MAINSTREAMING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
2012
As far as possible, the problems to be solved through an action plan should also
resonate with the articulated vision and development goals of the community. Project-
based action plans on their own do not achieve the community goals, but make a
contribution among several other interventions.
It is important that community action plans reflect a high degree of community
contributions to the required inputs in terms of committed time and expertise, labour,
physical and material resources. Emphasis should be on ensuring that the initial
problem/s, solution/s and the plan are fully owned by the community through its local
organizational structures. For each of the steps/activities in the action plan,
Contributions in cash or kind need to be agreed by the whole community, taking into
account the variations in resource endowment among community members. Leaders
and communities must commit themselves to mobilizing such resources within the
agreed time frame.
For example for a community nutrition garden, some communities can purchase the
materials on their own and require technical assistance from their Extension Worker.
Others may have a financial shortfall, in which case the leadership has to consult and
seek external assistance. Some of the potential support could already have been
pledged by NGOs operating in the locality during the time of service provider
analysis. On the whole, a good action plan, drawn by the community itself, articulated
by the community itself, showing their own level of commitment, is best placed to
attract external funding. Remember one of the roles of local leaders is networking and
resource mobilization.
The community action plan as a product of community dialogue should be as simple
as possible, and in the language and symbols they themselves understand.
SLIDE: The main elements of Community Based Planning
To ensure participants understand concepts initiate a brief discussion to clarify main
elements.
A Training Manual on Use of Climate Information and Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment for
Agricultural Extension Staff in Zimbabwe
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