Guidelines for rapporteurs and conveners - Session 6: Making research and science reach farmers and end users, Land and Water Days in Near East & North Africa, 15-18 December 2013, Amman, Jordan

1. N
ENA LAND AND WATER DAYS – Amman, Jordan
15-18 December 2013
Guidelines for rapporteurs and conveners
Thank you for taking on this important task. – Your work will enable us to share the
outcomes of this session with many more people who could not attend.
This template is intended to help you to successfully document the key points and outcomes of your session.
Keep in mind that the Land & Water days will contribute to document good practices and positive experiences
on land and water management. They will enable the identification of critical actions that may contribute to
significant improvement in agriculture water management for food security in the Near East and North Africa.
The LWDs will also provide a forum for the discussion on the Regional Collaborative Strategy on Agriculture
Water Management.
The reporting may vary depending on the session format. In many cases the session will be highly interactive
and you will need to document group work, panel/audience interactions, … and agree beforehand with the
facilitator if you shall document only group work presentations or also the group work itself.
For groups, it is suggested to designate for each group a reporter who can capture the main elements on a
flipchart or cards. Please write on each flipchart the name of the session and the number of the flipchart.
Taking pictures of each flip-chart will be a great help for reporters.
Reminder for good practices
A “good practice” can be defined as follows:
A good practice is not only a practice that is good, but a practice that has been proven to work well and
produce good results, and is therefore recommended as a model. It is a successful experience, which has been
tested and validated, in the broad sense, which has been repeated and deserves to be shared so that a greater
number of people can adopt it
Good practice criteria
The following set of criteria will help you determine whether a practice is a “good practice”:
1. Effective and successful: A “good practice” has proven its strategic relevance as the most effective way in
achieving a specific objective; it has been successfully adopted and has had a positive impact on individuals
and/or communities.
2. Environmentally, economically and socially sustainable:
A “good practice” meets current needs, in particular the essential needs of the world’s poorest, without
compromising the ability to address future needs.
3. Gender sensitive:
A description of the practice must show how actors, men and women, involved in the process, were able to
improve their livelihoods.
4. Technically feasible:

2. Technical feasibility is the basis of a “good practice”. It is easy to learn and to implement.
5. Inherently participatory:
Participatory approaches are essential as they support a joint sense of ownership of decisions and actions.
6. Replicable and adaptable:
A “good practice” should have the potential for replication and should therefore be adaptable to similar
objectives in varying situations.
7. Reducing disaster/crisis risks
If possible, a “good practice” contributes to disaster/crisis risks reduction for resilience.
Recommendations:
Please read carefully the reporting template BEFORE the event – The session reporting template will help you
understanding objectives and structure of the session as well as leading questions during the session. The
template may also include specific guidance for you as rapporteur. You need to meet your session facilitator
and conveners before the session.
Use a computer to fill the reporting template/Be concise! – During the session you should electronically
document the issues raised. Make bullet points and focus on key issues. Do not try to write down each and
every comment. Check in the session information sheet which aspects are being addressed in the session
(technical/policy/networking etc.). Try to capture the key messages and conclusion for each aspect as well as
specific recommendations for follow-up actions already during the session. Check your findings with the
facilitator directly after the session and fill together box on key outcomes by objective.
Please take pictures of participants during the session and
at the end of all the flipcharts and evaluation post-its!
Please send the session report using the session reporting template on the same evening to RNE-Land-andWater-Days @fao.org (FAORNE) (in subject –indicate report of session number xx)
This is important, because we want to compile the key points from the reporting templates for the following
morning and for the synthesis session on Day 4.
Guidelines and templates in this booklet have been adapted from those used in previous FAO and IFAD share fair events,
and especially those prepared for the Climate Change Days, Rome 2010
http://www.sharefair.net/en/

