Local Technical Technical Agro-climatic Agro-climatic Committee (LTAC) Committee (LTAC) Implementation Guide

Experiences from Battambang and
Kampong Speu Provinces in
Cambodia
Supported by:
Country partners:
Local
Local
Technical
Technical Agro-climatic
Agro-climatic
Committee (LTAC)
Committee (LTAC)
Implementation Guide
Implementation Guide
December 2022

IIRR, Alliance Bioversity & CIAT, RIMES and DALRM, 2022. Local Technical Agroclimatic
Committee (LTAC) Implementation Guide: experiences from Battambang and
Kampong Speu Provinces in Cambodia. The International Institute of Rural
Reconstruction. Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Available online at
https://deriskseasia.orgderiskseasia.org/.
About DeRISK SE Asia
The project Applying seasonal climate forecasting and innovative insurance solutions
to climate risk management in the agriculture sector in Southeast Asia, or DeRISK SE
Asia, is led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and co-implemented by
the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and the Alliance of Bioversity
International and the International Center of Tropical Agriculture (Alliance Bioversity &
CIAT). With funding support from the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal
Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer
Protection (BMUV), the project aims to develop climate risk management systems,
best practices, and insurance products that will shield smallholder farmers and
businesses across the agricultural value chain in key Southeast Asia countries from
physical and financial disaster associated with climate change. It assists governments
in developing national and regional adaptation and risk management strategies. To
learn more about our project, please visit https://deriskseasia.org/.
Contact:
DeRISK SE Asia, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT – Vietnam Country Office,
1F, Agricultural Genetics Institute, Km2, Phạm Van Dong Street,
Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi, Vietnam. +84 913510090.
This publication was prepared as an output for DeRISK SE Asia and is aligned with the
new CGIAR initiative on Asia Mega Deltas. It has not been peer reviewed. Any opinions
stated herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the policies or
opinions of DeRISK SE Asia and donor agencies.
This publication is under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0
IGO).
This CC license does not apply to non-DeRISK SE Asia copyrighted materials in this
publication. If the material is attributed to another source, please contact the
copyright owner or publisher of that source for permission to reproduce it. DeRISK SE
Asia cannot be held liable for any claims that arise as a result of your use of
the material.
Photographs, Design & Layout: International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)
2
Suggested Citation

AC Agricultural Cooperative
AMK Bank Angkor Microheranhvatho Kampuchea Bank
CARDI Cambodia Agricultural Research and Development Institute
CIAT International Centre for Tropical Agriculture
DAO District Agriculture Office
DOM Department of Meteorology
DeRISK SE Asia
GDA
LTAC
IIRR
NGO
PDAFF
PDoWRAM
RIMES
SESAME
Applying seasonal climate forecasting and innovative insurance
solutions to climate risk management in the agriculture sector
in Southeast Asia
General Directorate of Agriculture
Local Technical Agroclimatic Committee
International Institute of Rural Reconstruction
Non-governmental Organization
Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Provincial Department of Water Resource and Meteorology
Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System
Specialized Expert System for Agro-Meteorological Early
Warning for Climate Resilient Agriculture
3
Acronyms and abbreviations

The authors like to thank the Department of Meteorology (DOM) of the Ministry of
Water Resources and Meteorology (MoWRAM) and the General Directorate of
Agriculture (GDA) for their support to the implementation of Local Technical
Agroclimatic Committees (LTACs) in Battambang and Kampong Speu Provinces. Their
participation was critical in piloting agro-climatic advisory based on seasonal
forecasts.
Also, the Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (PDAFF)
support is acknowledged. PDAFF played a key role in disseminating agroclimatic
bulletins to farmers, and their experience with the approach has been very valuable
to the content of this manual. Similarly, we like to thank the Agricultural Cooperative
(AC) leaders who attended the LTAC sessions and helped to make this manual more
practical and relevant for farmers in the Cambodian context.
Finally, we thank the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for
the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection
(BMUV) for their financial support to DeRISK SE Asia.
4
Acknowledgements

Cambodia is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impact of climate change.
While climate risks play an important role in agriculture, smallholder farmers' lack of
adaptive capacity makes it more difficult for them to cope with changing weather
patterns and extreme climatic events. Therefore, agricultural advisory based on
climate and weather forecasts can help farmers to reduce climate risks by adapting
farming practices and hence maintain their yield and income.
DeRISK SE Asia promotes the application of seasonal climate forecasting and
innovative insurance solutions to climate risk management in the agriculture sector
in SE Asia. The project is led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and
implemented by the University of Southern Queensland (USA) and the Alliance of
Bioversity International and CIAT.
In Cambodia, the project began in 2019 by mapping the demand for climate services
at the livelihoods level through a series of climate risk workshops across all
agroecological zones, followed by the characterization of the existing network of
actors supporting climate services (CS). Based on these data, the project partners
decided to pilot Local Technical Agroclimatic Committees (LTACs) in Battambang and
Kampong Speu Provinces. The LTAC approach was originally developed in Colombia
by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT to co-develop agroclimatic
advisory with local partners.
The pilot in Cambodia was led by the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction
(IIRR) with technical support from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT,
working closely with the GDA's Department of Agricultural Land Resource
Management (DALRM), the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System
(RIMES) and with PDAFF in both provinces. The LTACs were implemented for two
years, during the rainy season of 2021 (June – November) and the rainy season of
2022 (June – November). The approach was centered around the co-development of
agroclimatic advisory by the members of the LTAC committee for rice and cassava
farmers in Battambang and Kampong Speu based on the seasonal climate forecast.
This manual is based on the lessons learned from piloting LTACs in the two provinces
and is intended for the relevant departments and ministries, such as PDAFF, NGOs,
private sector, management committees of agricultural cooperatives, and other
stakeholders, as a practical guide in coordinating and implementing LTACs in the
country.
5
Preface

