First successes in strengthening researchers’ capacities in facilitating participatory meetings

Within the framework of DAPA and the MADR-CIAT Agreement, collaboration with Colombian producer associations is ongoing and represents a main component of the project. It is therefore essential to improve researchers’ facilitation skills, as well as both individual and organizational decision-making capacities of key actors involved, based on the information resulting from the research process, which in this case is related to the adaptation of Colombian producers to climate change.

Participatory learning methodologies encompass approaches that encourage and stimulate people to engage actively into a subject and share their experiences instead of passively receiving information, and therefore support the “group’s best thinking”¹. The knowledge management team made up of Armando Muñoz, Fanny Howland, José Arana, Karina Feijoo, and Simone Staiger designed the workshop based on practical exercises aimed at strengthening three basic skills in of the participants:

1.Active listening, the key to optimizing teamwork
The workshop provided an opportunity to practice three important active listening skills: paraphrasing, drawing people out and summarizing: When a facilitator is listening actively, she helps participants to feel heard and understood. Paraphrasing allows the facilitator to clarify key points brought up by a participant. Drawing people out means encouraging participants to say more about an idea or point of view to clarify it further or avoid confusion. Summarizing is an important skill for reaching conclusions and obtaining results from a discussion.

2. Applying methodologies that are adequate for reaching the proposed objectives
Different participatory methodologies can be applied in different situations, depending on the objectives of the ongoing workshop or session. Facilitating a workshop may include methods that go from brainstorming to participatory decision-making, they make take in plenary or in groups. The workshop design led participants through a series of situations which were accompanied by simulations in small groups so that each participant could be in the role of the facilitator.

3. Designing participatory agendas, in collaboration with the workshop organizer
A workshop should always be structured into specific sessions according to its set of objectives. To facilitate participatory processes effectively, each session needs to have its own flow, and the choice of the specific methods depends for example on the results that the organizer expects, the type of participants, and the size of the meeting. Participants came to the workshop with an example of a meeting at hand and designed the agenda based on what they just had explored during the three half-days with the CIAT KM group.

First successes, the example of the National Federation of Rice Producers in Colombia

The CIAT KM group expects the researchers and partners to gain more experience using participatory tools, and progressively take on more responsibility for planning workshops with their own partners and beneficiaries. Similarly, by strengthening their skills as facilitators, participants should be able to improve their team work, developing communication skills and foster discussion among themselves. “This workshop has allowed us to learn more effective ways of stimulating farmer participation, promoting discussion groups and improving our channels of communication,” said Gabriel Garcés, Fedearroz technician.

Interestingly, Fedearroz is currently organizing a tour of workshops for its technicians and affiliated farmers to discuss most suitable adaptation measures to climate change predictions. CIAT’s KM group supported the design of those workshops and coaches the technicians in its facilitation. First evaluations show a very strong approval for the participatory approaches by participants, who state to 1) better understand the information that was provided and 2) feel more capable of taking decision based on that information.

CIAT will deliver a second workshop specifically for Fenalce, the Colombian grain legumes producer association, later this year, and will document the process that aims at empowering partners in their interaction with farmers.

This post was written based on a Spanish version by José Antonio Arana.

See also the most recent article on the KM4Dev Journal “Group facilitation in CGIAR: experiences and lessons from international agricultural research organizations” by Simone Staiger, Ewen Le Borgne, Michael Victor, Juergen Hagmann, Cristina Sette, Petr Kosina. Abstract / PDF.

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¹ Kaner, Sam. 2014. Facilitator’s guide to participatory decision-making / Sam Kaner … [et al.] ; foreword by Michael Doyle.