The URDP is a partnership between the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) of Lao PDR and Sida. The programme is the second phase of Sida support to NAFRI, formerly known as the Lao Swedish Upland Agriculture and Forestry Research Programme (LSUAFRP, 2002 -2007).

The current phase (2007 – 2012) focuses on addressing issues related to poverty alleviation from different angles (institutional, social, technical, environmental). Explicit attention is also be placed on supporting NAFRI’s new mandate to carry out policy related research and improve infomration and communication systems.

The programme is Lao-owned, meaningthat NAFRI has the full responsibility for the management and implementation of the programme. TA provided is based on needs expressed by NAFRI and long and short term advisers are to provide proactive advises, ideas and to support, where required. The long term advisers more are acting as facilitators and mentors than “experts”.

The Lao ownership also includes:

• Managing all funds provided by Sida for programme implementation
• Making contract with consultancy companies and Institutions cooperating with NAFRI
• Taking all decisions related to programme implementation including  selection of research sites, topics, engagement of researchers, selecting students and institutions for education and other human resources development activities, organizational development and Institutional development activities etc
•  Preparing all plans and reports as required by Sida
•  Organizing formal meetings as required

The programme works to strengthen NAFRI’s capacity to craft a research agenda that is driven by government priorities and issues arising in the field. In addition, the programme seeks to strengthen research capacity by encouraging researchers from different national bodies to participate in URDP activities. The total budget committed is 99. 8 million SEK (of the order US$ 14 million) out of which the Swedish contribution is 88,0 million SEK (US$ 12.5 million).

Programme Goal and Objectives

URDP research is focused on “research for development” where research interventions are directly linked to the priorities of the Government of Lao PDR and development efforts occurring in the target provinces.

The overall development goal of the programme is to:

• Contribute to the alleviation of poverty and sustainable use of the natural resource base in upland areas

The programme objectives are to:

• Develop productive and sustainable upland farming systems and land management recommendations that have the potential to benefit a wide range of households with different characteristics
• Generate socio-economic knowledge that is relevant for different levels of policy making.
• Strengthen the capacity of NAFRI through an integrated capacity development effort focusing on human resources, organizational and institutional development.
• Improve information management systems and the communication of research results to different stakeholders.

Programme Approach

The Programme is implemented entirely through existing NAFRI structures rather than a separate project structure. Activities are centred around four functional components:

• Research management: Developing and implementing an integrated research agenda in the four provinces and strengthening NAFRI’s research management capacity.
• Capacity development: strengthening NAFRI’s human, organizational and institutional capacity to carry out quality research and support evidence based policy-making for improved development practice.
• Information services: Expanding services from Phase 1 and better communicating NAFRI’s research to key actors (policy makers, extension agents and farmers’).
•  Programme management: plays a coordinating role focused on developing effective and efficient planning, administrative and monitoring functions that can contribute to the development of NAFRI’s own procedures.

In addition, one of URDPs main goals is to strengthen the capacity of NAFRI’s Northern Agriculture and Forestry Research Centre (NAFReC) to carry out and coordinate research in the sevent northern provinces. It is expected that the research in these four provinces will enable NAFReC to take the lead in establishing a research agenda for the whole of the Northern Uplands.

Stakeholders

The following Stakeholder groups have been identified for the programme.

For technology development

• Poor upland farmers
• Better-off upland farmers who can function as innovators and models for poor farmers
• Extension staff, projects and INGOs/NGOs working in the Uplands

For research capacity building:

• NAFRI Research Centres and staff
• Education institutes and others working in the uplands

For policy and planning recommendations

• MAF
• Provincial Governor's Office

Where URDP works?

Field-based research is focused on four interlinked areas of work: technical, social, economic, and land and natural resource management. Research is carried out in 8 districts of 4 northern provinces, including:

1. Bokeo: Muang Mueng and Pha Oudom Districts
2. Luang Namtha:Viengphouka and Nale Districts
3. Luang Prabang:PhonexayandViengkhamDistricts
4. Oudomxay: Namor and Houn Districts

 LSUAFRP/URDP

Webpage for URDP

 For more information contact:

Phouthone Sophathilath, acting national programme coordinator, email: ອີເມລນີ້ຈະຖືກປ້ອງກັນຈາກສະແປມບອດ ແຕ່ທ່ານຕ້ອງເປີດການໃຊ້ງານຈາວາດຄິບກ່ອນ

Carl Mossberg, Chief Technical Adviser, email: ອີເມລນີ້ຈະຖືກປ້ອງກັນຈາກສະແປມບອດ ແຕ່ທ່ານຕ້ອງເປີດການໃຊ້ງານຈາວາດຄິບກ່ອນ

 

 

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