Acknowledgements
Preface
7
Background
8
Objectives
How to Use the Manual
9
Key Components of the LTAC
10
Composition of the LTAC Members
11
Steps for LTAC Implementation
Step 1: Establishment of the LTAC
41
Annexes
21
Step 2: The Development of the agroclimatic bulletin
28
Step 3: Dissemination of the agroclimatic bulletin
Step 4: Promoting the application of agroclimatic
advisories
34
Step 5: Field visits and review meetings for
improvement of results and process
3
Acronyms and Abbreviations
6
4
5
12
32
Table of contents
8
39
Conclusion

DeRISK SE Asia aims to develop climate risk management strategies, decision support
tools, and innovative insurance solutions that will safeguard smallholder farmers and
business sectors from physical and financial disasters associated with climate
change. As part of the project, a pilot was conducted in Kampong Speu and
Battambang provinces for the co-development and dissemination of agro-advisories
based on the seasonal forecast.
The Local Technical Advisory Committee (LTAC) approach was introduced at the
provincial level. The LTAC brings together different types of technical stakeholders
considered critical in the generation of climate information, the translation of climate
information into agro-advisories, and the dissemination and use of these. Members
included representatives from PDAFF, the Provincial Department of Water Resources
and Meteorology (PDoWRAM), Agricultural Cooperative (AC) leaders, private sector
partners, and representatives from other projects or programs active in the province.
The process was facilitated by IIRR and RIMES with technical support from the
Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT.
The LTAC was implemented during the rainy season, from May to November 2021
and 2022. A series of LTAC meetings were facilitated before and during the cropping
season to co-produce and disseminate agroclimatic bulletins based on seasonal
forecasts. Bulletins were provided to farmers with follow-up meetings, training with
AC leaders and local authorities, and support of a digital application called
Specialized Expert System for Agro-Meteorological Early Warning for Climate Resilient
Agriculture (SESAME), developed by RIMES for mobile phones.
Project partners have developed this manual based on the lessons learned with the
LTAC approach over a 2-year period and with support and input from the LTAC
members.
7
Background

To provide guidance on the implementation of the LTAC approach in the context of
Cambodia through specific steps and tools.
This manual is the guide for implementing the LTAC, in which extension workers and
relevant development practitioners can produce locally specific agroclimatic bulletins
with seasonal climate information and agro-advisories to mitigate climatic risks.
How to use the manual
This manual is intended for LTAC members and those who provide related climate
services to farmers in local communities, such as PDAFF Extension staff, PDOWRAM
staff, district agricultural officers, NGOs, development projects/programs, and the
private sector.
This manual provides background on the LTAC approach, including key components
of the LTAC and LTAC member composition, and introduces key sequential steps in
implementing the approach. Each step will be presented with clear objectives,
processes, and materials for implementation.
The procedure in this manual can be broken down into five steps, as shown below
and illustrated in Figure 1.0, Page 11.
Step 1: Establishment of the LTAC
Step 2: Development of the agroclimatic bulletin
Step 3: Dissemination of agroclimatic bulletins
Step 4: Promoting the application of agroclimatic advisories
Step 5: Field visits and review meetings for improvement of results and
process
Each step includes a set of activities that the facilitator of the LTAC approach carries
out with the LTAC members over several meetings. The worksheets throughout this
manual explain the activities of each step in more detail. When developing the
program, it is critical to examine when each phase is carried out during the year to
ensure that local agroclimatic bulletins are timely developed and disseminated to
farmers for making decisions on the planning and management of crops.
This manual is not meant as a blueprint. Activities can be adjusted based on the
context and specific circumstances of the LTAC, but key components with underlying
principles of the LTAC approach should be acknowledged.
8
Objectives

