IPGRI's training strategy - Implementation in APO

IPGRI's Training Strategy - Implementation in APO

As shown below there is a close relationship between the IPGRI Training Strategy and the specific training activities carried out in the region.

The objective of IPGRI's training activities is: to assist countries, particularly developing nations in all of the IPGRI regions to achieve an adequate strength of personnel trained in plant genetic resources work at the technical, and advanced levels, to enable them to conduct effective national plant genetic resources programmes and participate in regional and international activities.

This translates into a regional training strategy and is the underlying principle for training activities in the region.

IPGRI will work with national programmes and relevant regional and international bodies to assess needs for training, design human resources development plans and assist in matching needs to training opportunities at the national, regional and international levels.

Examples of this include the survey conducted with UPLB, feedback on the training impact assessment questionnaire, interactions with partners in designing courses (UPLB, SEARCA, IARI, UKM, various national programmes) and inclusion of training/human resources development in assistance provided to partner countries to design national programmes. Priority topics for short course training are identified with inputs from partners.

IPGRI will give priority to candidates from developing countries and will use selection procedures to maximize the impact and sustainability of training activities.

Training in the region is given exclusively to developing country nationals and participation in courses is through a selective procedure with national programmes' participating through nomination of priority candidates. Follow up (e.g. through impact assessment questionnaire) seeks feedback on sustainability of training. Individual training, e.g. through Italian Scheme, includes follow up and provision of equipment to Special Skills Trainees to enable them to implement their training.

Training is an integral part of the IPGRI Programme. All staff have a responsibility to identify and exploit opportunities to include training activities into projects.

Training elements are included in projects/activities carried out in the region, e.g. in situ, forestry. All staff are encouraged to participate in training activities and many contribute through short courses, development of training materials, supervision of individual trainees etc.

IPGRI's training activities will cover topics reflecting the breadth of IPGRI's global programme, from the development of national plant genetic resources strategies and fundamental conservation technologies, to public awareness and advanced research. They will also include plant genetic resources conservation as a development issue. The activities undertaken will take into consideration priority setting based upon need, impact, comparative advantage and opportunity.

Global curriculum development and training materials development activities with broad coverage will have an impact on APO. Priority setting in training follows the principle indicated.

IPGRI will continue to provide: individual, practical training, specialized short courses, MSc and PhD thesis support and post-doctoral fellowships/internships.

A broad range of opportunities are provided in the region, with particular attention to individual, short course and MSc level training.

IPGRI will undertake training using unrestricted and restricted funding; it will use its resources to initiate training activities where the potential exists for continuation on a sustainable basis, and it will take all opportunities to stimulate and facilitate training by other bodies.

Both unrestricted and restricted funds are devoted to training in APO. Attention is given to building up sustainable activities, e.g. UPLB MSPGR. Advice is given to partners in the development of training activities (e.g. IARI, UKM).

IPGRI will carry out training primarily in collaboration with others including national plant genetic resources programmes, NGOs, UN agencies, and with regional and international centres including other CGIAR Centres. Collaborative linkages will be encouraged between developed and developing countries and among developing countries.

Virtually all training activities are carried out in collaboration with partners. Examples include collaboration with national programmes (India, the Philippines), NGOs (SEARICE), UN agencies (FAO), regional and international centres (SEARCA, IRRI). Developed/developing country linkages promoted include facilitation of a study tour for Prof. Borromeo from UPLB, within-region training (by India and the Philippines; several training courses on coconut in Sri Lanka, the Philippines etc.)

IPGRI will collaborate with training institutions in all regions to develop the capacity to offer postgraduate level training in plant genetic resources conservation and use, with the dual aim of directly producing increased numbers of personnel trained to an advanced level, and of training trainers.

IPGRI will, in collaboration with other experts, develop plant genetic resources training materials using all appropriate technologies and make these available to collaborating national programmes and other national, regional and international institutes.

Training materials are being developed that will be available on the Internet, in other electronic forms (CD-ROM, diskette), as slides/overhead transparencies and hard copy. Four training modules have been finalised and others are in preparation, including one which received significant input from an APO course (New Delhi, 1996). No restrictions are placed on the use of the materials; although not an issue at present, funding may limit the extent to which copies of the more expensive formats can be provided on request.

IPGRI will encourage and, where possible, provide training and training materials in languages that reflect national and regional needs.

Translation of e.g. the documentation guidebook by partners in APO has been encouraged. Globally, translation is an issue in training and attention is being given to regional and sub-regional needs (e.g. Spanish in Latin America, Portuguese in Lusophone countries of SSA, French in West Africa).

IPGRI will provide materials to sensitise training institutions to plant genetic resources and biodiversity issues and encourage the introduction of relevant elements into courses at all levels.

Public awareness materials should serve this purpose. Interaction with universities has stressed the opportunity for including PGR issues in undergraduate as well as postgraduate training. Work aimed at school students in Kuala Lumpur will be taken shortly.

IPGRI will advise training institutes and donors to assist in locating candidates for training and the identification of training activities for financial support.

This is widely done on both an ad hoc basis with miscellaneous enquiries and on a routine basis with e.g. DSE in Germany.

IPGRI will seek substantial restricted funding to supplement limited unrestricted resources for training. This will include funds to support a staff position to focus on training materials and/or the coordination of a training consortium.

On a global basis, an Associate Expert has been recruited to assist with training. Funds are being sought from other donors to support training activities that will impact on all regions.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) funding will support training activities in the region. This support is for both short courses as well as for awarding scholarships to MSPGR students at UPLB.

Appropriate coordination mechanisms will be utilized to ensure the efficient and effective use of IPGRI's resources available for training.

Training activities receive inputs from both thematic and regional groups with central coordination and oversight complemented by a high degree of regional initiative.

Specific mechanisms will be developed and implemented to assess and increase the impact of IPGRI's training activities.

An impact assessment exercise carried out in 1996 gave attention to training among a range of thematic and country-based case studies. Impact assessment has been built into all IPGRI projects.

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