Qual foi o desafio/problema abordado?
Taking into account the views and needs of farmers in the planning of advisory services of NAAS in line with regional needs (at the region/district level) and encouraging the participation of advisors in defining the objectives of the organization.
Working in a group creates conditions for personal commitment, easier entering in the shoes of the other party and easier bottom-up reversal of the planning process.
Through the informal consultative councils (ICC) NAAS contributes to active communication between farmers and encourages them to be active and to determine the direction in which they want NAAS to support them.
The more active participants get involved in these councils, the more meaningful their work becomes and allows advisors to have a clearer picture of the current issues of concern to farmers.
Como você resolveu o problema?
ICC as an idea emerged in 2011. At the beginning as a pilot have been carried out working meetings in 2-3 NAAS district offices. Dentro 2015 with decision of NAAS executive director the working meetings start throughout 27th NAAS district offices.
The ICC take into account the needs of the recipients of advisory services when planning the consultancy activities of NAAS. Support dialogue and feedback between farmers, NAAS and local authorities at regional level.
The main activity is the working meetings between NAAS advisors and stakeholders. During the meetings, farmers have the opportunity to present their needs and to seek common solutions. Por outro lado, the participation of representatives of the local authorities contributes to a better awareness of the local community.
During the meetings the relevant NAAS office receives recommendations and suggestions for their work and includes them in its annual work plan activities related to the identified needs.
The main approach that NAAS uses is to build a trust between farmers and the advisor, which is key to success.
The consultant must possess a set of skills through which he can involve the farmers to participate in the meetings to improve the work of the consultant and also to solve cases related to the farmer’s work.
Another approach is analyzing the needs of the network and the factors that can contribute to achieving success .
The consultant must be able to quickly identify the strengths and weaknesses of each group member and thus assign roles and tasks to each of the participants. The facilitation role is a key element in such projects.
O que há de inovador no seu caso prático?
We believe we are in the realm of social/organizational innovation.
Activities are usually planned at national level, according to European and national policies, without taking into account regional specificities.
Por outro lado, handing tasks to be implemented from top to bottom reduces the initiative of the consultant and puts him only in the role of simple executor.
Por um lado, with this working method, we indirectly work to increase the activity of the participants, on the other hand we try to melt the mistrust and individualism in this professional group of participants.
Nesse caminho, we encourage the activity and commitment of the participants, which strengthens the bonds and trust in the network.
Quais são os fatores de sucesso na resolução do problema?
Solving any problem is linked to its clear definition and identifying the right tools to overcome it, as well as the human factor involved in the project work.
At this point we recognize that behind every successful or unsuccessful initiative there is a team of people and depending on their motivation, professionalism they can solve a problem.
One of the main factors for success is the recognition of NAAS as a leading advisory organization in the country, which has a high trust rating among farmers.
A second key success factor has been the extensive expert and institutional network built by the NAAS, which has resulted in improved vertical linkages within the agricultural structures, but also horizontally with other, related institutions and/or policies.
Another key factor for the success of the ICC is the implementation of the commitments made, which encourages farmers to actively participate in order to receive the widest range of services/advice to support them in their daily work.
We believe that these three key factors: high professionalism, visibility and the established links of interaction and trust between the various national and local institutions, science, education and private business are at the heart of the success of ICC.
Lições aprendidas
The main task of ICC is improving the interaction between the farmer and the advisor. This main task should build a relationship of mutuality and usefulness.
By giving the advisor feedback on the interaction process, the farmer can help the advisory process and get exactly the support he needs.
Por outro lado, advisors have the opportunity to improve and further develop their skills in managing and facilitating groups, to apply the tools for effective work of these groups (SWOT analysis, Brain Storming, Coaching, “Coach”, etc.).
In all these years that we have been elaborating the project, we have learned that the process cannot be standardized and uniformed. It is necessary to apply an individual approach taking into account all the factors that have direct or indirect impact on the participants and the processes.
We must also consider the opportunity given to the advisors to be facilitators of the process. This involves managing processes more than controlling them. The consultant’s ability to be ‘the person who ensures successful group communication. Observes the meeting rules, procedures and regulations, allowing the participants, to concentrate on the objectives and content of the meeting.
Depending how active and innovative are the advisors in attracting, engaging and seeking solutions for farmers determines the success or failure of one particular territorial unit to maintain active participation of farmers and stakeholders.
Qual o papel do consultor ou serviço de consultoria no caso prático?
NAAS and its advisors are the initiators of the project and play a key role in all phases of the project.
mas graças ao conselho da Câmara, the main role and responsibilities in this project fall on the role of the consultant. Exactly this fact shows the need for constant work in order to improve and upgrade the advisors’ skills and in order to be able to respond to the increasingly sophisticated and complex knowledge that he/she must have, in addition to his purely professional skills as an agronomist, veterinarian, agro-economist, he/she must have the skills of a facilitator, trainer, marketing specialist, managerial competencies, social skills, psychologist and last but not least a good administrator.
Sua abordagem pode ser transferida e / ou adaptada para outros desafios de inovação e regiões?
sim
Transferibilidade estimada em uma escala de 1 Ir para o conteúdo 5
(Onde 1 é fácil e 5 muito difícil)
2
Por compartilhar a experiência sobre as boas práticas, entre em contato
Delyan Georgiev
delyan.georgiev@naas.governmennt.bg
Link para informações externas