Key components of the LTAC
The graphic below shows the three key components of the LTAC:
(1) Carry out a
process of
implementation and
sustainability of the
LTAC by local
stakeholders with
capacity-building.
(2) Generate, in a
participatory way,
adaptation measures
for each region and
crop, based on local
agroclimatic
prediction.
(3) Disseminate the
agroclimatic bulletin
focused on the needs
of famers, to facilitate
decision making for
their planning and
farming activities.
The LTAC is implemented by local stakeholders, with required capacity
building, which ensures ownership by the local stakeholders and leads to
sustainability of the LTAC.
From climate information, the LTAC generates adaptation measures against
predicted climate risks. A participatory approach does this to make sure the
local context is considered when developing the adaptation measures.
The adaptation measures generated at the LTAC are disseminated to
farmers to support their informed decision-making for the planning and
farming activities.
The LTAC approach promotes key principles such as a participatory approach,
combining scientific expert and local knowledge, demand driven, local
ownership, and an iterative learning process.
9

The member composition of the LTAC is critical. First, the lead facilitator must be
familiar with and have relevant technical skills in agriculture and meteorology.
However, he does not to be an expert on either of these, as both areas need to be
represented by experts and officers from relevant government agencies. In addition,
farmers from the target communities should be represented to ensure that the agro-
advisory information is appropriate and practical to their local conditions.
Representatives from existing development projects or programs and the private
sector can further help spread the agroclimatic bulletins to a larger number of
beneficiaries.
Before the first LTAC meeting, members need to be identified through consultation
with project partners, PDAFF, and PDOWRAM in target provinces or with other
climate service providers. Relevant stakeholders, including PDAFF, PDOWRAM, other
government institutes, development projects/programs in the province, and the
private sector, should be invited to join the LTAC. Furthermore, agricultural extension
networks, farmer networks, and digital applications that allow for information
sharing (e.g., Facebook Messenger, Telegram groups, SESAME App, Tonlesap App,
and so on) should be identified from the start, as understanding the primary
communication channels in the target areas assists in the proper dissemination of
agroclimatic bulletins. For instance, in Cambodia, Facebook messenger is widely
utilized by farmers in communities, including agricultural cooperative (AC) leaders.
Similarly, Telegram is mostly utilized by government officials and agricultural
extension officers.
The number of LTAC members can range from 10 to 15, making accommodating
each LTAC meeting easy. However, as mentioned above, LTAC members should
represent different types of technical expertise, with key members from both
agriculture and meteorology backgrounds and farmer representatives from
communities, as well as relevant stakeholders that can facilitate wider dissemination
of the information, such as the private sector and relevant projects/programs. To
enhance gender equity, women should be encouraged to participate in the LTAC.
10
Composition of the LTAC Members

Prior to LTAC implementation Crop Decision Trees (CDT) were prepared with
technical assistance from the Cambodia Agricultural Research and Development
Institute (CARDI). CDTs include agro-advisories for relevant crops under different
seasonal climate scenarios, based on crop calendars, farming practices, climate risks
and response strategies. A national validation workshop and subsequent provincial
validation workshops are required to make them suitable for each target province.
The CDTs were also incorporated into the SESAME app, so that extension officers
and/or farmers can also access agro-advisories via smartphone. Every time the LTAC
meets, the climate smart farming recommendations from the CDT can be extracted
based on the latest seasonal climate forecasts and used to generate draft
agroclimatic bulletins. See Annex 1 for the format of the CDT.
The diagram below illustrates the flow of activities to be performed during the LTAC
implementation.
11
Steps for the LTAC implementation
While working with the PDAFF, it is crucial to work with the designated focal points to
build their capacity and technical knowledge of implementing the LTAC, including
facilitation and coordination skills with stakeholders, so that they can act as key
resource persons within their departments in the future for running the LTAC.
Figure 1.0 Flow of the LTAC Activity
Establishment of LTAC
STEP 1
Actor mapping
Formation of Technical Working
Group
Development of work plan
Conduct of baseline
survey
STEP 2
Creating agroclimatic bulletin
Development of the
STEP 3
Dissemination of
agroclimatic bulletins
Disseminate agroclimatic
bulletins
Organize commune level
meetings
Provide training on Sesame
App
Create Telegram Group
STEP 4
Promote adaptation
measures
Promoting the application
of agroclimatic advisories
STEP 5
Field visits and review
meetings for improvement
of results and process.
Monitor and collect
feedback
Review seasonal climate
forecast
Draft and validate
Develop
dissemination
plan
Encourage AC leaders
and local authorities
Provide technical
support
and solution
Organize LTAC review
meeting
Organize baseline and
endline survey (optional)

STEP 1
STEP 1
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LTAC
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LTAC
The LTAC members need to have a common issue of interest that brings them
together and for which they are willing to contribute their expertise, mobilize their
networks, and invest their time. During the first step of the LTAC implementation,
potential members must be well informed and agree on the purpose, planning of
activities, and their role.
Objective of this step
The overall objective is to establish the LTAC with members who agree on the purpose,
planning, and roles for the co-development and dissemination of agroclimatic bulletins
for farmers.
14
12

