The training courses funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of the Government of Japan, have a component of follow-up through visits and surveys. The follow-up gives a picture of how the participants have implemented their action plans and the issues they have encountered. The follow-up also guides in planning future activities.
This year ICA-AP and IDACA conducted a survey (through questionnaires) of participants from the Asia and Africa regions who attended the training courses in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The questionnaire was sent to 76 participants from 15 Asian countries and 5 African countries.
In addition, as part of the ICA-MAFF Japan training course, ICA-AP conducts a follow-up visit to two countries each year. This year, the two countries chosen were Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Due to political and financial disturbance in Sri Lanka, they were not able to take part in the Follow-up Program and may present their video and Action Plans when the situation normalizes.
From among the 50 filled-up questionnaires received, the team from ICA-AP and IDACA identified two-three best practices from each of the training programs: (1) Fostering Leaders course, (2) Food Value Chain/Marketing Course, and (3) Women leaders Course. After the presentations of the action plans by the selected ex-participants from each training course, the discussions were held with them in two separate webinars held on 25 and 26 April 2022, where concerned participants, their nominating organizations, ex-participants of ICA-MAFF Training Courses and staff from IDACA and ICA-AP participated.
In consultation with MAFF and IDACA, participants from the Pacific Region were invited to the training course for the first time. On 27 April, Mr. Faizal Khan, Director and Registrar, Department of Cooperative Business (DCB), Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Fiji, and Mrs. Kammari Betiota, Director, Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives (MCIC), Kiribati presented a short video showcasing the cooperative movement in their countries. They showed the status of agricultural cooperatives and the good practices being implemented by agricultural cooperatives in these two countries.
