Wednesday 12 March 2008

FARA Management training workshop


"If you think you can do a thing or that you cannot do a thing in either case you are right" (G. Ford)

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go" (T.S. Elliot)

Between 10/03 and 14/03 some 30 senior managers of National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and Sub Regional Organisations (SRO) gather in Accra in order to attend a workshop on Leadership and Team Management.

The workshop is to provide the NARS/SRO with:

  • concrete mechanism and tools for delegation of authority while ensuring accountability
  • a better understanding of how to attract, influence and motivate key employees
  • provide new ideas as to how to best manage meetings for value-creation and decision making
  • improve inter-organisation communication tools
  • improve the use of appropriate decision making mechanisms
  • opportunities to discuss best practices around management
  • increase self-awareness as to each parcipant's leadership styles
  • analyse personal time managment skills
  • identify sources of resistance to personal and organisational change and means to over-ride them in order to better manage change

    Mr. Mark Hollingworth (SETYM) is facilitating the workshop

    Senior Managers from following institutions participate:
  • INRAB (Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Benin) Porto Novo, Benin
  • INERA (Institut de l'Environnement et Recherches Agricoles) Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
  • SPROPAC/CNOP CAM (Sub Regional Platform of Farmer's Organization in Central Africa Yaoundé, Cameroon
  • PROPAC, Cameroon
  • ICRA (Institut Centrafricain de la Recherche Agronomique) Bangui, Central African Republic
  • CRAL/DGRST (Centre de Recherche Agronomiques de Loudima) Brazzaville, Congo
  • INERA Kinshasa, DR Congo
  • ANOPACI & ROPPA Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
  • ANAFE Nairobi, Kenya
  • KARI Nairobi, Kenya
  • INRAN Maradi, Niger
  • Centre Regional AGRHYMET Niamey, Niger
  • INRAN (Institut National de la recherche Agronomique du Niger) Niamey, Niger
  • CORAF/WECARD Dakar-Yoff, Senegal
  • NARCC/SLARI Freetown, Sierra Leone
  • ADAF-Galle Bamako, Mali
  • EAFF Kenya
  • NARO Entebbe, Uganda
  • Department of Soil Science Makerere University Kampala, Uganda
  • SSA NGOC - Development Facilitator Kampala, Uganda
  • RUFORUM Kampala, Uganda
  • ASARECA (Association for Strengthening Agricultural Resaerch in Eastern and Central Africa) Entebbe, Uganda
  • CORAF/WECARD Dakar, Senegal
  • INRAT Tunis, Tunisia
  • FARA NSF directors

IF YOU FACE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VIDEOS HEREUNDER GO TO http://faraportal.blip.tv/#746821

Interview with Dr. Denis Kyetere, FARA chair

"There is a tendancy in managing to do the things right, rather then leading to do the right things"
Denis Kyetere gives his appreciation on the FARA Management Training Workshop and answers the question whether this workshop contributes to a long term vision on what management is all about.



Interview with Assetou Kanoute Director General of ADAF/Gallé, Mali.

ADAF/Gallé is a local NGO that supports women's grassroots organisations. Assetou Kanoute thinks the concepts and principles of leadership clarify in which direction change can occur. If African values are taken into account she does not expect resistance to change as everybody recognizes change has to come.

Interview with Dr. Ephraim Mukisira, Director General KARI, Nairobi, Kenya

Dr. Ephraim Mukisira explains why he thinks FARA organised the Management Training Workshop and the needed change in how leaders have led their agricultural research institutes.



Interview with Dr. Desire Porquet, Vice president of ANOPACI & ROPPA - Ivory Coast -

Dr. Desire Porquet - who is responsable for a major farmers organisation - explains why the concept of leadership applies also to farmer organisations. The biggest challenge is to face bureaucracy of research institutes and have a close follow up of the farmer to continue to motivate him at the field level.



Prof. Paul Mafuka (Director General Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Kinshasa, RDCongo)

Paul Mafuka (INERA-DRC) highlights the shortcomings of the Management Training Workshop. The facilitator has put the stress on PEOPLE management and not on the unlying VISION and IMPLEMENTATION. He quotes the facilitator saying: "A vision without implementation is worthless and an implementation without competent people is worthless".