CfCSC Projects

Supporting smallholder farmers in North-West Vietnam

The CfCSC uses participatory development communication processes to coordinate a $2.2 million ACIAR project.

Launched in May 2009, the main participants in this program are smallholder farmers in the north-west highlands of Vietnam who have recently acquired market access and are in the transition to commercial agriculture. The aim of this project is to increase participants’ engagement in competitive value chains associated with maize and temperate fruit based farming systems, while improving land and crop management practices for the development of sustainable and profitable farming systems.

The project’s first year highlighted the effectiveness of a system’s-based, participatory approach in the identification of potential innovations that can support farmers to change their current practices towards more profitable and sustainable farming. Farmers showed committed engagement in the experiments in most locations, although the benefits on their livelihood will still have to be proven throughout the project’s remaining stages.
 
Researchable areas include practice change models, development, soil erosion management, integrated crop management, and value chain analysis.
 
 

Capacity building and knowledge exchange in Indonesia

The CfCSC supports Indonesia's Smallholder Agribusiness Development Initiative (SADI) through exploring stakeholder models for participatory

Commissioned by ACIAR in 2007 the project provides support to Indonesia's Smallholder Agribusiness Development Initiative (SADI) which was established to address long-standing issues and constraints relating to agricultural production and rural poverty in Eastern Indonesia.

Support is provided in the form of advice and collaboration on workshops, new model exploration, field visits, methodology and reporting, in the following areas:
Institutional assessments to determine the nature and effectiveness of current research-extension linkages and methods
Strengthening linkages between R&D and extension providers
Improving extension media and materials to assist in disseminating successful R&D outcomes
Recommending approaches to agricultural technology assessment

Utilising improved linkages, media and approaches for the pilot roll-out of promising technical options resulting from adaptive R&D activities.

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Developing a human and social impact assessment framework

Drawing from experiences in communication and development projects the CfCSC developed a human and social impacts framework and methods for assessment.

The University of Queensland funded the development of a human and social capital impact framework and methods for assessment. Research was conducted to explore and define the links between human, social and financial capital. This helped form this framework that will be used to strengthen the research and evaluation in other development initiative currently being implemented by the CfCSC (including the current Vietnam ACIAR project).

Developing media training skills- My Media Trainer

The CfCSC created an interactive, CD-based educational training program and resources kit commissioned by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

This project required the development of an interactive, educational program and resources kit is designed to help media professionals to develop training skills and techniques, thus enabling to initiate and implement courses, workshops and seminars.

The resource kit needed to address media professionals’ existing skills and competencies in their own fields and guide them in how to teach those skills to others, whether through formal classroom activities, in ‘on-the-job’ settings or during specialist workshops.

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ICT policy development in the Solomon Islands

Technical advice and guidance was given to help develop an information communication technologies (ICT) policy in the Solomon Islands.

Working with the Prime Minister’s Office for the Solomon Island the CfCSC supported the preparation and design of the draft national communications and ICT strategic policy framework for Solomon Islands. This work was funded by the British High Commission in Honiara.

R&D needs and opportunities assessment in Vietnam

Working with ACIAR the CfCSC was awarded $109,849 to conduct a scoping study to identify agricultural needs and opportunities in rural upland communities in the North-West of Vietnam.

This project involved Vietnamese and Australian R&D institutions and individuals towards the planning and implementation of research, targeting the specific needs of rural upland communities. It was also essential to identify constraints and R&D needs and opportunities related to agricultural livelihood systems in rural upland communities. The objective was to develop a framework for an agricultural systems research program targeting the needs of rural upland communities in north-western Vietnam.

The project involved a general profiling of 6 provinces in north-west Vietnam although data was collected on R&D needs and opportunities in only three provinces. It was found that the region lagged in agricultural development in comparison to the lowlands region/s but that a strong capacity for research exists.

A recommendation was provided for a potential research program consisting of a number of components.

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Short-term Capacity Building Training

Working with the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development the CfCSC has been involved in consultancies in India, Iran, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Macau SAR, and the South Pacific region, including Fiji.

These consultancies have involved a wide range of institutions (including government and media organisations) in areas related to communication, journalism, and development.

Social change research for ethnic minority communities- Vietnam

This projected involved a participatory needs and opportunity assessment for communities’ crop and pest management needs.

This project involved a needs and opportunity assessment study among ethnic minority communities and community-based organisations working in these communities. A study was conducted to identify appropriate research partners in Vietnam for follow-up participatory research and a training workshop was development and implemented for R&D practitioners on participatory research and dissemination approaches.

The project is expected to culminate in the formulation of a follow-up research and development program applying participatory approaches to target the crop and pest management needs of ethnic minority communities in Central Vietnam.

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Assistance in developing tertiary studies in Fiji

From 2009 to 2011 the CfCSC is supporting the University of the South Pacific in creating contextual communication and journalism courses.

This consultancy project is for a 3 year period and involves assessing the communication and journalism programs at the University of South Pacific. The recommendations aim to improve the content and delivery of the courses, and create more relevant content. The recommendations are in the process of being implemented.

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