Country Presentation ofFindings from Training Needs

Assessment (TNA)

Members of the Group

1. Ram Bhakta Shrestha

Nepal Administrative Staff College

2. Shyam Prasad Paudyal

Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives

3. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha

Directorate of Agricultural Training

Country; Nepal

MethodologiesHow the TNA was carried out ?• Individual interview using TNA questionnaires (TNA

forms I to IV); Training center chiefs, Trainers, Policylevel officials, SMS and DADOs, field technicians

• Mobilizing country teamWhat Tools were used ?• Questionnaires availed by APAN• Focused Group Discussions with officers attending

training, regional level review workshops andinteraction programs

• Desk Review• On the spot observation of training facilities

Methodologies• Desk Review of;

– NAPA, 2010– Climate Change Adaptation Policy, 2010– National Agriculture Policy, 2004– Civil Service Act and Regulation – Human Resources Development Report, 2007– Training Curriculum of DAT, 2009– Annual Progress Report of DAT, 2010– Climate Change related publications from

ICIMOD and Helvetas

Methodologies

Who participated in TNA process ?– Policy level officials– Implementation level officers working at

district level (DADOs and SMS)– Frontline extension workers working at village

level (working with farmers)

Institutional and Policy Set up

Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives

DFTQC DLS DoA DoC BoardsCouncils

RATCFarwest

RATCMidwest

DAT

RATCWestern

RATCCentral

RATCEastern

District Agriculture Development Offices - 75

Agriculture Service Centers 378

Program Directorates 11 Regional Directorates 5

Institutional and Policy Set up...

• Civil Service Act and Regulation• Civil Service Employee's Training Policy• Agriculture Services Regulations• Human Resources Development Policy• National Agricultural Policy• Three Year Plan

Civil Service Employee's Training Policy• Mandatory Training Provisions; SEDP • Basic Induction Training • Basic In-service Training (linked with career

development)• Institutional Training; ToT, Laboratory

Techniques• Subject Specific Training; Vegetable

production, IPM, IPNMS, Organic farming etc.

• Qualifications of Trainers

TNA Results1. Evaluation of existing training programs

– Officer level training• Induction• In-service

– Technician level training• In-service

There are possibilities of integrating CCA contents into existing training curriculum

For officers; both in induction training and in-service trainings

For non officers; in in-service trainings

TNA Results2. Evaluation of training facilities

– Training halls, dormitories are reasonablyadequate in central and regional levels.

– Audio-visual aids, multimedia, OHP, Flip chartsare reasonably in working conditions.

– Teaching aids and training materials related toCCA needs strengthening.

– Reliable power back up is needed as there iselectric power cutoff to shed peak demand.

– Training facilities/ demonstration sites in farms/stations in hills and mountains should bestrengthened as CC impact is more severe.

TNA Results3. Evaluation of trainers and traineesThree categories of potential trainees;

– Policy level officers; mostly in the policy levelsuch as PD, RD, DG, DDG, JS.

– Officers; generally officers engaged inimplementation such as chief of the DADO (seniorofficers) and SMS (junior officers).

– Frontline extension workers; they are juniortechnician and junior technical assistants, eitherthey work at the service centers in the villages orthey work in the District Agriculture DevelopmentOffices, agriculture farms/ stations.

Evaluation of trainers and trainees...a. Education and training• More than 90 percent of the policy level officers

have master level or above qualification.• Implementation level officers have two categories;

Among the junior officers, 60 percent have bachelorlevel education, 20 percent have master levelqualification and 10 percent have intermediate leveleducation.

• In case of senior officers (implementation level), 80percent have masters level qualification and 20percent have bachelor level education.

• In case of field level technicians, 100 percent of theinterviewees have intermediate level qualification.

Evaluation of trainers and trainees...b. Evaluation of skill and knowledge areas• 40 % officers have climate change related

contents in their academic course (both bachelorlevel and master level).

• 10 % policy level officers reported that they haveclimate change related curriculum in theiracademic course.

• Field level technicians reported that none of themhave any course on climate change in theiracademic course.

• Only 10 % senior officers and 20 % junior officershave handled project on climate change.

Evaluation of trainers and trainees...• Only 10 % senior officers and 20 % junior officers

received training in climate change and there wasno evaluation conducted regarding the usefulnessof the course.

• Policy level officers; have average range ofknowledge and skill.

• Senior level officers; 35 % poor, 55 % average and10 % had good knowledge on climate changeadaptation. Level of skill however was of averagelevel for 55 %, 35 % poor skill level.

• Junior level officers; level of climate changeknowledge among 40 % average, 50 % good and10 % have poor level knowledge.

Evaluation of skill and knowledge areas...

It is very much striking that the level ofknowledge and skills of the grassrootslevel extension workers in agricultureis very poor which shows that whatevertraining (orientation type) are conductedhas not reached at the grassroots level.

Summary of form IV

Ideal Scenario• Basic Knowledge/ Skills

– Concepts of CCA– National and international commitments/

obligations– Effects/impacts of CC on agriculture sector and

its adaptation/ mitigation measures– Policies and strategies of the government on

CCA– NAPA priorities of actions in agriculture– Climate change impacts on different disciplines of

agriculture sector

Ideal Scenario...

• Special knowledge/ Skills– Vulnerability assessment– Community adaptation measures– Forecasting – Technologies for climate change adaptation/

mitigation on different disciplines of agriculture such as drought tolerant, water stagnant resistant, disease/pest resistant varieties, reclamations of flood affected areas

– Conservation agriculture

Ideal Scenario...

• Needed institutional facilities– computer laboratories with software for

modeling, forecasting and analytical tools– Training facilities such as demonstration sites

in different eco-zones mainly in high hills and mountains

– Training materials; manuals, audio-visual aids– Climate change units in the department to act

as focal point

Required Competency for Different Levels of Professionals

Priority Training Needs

Knowledge areas;• Climate change sensitive program planning and

management• Effects and impacts of climate change in agriculture• Package of practices of various crops from climate

change perspectives• Drought tolerant varieties of cereals, cash crops

and vegetables• Varieties suitable for water stagnation• Crops suitable for flooded area reclamation• Water saving technologies such as SRI, zero tillage

Priority Training Needs...• Integrated Plants Nutrient Management• Emerging pest and diseases on CC context and

application of IPM • Community adaptation practicesSkill areas;• Setting up demonstration on soil and water

management (such as rain water harvesting in plastic ponds)

• Demonstrate community adaptation practices on CCA• Select suitable varieties for flooded area reclamation,

drought and water lodging conditions• Setting up demonstration; drought conditions, water

stagnation resistant varieties, conservation agriculture

Challenges• Assessment of training needs in other disciplines

within agriculture; livestock, fisheries, forestry,irrigation~ unable to accommodate due to timeand resource limitations.

• Develop master trainers and their retention intraining centers.

• Train large number of frontline extension workers(nearly 2000 technicians) who have very limitedknowledge and skills on CCA within few years.

• Balance between stand alone courses andintegration into existing curriculum.

• Preparation of training materials or resourcepackage for different target groups of trainees.

Conclusion• Capability building of professionals on CCA is very

urgent as agriculture sector is very vulnerable to CCin Nepal.

• Existing capabilities not adequate compared to idealscenario that job demands.

• Priority training needs for three categories oftrainees should receive immediate attention.

• Development of master trainers for theinstitutionalization CCA in the departmental training.

• Two prong strategies of integrating into existingtraining curriculum and the specific stand alonecourses should be designed for the wider andquicker impacts on CCA.

Thank You for Your Kind Attention