Ufaas update october 2014

PROGRESS REPORT OF THE UGANDA FORUM FOR
AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY SERVICES (UFAAS)
Uganda Forum for agricultural Advisory Services
Web platform: www.networking.afaas-africa.org/uganda/
Presented at the AFAAS Review and
Validation Workshop at Beshale Hotel, Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia
13th
October 2014
By Beatrice Luzobe (Focal Person)

• Planned Activities
• Achievements since last meeting under
– CF strengthening
–and Communication, Information, and
Knowledge Management (CIKM)
• Challenges and Lessons Leant
• Plans up to end of year
• Budget
Website: www.networking.afaas-africa.org/uganda/

• CF strengthening
– Sensitization of AEAS actors about UFAAS
– AAS stakeholder and institutional analysis
– Proposal development
– Validation of the Proposal
– Institutional Development
– Development and Validation of Strategic and
operational plan
– Facilitating the CF processes (FP Support)

• Communication, Information, and
Knowledge Management (CIKM)
– Development of a CIKM strategy
– AAS Innovation Development
– AFAAS Extension Week
– National Extension Activities
– Engaging the media

Country Mobilization, Sensitization
&Profiling of actors
•Registration of members:
– More than 100 AEAS actors were registered, 27 of
these are already paid-up
•Regional Mobilization of AAS actors
– 222 AEAS actors from all sector mobilized
– FAQ packaged and disseminated
– Recommendations from the field captured

AEAS Actors mobilized during
the regional meeting
District Public Private Academia NGOs Media Farmer
Organizations
Development
Partners
Total
Mbarara 5 8 4 8 3 5 5 38
Kampal
a
7 6 1 9 2 1 5 31
Tororo 6 1 1 6 2 4 0 20
Soroti 17 2 1 3 1 1 0 25
Lira 17 3 1 2 2 0 1 26
Gulu 9 2 0 5 0 0 2 18
Kitgum 29 3 0 2 2 0 1 37
Adjuma
n
20 1 0 5 0 1 0 27
Total 110 26 8 40 12 12 12 222

Country Mobilization,
Sensitization &Profiling
of actors…
•Exhibited UFAAS at the
Jinja Agricultural Show
(twice-2013 and 2014)
– over 500 AAS actors
during the 17 day of
exhibition
– Other members also
exhibitedover 500 AAS actors

&Profiling of actors…
•Mobilization of AEAS actors at the National
level
– Ministry (MAAIF and NAADS) including Minister
– The parliamentary committee on Agriculture
– Main media houses visited ( UBC, Vision group,
Uganda Radio Network)
– ICRAF, Heifer, FAO, Grameen Foundation

&Profiling of actors…
• National
Stakeholders
Conference (2013)
– 171 (35 women) AEAS actors
from all over Uganda, and
from all sectors
– Theme: “Towards an effective,
efficient and innovative
Agricultural Extension and
Advisory Services (AEAS)
system in Uganda

Institutional Development
•Finalising the Financial Policy
•Proposal Development
– Gender Responsive Agricultural Services For Rural Poverty
Reduction – GRASP together with FARA.
• Scoping studies approved and soon beginning.
– Capacity Development of agricultural extension systems
and local communities for Sustainable Conservation of
Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture –
International Treaty – No response yet
– USAID Feed the Future Enabling Environment for Agriculture Activity-
Consultant did not perform

Lobbying and Advocacy
•Two position papers written, published and
disseminated to cabinet/ ministry, Parliament
and development partners
– On the proposed reforms to mainstream extension
into MAAIF and restructure NAADS into the
national agribusiness promotion agency
– On the involvement of the Army in agricultural
service delivery

Facilitating the CF processes (Focal Point
Support)
•Focal Desk facilitated in terms of internal travel and
Communication
•Extra work by the Focal person
•Several Board members have also supported the focal desk
– Worksheets developed
•Editors identified and need discussion and approval by the
board (Mrs Gloria Gummah and Dr. Samuel Luzobe (*need to
discuss this one)
– Draft of proposed TORs shared
•Cabinet and printer purchased

Website and virtual platform roll-out
•Website Management
– Updating of the website embarked on but there is
a challenge of the webmaster
– Face book page formed – Not yet very active
•Activation of the virtual platform through training
and facilitation of champions
•Issues for discussion posted but response is
still poor

AEAS Innovation Support
•Booklet on Innovative Approaches compiled
– Need verification by partners, typesetting,
production and dissemination
•One partner identified for proposal development
– ICRAF willing
– need one more-who ??

