supported projects in the country and the Prolinnova Sudan Platform Coordinator. Objectives of the course was to train people (as TOT) from different countries to be able to train others when they return to their respective countries.
While attending the first International Workshop at Ethiopia and the Training of Facilitators Course at Philippines the Sudan Prolinnova Platform Coordinator met representatives from other organizations of other countries and representatives of donors and was able to exchange information with them. Accordingly, he was offered a chance to attend the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) workshop held at Accra, Ghana convened during April 2004. The overall aim of the workshop was to develop a regional strategy for Information and Communication Technology ICT / Information and Communication Management (ICM) in Agricultural Research for Development, leading to the establishment of a Regional Agricultural Information System. During the workshop he briefed the participants about Prolinnova and how the programme is relevant to the objective of the workshop. Also he was able to obtain some useful documents in the field of pastoralists in the Horn of Africa. He made a good link with the CAB International representative at Kenya, which will be a good chance for exchange of information to further develop the Prolinnova Programme in the country as well as the ITDG-Sudan Platform in different aspects of development.
While attending the Training of Facilitators Course, the Prolinnova Sudan Platform Coordinator prepared, in collaboration with other participants from Sudan and ETC Ecoculture participants the draft work plan for the country. This was prepared as part of the course requirements. Based on the draft work plan the National Workshop for the Sudan Prolinnova Platform was convened on 29 November 2004. Minor changes were made on the draft work plan during the national workshop and the work plan was approved. One of the recommendations of the workshop participants on the wok plan was to add a member from the training institutions to the National Steering Committee members. The states workshops will start by convening Kassala State Workshop which is agreed that it will take place on 7 March 2005 for one day. Minister of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Irrigation for Kassala State and the Director General recommended this date for convening the workshop and also agreed to allocate funds for covering the workshop from Kassala State resources.
Work plan for the next year (January – December 2005):
- Convene all States workshops in time to in order to finish the last one in August 2005;
- Inventory of innovative ideas to select the appropriate ones in a one day workshop to be conducted at Khartoum;
- Formation of PTD/PID teams to conduct the experiments
- Conduct experiments to validate innovative ideas; and
- Write shop of innovative ideas.