3. Session reporting template
Session Title: Making research and science reach farmers and end users
Session number: 6
Type of session (plenary, panel session, other): Technical Session
Day – time : 17 December 2013 – 11:00 – 13:00
Place: Fayrouz
Convener/coordinator: LAS / CEDARE / AOAD
Key speakers (name, organization):
Mr. Fawzi Karajeh, ICARDA
Mr. Qasem Abdou, Ministry of Agriculture, Palestine
Mr. Ahmed Al Samawi, AOAD
Mr. Magdi Latif, FAO
Facilitator(s): Ebba Augustin
Rapporteur: Amr AbdelMeguid
Number of participants (total): 30
Number of men: 23
Number of women: 7
Remember to circulate the attendance list for the session
Objective of the session: Effectively engage stakeholders in projects development and implementation. it
includes design-to-use practical examples to test the use of a range of knowledge-sharing methods: after
Action Review, storytelling, peer assist, fishbowl with examples from projects of participants.
Rationale (as in preparatory documents or programme):
This technical session will explore ways and means to improve information exchange and projects’ outcome
reach end users through well designed outreach and dissemination approaches. It will be addressing the
capitalisation of experiences and good practices. For this, it will review various experiences to understand in
which conditions, the involvement of users has been successful and the implication for project design and
implementation.
Knowledge sharing method used:
Reporting during the session
Global ideas issued from the presentations
Four presentations were delivered addressing:
2 case studies (applied and tested in Egypt and Sudan in local rural areas) on how research and technology was
transferred to farmers and well applied:
integrated crop irrigation technology packages,
Guidelines and templates in this booklet have been adapted from those used in previous FAO and IFAD share fair events,
and especially those prepared for the Climate Change Days, Rome 2010
http://www.sharefair.net/en/

4. economic irrigation efficiency in Jordan Valley in West Bank in Palestine
1 presentation presented a framework for the transfer of research findings to end users, namely farmers, and basically
addressing the development and soft reform of agricultural extension.
A Fourth presentation by FAO communication officer on the national knowledge management platforms (e.g. VERCON,
RADCON, NARIMS, NAIS, and MAFWET) which are designed for strengthening linkages between research and extension
for the benefit of farmers. And touched also on regional thematic knowledge networks.
Main points of the discussion, the answers and the exchanges
Issues/challenges:
Gaps between research/best practices and implementation at the local level is basically due to:
Weak linkages between research institutions and agricultural extension
Agricultural extension services and responsibilities with inadequate resources (financial and capacity)
There is a need by farmers for knowledge on methods to improve their agricultural productivity, however
many are still in the business as usual, due to low educational level, poverty, and small scale ownership, in
addition to the above.
Recommendations/approaches/solutions:
PARTICIPATION
Engagement of farmers together with other stakeholders in all projects’ phases including design, planning and
implementation
Bottom up approaches
Selection of entry point farmers in the rural communities (based on certain criteria including social, economic,
etc.) for the introduction and implementation of pilot and demonstration projects
Work through farmer organizations, WUAs, cooperatives, etc.
Incentive systems for adoption of research findings and technologies and guarantee for productivity and
financial benefits and compensation systems in case of failures, in addition to marketing support (plant what
market and market what we can plant)
RESEARCH
As research is needed on innovations, it is also needed to bring innovations to farmers (i.e. research on whole
knowledge chain)
Registration of crops/seed varieties by the government agencies (trust building)
Conduct research on drudgery relieving technology especially for women
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES
There is a need for investment and developing strategies for reform of agricultural extension systems
including; responsibly, financial resources allocation, capacity development and training, etc.)
Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the agricultural extensions to be more science-oriented and
demand-driven
UPSCALING OF GOOD PRACTICIES
Engagement of media for outreach and dissemination of good practices
Public Private partnership (PPP) among various actors; farmers, service providers, large farmer investors, civil
Guidelines and templates in this booklet have been adapted from those used in previous FAO and IFAD share fair events,
and especially those prepared for the Climate Change Days, Rome 2010
http://www.sharefair.net/en/

5. society for knowledge transfer
Farmer to farmer knowledge transfer / farmer schools
Aggregation and documentation of success stories/good practices in the region
Promoting agri-business bringing small scale farmers and private sector (knowledge transfer)
CHANGE OF BEHAVIOR
Change in behavior of farmers/stabilizing this behaviour
Awareness raising of farmers, cross visits and using farmer to farmer approach for upscaling
If possible, try to identify the participants name
Use their quotes when possible
Other issues of interest raised (specify the issue and target session)
e.g. Guidelines / manuals referred to as used/useful or commented about
e.g. Funding/networking opportunities, key contact, etc.
e.g. Related topics to be picked up in another session or at another occasion
Please add
Participation and demand driven-research is the key for linking research and end users
1 quote that you think summarizes your session well
1 sentence that brings out the key message of the discussion. Something that somebody said that was especially
witty.
Guidelines and templates in this booklet have been adapted from those used in previous FAO and IFAD share fair events,
and especially those prepared for the Climate Change Days, Rome 2010
http://www.sharefair.net/en/

