The development of a Training Manual is critical to achieving the objectives of the Participatory Agricultural Extension Program and in building capacity among a ToT trainers pool, extension workers, staff of mass organizations, and farmer club management boards.
This Training Manual originally supported a three-day training activity on participatory club operation and management, however it can be adjusted for different lengths of training sections.
1. Purpose
This Training Manual seeks to provide knowledge of and training in participatory farmer club operation and management.
The Training Manual is designed to be adapted to different training levels: ToT trainers, extension workers and farmer club heads:
- ToT trainers pools at provincial and district level are trained to meet training needs on participatory farmer club operation and management at high quality.
- Extension workers are equipped sufficient knowledge to well facilitate activities of farmer clubs.
- Club management boards improve their club operation and management skills, planning, problem solving skills, monitoring, search for solutions or external support.
2. How the Training Manual was developed
Based on training experiences of core ToT trainers of five provinces and support of researchers, trainers of VVOB, PAEX partners (IAS, Can Tho University), all the key concepts of the club operation and management were noted down and ToT trainers pool elaborated training sections and session plans for two working days. At the same time, this Manual was developed using resources from several existing club operation and management documents and other training consultancy, NGOs.
Through the Manual, you will finds these icons to help guide you:
- Session Plan
- Handouts
- Session Support Material
3. Overview of the content of the Manual
This Manual contains nine chapters and four annexes. In each chapter, there are sessions plans and reference documents referred to in the chapter and provided at the beginning of each chapter. The nine chapters are:
- Chapter 1: Starting a training program
- Chapter 2: Extension/farmer clubs and extension system
- Chapter 3: Skills and attitude of club management board
- Chapter 4: Club objectives
- Chapter 5: Extension planning at club level
- Chapter 6: Key activities of farmer clubs, including monitoring and evaluation, reporting forms (club meeting, experiment/model, field conference, study tour, management of club asset).
- Chapter 7: Setting up and management of club funds
- Chapter 8: Club evaluation methods
- Chapter 9: Basic training skills and knowledge (Part 1: Introducing training and learning; Part 2: training design, training strategy, training objective and session planning; Part 3: training methods, Part 4: facilitation and coaching skills).
The four annexes contain information on training techniques and other resources:
- Annex 1: A possible training plan
- Annex 2: Logistics arrangement for training
- Annex 3: Monitoring and evaluation of training
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Annex 4: Energizers
- Relaxers, getting to know each other, warm-up
- Games focusing on team dynamics
- Games related to training sessions.
To support these training sessions, trainers/facilitators may access nine short video clips below (available in Vietnamese only):
- Video clip 1: Steps for setting up a farmer club
- Video clip 2: Defining prioritised products
- Video clip 3: Development of problem tree
- Video clip 4: Finding of technical solution- solving farmers' need
- Video clip 5: Arrangement of an experiment
- Video clip 6: Monitoring and evaluation of an experiment
- Video clip 7: Field conference
- Video clip 8: Club heads – organization of an club meeting
- Video clip 9: A study tour of a farmer club
After participants watch a video clip as the first step of experiential learning cycle (experience), they can reflect on and observe these experiences from different perspectives, discuss and analyze this experience as the second step of learning cycle. The last three minutes of the video clip are used for the third step of learning cycle as a conclusion - to create concepts that integrate participants ‘observations into logically sound theories.
4. How to use this manual
This Training Manual supports training on participatory farmer club operation and management for extension workers and farmer clubs.
The training programmes outlined in this manual are based upon adult learning principles, learning through openness, participation and constructive feedback, challenging participants through questions and periods of critical reflection, engaging various styles of learning including the use of energizers and games.
It was specifically designed to support an intensive Training of Trainers programme for core trainers who now have responsibility to further adapt the material presented in this manual to the specific training context of their province and deliver training programs for different stakeholders (young ToT trainers, extension workers, clubs, mass organizations).
Consider to adapt the training material to your participants:
- Changing material to relate to the specific regional context or supporting organization of the target group.
- Removing information or adding information to ensure it is current or accurate.
- Changing the level of language used to suit the target group.
- Modifying information to suit policy and regulatory frameworks.
- Adding information, activities, and assessment methods specific to learning programme
- Providing sources of further information reading, websites, ect.
- Channing the sequence of material.
- Changing the context of generic material to related to the learners’ specific situation.
Feel free to adapt and share these materials. Please send us your comments about and experiences with these materials.
Mr. Wilfried Theunis (Dr.)
VVOB Country Programme Manager
