The FAORAPS survey of FAORs and selected NGOs is a modest beginning made at FAO RAP to understand the modalities of collaboration with NGOs in the Asia Pacific in order to promote their involvement in the follow up of World Food Summit activities and in the long term, the programmes and projects of the FAO. This is in line with FAO mandate to involve NGOs and CSOs in policy dialogue, awareness campaigns and building partnerships in the follow up of WFS.
This survey has brought about a clear understanding of the constraints faced by FAO and NGOs in collaborating with each other. It has also generated a momentum amongst FAO Country offices, NGOs and FAORAPS to promote active collaborations within the context of the WFS follow up. This positive energy needs to be tapped and channeled into productive activities and programmes to yield positive results. Some innovative ideas and recommendations for sustaining these efforts towards bringing NGOs as partners and in the mainstream of WFS activities are listed below:
1. AT FAO HEADQUARTERS LEVEL:
1.1. The World Food Summit Plan of Action underlines the role of civil society and notes that almost 80% of the investment in agriculture is made by producers themselves. This understanding that people are the main actors in developmental work needs to be applied across the entire gamut of FAO activities, in the fields of rural development, nutrition, women in development, forestry, agriculture and natural resource management.
1.2. Most replies from NGOs reflect that TCDN within it’s mandate to strengthen active consultation and dialogue civil society organisations to undertake joint activities in this region, needs to build up it’s capacity to facilitate FAORs and technical units concerned to develop dialogue and collaborations with CSOs in different national contexts. And to keep track of the emerging country experiences with a view to identify innovative CSOs in areas of FAO concerns. The FAO Representative and field staff have a key role to inform the TCDN on these activities.
1.3. Collaboration and open channels of communication between various units at headquarters (TCDN, WFS Secretariat, ESN and SDA) to utilize the available resources and manpower most effectively.
1.4. Establish a seed grant facility to support and nurture FAO-NGO collaborations. This recommendation may not be in line with FAO’s role as a technical agency, but seems relevant to be mentioned here in context of responses from NGOs. A practical utilisation of FAO resources would be to directly support selected field level small projects involving NGOs and peoples organisations and thereby strengthen grassroot partnerships as well.
1.5. FAO has an important role to play in fostering and nurturing information networking with civil society and NGOs. It’s presence in the field as well as an international agency provides for greater opportunities to counterbalance the negative impact of control over food production and supply in the hands of a few international economic operators and the consequent vulnerability of developing countries and small producers and consumers.
1.6. FAO’s role in meeting the challenges of the future will increasingly be those of a catalyst and facilitator in support of other actors in development like NGOs and other civil society organisations, ensuring the production and dissemination of quality information and analysis about peoples participation in development, serving as a mediator among different interest groups and ensuring that there is a “level playing field” to which less powerful players have equitable access.
2. AT FAORAPS LEVEL:
2.1. The regional and sub regional level of FAO are increasingly becoming important in view of the decentralisation of FAO programmes. FAO regional offices are better positioned to articulate regional needs, issues and experiences in the context of globalisation and it’s impact on agriculture development and food security amongst rural communities.
2.2. Within RAPS, the capacity to continuously monitor and develop linkages with NGOs in the region needs to be strengthened so as to be able to assist other FAO offices and technical units with relevant information on NGOs. Within a kind of Regional NGO Information Resource Facility, RAPS could facilitate, in collaboration with TCDN the provision of updated data and information on relevant NGO programmes and dialogues in the region. It could in collaboration with TCDN and other technical units, provide information on FAO policy and programmes on FAO -NGO collaboration in food security, nutrition, and rural development in follow up of the WFS.
2.3. Assist in provision of information and advice to technical divisions for capacity building of rural peoples organizations, farmer producer organisations, and women’s organisations for achieving household food security and poverty alleviation in rural communities.
2.4. Facilitate FAO partnerships and innovative methods to build and strengthen information networks with the NGO community at the regional and country level, and assist in the identification of NGOs for follow up of WFS activities. In close collaboration with relevant technical units, the facility could help in building linkages with universities and research organisations within the region for WFS follow up in food security, nutrition and rural development. For this purpose, it could organise regular FAO-NGO meetings and forums at regional and country levels.
2.5. Assist in documentation and dissemination of grassroot innovations and collaborations, and distribution of information and audio visual materials related to food security in the context of WFS Plan of Action.