6. Agricultural Extension services should be science oriented and demand driven
This will be used for the final debriefing session
Immediately after the session (by rapporteur – convener - facilitator):
How has the session contributed to the land and water days expected outputs?
Please comment on the concrete outputs/outcomes.
1.
Technologies and approaches: what works and what does not work
Constraints and solutions.
Constraints:
Gaps between research/best practices and implementation at the local level is basically due to:
Weak linkages between research institutions and agricultural extension
Agricultural extension services and responsibilities with inadequate resources (financial and capacity)
There is a need by farmers for knowledge on methods to improve their agricultural productivity, however
many still are in the business as usual, due to low educational level, poverty, and small scale ownership, in
addition to the above.
Solutions
PARTICIPATION
RESEARCH should be demand-driven
UPSCALING OF GOOD PRACTICIES
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES
CHANGE OF BEHAVIOR
2.
What do we need to know in order to be able to replicate this practice and / or to scale it up?
UPSCALING OF GOOD PRACTICIES
Engagement of media for outreach and dissemination of good practices
Public Private partnership (PPP) among various actors; farmers, service providers, large farmer investors, for
knowledge transfer
Farmer to farmer knowledge transfer / farmer schools
Aggregation and documentation of success stories/good practices in the region
Promoting agri-business bringing small scale farmers and private sector (knowledge transfer)
3.
What are the lessons learned identified in this session?
There is a need for investment and developing strategies for reform of agricultural extension systems
including; responsibly, financial resources allocation, capacity development and training, etc.)
Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the agricultural extensions to be more science-oriented and
Guidelines and templates in this booklet have been adapted from those used in previous FAO and IFAD share fair events,
and especially those prepared for the Climate Change Days, Rome 2010
http://www.sharefair.net/en/

7. demand-driven
Participatory planning approaches should be adopted
4.
Options and recommendations to develop for the Regional Collaborative Strategy within the framework of
Regional Water Scarcity Initiative.
General ideas on networking and experiences exchange came through. Building on existing regional
platforms. Partnerships for synergies.
5.
What are the findings and recommendations in terms of partnership?
There is a need for partnership to build synergies among existing initiatives
6.
Is there a practice that was addressed that could be a good practice or become one and why?
Refer to definition and criteria on page 1
The practice of implementing integrated crop irrigation technology packages in selected local
communities in Egypt and Sudan where it increased the wheat agricultural productivity to 140%
Participatory planning approaches adopted in communities for climate resilience to increase
agricultural productivity and improve livelihoods
Why?
These practices engage and benefit the local communities to improve the farmers income and their
livelihoods.
Guidelines and templates in this booklet have been adapted from those used in previous FAO and IFAD share fair events,
and especially those prepared for the Climate Change Days, Rome 2010
http://www.sharefair.net/en/

8. Participants’ feedback
Post-its should be distributed to all the participants before the end of the session. They should write their answers on
the right colour post-it :
1.
2.
What have you liked / learned or taken back from this session? (pink for women - orange for men)
According to you, what was missing or what else would you like to know on this subject? (green for women
and blue for men
What have you liked / learned or taken back from this session
Women
Men
Well organized, timed, and focused
Good overview of existing good practices
Interesting and important topic
Interested in ICARDA’s experience on increasing
the wheat productivity to 140% and need to
know more
Well organized, facilitated, and managed
Good topic and rich discussions
Good case studies presented
Variety of experiences
What was missing or what else would you like to know on this subject
Women
Men
More time is needed for discussions
Need more explanation on how extension
services can be improved to adopt
commendations of research
Need more information on how to upscale good
practices
Need more case studies
Need to know about “niche-crops”
Reflection on female farmers was limited
No representation of farmers in the session
Time limited for this interesting topic and rich
discussions
Some presentations were theoretical on
suggested frameworks
There is a need for more good practices and
their documentation
Picture of all the post-its should be taken at the end of the session.
Transcription of the comments should be done right after the session
The flipchart should be given back to the facilitators team.
Signed by Rapporteur: Amr AbdelMeguid
Lead technical facilitator: Domitille Vallee
Please send this back to us by the end of day so it can be integrated in the recap session tomorrow
morning. Send it to Amr.Fadlelmawla@fao.org (cc. elodie.perrat@fao.org) with the number of
your session in subject line
Thank you!
Guidelines and templates in this booklet have been adapted from those used in previous FAO and IFAD share fair events,
and especially those prepared for the Climate Change Days, Rome 2010
http://www.sharefair.net/en/