National Extension Activities
•Participated in the 22nd
National Agricultural show - 7th
- 13th
July 2014 combined
with Borlaug’s 100 years celebrations
– Theme: Take it to the Farmers: Family Farming for Agricultural
Revolution in Uganda
– Exhibited of Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) Fora at
the Jinja Agricultural Show
– Adopted theme: Taking it to the Farmers through efficient and effective
Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services
• Increased awareness about AFAAS, UFAAS and
• Relevant information on AFAAS and UFAAS shared with the AAES
stakeholders
• … visited the stall
• Registered … potential members (AEAS Actors)
– Also attended the Norman Boulaug’s Symposium

Engaging the media
•Visited the major media houses mentioned
above and shared the UFAAS mandate and
possible collaborations
•Published position papers in New Vision and an
article in the Agribusiness Newsletter.
•Inventory of the media houses
•Planning a consultative meeting with Media
(Sensitization, consultation and inventory)

CF Strengthening
•Annual General Meeting –note
– ICRAF expressed interest to co-fund
• Finalise te 5 Thematic Concepts- 2 pple each)
•4th
Board Meeting –When??

Capacity Development
•FARA 4 days Training - Enhancing the Capacity to Implement IAR4D
Concept for AFAAS Members and NARS in Uganda -9-12th
Sept’24
– The general objective of workshop is to streamline the
institutionalization of the IAR4D and IP concept into the existing
structure for ARD in Africa.
– Specific objectives include;
•To develop the capacity of AFAAS stakeholders in IAR4D/ IP concept for
agricultural development in Africa.
•To develop the capacity of strategic partners in the Uganda NARS of the
systemic for deriving real impact from IP concept.
•To establish a cadre of professionals who will support IP concept the national
and district level
•Note: UFAAS part of the organizers and identified 90% of the participant
•Need to strategize on extra benefit from the workshop

Lobbying and Advocacy
•Develop more position papers
•Develop a strategy for involving more members
•Studies on pertinent AEAS issues- ICRAF interested
Facilitating the CF processes (Focal Point Support)
•Continue facilitating the F/Person
– Will go to Addis Ababa in October for the AFAAS CFs’
meeting
•Strategy of involving more board members, especially
from up-country
•Editors

Website and virtual platform roll-out
•Identify an active webmaster
•Strategy on how to make the Virtual platform active
AEAS Innovation Support
•a. Finalize Booklet-Major output of IFAD project
•b. Develop a proposal with ICRAF on Farmer to Farmer
innovation
Engaging the media
•Encourage members to engage with media where they are. Eg
articles, talk shows, etc
•Media consultative workshop on effective and efficient
agricultural extension and advisory services delivery in Uganda.

Engaging the media…
•Media consultative workshop
Theme: Effective agricultural news reporting for better informed farmers and extension workers.
Purpose - to bring together and engage a broad range of media actors
(agriculture news editors and reporters) and extension workers g
Goal - to discuss critical issues concerning an effective and efficient delivery of
agricultural extension and advisory messages, and come up with an agreed way
forward.
The specific objectives are:
•To brief the media actors and extensionists about UFAAS mandate, strategic
direction, activities and plans
•To discuss the various critical issues concerning Agricultural Extension and
Advisory messages. and come up with a way forward
•To profile media actors/ programmes in AEAS for future networking and
collaboration with other sectors.
•Get extension workers’ perspectives on what works for them.
•Inventory of the media houses

• ANY MORE ???
• Budget review

• Late funding
• Theme 4- Professionalization and standards
• Website mgt
• Budget for Advocacy
• Budget for AGM

Ufaas update october 2014

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