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Knowledge management: Perspectives from the field
This issue of the newsletter on knowledge management (KM) focusses on initiatives happening in the Asia and the Pacific region by our partners in the country programmes and projects that IFAD finances. Although we have been working since 1998 with the International Development Research Centre based in India – first on electronic networking and subsequently on the broader topic of knowledge networking – it was not until last year that KM began to take on a life of its own in the field. The story of how KM was introduced in China and how it has evolved is told by Thomas Rath, IFAD Country Programme Manager for China. We can hear about how improving KM has been a learning and sharing process for country programme stakeholders in China. Anura Herath, the IFAD Country Programme Management Facilitator from Sri Lanka explains the process of preparing the new Country Strategy Opportunities Programme (COSOP). He describes how knowledge was managed during the COSOP preparation, and the future KM activities in Sri Lanka that it provides for. Our compliments to colleagues from the Philippines who set out to find ways to make sharing of knowledge practical, convenient, informative and pleasurable. In his article, Yolando Arban, Country Programme Management Facilitator and Knowledge Management Officer, presents a two-day event of sharing ideas, lessons learned, good practices and innovations undertaken by IFAD-supported projects and partners in the Philippines. Virginia Verora, Chief of Operations for the IFAD-financed project in the Philippines, describes how her project promotes a culture of learning. Sucheta Rawat from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) recounts how writeshops are making a difference in behaviour and attitudes towards writing. As the KM culture takes hold, we are seeing stakeholders learning and sharing more among themselves at the country level. Country newsletters produced now in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines and Viet Nam facilitate this. Bangladesh and Viet Nam have taken the extra step to issue newsletters in their national language. Edward Mallorie recounts his experiences in working on the Bangladesh newsletter. Many projects have websites that they use as KM tools. As projects began to work more closely together, they are finding that it helps to have a place to share knowledge in the form of information, tools, methods and reference materials that are easily accessed by all. China and Viet Nam, the first to develop country programme website infrastructure, have been followed by India, and a site in the Philippines is being finalized. Ankita Handoo, Knowledge Management Specialist from the India country office describes the India website. When you have finished reading, see it for yourself, just click! Knowledge in action – the IFAD country programme in China
The IFAD Knowledge Management Strategy approved in April 2007 challenges each country programme to operationalize KM. At first, in China KM was an abstract term. We valued collecting and sharing information and knowledge amongst projects, between country programmes and with institutions and partners. But we wanted to give KM a prominent space in the country programme and to have a country-specific strategy. For this we sought a better understanding of current practice and what we needed to do for a coherent approach to KM. The first step: a KM study In China, we started by taking stock of the KM tools that the IFAD-supported projects in China use. We also wanted to know where there were gaps. A KM study was the first step. The study gathered background information and inputs from project management offices and beneficiaries of the Qinling Mountain Area Poverty Alleviation Project in Hubei Province. The objective was to understand the level of conscious knowledge, stakeholders’ tacit knowledge, and how they are managed. Well-functioning monitoring and evaluation, a pre-condition for KM The study confirmed that a functioning, results-focussed monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system is essential for project management and is a pre-condition for good KM. Projects require an understanding of issues and essential tools such as the logframe, results-based Annual Work Plan and Budget and the progress report format. These tools are needed to capture, document and quantify results achieved. Working in Chinese on the web The Knowledge Networking for Rural Development in Asia/Pacific (ENRAP) helped to create a sub-site in Chinese on its website. It offers operational knowledge (such as IFAD policies) and project-related regulations (such as M&E, procurement and audit guidelines) in Chinese. It also contains reports of recent workshops held in China and presents interesting case studies on good project practices. Our KM study encouraged us to strengthen the site in Chinese. Translation of key documents from English to Mandarin is a must, especially for project staff at the county and township levels. But local language matters in China too. Important minority languages used in IFAD projects include Uygur, Kazack and Miao. Further translation into local language is highly recommended but requires additional resources. ENRAP, implemented by the International Development Research Centre, continues to provide support to the website. However, dedicated staff from the Foreign Capital Project Management Centre of the National Poverty Alleviation Office coordinate it. Each project nominated an ENRAP network focal point to contribute to the site. The Ministry of Finance of People’s Republic of China – IFAD’s counterpart ministry – provides financial support. The Ministry’s continuing support will be critical for the website and other KM activities.
