An Asia-Pacific Regional Training on Communication for Development planning and implementation to advance family farming and sustainable rural development was conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the University of the Philippines Los Banos-College of Development Communication (UPLB-CDC) in coordination with the Kasetsart University last 5-8 December 2016 at the KU Home, Bangkok, Thailand.
The training aimed to enable project personnel, development workers, representatives of farmer organizations, and community media practitioners to formulate a strategic ComDev plan for a particular development project that they are engaged in. The training also became a venue to generate opportunity to share their experiences and collaboration among the participants.
UPLB-CDC Dean Ma. Theresa H. Velasco together with senior faculty members Cleofe Torres, Ma. Stella Tirol, and Edmund Centeno served as the main resources persons along with the ComDev specialists from FAO-Rome and FAO-RAP.
A total of 18 participants attended this regional training. They have been selected by FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific from different fields such as agricultural innovation, food and nutrition security, family farming, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and poverty reduction management, among others.
The training was divided into the following sessions:
- Role of ComDev in FAO programs in the Asia-Pacific Region
- ComDev Planning Process
- Strategic Design
- Message and Materials Development
- Management and Implementation of Communication Programs
- Monitoring and Evaluation
Toward the end of the four-day training session, the participants also had a workshop on enhancing regional collaboration thourhg partnerships and networking.