2.6. In response to the call from NGOs for regular forums for dialogue, FAORAPS is planning to organize a regional meeting in September-October 1998 on “Development of Cooperative self help mechanisms for the rural poor at community level.” This is planned to provide a platform fro establishing UN-GO-NGO-PO linkages for information exchange and identifying common priorities and activities for collaboration. This meeting will be prepared in consultation with relevant FAO technical units such as TCDN, SDA and ESN so as to mobilise necessary support.
2.7. FAORAPS has developed on the basis of existing information, an updated database of over 250 NGOs active in food security, nutrition and rural development. This activity is needed in order to fulfill the tasks i) to ix) outlined above. This needs to be periodically updated and disseminated to FAOR offices who are the closest FAO-NGO linkage at national level.
2.8. Follow up of recommendations of the Joint ANGOC-FAO meeting should be taken up by all FAO Units concerned in order to keep up the momentum for collaborative action on specific issues mentioned in detail on Page 7. The Regional NGO Information Resource Facility can facilitate contacts and collaborations in close collaboration with FAORs and selected NGOs in the region.
3. AT FAO RAP NUTRITION UNIT LEVEL:
The FAO RAPS survey clearly indicates the interest of the FAORs and NGOs to undertake joint activities with FAO in the field of nutrition surveillance, maternal and child care and household food security. Further action from FAO Nutrition Unit maybe to:
3.1. Together with FAORAPS efforts to involve NGOs in WFS follow up and keeping in mind the complementary interests of the two units in the context of the WFS, pool resources, expertise and knowledge. This would also ensure the optimal utilisation of knowledge, experience and resources within FAORAP to develop successful and sustaining partnerships with NGOs.
3.2. Link up with NGOs specifically interested in nutrition and food security (please refer Annex - II) to undertake joint programmes and activities.
3.3. The database on NGOs provides an exhaustive list of NGOs who can be contacted for initiating practical grassroot level interventions in the field.
3.4. The Household Nutritional Indicators Programme proposed by ANGOC has great potential for collaboration with FAORAP Nutrition Unit. This can be further discussed and finalised with ANGOC to promote nutrition focused community planning exercises in FAO projects.
3.5. Undertake information dissemination and documentation on nutrition and food security programmes.
3.6. Collaborate with other UN agencies such as the UNICEF and UNESCO in programmes for field level nutrition intervention and youth involvement in development respectively.
4. AT FAO COUNTRY OFFICE LEVEL:
4.1. FAOR’s should be facilitated to develop a forum for regular dialogue with NGOs and farmer producers organisations at the national level. With the current trend for decentralisation, the country office is located ideally to keep track of developments, serve as a focal point for dialogue and to identify innovative organisations which are actively involved in the areas of food security, nutrition and rural development. The FAOR office should facilitate donor support for NGO projects in the country.
4.2.. The FAOR and field staff have a key role to play in building networks with NGOs and farmer producer organisations within their respective country’s political and social scenarios. However, the FAOR office needs to be given the mandate and facilities to respond to the local needs for developing and sustaining collaborations with NGOs.
4.3. Facilitate national NGOs and rural peoples organisations to participate in planning, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of FAO project activities in food security, nutrition and rural development.
5. AT NGO LEVEL:
5.1. For FAO the key target are rural farmers and producers organisations in agriculture, forestry and fisheries. NGOs who are supporting these organisations can facilitate FAO to reach out to producer organisations in countries. To play this role NGOs have to maintain their own legitimacy rooted in a holistic perspective and values.
5.2. Regular exchange with FAO on innovations, experiences and programmes in the field and collaborative efforts to create public awareness on issues such as household food security, nutrition and rural development, and promote policy dialogue with governmental agencies.
5.6. Assist in building partnerships and tripartite (GO-NGO-FAO) collaborations for undertaking concrete actions to ensure peoples participation in policy and decision making in follow up of WFS.
The above outline clearly represents that FAO-NGO collaboration is an activity involving various actors, at regional and national level. Collaboration and consultation within various players within and outside FAO is thus essential to ensure the follow up of WFS. FAORAPS if provided with necessary resources will be able to facilitate and strengthen FAO-NGO collaboration in follow up of WFS in food security, nutrition and rural development.
Prepared by:
Ms. Anupama Joshi, Consultant
FAORAPS
Bangkok
March 1998