13
Specifically
Participants understand the scope and background of LTAC implementation and
identify which tasks each institution performs, their target crops and places they
work in, and their interest in participating in the LTAC.
1.
Build coherence among members in terms of the mission, goals, and activities for
the establishment of the LTAC, and create a work plan for LTAC’s operation.
2.
Inform them on climate forecasts, the tools and products they can use to access
this information, and relevance for agricultural decisions
3.
Provide seasonal climate forecasts for the next three months and the potential
benefits and limitations of using the forecast for decision-making on planning and
crop management.
4.
Materials
You will need flipcharts, marker pens, masking tape, a brief document on the
background and lessons learned in the LTAC implementation from previous pilots
and this LTAC manual, an announcement about seasonal climate forecasts from
DOM/MoWRAM, and a list of attendance.
Issues to consider
It is essential to include a meteorologist from PDoWRAM from the start of the
LTAC process so that he or she fully understands the objectives and LTAC
approach and procedures. At the same time, PDoWRAM staff can provide further
information on important climate variables and climatological characteristics, as
well as essential information such as major climate risks in the target province.
Encourage local partners, such as PDAFF, to invite relevant participants for the
LTAC meetings, which will strengthen their communication and facilitation
capacity and enable them to take ownership of the LTAC process.

Process
After welcoming the participants, let them write down their names and
institutions on color paper and group them according to the type of institution
(e.g., international organizations, education, research, development organization,
government institutions, farmers associations and cooperatives, and local
authorities).
1.
A brief survey will be conducted to determine the level of technical capacity in
each institution, regardless of whether they are aware of the LTAC. Collect each
participant’s thoughts on the LTAC on the whiteboard or flipchart. The facilitator
then gives more background information on the LTAC and lessons learned from
prior LTAC pilots in the country or other countries based on material retrieved
from the original MTA/LTAC Manual (Worksheet 1a).
2.
Hand out three different-colored index cards so that each institution writes down
its idea of the objective, outcomes, and outputs of the LTAC (Worksheet 1b).
3.
Present the seasonal climate forecast (up to 3 to 6 months) received from
DOM/MoWRAM and other sources if needed (Worksheet 1c). Make sure that all
participants are aware of and understand the following:
4.
Forecast variables available, such as rainfall and temperature
a.
Potential advantages and specific limitations of the climate forecast
information, such as predictability and uncertainty
b.
Ask the climate expert or meteorologist from PDoWRAM to explain long-term
climatology from weather stations. This explanation should also identify the
different seasons (dry, rainy) and the historical extreme rainfall or temperatures
in the area. Make sure that the participants are informed about the following:
5.
The most important variables (such as rainfall, temperature, wind speed,
relative humidity, etc.).
a.
How the total rainfall and maximum and minimum temperatures are
measured and used to make the climatology graphs.
b.
Right after the first LTAC meeting, form a (smaller) technical working group of
core members of the LTAC who can help with the organization of the LTAC and
establish procedures for exchange/follow-up meetings (Worksheet 1d) and
prepare a work plan (Worksheet 1e) for the continuous operation of the LTAC.
6.
14

15
Worksheet 1a:
Background information on the LTAC
The LTAC is a dialogue process among a diversity of local actors including scientists,
technicians, representatives from the public and private sectors, and farmers, which
seeks to understand the climate’s possible behavior in a locality, and to generate
agro-advisories to reduce risks associated with expected climate variability. This
dialogue is then used to create an agroclimatic bulletin that contains the region’s
climate prediction, its possible impact on crops or livestock for specific conditions in
time and space, as well as climate smart recommendations around decision-making
for each productive sector. In general, climate predictions produced by each
country’s meteorological service are provided in the LTAC meeting, and the LTAC
members, from various institutions, identify climate-smart agro-advisories to the
climate predictions, and then the climate predictions and the agro-advisories are
shared with local extension officers and farmers in the form of agroclimatic bulletins.
For more information: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114943

When establishing the rules and agreements, it is essential to consider the
processes that can promote group discussion and inclusive decision-making. It is
also important to foster procedures that increase the institutional capacity of
agroclimatic bulletin development, particularly for local actors.
The successful implementation of the LTAC requires a joint vision and commitment
from participating institutions. For this reason, it is recommended that all involved
institutions meet to discuss and agree on its objectives, expected outputs and
outcomes, organizational structure, and roles and responsibilities.
Materials
You will need a flipchart, colored papers and markers, masking tape, and an
attendance list.
Process
Revisit the opinions of each participant about what constitutes an LTAC (written
on the whiteboard or flipchart), and, in a participatory way, agree with all
members on a single definition for an LTAC.
1.
Considering this agreed definition of an LTAC, hand out three colored cards so
that each institution writes down its idea of the objective, outcomes, and outputs
of the LTAC.
2.
After jointly defining the objective, mission, and output/outcome of the LTAC, the
following questions are asked:
3.
What should be the role and contribution of my institution within the LTAC?
a.
Which institutions should be invited to participate in the LTAC?
b.
16
Worksheet 1b:
Formation of mission, objectives and activities

