Linking Local Learners. Negotiating New Development Relationships between Village, District and Nation.

Attachment

Linking Local Learners.pdf

11g72vrk1-82/b0bsl79jx59rwtw7lr978psshbdk7tsxlb1w4wlpmfhprmt/Linking_Local_Learners.pdf

Description

We introduce our book with the story of how a learning approach was developed in East Africa – what was done, who was involved, what was created, and what was learned. We also share the ideas of the local learning groups on how modern Information and Communication Technology could support their learning.

You will find here our strategy for developing a learning approach from first consultations onwards, and why different stakeholders were interested in learning. Explained here is how local ownership was secured through self-organization, self-motivation and commitment. Also explained is our process for inventing learning tools for complex organizational change associated with decentralization and privatization of agricultural extension. And within that process how farmer demand for services and spontaneous action was secured through village level vision based planning. How to negotiate partnerships between farmers and service providers is also shared, as is how to examine the consequences for local government, farmer organizations and service providers of supporting farmer service demands. Lastly, in terms of a process of learning-by-doing, we introduce reflection as a way of self-monitoring and self-evaluation, course correction and tracking change. Our story of how we developed a learning approach to decentralization closes with insights into what ‘mind-shifts’ are needed to engage in a learning approach, and what are the threats to successful implementation of a learning approach.

Our account of using ICT for learning opens with information on recent advances in ICT capacity in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. We answer questions concerning: What kind of access do learning groups at village, district and national level have to ICT’s? What would local people use ICT’s for if they had access? Why are they not using ICT’s now? The learning groups went on to develop communication action plans to connect learners at village, district and national levels. Lastly, brainstorming how the internet can support learning revealed that internet could a) bring wider coverage of learners within the shortest time possible and at relatively low cost; b) cut down on workshop costs as the learning groups need not be in “the same room”; c) give more flexibility to the learners as the learning environment would be easier to tailor to their specific needs; and d) could help solve problems in a more collaborative manner by easy sharing of knowledge. We all concluded that a new kind of person was needed in development:
the tele-facilitator.

Part one is organized into two chapters. The first chapter tells the story of how ISG supported the development of a Learning Process in East Africa. The second chapter reports on our diagnostic study on using modern Information & Communication Technology (ITC) for learning in East Africa. This part gives you an understanding of the background and method we used to develop a learning approach to the complex institutional change associated with the decentralization and privatization of agricultural support services.

Author

Edited by Clive Lightfoot, Carine Alders and Frands Dolberg. Agroforum. Greve Denmark