Offering KM events and publications Following the KM study and the ENRAP sub-site in Chinese, we initiated KM events and developed KM products. Momentum in KM grew thanks to inputs of many, including project staff, the Country Presence Officer, ENRAP, IFAD headquarters and KM facilitators from other IFAD country programmes in the Asia and the Pacific Region.
Looking ahead: operationalizing KM from the outset Looking ahead we have now startedto incorporate KM into project design. The design report for the recently approved Dabieshan Area Poverty Reduction Programme in Henan Province included a KM strategy. It outlines the scope of KM, during project implementation, as well as the KM roles and responsibilities of staff. KM is being explained and promoted at start-up workshops for new projects. Ongoing projects have picked up KM, too. For example, the West Guangxi Poverty-Alleviation Project and the Modular Rural Development Project in Xinjiang Region have established online discussion groups. Stories and videos have been published in projects in Guangxi, Shaanxi and Hubei provinces. KM has changed from an abstract appearance to a daily feature in our lives as project designers and implementers. We value capturing and sharing knowledge for our own learning and to assist like minded colleagues and institutions in developing effective poverty reduction tools. Useful links:
Preparing Sri Lanka’s Country Strategic Opportunity Programme: Embedding knowledge management IFAD has been working in Sri Lanka since 1978. Still, there is a need to improve national awareness about the detailed elements of the Country Strategic Opportunity Programme (COSOP) process and its outcomes. There is also a need to consolidate the current knowledge that prevails in the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector in both preparation and outcomes of the COSOP. IFAD Country Presence Officer in consultation with the IFAD Country Programme Manager (CPM) for Sri Lanka designed a three-stage approach in preparing the COSOP to achieve these two needs. Knowledge management (KM) is embedded in the three stages. Stage 1: Contracting the Center for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) Through a bidding process, the CPM contracted CEPA to prepare research papers on six thematic areas: rural institutions, rural markets for factors of agricultural production, rural economic opportunities, environment and climate change, microfinance, and migration and remittances. The papers addressed the current situation regarding these themes and would provide the basis to formulate the strategic objectives and opportunities of the COSOP. The research methodology included a consultative process between CEPA and the key stakeholders in the agriculture sector, including national and provincial government officials, the private sector and the NGOs, with the aim of:
The consultation process supported the findings of the thematic papers. The stakeholders agreed that the papers provided a sound basis to formulate the strategic objectives and opportunities for the COSOP. Stage 2: Setting up the Country Programme Management Team (CPMT) The CPMT was set up to support IFAD to jointly finalize the COSOP documentation. Following the request of the Country Presence Office, the Department of External Resources of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, the borrower, created a steering committee – the CPMT – comprised of top administrators of all ministries collaborating with IFAD. Many members of the CPMT were participants of the stakeholder consultation process. The team met in April 2009 to discuss the ongoing process and their responsibilities in finalizing the COSOP. The responsibilities include:
The establishment of the CPMT was the starting point to formally engage the government’s top officials to formulate the COSOP wherein the KM strategy will be spelt out. Through this process, the members of the CPMT will become partners in building the KM strategy. Stage 3: Increasing in-country participation in preparing the COSOP To broaden in-country participation in the preparation of COSOP, in July 2009 IFAD and the CPMT will organize a stakeholder workshop for government institutions, NGOs and the private sector. This will ensure country ownership and policy alignment in the COSOP, and help in preparing the strategic objectives and the results-based management framework. Embedding knowledge management This participatory process will form the basis for making connections among IFAD-supported programmes and representatives of national and provincial level government, NGOs and the private sector. At present, the IFAD-funded programmes in Sri Lanka have no KM strategy or KM plans at project level to contribute to the KM strategy at national level that will be formulated during the COSOP. The project-level KM strategy and KM plans will be formulated in June 2009. This process will be led by the Country Presence Office. ENRAP and KM facilitators from China and Philippines will support the process. The Country Presence Office will hold a workshop in Sri Lanka to develop the overall KM plan for the ongoing programmes. Participants will include project KM focal points, project managers and representatives from lead ministries including the Ministry of Finance