1.2 Detalles de contacto de las personas de referencia e instituciones involucradas en la evaluación y la documentación del Enfoque

Nombre de la(s) institución(es) que facilitaron la documentación/ evaluación del Enfoque si fuera relevante)

Department of Agriculture, Soil Management Directorate, Hariharbhawan Lalitpur (doasoil) - Nepal

Nombre de la(s) institución(es) que facilitaron la documentación/ evaluación del Enfoque si fuera relevante)

HELVETAS (Swiss Intercooperation)

1.3 Condiciones referidas al uso de datos documentados mediante WOCAT

El compilador y la/s persona(s) de referencia claves aceptan las condiciones acerca del uso de los datos documentados mediante WOCAT :

Sí

1.4 Referencia/s al/los Cuestionario(s) de Tecnologías MST

2.1 Breve descripción del Enfoque

Wider diffusion of sustainable soil management technologies through a demand responsive farmer-to-farmer diffusion approach

2.2 Descripción detallada del Enfoque MST

Descripción detallada del Enfoque MST:

The Sustainable Soil Management Programme (SSMP) is spreading knowledge about sustainable soil management technologies through farmer organisations and government and non-government partners. These collaborating institutions are working closely with lead farmers in training and technology testing. These farmers in turn work in close collaboration with their local groups. Although this approach is successfully diffusing new technologies from lead to group farmers, and on to nearby farmers, it remains a big challenge to diffuse the technologies further to the wider community.
To increase the spread of the technologies, SSMP pilot tested farmer-to-farmer (FtF) diffusion in eight midhills districts in 2002, later expanding to an additional five districts. Firstly, district based FtF extension committees were formed. Their major function is to select and train experienced lead farmers (ELF); to identify demand farmer groups; to facilitate contact and agreements between ELFs and demand farmer groups; to assess these agreements; to approve and channel funds to accepted proposals, and to monitor and evaluate the services provided. The demand farmer groups both propose the training events and select which of the currently 500 ELFs they want to lead their training. Demand farmer groups may be any group of farmers. Their proposals need to be recommended by a ‘demand actor’ such as a non-government or government organisation, a local authority, or a development project. Once a demand proposal is approved, the FtF extension committee provides funds to the demand group to pay the ELF and the other costs of the training.
Experienced lead farmers play a pivotal role in this process. They are generally progressive farmers with long farming experience who have good leadership and communication skills, are motivated to bring about change, and are interested in serving disadvantaged groups. They are trained on sustainable soil management technologies to enable them to provide training and follow-up to farmers groups outside the areas of collaborating institutions and to disseminate technologies which have proven to be appropriate and successful under local conditions.

2.3 Fotos del Enfoque

2.5 País/ región/ lugares donde el Enfoque fue aplicado

2.7 Tipo de Enfoque

• proyecto/ basado en un programa

2.8 Propósitos/ objetivos principales del Enfoque

The aims are to provide agricultural extension services with a particular focus on sustainable soil management, to build up an extension system that is functional outside of central government structures, to achieve sustainable learning from local farmer to local farmer and to deliver cost effective service.
The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: The Nepal government's agricultural extension system was widely dysfunctional during the recent conflict (1996-2006). Many agricultural service centres were disbanded and were therefore unable to provide essential services to local farmers. Many farmers, especially in the remoter areas, had nowhere to turn for technical help with their agronomic problems, often resulting in lower yields and less income.

2.9 Condiciones que facilitan o impiden la implementación de la/s Tecnología/s aplicadas bajo el Enfoque

3.1 Partes interesadas involucradas en el Enfoque y sus roles

3.2 Involucramiento de los usuarios locales de tierras/ comunidades locales en las distintas fases del Enfoque

	Involucramiento de los usuarios locales de tierras/ comunidades locales	Especifique quién se involucró y describa las actividades
iniciación/ motivación	pasivo	Demand creation by demand actors and experienced lead farmers; in rare cases demand is created by demand farmer groups
planificación	interactivo	Preparation of demand proposals and submission to committee, Proposal assessment by committee Selection of experienced lead farmer Fund disbursement to demand farmer group
implementación	interactivo	Experienced lead farmer provides training in appropriate season on basic knowledge required. The training is field based on the land of members of the demand farmer group. The experienced lead farmer visits the demand farmer group two to three times after the training to provide follow-up and supp
monitoreo y evaluación	interactivo	The demand farmer group pay the experienced lead farmer once they are satisfied with the services provided (= direct monitoring by clients); training report by experienced lead farmers to farmer-to-farmer committees including proposing potential new ELFs from amongst trainees; end of training mo
Research	ninguno

3.3 Flujograma (si estuviera disponible)

3.4 La toma de decisiones en la selección de Tecnología(s) MST

Especifique quién decidió la selección de las Tecnología/ Tecnologías a implementarse:

• solamente usuarios de tierras (autoiniciativa)

Explique:

Made collectively by the demand farmer group and refined with assistance from experienced lead farmers. The main interest of demand farmer groups has been in farmyard manure management, legume integration, and vegetable production.

