Extension Approaches to Scaling Out Livestock Production in northern Lao PDR ASEM 2005 124

1. Extension Approaches to Scaling Out Livestock Production in northern Lao PDR ASEM 2005 124 Project Review Meeting 9 Feb 2010

2. Project Team • Lao Project Leader: Boualy Sengdala (NAFES) • Australian Project Leader: Joanne Millar (CSU) • Research Officers: Hongvillay Keuthphannavong and Sombat Vannaphoun (NAFES), Neuakhom Thepphanid (XK) and Anne Stelling (CSU) • Admin Officer: Bouathong Keola (NAFES) • Available Mentors: Viengxay Photakoun (VTE) Viengsuk Lorbriayao (XK), Thongkham Vongpralath(LPB) • Translators: LeeCha Xaibeenou (Hmong), Phiew (Khamu), Viengxay and Boualy (Lao English)

3. Project Aim To assist the Lao government (and partners) to foster further adoption of improved livestock production by researching and adapting extension and capacity building approaches in northern Lao PDR.

4. Project partners and research recipients • Livestock Development Project (LDP) • Legumes for Pigs Project (NAFRI/CIAT) • Best Practice Cattle Husbandry (DLF, U.Sydney) • LEAP (NAFES) • NAFRI Information Unit • Luang Prabang Agriculture and Forestry College • ?NUOL, other colleges, NGO projects • ?Other NAFES and NAFRI projects

5. The Diverse Nature of Extension Increasing level of people oriented skills required Community Development (eg LDP, LEA) Education (eg NAFRI Info Unit, LEA) Problem solving (eg L4PP, FLSP) Technology (eg BPCHH, FLSP) Transfer Increasing complexity of situations and time required Social Research Leadership, group capacity, livelihoods Staff and farmer capacity building Farmer learning and outcomes Adoption studies

6. Extension Research Cycle Identified research needs (extension & capacity building) EASLP RESEARCH Evaluation of impact Recommendations, Guidelines and Extension Tools Capacity Building of Staff, Farmers, Students LDP, L4PP, BPCH, NAFES, NAFRI, LEAP, LPAFC, NUOL

7. Recommendations from last meeting • More research could be done on how to tailor cross visits to various ethnic groups and women (including writing guidelines in Lao language)  • More case studies from different ethnic groups and women  • Guidelines on how to write case studies in Lao language  • Investigate turning some case studies into digital stories or videos  • Compile a directory of champion farmers in each district for distribution to villages and DAFOs (??) via case studies? • Discuss researchable issues with LDP that could assist with improving extension, capacity building and farmer impacts  (?)

8. Research activities in 2009 • How to work with Hmong, Khamu, Akha (including women) • How to tailor cross visits for Hmong, Khamu, Akha (including women) • How to work with poor households (group and 1:1) • Impact of cross visits and other factors on farmer decision making and livestock production • Capacity building for livestock extension in Lao PDR

9. Capacity building activities in 2009 • Digital story making workshop for project team and others from LDP and CIAT • Development of 6 digital stories on farmers • Teaching staff in 4 districts how to make a range of farmer case studies (16) • Development of guidelines for making case studies, running cross visits and working with ethnic groups (in Lao and English) • Teaching new project team staff how to interview farmers • Discussion with Huaphan district staff on working with poor households and ethnic groups

10. Plans for 2010 (last year!) • Evaluate use and impact of digital stories • Develop more as needed (eg for poor farmers and women) • Evaluate staff use and impact of 3 guidelines and paper case studies • Research the cost effectiveness of capacity building methods (using BCA and MCA) • Develop lessons learnt brochure from Viengxay’s research • Assist LDP with focus on approaches to working with very poorest households ?? • Develop case studies of successful capacity building and extension approaches • Publish and disseminate results

11. 2009 Publications Available • Stelling, A. Millar, J. Phengsavanh, P. and Stur. W. (2009) Establishing learning alliances between extension organisations: Key learnings from Laos. Extension Farming Systems Journal 5 (1): 43-52. • Millar, J. (2009). Adapting extension approaches to cultural environments in South East Asia: experiences from Laos and Indonesia. Extension Farming Systems Journal 5 (1): 143-148 • Photakoun V. and Millar, J. (2009). Evaluating capacity building methods to strengthen livestock extension outcomes in Laos. Extension Farming Systems Journal 5 (2) in press • Stelling, A. and Millar, J. (2009). An evaluation of the Legumes for Pigs Project Development Alliance. Report No. 49. Institute of Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW. • How to work with Hmong, Khamu and Akha (EASLP, NAFES) • How to make livestock case studies (EASLP, NAFES) • How to run livestock and fodder cross visits (EASLP, NAFES)

12. 2010 forthcoming publications • Millar, J and Sengdala, B. (2010). The role of livestock in changing upland livelihoods in Lao PDR. Paper to be presented at 3rd International Conference on Lao Studies 14-16 July, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. (Journal of Lao Studies) • Photakoun, V. and Millar, J. (2010). Capacity building for livestock extension in Laos: a study of methods, factors and outcomes for rural development. To be submitted to Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension • Stelling, A., Millar, J. and Sengdala, B. (2010). Working with ethnic minorities in the uplands of Laos to improve livestock production and rural livelihoods. To be submitted to Mountain Research and Development