and Planning. The KM plan will address the processes of knowledge creation, collection, documentation and dissemination of knowledge products at the project level. The KM plan at the project level will then be shared with the CPMT in July 2009, before the COSOP stakeholder workshop takes place. This will provide an opportunity to include the KM concerns at the national level into the KM plans at the project level. The COSOP stakeholder workshop will present the KM plan (prepared through this process) and propose knowledge-sharing methods among the ongoing projects and at national-level institutions. This dialogue will open a window for KM at the national level which addresses both knowledge collecting and sharing dimensions. The outcomes of project-level KM planning, national-level KM concerns and potential knowledge-sharing methods will be included in the KM section of the COSOP. Monitoring of the COSOP cycle will pay attention to the KM plans that are included in the COSOP. The COSOP process – with KM fully embedded – is expected to be finalized in October 2009. Read more:
Country-level knowledge and learning market boosts rural development in the Philippines
“This two-day event can be seen in the context of knowledge management, knowledge sharing, and enriching our individual and collective efforts for the improvement of the livelihoods of the communities”, said then IFAD Vice President and now President Nwanze Kanayo during the Second IFAD-Philippines Knowledge and Learning Market (KLM) held in Manila, Philippines on 28-29 October 2008. Since 2007, each October IFAD in the Philippines has conducted a gathering of more than 100 community leaders, staff from IFAD-assisted projects, local government representatives, civil society partners, academics, national government officials, and members of the donor community. It is a two-day event of sharing ideas, lessons learned, good practices and innovations undertaken by IFAD-supported projects and partners in the Philippines. A farmer leader commented that by listening to the different strategies shared during the gathering, he would be able to tell his fellow farmers several options to secure food for their families. A civil society leader also noted that the event raised the farmers’ sense of expertise on par with the so called government and national ‘experts’. And a participant-observer from an IFAD-supported project in India said, “Knowledge sharing is one treasure or resource. The more you share, the more you gain.” The first KLM, on 23-24 October 2007, was held in a commercial mall in Manila. The theme was Celebrating IFAD’s Presence in the Philippines: Supporting Community Initiatives to Overcome Poverty and Powerlessness. It highlighted the gains and endeavours of IFAD-assisted projects by showcasing through institutional booths, conferences and cultural presentations, the efforts of government agencies, NGOs and other partners in implementing the projects. The second KLM, whose theme was Food Security: People’s Wealth, focused on two major issues: sustainability and soaring food prices. Discussions revolved around how to ensure that various project initiatives would bring the desired results for the communities, how community members could continue reaping the benefits, and how they could gain resiliency. Community initiatives were also discussed, especially those that respond to soaring food prices and securing food, such as organic farming, diversified farming, propagation of community seed banks, micro enterprise development and micro financing. After the event, IFAD-supported project participants explained the impact that KLM had on their work:
At the closing of the Second KLM, Sana Jatta, IFAD’s Country Programme Manager for the Philippines, said, “It is not enough that we have knowledge. We should make it available to those who can be able to improve the living conditions of the poor.” Yolando C. Arban, Country Programme Management Facilitator and Knowledge Management Officer Read more Writing can be fun! Training project staff in writing more effectively
A three-day writeshop organized jointly by ENRAP and IFAD in New Delhi, India from 10-12 December 2008 was an interesting experience for its participants. The training followed the first successful writeshop organized by ENRAP and IFAD in Bangladesh from 23-27 June 2008. As in Bangladesh, the writeshop in India created a learning environment that was as informative as it was enjoyable. “Only a liberated and free mind can write and express well,” said one of the trainers. Easier said than done! Yet, everyone did it in the end. We generally concern ourselves with facts and figures when we write about field experiences. The writeshop encouraged the participants to think beyond the facts and figures. At the end of the writeshop, one of the participants said, “I can now think beyond the obvious while writing.” Everyone has at least a bit of the writer inside, but is often not confident enough to express his/her thoughts in writing. The trainers were successful in bringing out that confidence in the participants. Dr Sudhirendar Sharma and Ms Martina Spisiakova from IFAD facilitated the training. Among other things, they stressed the importance of being imaginative and thinking from the readers’ perspective when writing.
