| This
is issue number 11 of the e-newsletter produced by the Cooperative Venture
for Capacity Building in Rural Australia (CVCB).
IN THIS ISSUE:
What you think about
capacity building. A summary of your feedback from the capacity building
workshops held around Australia last November.
CVCB/APEN workshop report.
The report on the capacity building workshops is available on the CVCB
website.
Your guide to CVCB projects.
Describes completed and current projects
Factsheets. The CVCB
has ten factsheets that summarise various aspects of two research projects,
What works and why and Growing the capital of rural Australia.
Work out there. Land
& Water Australia is managing a Knowledge for NRM project, which is
investigating ways to improve knowledge connections between NRM regions
and information providers.
In print. New publication
from Land & Water Australia.
Handy links. Links
to websites with useful tips for capacity building and working with groups.
Steering Committee
The Cooperative Venture
for Capacity Building is managed by a steering committee comprising representatives
from the partners. The committee is as follows:
Kevin Goss (Chairman), CRC for Plant-Based
Management of Dryland Salinity
Jane Fisher, Rural Industries Research
and Development Corporation
Ruth Nettle, Dairy Australia
Paul Comyn, Australian Wool Innovation
Victor Dobos, Grains Research and Development
Corporation
Tony Clancy, Grape and Wine Research
and Development Corporation
Michael Goldberg, Meat & Livestock
Australia
Elwin Turnbull, Department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry Australia
Michael Lester, Land & Water Australia
Alison Reid, Murray-Darling Basin Commission
Tracy Henderson, Sugar Research and
Development Corporation
Bruce Pyke, Cotton Research and Development
Corporation
John McKenzie, John McKenzie and Associates
(Program Manager and Executive Officer)
Contacts
For more information about
the CVCB and its activities contact:
Jane Fisher, RIRDC, phone (02) 6271
6498, email jane.fisher@rirdc.gov.au
John McKenzie, John McKenzie and Associates,
phone 0402 018 318, email john.mckenzie@rbbs.net.au
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Website
For information about the
CVCB and projects go to website Cooperative
Venture page. |
 |
WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT CAPACITY
BUILDING
In November last year, a
workshop series, developed by the Cooperative Venture for Capacity Building
(CVCB) and Australasian Pacific Extension Network (APEN), took to the road.
The aim of the workshops was to explain the elements of capacity building,
promote sharing of experiences and perspectives, and get feedback from
participants about issues and where future research effort should be directed.
The one-day workshops were held in seven locations – Toowoomba, Mareeba,
Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Wagga Wagga – and were attended
by 320 people.
Important elements for the
CVCB and APEN were to evaluate participants’ reactions to the workshop
and to get feedback on their perspectives on capacity building. What we
found was that people were generally satisfied with the workshops, although
they provided just a taste of the subject.
It was very clear from the
workshops was that people were keen to know more, especially about how
to evaluate capacity building activities and how to actually plan and implement
them. Producing "case studies" to help guide people in designing and implementing
capacity building activities was also brought up at every workshop.
A major issue identified
by participants was a disconnect between those actually doing capacity
building and "bean counters" and policy makers, who they believe take a
more short-term approach to capacity building and its outcomes. This has
implications for resourcing and funding capacity building activities, as
well as their outcomes.
Key messages
Three key messages emerged from the
workshops for the CVCB and APEN:
At the seven workshops, people were very
interested in learning about capacity building theory and practice. As
well, most people indicated that following capacity building principles
and practice were effective ways of responding to the challenging situations
participants are experiencing.
At the same time, there is some confusion
and uncertainty about capacity building among practitioners. The concept
is often seen as complex, the language difficult to understand and underlain
by complicated theory, benefits are not obvious and there is a lack of
knowledge about how to engage communities, develop capacity building projects
and evaluate them.
Institutional issues are of concern to
practitioners, especially those related to short term funding, bureaucratic
silos and the need for sufficient resources and time to achieve outcomes.
WORKSHOP REPORT
A report summarising workshop evaluations
and messages for the CVCB from the CVCB/APEN workshop series can be downloaded
from the CVCB website http://www.rirdc.gov.au/capacitybuilding/Capacitybuildingworkshopreport.pdf
A paper based on this report is being
presented at the APEN Conference, 6 to 8 March at Beechworth. For information
about the conference go to website http://www.apen.org.au/events/2006conf/
YOUR GUIDE TO CVCB PROJECTS
At the recent workshop series there
were a number of questions about the CVCB’s research portfolio. We’ve summarised
research in progress here.
For reports of completed projects go to website http://www.rirdc.gov.au/capacitybuilding/reports.html
FACTSHEETS
If you are looking for info on capacity
building, a good place to start is the CVCB’s website. Check these factsheets
out.
What
works and why in extension. Describes five extension models that
were identified based on a review of over 50 recent and current extension
projects from around Australia, as well as best practice guidelines.
Best
practice in extension. If
you are designing or reviewing an extension program a good place to start
is with the indicators of best practice detailed in this factsheet.
Capacity
building – what is it? A guide to the elements of a capacity project,
as well as definitions of terms commonly used to do with capacity building.
A
guide to funding capacity building projects.
Developed specifically for funding organisations, this factsheet describes
the key questions to ask when assessing capacity building project applications.
Includes a funding template.
Capacity
building: a policy challenge.
Developed for policy makers, this factsheet describes the challenges in
incorporating capacity building principles in policy for the natural resource
management and rural sectors.
Designing,
implementing and evaluating capacity building projects.
Summarises key issues to address when designing, implementing and evaluating
capacity building projects.
Facilitated
groups: keeping them fit and healthy.