17
Use the latest seasonal climate forecast announcement officially released from
DOM/MoWRAM or possible other sources if needed. Present and explain the
forecast and discuss questions that participants have. The LTAC facilitator presents
the updated seasonal climate forecast with technical assistance from PDoWRAM
staff, who also join the LTAC meeting.
Below is an example of a seasonal climate forecast announcement from DoM:
Worksheet 1c:
Seasonal climate forecast announcement

Worksheet 1d:
Tasks of facilitator after first LTAC meeting
After finishing the first meeting of the LTAC, you, as a facilitator, should perform
the following activities:
Document information and consolidate the minutes from the first LTAC.
Make an attendance list in digital format, and create a Telegram group to keep
the members of the LTAC informed about the latest news, events, and meeting
dates. This group’s unique purpose will be communicating information
relevant to the LTAC’s objectives.
Organize a work plan to present at the next meeting, including the objectives,
methodology, activities, and resources.
Prepare the agenda for the LTAC meetings, including objectives, specific topics,
methodology, etc. The agenda must contain the topic to be discussed and
define the order of the presentation. The beginning of the agenda generally
consists of a welcome introduction to the LTAC, followed by climate prediction
and agroclimatic analysis, participatory work, and then conclusions and
recommendations. The work agenda is built according to the needs and
availability of resources.
Invite participants and speakers to present their work to the LTAC or inviting
others who can present on related topics of interest to the LTAC.
Among the LTAC members, core group members are selected to be responsible
for the operation and implementation of LTAC. The core group members can help
with the organization of the LTAC meetings. For the selection of the core group
members, the role and contribution of the institutions identified in the first
meeting need to be considered. Members of the core group should be recruited
from PDAFF and PDoWRAM officials. The core group members will support the
LTAC facilitator with meeting logistics (convening, confirmation of attendance,
meeting place), minutes, attendance list, and photos.
19

20
Worksheet 1e: Format of the work plan
A work plan can be developed in different formats. Below is a relatively simple
format with key topics/activities over time. It may also be good to specify the role
different organizations play in each activity and any resources required.

STEP 2
STEP 2
DEVELOPMENT OF THE AGROCLIMATIC BULLETIN
DEVELOPMENT OF THE AGROCLIMATIC BULLETIN
14
During the second step of LTAC implementation, LTAC members will develop the
agroclimatic bulletin with tailormade agro-advisories based on seasonal forecast.
The overall objective is to translate climate information into specific advisories for
farmers to support planning and decision making.
Specifically
LTAC members review the seasonal climate forecasts for the next three months
and present and discuss agroclimatic perspectives based on the seasonal climate
forecast.
1.
They develop the agroclimatic bulletin based on the seasonal forecast by
developing specific agroclimatic advisories for the selected crops.
2.
Facilitate finalization of the content and layout of the agroclimatic bulletins,
including logos of participating LTAC members.
3.
21

Materials
You will need logos of partner organizations/relevant institutions to put on the
agroclimatic bulletins, draft them, and discuss and finalize them with the LTAC
members, LCD projector, DOM announcement on the seasonal climate forecasts,
attendance list.
Issues to consider
The timing of agro-advisory provision needs to be in line with the activities that
farmers are doing or will do in the fields. For example, advisories on planting
dates need to be provided at least 2 weeks before the planting season.
Availability of the seasonal climate forecast from the DOM is important for
developing agroclimatic bulletins. The forecast should indicate the estimated
trend for rainfall and temperature in the next three months, preferably with
confidential information on the forecasts based on historical forecast
validation.
In addition to the agroclimatic bulletin (Size A3), consider printing posters (size
A0) to post in public areas so that farmers and other interested people can
easily access seasonal climate forecasts and agro-advisory.
Make sure to share the format design of the agroclimatic bulletin early with a
printing shop so that the bulletins can be printed and distributed to farmers in
time.
Use high-quality resolution logos from the government or relevant partners for
printing and obtain consensus regarding the use and position of their logos.
Consider incorporating training for SESAME App in the LTAC meetings so that
the members are aware of and familiar with the application. From the training,
they will learn how to use it and thus be able to explain it to other farmers
when they return to their communities.
22
22