The writeshop was not simply about improving writing skills. It was also a process for sharing information and knowledge in an effective and interesting manner. The trainers covered many topics, including:
Trainers also gave important tips to the participants on how to write clearly for newsletters, publications and website, such as:
The training was a mix of theoretical and practical exercises. At one point in the training, the participants were asked to write a short piece about a project and their field experience. At the end of the writeshop, most of them expressed an interest in producing articles, case studies, and stories on regular basis. All participants enjoyed the writeshop and recommended that additional training be organized in the future to further enhance their knowledge and skills. Based on the successes of the writeshops in Bangladesh and India, IFAD and ENRAP are planning other workshops in 2009 in Nepal and Viet Nam. Sucheta Rawat, IDRC-South Asia Regional Office, India, one of the participants in the writeshop in India Read more: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Promoting a culture of learning in the Philippines
The Project Facilitation Office (PFO) of the Northern Mindanao Community Initiatives and Resource Management Project revisited its own community-oriented knowledge sharing initiatives. It concluded that “knowledge management as an approach works” in improving and enhancing project implementation as lessons are learned and learning is shared. Yes, KM works, but it has to be cultivated in an open environment in which both the sender and receiver have a positive mindset. Open environment “Education is an art creating a space for participants to discover truth, and when truth is discovered and obediently practiced real learning begins” (Deborah N. Morton, 1857-1947, educator and reformer). The PFO has created spaces for learning in a number of ways: cross visits, learning sites, guided experiential learning sharing, focused dialogue, various fora, consultative sessions, seminars and training, participatory group discussions and meetings. These learning spaces are now being transformed into learning activities. The culture of learning found a healthy open environment, where exchanges of information take place each day. The experience has taught the PFO that when there is an open environment created for people to share their experiences, the more sharing of learning takes place, especially when the audience or participants are eager to learn. This was shown in an activity on the literary and art works of students of the School of Indigenous Knowledge, Arts and Traditions (SIKAT) during the National Conference on Indigenous Education held in the Philippines in April 2006. The IFAD-funded Northern Mindanao Community Initiatives and Resource Management Project participated in this activity. It learned about the mechanisms for establishing SIKAT schools. As a result, the project established 20 SIKAT schools. On the other hand, when the mindset of the receiver is not positive, the mind can be highly critical, obstructing a smooth interplay of messages and flow of information, which defeats the purpose of learning from experiences. For example, when Gloria Benigno, Division Superintendent of the Department of Education in Bukidnon Province of the Island of Mindanao, started to explore the education of indigenous peoples in the context of tribal perspectives, thus opening up her mindset, it was only then that she realized that there are lessons to be learned from the experiences of both teachers and students of the SIKAT school. One thing she learned is that when the indigenous peoples are taught using their own language, education is easily internalized and real learning begins. The Division is now translating into the Higaunon language all core competency subjects to be taught in the SIKAT school. Sensitization Learning which is shared can have its greatest impact when it influences the conscious mind. However, its greatest benefit can only be realized when receivers of learning messages are sensitized and moved to execute an action. Then the results of learning can be felt, heard, written, spoken of and seen. When this happens, improvements begin to take place and implementation is enhanced. Maxima Densing of San Martin, a village in the town of Prosperidad located in the province of Agusan del Sur, is one of the female producers of abaca supported by the project. Maxima participated in the cross visit in Matalom village, Leyte Province to learn more about producing abaca. She saw the new and more efficient designs of stripping machines and more effective technologies for stripping machines and in weaving. When she returned home, she immediately applied what she learned. She also shared this knowledge with the members of group she belongs to called the San Martin Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative. Maxima’s group recently received a monthly order of 4,000 metres of Sinamay (a type of abaca fiber). The group is processing abaca fiber from their plantation to make handicrafts. The order was made through the Department of Trade and Industry of the Province of Agusan del Sur. When you learn something new and apply this learning into something concrete, real results happen. This is because you have awakened the internal sense of urgent action which by itself becomes an internal driving force action. Positive actions can come out of sharing of learning. When you promote a culture of learning, you achieve better implementation and better results guided by lessons acquired along the way. An environment which cultivates a culture of learning through sharing of direct experiences and information allows ideas to be sown. And when these ideas are nurtured, one reaps the benefits – our project participants are informed and confident in what they can do to lift themselves out of poverty. Virginia O. Verora, Chief of Operations, Northern Mindanao Community Initiatives and Resource Management Project Read more about:
Country newsletters: The experience of Bangladesh
IFAD’s Bangladesh country programme team produces regular newsletters to share knowledge with development partners. The first of these newsletters was produced in October 2006. It was a response to reviews of IFAD’s country programme during the Independent External Evaluation (IEE) of IFAD carried out in 20 04 and a Country Portfolio Evaluation (CPE) in 2005. The IEE found there was a lack of contact between IFAD and other development partners, and that other donors were unaware of IFAD activities. The CPE stated that more needed to be done to manage and communicate knowledge effectively at all levels. Nigel Brett, Country Programme Manager for Bangladesh, decided to produce a country newsletter to be sent electronically to other members of the Local Consultative Group (LCG) of donors in Bangladesh and to government partners. Since then, the Bangladesh country programme team has been producing two newsletters per year, with a total of six to date. The circulation list has widened to over 400, including government agencies involved in IFAD-supported projects, NGO partners, academic institutions, other development projects and civil society. The newsletter is also posted on the LCG website and is widely circulated within IFAD. Since the second edition, a printed version has also been produced. This is more suitable for circulation to government staff and NGOs, who often lack easy access to e-mail. It is also useful to give out at meetings to provide an overview of IFAD activities in Bangladesh. The newsletter contents include some topical news relating to IFAD-supported projects in Bangladesh such as approval of new projects, important visitors, high-level training, major workshops and seminars, and a list of recent IFAD missions. The largest space is devoted to a specific theme, such as poverty reduction in the face of disasters, progress with IFAD’s country strategy or improving access to markets for poor rural people. A number of short articles relating to the theme come from various IFAD-supported projects. These may be case studies or summaries of field surveys and other studies. As far as possible this material has been created for another purpose such as project progress reports or IFAD reviews, which minimizes the amount of new material that needs to be created. Final editing is done by the Newsletter Coordinator for IFAD’s Asia and the Pacific Division in Rome, who also designed the overall layout and style of the newsletter, providing space to list all current IFAD projects, government and NGO partners and donor partnerships. The ability of project staff to produce interesting articles for newsletters and other publications was enhanced last year with a writeshop. This training was organized through the IFAD-funded regional grant project ENRAP. The writeshop provided hands-on training for staff involved in KM from all IFAD-supported projects in Bangladesh. Through ENRAP, IFAD is funding a national consultant as a country focal point for KM. The consultant, together with project directors/coordinators, attended a KM workshop in Bangkok in 2008, where the KM strategy for Bangladesh was reviewed. The review concluded that, although the current newsletter was effective at communicating with other donors and senior staff of government agencies and some NGOs, it was less effective at the local level in districts and upazilas (sub-districts), where projects are being implemented. Project staff at local offices are not on the current circulation list, and in any cases lack sufficient English to read the newsletter. It was therefore decided to produce a newsletter in Bangla, with the content tailored to the local audience, and to be distributed in printed form. So far one edition of the Bangla newsletter has been produced, with two editions planned each year. The newsletter has been successful in raising the profile of IFAD in Bangladesh. IFAD has received favourable feedback from a number of organizations and individuals in Bangladesh, and from agencies as far away as Jamaica. Edward Mallorie, Consultant Read more: ‘IFAD in India’ website: Concept, features and future dynamics
In line with the IFAD KM Strategy, IFAD’s India Country Office, in collaboration with ENRAP, developed a KM strategy for India. The ‘IFAD in India’ website is part of the strategy. It aims to increase the intellectual capital of project implementers, partners and other stakeholders to achieve better results and impact. It also serves to develop their capabilities to contribute to wider areas of development. The ‘IFAD in India’ website is used as a tool to synthesize and disseminate knowledge generated from projects supported by IFAD, and information from the national and state governments and other developmental organizations. The main objectives of the website are to: promote learning from experience, synthesizing knowledge and sharing it with others; and capture and share IFAD’s field knowledge, with an emphasis on innovative aspects. The primary users of the website include:
The website was designed to display the information received from the KM focal points of projects. The focal points have been trained to document knowledge through articles, case studies and newsletters. Other partners also contribute in a similar way, which makes the website a dynamic tool for exchanging information. The current website is the result of several iterations of structure and content based on feedback that IFAD and project staff provided. The monthly Search Engine Optimization report prepared by the web developer indicates increasing growth in website viewership: an average of 700 to 800 visitors every month. To assess the benefits derived from the website, the India Country Office (ICO) intends to undertake a website viewership and benefit survey of our projects and partners. KM focal points express their views Before conducting the survey, ICO held interviews with the KM focal points. A number of important points emerged:
Mainstreaming KM in a large country programme like India is a challenge. The ICO has responded by developing a country-specific KM strategy, whose major offshoot is the ‘IFAD in India’ website. Looking ahead This year, the ICO started to provide training on knowledge-sharing tools to the project staff at the state level, so that they in turn can impart similar training at the district and community levels. During 2009 and 2010, the ICO plans to increase the number of readers accessing the website by customizing the content of the website more to the needs of our stakeholders. This will be done by bringing relevant information catering to the new country strategy, such as issues related to the environment, public-private partnership, rural industrialization, health and rural innovations. The ICO will also be introducing new technology to enhance the website as a knowledge sharing tool. The technology will be identified in consultation with KM experts and in response to viewer feedback. Ankita Handoo, Knowledge Management Specialist, IFAD India County Office Read more: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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[email protected] Martina Spisiakova
Making a Difference in Asia and the Pacific Issues 26: May-June 2009 Issue 25: March-April 2009 Issue 24: January-February 2009 Issue 23: November-December 2008 Special issue: October 2008 Issue 22: August 2008 Issue 21: June-July 2008 Issue 20: January-February 2008 Issue 19: January-February 2008 Issue 18: December 2007 Issue 17: September-October 2007 Issue 16: June-July 2007 Issue 15: Issue 14: January/February 2007 - Sustainable natural resource management Issue 13: November/December 2006 - PBAS: looking beyond the resource allocation system Issue 12: September/October 2006 - Communication for poverty reduction and rural development Issue 11: July/August 2006 - Working with UN agencies at the country level Issue 10: May/June 2006 - Indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities Issue 9: March/April 2006 - Access to land Issue 8: January/February 2006 - Agricultural Technology Management Issue 7: November/December 2005 - Pro-poor policies Issue 6: September/October 2005 - Gender & MDGs Issue 5: July/August 2005 - Partnership Issue 4: May/June 2005 - Rural Finance Issue 3: March/ April 2005 - Donor Harmonization Issue 2: January/ February 2005 Issue 1: November/ December 2004
Bangladesh Detailed design mission – Char Development and Settlement Project, 15 June - 10 July 2009 China Supervision mission – Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Rural Advancement Programme, 22 June –9 July 2009 Start-up support mission – Sichuan Post-earthquake Agricultural Rehabilitation Project, 27 July - 7 August 2009 India Joint review mission – Livelihoods Improvement Project in the Himalayas Training on knowledge management for KM and gender focal points from the projects in India, 15-17 July 2009, Bhubaneswar, Orissa Joint review mission – Livelihoods Improvement Project in the Himalayas (Uttaranchal), 29 July – 12 August 2009 Tribal conference, Ranchi, Jharkhand, August-September (dates to be confirmed) Joint review mission – Tejaswini Rural Women’s Empowerment Programme (Maharashtra), August (dates to be confirmed) Nepal Documentary production for BBC Earth Report – Leasehold Forestry and Livestock Programme, 21 June - 5 July 2009 Training project staff in more effective writing, 3-8 August 2009 Nepal Country Programme Management Team Meeting, 26 August 2009 Pacific Islands Design mission – Papua New Guinea, 2nd half July 2009 Design mission – Timor Leste, July 2009 Viet Nam Detailed design mission, Dak Nong and Tuyen Quang, 21 June – 21 July 2009 Country programme review workshop, July 2009
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The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in developing countries. Its work in remote rural areas of the world helps countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Through low-interest loans and grants, IFAD develops and finances projects that enable rural poor people to overcome poverty themselves.
IFAD tackles poverty not just as a lender, but as an advocate for the small farmers, herders, fisherfolk, landless workers, artisans and indigenous peoples who live in rural areas and represent 75 per cent of the world's 1.2 billion extremely poor people. IFAD works with governments, donors, non-governmental organizations, local communities and many other partners to fight the underlying causes of rural poverty. It acts as a catalyst, bringing together partners, resources, knowledge and policies that create the conditions in which rural poor people can increase agricultural productivity, as well as seek out other options for earning income.
IFAD-supported rural development programmes and projects increase rural poor people's access to financial services, markets, technology, land and other natural resources.