Decisions on the method of implementing the SLM Technology were made by by land users* alone (self-initiative / bottom-up). Proposed by demand farmer groups with assistance from experienced lead farmers and endorsed by farmer-to-farmer committees

4.1 Construcción de capacidades / capacitación

¿Se proporcionó la capacitación a usuarios de tierras/ otras partes interesadas?

Sí

• government organisations, non-government organisations

Temas avanzados:

Training on the farmer-to-farmer approach was provided to different demand actors including non-government and government organisations, by resource persons closely involved in designing the approach.

4.2 Servicio de asesoría

¿Los usuarios de tierras tienen acceso a un servicio de asesoría?

Sí

Especifique si servicio proporcionado se realizó:

• en los campos de los usuarios de tierras

Describa/ comentarios:

The approach has been accepted by the government's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives as part of its Agricultural Extension Policy (2007). Phase 3 of the Sustainable Soil Management Programme (2008 to 2010) will further support the institutionalisation of the approach at the operational level.

4.4 Monitoreo y evaluación

¿El monitoreo y la evaluación forman parte del Enfoque?

Sí

Comentarios:

bio-physical aspects were regular monitored through observations; indicators: sustainability of the promoted technology
technical aspects were regular monitored through observations; indicators: client satisfaction after the training
socio-cultural aspects were monitored through observations; indicators: sustainability of the promoted technology
economic / production aspects were monitored through observations; indicators: sustainability of the promoted technology
land users involved were monitored through measurements; indicators: regular recording of attendance during meetings/trainings/follow-up
management of Approach aspects were monitored through measurements; indicators: expenses, demand assessment
There were no changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: Regular monitoring and impact assessments have led to the continuous adaptation of the approach and its norms.

4.5 Investigación

¿La investigación formó parte del Enfoque?

Sí

Proporcione detalles adicionales e indique quién hizo la investigación:

Not applicable

5.1 Presupuesto anual para el componente MST del Enfoque

Comentarios (ej. fuentes principales de financiamiento/ donantes principales):

Approach costs were met by the following donors: local community / land user(s) (labour, training costs): 50.0%; other (development projects (seeds, trainer)): 50.0%

5.3 Subsidios para insumos específicos (incluyendo mano de obra)

• agrícola

Si la mano de obra de usuarios de tierras fue un insumo sustancial, ¿fue:

• voluntario?

Comentarios:

New seed and non-local inputs for demonstration purpose are provided for one season

6.1 Impactos del Enfoque

6.4 Fortalezas/ ventajas del Enfoque

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del usuario de la tierra
Technologies adopted through farmer-to-farmer diffusion are likely to be more stable and sustainable because experienced leader farmers will only disseminate successful technologies
This approach may carry messages and content on subjects other than sustainable soil management (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: institutionalise the approach as a general grass roots-based extension approach)

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave
More cost-effective for wider dissemination in comparison with other extension systems
Especially effective in heterogeneous environments amongst non-literate farm communities
Builds on farmers' field experience and communicates the technology through farmers' own words/terminology rather than through more technical extension messages from scientists
The service providers are directly accountable to the farmer clients, in contrast to using government and NGO extension workers who are only accountable to their institutions
Both the service provider and the demand groups are local farmers; this programme therefore directly benef ts only the local farming community

6.5 Debilidades/ desventajas del Enfoque y formas de sobreponerse a ellos

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del usuario de la tierra	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
Financial support for the programme at present comes from a development project and will end when the project ends	efforts need to be made to institutionalise the approach and seek out local sources of funding
Farmers' interest is mainly on technologies that are profi table in the short term and less on long term sustainable soil management	expand the farmer-to-farmer diffusion process to other topics and subjects as a part of agricultural extension

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
Very small project agreements; wide scattered geographic area coverage; many proposals and difficulties in fi nancial management and monitoring	operational guidelines need to be reviewed
The success of the programme depends mainly on the abilities and knowledge of the experienced leader farmers	need to put more focus on selecting appropriate candidate ELFs and better training them and more extensively exposing them to new technologies
The facilitation from demand actors for this process is important; but they are reluctant to do this since the institutions do not fi nancially benefit from the process
Experienced leader farmers are reluctant to do paper work like fi lling in agreement proposal forms, maintaining a diary and preparing lesson plans
Difficulties in identifying demand groups according to the expertise of experienced lead farmers	increase awareness of the approach in rural areas through a comprehensive dissemination strategy using all media

7.1 Métodos/ fuentes de información

7.2 Referencias a publicaciones disponibles

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

In Kolff, A.; van Veldhuizen, L.; Wettasinha, C. (eds) Farmer Centred Innovation Development - Experiences and Challenges from South Asia,

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

SSMP

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Paudel, C.L.; Regmi, B.D.; Schulz, S. (2005) - Participatory Innovation Development - Experiences of the Sustainable

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Paudel, C.L.; Kafl e, B. R.; Bajracharya, B. (2007) Training Manual on Farmer-To-Farmer Diffusion Process for Sustainable Soil Management Practices in Nepal

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

SSMP