ComDev training workshop plays crucial role in promoting the use of communication tools for agricultural development

Countries

Silvia San Marco

Communication for Development Consultant

FAO Rome

For four days between 11th and 15th April 2011, the Food Security through Commercialization of Agriculture (FSCA) Communication for Development team lead a ComDev training workshop in Dakar, Senegal. For the first time ever national project coordinators, communication consultants, field officers and representatives of partners and farmer-based organizations from Senegal, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and The Gambia met to share their knowledge and experiences about their projects. They were joined by Mr Daniele Salvini, FSCA Inter-country coordinator, and Mr Yannick DeMol from the DIMITRA project. The idea of a ComDev workshop stemmed from the recommendations received by individual country projects and from the third FSCA Regional Workshop held in Mali in 2010. The workshop’s objective was to enhance the communication skills of project staff and key stakeholders.

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The training provided an overall view of ComDev theories, techniques and methodologies along with more practical sessions on communication tools such as the use of participatory video, rural radio, web and photography. Emphasis was placed on participation, interaction, peer-to-peer exchange and consensus building through dialogue. The participatory nature of the event was enhanced by a stimulating environment which encouraged all participants to freely express their ideas. All the training sessions were designed so as to inspire the full engagement of each participant. A number of innovative approaches and techniques were used to motivate participants such as: Open Space – to determine the agenda or discussion topic; Mind mapping – to graphically illustrate the relationships between communication issues and SWOT analysis - to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a project. A Social Reporting Team, consisting of various project staff, was tasked with the drafting of key messages arising from the event, and dissemination to a wider audience through audio interviews, still images, uploading posts and short videos on the FSCA website. All the participants fully contributed to the event creating an interactive forum where practical lessons could be learned and emerging communication issues could be shared and discussed. All contributors found it extremely valuable to network and strengthen collaboration with peers from other projects. The workshop was also a fantastic relationship building opportunity and many of the participants plan to develop their programs by visiting each others’ projects in the near future.