Process
Preparations before the LTAC meeting
1.
Collect updated seasonal climate forecasts for the development of the
agroclimatic bulletins. Climate forecasts may be obtained from DOM and
other sources, such as the seasonal forecasts from the DeRISK SE Asia
website https://deriskseasia.org/climate.html or the ASEAN Specialized
Meteorological Centre http://asmc.asean.org/home/.
a.
Draft the agroclimatic bulletin by extracting agro-advisories from the CDT
based on the seasonal climate forecast (Worksheet 2a). The CDT is typically
developed before LTAC implementation to highlight agricultural practices in
various seasonal climatic scenarios, such as normal, wetter, and drier
conditions. Local agricultural experts will then review the agroclimatic draft
bulletin in consideration of local agroecosystems. With this pre-preparation,
developing the agroclimatic bulletins will not require much time.
b.
Preparations during the LTAC meeting
2.
The following issues need to be discussed and preferably in a sequential way:
Verify past seasonal climate forecasts and agro-advisories made at the
previous meetings.
a.
Present future seasonal climate forecasts over the next three months.
b.
Present the diagnosis of current climatic phenomena influencing the
region's meteorological behavior (precipitation, temperature) (such as the
El Niño/La Niña phenomenon), if any.
c.
Present the agroclimatic draft bulletin, then work together with the
members to improve the draft bulletins.
d.
The format and design of the draft bulletin can be discussed to improve the
readability and understandability of the content.
e.
Finalize the agroclimatic bulletin based on the comments from the LTAC
members, then prepare for the design and printing (Worksheet 2b).
f.
The LTAC members discuss the dissemination plan in the LTAC meeting to develop
a mechanism for sharing agroclimatic bulletins to the next and end users,
including how the information is transferred, to whom, and when (Worksheet 2c).
The dissemination plan should be prepared in the same LTAC meeting as when the
agroclimatic bulletin is drafted.
23

Worksheet 2a:
Crop Decision Trees with recommendations on farming practices
for different seasonal climate scenarios.
Sample of narrative Crop Decision Tree (CDT)
24

Worksheet 2b:
Draft agroclimatic bulletins to be further discussed
and finalized in the LTAC meeting
Sample of the draft agroclimatic bulletin
25

Sample of the draft agroclimatic bulletin
26

No. Activities Products Target audience Responsible Date
1
Organize
Commune
level meeting to
explain the printed
Agro climatic
bulletins Agroclimatic
bulletins (A3)
AC leaders
PDAFF extension
staff
15 May
(At least 2
weeks before
planting)
2
AC leaders to
organize meetings
with AC members
AC members AC leaders 20 – 25 May
3
AC leaders to
distribute and
explain the
bulletins to farmers
in their villages
Agroclimatic
bulletins (A3)
Other farmers in
villages
AC committee
members 20-25 May
4
Distribute the
printed agro-
climatic bulletins to
the ASPIRE
Programme
Agroclimatic
bulletins (bulletins
A0)
Cooperating
farmers
of the ASPIRE
programme
ASPIRE extension
staff
10 May
5
Share the soft
copies of the
printed bulletins
with the Commune
Committee for
Disaster
Management
(CCDM) through
Telegram
Soft copies of the
bulletins
Commune
committee
for disaster
management
extension staff of
the district office
of agriculture
10 May
6
Visit Commune
Councils to
distribute posters
(A0)
Agroclimatic
posters
(A0)
Local authorities
PDAFF extension
staff
16 May
(To
distribute during
the commune
meetings)
7
Commune
councilors
to hang the
posters in
commune halls or
on the information
boards.
Farmers / public
people
Commune
councilors
17 May
Worksheet 2c:
Example of the dissemination plan
27

STEP 3
STEP 3
DISSEMINATION OF THE AGROCLIMATIC BULLETIN
DISSEMINATION OF THE AGROCLIMATIC BULLETIN
14
During the third step of the LTAC implementation, agroclimatic bulletins are
disseminated to farmers. This requires a good understanding of how best to reach
farmers and convey information. Moreover, it is important to provide this
information in time.
The overall objective is to timely disseminate agroclimatic bulletins to farmers
considering end-user characteristics and local communication channels.
28

Specifically
Develop and discuss the dissemination plan with the LTAC members.
1.
Disseminate agroclimatic bulletins (A3) and A0 posters developed by the LTAC
members, to the next users, such as leaders of the agricultural cooperatives
(AC) and AC members and the end users, in most cases, farmers.
2.
Train LTAC members on the SESAME app for sharing agro-climatic advisory on
smartphones.
3.
Create Telegram groups among local information disseminators, such as
leaders of agricultural cooperatives, local authorities, and commune extension
workers, to quickly share the information with farmers.
4.
Materials
You will need printed bulletins (A3, but also A0 posters) to be distributed to the AC
leaders/participants who attend the commune-level meetings and an attendance
list. For the training on the SESAME app, you need a smartphone with Internet
access.
Issues to consider
The goal of the dissemination of agroclimatic bulletins is for the information to
reach the local farmers and communities on time, in easy-to-understand
language, with clear and applicable recommendations, in order to improve
agricultural decision-making.
Familiarize yourselves with the communication channels preferred by local
farmers, for example, printed agroclimatic bulletins, posters, or soft copies to
be shared through Facebook messenger groups, Telegram, etc.
Consider existing farmer networks, projects/programs, private sector
organizations, or provincial disaster management committee to disseminate
the agroclimatic bulletins in order to reach a greater number of farmers.
Cooperate with local authorities to distribute the agroclimatic bulletins.
To reach a larger number of women, it is important to consider working with
women leaders to disseminate the agro-climatic bulletins. For example, women
groups can be an important way to facilitate female farmers' access to key
agroclimatic information.
29
29

