Participatory methods for Upland Systems research and development: Highlight from a training course in the Philippines

The course aimed to enhance the participatory, interdisciplinary and systems-oriented research and development skills of teams working on upland agroforestry and watershed resources management in Southeast Asia, as well as in the highlands of Easthern Africa. There were 29 participants comprising teams of ICRAF partners from Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Lao PDR, as well as colleagues from Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar and Tanzania. Resource persons came from the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and USA, and a small core team of resource persons worked closely to guide, facilitate and conduct the course planning implementation and documentation process. A Training Management Group, composed of staff from ICRAF and SEARCA, was organized to handle the necessary logistical and administrative arrangement. The course adopted a two-way learning and sharing of experiences among participants, resource persons, and farmers and stakeholders encountered during the fieldwork. The learning processes were linked to a simple conceptual tool- the watershed innovations triangle of policies, institutions and technologies. This framework guided the participants in developing their course outputs. Likewise, the innovations triangle provided a useful framework for synthesizing the classroom discussion and field data gathering. The course was planned to achieve a balance of theory and practice, and capitalize on the participants' vast stock of knowledge. The first week of the course at SEARCA in Los Banos, Laguna [Philippines], focused on the concepts, principles and theories of agroforestry, watershed resources management and participatory R & D methods, tools and techniques. The participants were also provided the opportunity to share their experiences on watershed resources management, agroforestry and GIS applications through selected case study presentations. Week two in Lantapan (Bukidnon province) and Claveria (Misamis Oriental province), on the southern island of Mindanao, provided the participants with direct experiences on participatory R&D methods, tools and techniques as well as insights into the various watershed innovations evolving in the field. The action planning process adopted by the course enabled the trainees to produce a total of 39 personal action plans and 6 countries' team action plans. The personal action plans were for activities in agroforestry research, extension, development, instruction and networking, as well as in information, education and communication. In the final evaluation forms completed by the participants, the majority rated the course to be excellent. Participants highly appreciated the two-way learning process, the team approach taken by the facilitators and resource persons, and the open and warm interactions with farmers and stakeholders in the field. Feedback from the participants and resource persons underscored the high value and relevance of learning in the field as well as the need to provide more time for discussion and exchange of experiences in the classroom