Helpful pointers on how to manage facilitated groups to ensure that they
function effectively and efficiently.
Training
for capacity building.
Describes the key elements of successful training programs as well as providing
a checklist that you can use for developing a training program or evaluating
how your training program measures up in relation to capacity building.
Developing
new technologies and systems.
Describes the key elements of successful extension programs based on individuals
working together to develop specific technologies, management practices
or decision support systems which will then be available to the rest of
the industry or community.
Information
on demand.
Simple guidelines for developing information to ensure, as far as possible,
it meets the needs of the audiences it is designed for.
WORK OUT THERE
Knowledge for Regional NRM
The Knowledge for Regional
NRM project is investigating and testing ways to improve knowledge
connections between Natural Resource Management (NRM) regions and national
research and information providers. The project is managed by Land
& Water Australia and is funded by the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT).
In working with regional bodies, national research and development organisations,
NRM facilitators and knowledge brokers, the Knowledge for Regional NRM
project has identified barriers to information exchange and some possible
solutions.
The project has a number of facets
and already there are many ways that people can become involved. Check
these out:
Socio - Economic Forum for Regions
Improving Knowledge Exchange by Supporting
Knowledge Brokers
Find out more http://www.lwa.gov.au/resource.asp?section=315
Investigating regional barriers and solutions
for knowledge exchange
The Knowledge for Regional NRM project
has worked with regional bodies to identify regional information exchange
barriers and solutions. Find out more http://www.lwa.gov.au/resource.asp?section=285
National symposium. The National Monitoring
and Evaluation Symposium was held in Hobart, August 2005. Participants,
including representatives from 49 regional bodies looked at the challenges
and opportunities in achieving better NRM through M&E.
Evaluation of the symposium included the
production of a DVD featuring participant's reflections of their experience.
Each participant and regional body has received a copy of the DVD. Find
out more http://www.lwa.gov.au/resource.asp?section=298
Wanted: your feedback
The project team is looking for your
input and suggestions are welcome. You can contact them on phone 02 6263
6000 or via their email address: Melissa
Morley, Project Manager; Belinda
Lovell, Knowledge Broker; Mat
Silver, Knowledge Network Coordinator; Alice
Renton, Communications Officer; Camille
McMahon, Research Officer. Visit the project website at
http://www.lwa.gov.au/resource.asp?section=282
IN PRINT
Papers prepared for the Land &
Water Australia Integration Symposium 2004 are now available online, published
in the Journal of Research Practice: Innovations and Challenges
in Multiple Domains (JRP), and as a CD. The symposium brought together
critical thinkers from academic, policy and natural resource management
sectors across Australia. A major outcome from the Symposium is a set of
Guiding Principles for Integration in Natural Resource Management and is
included on the CD. To order the CD go to Land & Water Australia's
online catalogue or you can access the journal at http://jrp.icaap.org/contents.php
FOR THE DIARY
Many Paths: Australia’s first farm
succession planning conference
There are many paths to planning how
to hand on the family farm. The MANY PATHS conference will bring professionals
and farm families together to look at better ways of farm succession planning.
Hear the foremost speakers in Australia
talk about farm succession planning
Contribute your thoughts and perspectives
in the workshop sessions
Learn from a farm family who will talk
about their experiences
Participate in the panel discussions
If you are involved in farm succession
planning; have an interest in the area; work with farm families who have
succession issues; or work with an organisation that support farm families
with succession planning, then this conference is for you.
When? 5 and 6 April 2006
Where? Dubbo NSW
For more info and to register go http://www.manypaths.com.au
2006 International APEN Conference
6 to 8 March at Beechworth.Footprints,
Pathways, Possibilities. For information go to website
http://www.apen.org.au/events/2006conf/
HANDY LINKS
Communities of practice
One of the ingredients of capacity
building is communities of practice. Go to this link (http://www.km4dev.org/journal/index.php/km4dj/article/viewFile/21/60)
for practical examples of what constitutes
a community of practice, how to promote participation and ways to link
communities of practice to policy outcomes. The information is based on
6 years experience of the United Nations Development Programme, which applied
a "communities of practice" approach to their activities. As such the link
focuses on large (national and global) communities of practice that are
largely electronically based, nonetheless there are some handy hints about
setting up and maintaining communities of practice generally.
Social marketing toolkit
Social marketing is a tool that can
be used in capacity building to help people and communities adapt to change
and build resilience. A handy reference is Tools of Change: Proven Methods
for Promoting Environmental Citizenship, available at
http://www.cbsm.com/ReportsDatabase/Detail.lasso?-KeyValue=97&-KeyField=ID.
This is workbook that walks you step by step through the process of doing
community-based social marketing. If you are interested in a web based
format, which has case studies, go to www.toolsofchange.com. While the
information has an environmental flavour the principles can be applied
more widely and are relevant to just about any capacity building activities.
Analysing team member characteristics
This link provides a description of
the organisational and innovation characteristics of team members. The
interesting thing about this tool, which focuses on innovation, is that
there is a place for all members of a team, no matter what there personal
characteristics and skills. Too often innovation is seen as the role of
specialists or of certain very specific personality types, so it is encouraging
to see a vision that is so inclusive. This could provide a different way
for people involved with groups to characterise members and help analyse
how the group is performing. http://www.tenfacesofinnovation.com/tenfaces/index.htm
Tool box for skill building
The Community Tool Box at the University
of Kansas is a huge collection of over 6000 pages on skill building in
over 250 topic areas. Their focus is community health and development,
the materials are very practical and include step-by-step instructions,
checklists, and resources, and should be handy to just about anyone involved
in capacity building projects. http://ctb.ku.edu/ |