32
Process
A crucial element of the LTAC is generating agroclimatic information and then
disseminating that information among institutions, extension services, farmers,
and other relevant local and regional actors who could use the information
provided. For this, different means of communication are used, such as
Facebook Messenger, the Facebook page of PDAFF, Telegram groups, AMK
Tonle Sap App, etc. By doing so, the information can be disseminated widely
using different communication channels.
1.
Work with local agricultural extension service providers such as PDAFF and DAO
to organize commune-level meetings with the agricultural cooperatives (ACs)
leaders and farmers to explain the bulletins. They will relay the bulletins to AC
members and other interested farmers in their respective communities by
explaining the seasonal climate forecasts and agro-advisory in the bulletin.
2.
During the commune-level meeting, facilitators must train the use of SESAME
app with participants. With the SESAME App, AC leaders and local authorities
can quickly access climate information to disseminate agro-climatic information
to farmers. Farmers, agricultural leaders, and local authorities who have
smartphones will be asked to install the SESAME app with technical assistance
from the PDAFF facilitators to access climate information and agroclimatic
advisory. Typically, cooperative agricultural leaders and local authorities install
the SESAME app and distribute information to farmers.
3.
The Telegram group can be used as one of the communication pathways. The
Telegram group members are PDAFF extension workers, district office
extension workers, AC leaders, and local authorities. Normally, hard copies of
the agro-climatic bulletins need some time for printing and dissemination.
Therefore, using the Telegram group, disseminators can quickly share soft
copies of the bulletins and other related climate information, resulting in faster
dissemination of the information from disseminators to end users. PDAFF is
anticipated to maintain the Telegram group.
4.
30

Organize commune level meeting by PDAFF extension staff
Distribute the agroclimatic bulletins to commune council
31

STEP 4
STEP 4
PROMOTING THE APPLICATION OF
PROMOTING THE APPLICATION OF
AGROCLIMATIC ADVISORIES
AGROCLIMATIC ADVISORIES
14
Step 4 promotes farmers' use of agroclimatic advisories for planning and crop
management decision-making. By applying agricultural recommendations to manage
and respond to expected climatic variabilities, farmers can boost productivity and
revenue while reducing their vulnerability to potential losses and damages caused by
climate risks.
Objectives of this step:
The overall objective is to promote the implementation and use of advisories based
on seasonal forecasts.
32

30
Process
After the distribution of the agroclimatic bulletins to farmers, the provision of
additional technical support to farmers is needed to encourage farmers to
implement the adaptation measures of agroclimatic advisories.
1.
Technical extension workers from the PDAFF and DAO provide technical support
and encourage agro-advisory adoption among farmers in target communities.
They conduct field visits to support farmers in applying agroclimatic advisories.
Technical extension workers may arrange small group meetings with farmers in
communities and/or provide advice directly to farmers by visiting their houses or
farms, monitor the progress of implementing the agroclimatic advisory, and try to
understand challenges or difficulties that farmers face in implementing the
adaptation measures.
2.
AC leaders and local authorities encourage both the AC members and other
farmers to apply the agroclimatic advisories when they organize meetings with
the AC members and meet with other farmers individually in their respective
communities.
3.
33
Specifically
Promote the application of adaptation measures (agroclimatic advisory) that are
recommended based on seasonal climate forecasts from the agroclimatic bulletins
and the SESAME App.
1.
Encourage AC leaders and local authorities to promote advisory.
2.
Provide technical support and solutions to overcome constraints in applying
recommended advisories.
3.
Issues to consider
Field coaching by PDAFF extension workers is important to provide additional
technical support and encourage farmers to apply the recommended solutions or
agro-advisory written in the bulletins.
The identified set of adaptation measures should be of interest and benefit both
women and men.
It may be relevant to assess the (different) challenges that women and men face to
implement the identified adaptation measures and look for opportunities to
coordinate with other development initiatives/actors to address the productive
resource constraints for the most marginalized groups.

STEP 5
STEP 5
FIELD VISITS AND REVIEW MEETINGS
FIELD VISITS AND REVIEW MEETINGS
FOR IMPROVEMENT OF RESULTS AND PROCESS
FOR IMPROVEMENT OF RESULTS AND PROCESS
14
The last step refers to field visits and review meetings for improvement of results
and process, which includes monitoring, evaluation, and learning. These are critical
for further improvement of process and content. This typically includes basic field
monitoring and mid-season and/or end-of-season review meetings. If there are
enough resources, a more thorough baseline and endline can be conducted to
assess changes in knowledge, attitudes and behavior as result of the information
received, or possibly a cost-benefit analysis.
The overall objective is to assess and further improve the quality and effectiveness of
agroclimatic advisories of the LTAC approach.
34

