Sixth IFSA European Symposium

Vila Real, PortugalApril 4 - 7, 2004

Workshop 4Knowing and Learning:

Labour and skills at stake for a multidimensional agriculture

Workshop 4 in Vila Real: 5 sessions

• 4/4, 15h30-17h: Learning processes to foster new skills

• 4/4, 17h30-19h: Action-Research and participatory approaches at stake

• 6/4, 9h-11h: Multidimensional agriculture, networks to manage skills

• 6/4, 11h30-13h: Extension and advising: new skills required

• 6/4, 15h-16h30: Innovation and R&D at stake• 7/4, 11h30-13h: discussion about the final

report• 7/4, 15h-17h: final report in plenary• permanent poster exhibition

Networking as a means of developing skills

• Multidimensional farming is a question of reconnecting farming, society and environmentInvesting in children through linking schools and farms has been one successful example

• Networking should focus on a co-evolutionary approach as opposed to a control approachEfforts should be on taking away barriers to this

• The role of science should be to take seriously other forms of knowing (e.g. pre-rational awareness and meaning and people’s passion to work towards change.In this we should learn ways to become sensitive to levels of energy=beneficial/negative

Innovation and R&D at stake

• R&D face challenges regarding:- social responsibility of economic operators- complexity

• The role of partnership structures:- multidisciplinary exchange data platform- stakeholders groups- more fluid distribution of R&D role and function including national/regional

• Innovation in this situation implies research places knowledge in society in a new way

Action-Research and participatory approaches at

stake (1)1. About participation and partnership:• FSR has a role to improve the performance of partnerships

(a “mediating” and a research one) • Defining the boundaries around the form of participation and

addressing equality in participation can assist stakeholder and participant understanding of their realm of practice.

• The question of « trust » in establishing a partnership with farmers, donors… Towards a more « contractual » relation… will help define wich type of trust is necessary, and suficient, to work together

• It may help to try to avoid:- confusions of roles with farmers organisations or farmers

learders;- manipulations, just as researchers by donors or by farmers

organisations…

Action-Research and participatory approaches at

stake (2)• 2. About the quality of action

research/action learning and evaluation:More value can come from the reporting of fsr projects involving action learning, action research & evaluation by:

• roles of the researcher/author identified and discussed,• audience for the evaluation/al/ar project defined, • try to go beyond the “symmetry” illusion between

partners and beyond consensual vision of communities• form of participation and approach/limits to participation

defined• appropriate generalisations made in line with the

methodology

This requires a standard way of writing/reporting that can reduce confusion by readers about process, methodology and outcomes of action research and participatory work.

Action-Research and participatory approaches at

stake (3)• 3. About adviser capacity in action

research:• Through effective action research and

participative processes fsr can support science in handling different knowledge types (different worldviews, non-human knowledge).

• Supporting advisory capacity in action research processes and methodologies through workplace projects is a way to develop an appreciation for the value of action research processes.

•

Why extension is at stake ? Global trends influencing

extension

Evolution of :- skills of rural stakeholders and development workers- knowledge and action modes

Legal rationality

Result rationality

Consensus rationality

New modes forpublic action legitimization

Extension and advising: new skills required

• In this process, there is a need for a new balance of “artistic” and professional skills and more reflection on this balance

• Different skills and competencies are at stake in different situations. It is necessary to master the putting in place the right skills and competencies in the right situation.

• Extension increasingly requires:- competencies to engage in, create and facilitate meaningful relationships - researching and reflecting its own practice

Learning processes to foster new skills

• Be explicit about the learning processes and skills we need and have (or have not) when initiating and supporting change – particularly in situations of conflict.

• As the roles of ’experts’ across Europe change and they join networks with other equally important stakeholders, co-learning about our contexts is needed to develop shared views of problems and ways of improving.

• Increased focus on the dynamics of learning (timing, continuity of dialogue, feedback, people and project interactions)is needed in some situations.