Specifically
To capture lessons learned from the implementation of the LTAC approach to
improving the content and/or process.
1.
To monitor behavior changes of farmers who have received agro-climatic
advisories.
2.
To assess costs and benefits based on the implementation of advisories.
3.
Materials
You will need flipcharts, marker pens, and sticky tape for LTAC member review
meetings. The work plan for the LTAC implementation should also serve as a basis
for reflection.
Issue to consider
Monitoring and evaluation can vary from field observations and talking to
farmers and extension agents to review by LTAC committee members of process
and content during mid-term and end-of-season review meetings. Depending on
resources and timeframe, one can consider baseline and end-line evaluations or
cost-benefit analyses.
In the case of a baseline survey (see example https://bit.ly/3b34D7v), this should
be carried out immediately before the implementation of the LTAC to capture
the circumstances prior to the LTAC intervention accurately. The endline survey
should be followed at the end of the season (or several seasons) to measure
changes and outcomes of LTAC implementation.
It may be important to assess the LTAC process in terms of gender equality and
social inclusion (GESI). The degree to which farmers from diverse socioeconomic
groups, including women and men, have access to agroclimatic information may
differ substantially and should be addressed.
35

Process
Throughout the season, keep track of the number of bulletins shared,
dissemination channels, type and number of training provided, number of
farmers (men and women) reached, etc. Ask implementing staff to share
photos/evidence. It is important to document this information (Worksheet 5a).
1.
Collect feedback from farmers, AC leaders, and local authorities in target
communities on areas of improvement (Worksheet 5b).
2.
Organize an LTAC review meeting to discuss progress and results and capture
the lessons learned from the implementation of the LTAC, for example, what
went well, what went less well, what LTAC members can do to improve these for
next season, what extra support is needed, etc.
3.
Depending on resources and purpose, consider conducting a baseline and end-
line survey to measure the change and outcome of the LTAC implementation.
Additionally, some case stories could be documented.
4.
33
36

No. Name of AC Commune District
Commune-level meetings
organized
# of
bulletins
distributed
# of total
farmers
received
the
bulletins
# of
women
farmers
received
the
bulletins
# of
commune
level
meeting
# of total
participants
# of
women
Worksheet 5a: Number of agroclimatic bulletins
distributed to farmers
37

Worksheet 5b: Guiding questions for reflection on LTAC
implementation
38
This exercise looks back at how the LTAC was put into place and reviews what went
well and what needs to be changed for the next time. The questions below are
meant as a guide for LTAC members to reflect upon during the meeting and
identify areas for improvement.
What is your experience and feedback on the LTAC implementation?
1.
Reflection on the effectiveness of the following points:
2.
Generation of climate information (time period, scale, variables,
accurateness, etc.)
a.
Development of agroclimatic bulletin, including design and content
b.
Dissemination of the bulletins (timing and frequency, distribution channels,
and effectiveness)
c.
Agroclimatic advisories (appropriateness, actual use, constraints)
d.
What are the main challenges and difficulties in implementing LTAC, and what
are potential solutions?
3.

Conclusion
39
The development of this manual is the first attempt to create a guide for making
and sharing agroclimatic advisories based on seasonal forecasts.
While the results have been encouraging, much work still needs to be done. CDTs
for rice, cassava, and maize are being developed for all provinces. Also,
DOM/MOWRAM and the Department of Agriculture must work more closely to
ensure that climate information and advisories are better tailored to farmer needs
and local conditions.
Giving TOT training on how to facilitate and implement the LTAC to those involved
in the LTAC implementation process and other potential stakeholders who may be
able to use the LTAC in their areas is an important part of scaling the climate
advisory.
Existing farmer cooperatives and private sector organizations can help promote the
dissemination of the agroclimatic advisories to a larger number of farmers so they
can access the agroclimatic advisories. Using digital platforms can help disseminate
climate information and agroclimatic advisories to farmers.
While the LTAC does not require many material resources, it does require time and
commitment from participating organizations and their staff. Hence it is important
to develop a plan and approach that is in line with the resources that can be
mobilized and assess opportunities for mobilizing extra resources if needed.

Annex 1: Crop Decision Tree
Annex 2: Questionnaire for baseline and endline survey
Annex 3: Sesame App manual
Annex 4: Work plan of the LTAC
41
Annexes

This guide was produced by DeRISK SE Asia and is aligned with the new CGIAR initiative
on Asian Mega-Deltas. The development of this implementation guide supports
extension workers and relevant development practitioners in the development of
locally-specific agroclimatic bulletins with climate information and climate-smart agro
advisories in the context of Cambodia.
Yim Soksophors
Project country coordinator
International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)
yim.sokshopors@iir.org
Kees Swaans
Project leader and Asia lead for Climate Action
Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
c.swaans@cgiar.org

Local Technical Technical Agro-climatic Agro-climatic Committee (LTAC) Committee (LTAC) Implementation Guide

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Local Technical Technical Agro-climatic Agro-climatic Committee (LTAC) Committee (LTAC) Implementation Guide

Similar to Local Technical Technical Agro-climatic Agro-climatic Committee (LTAC) Committee (LTAC) Implementation Guide (20)

More from Soksophors yim

More from Soksophors yim (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Local Technical Technical Agro-climatic Agro-climatic Committee (LTAC) Committee (LTAC) Implementation Guide