The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), plays a crucial role in international development across regions such as the Pacific Islands, Asia, and beyond. With a focus on sectors like health, education, and agriculture, MFAT’s International Development Cooperation (IDC) programme aims to foster development and improve livelihoods worldwide.
Unlocking Valuable Insights from Agriculture Projects
Between 2014 and 2018, MFAT backed around 50 agriculture initiatives. These projects generated close to 2,000 pages of reports, detailing successes and challenges. While each report offered unique insights, collectively, they held the potential to pinpoint crucial success factors that could enhance future projects. Recognising this, MFAT sought to streamline access to these insights for its staff.
A Comprehensive Resource for Project Success
To address this need, Helen Bradford from Capire was engaged to synthesise the extensive information into a single, accessible document. Her task was to distil the findings into actionable insights that MFAT staff could readily apply to new projects. Through interviews and group discussions, Helen identified what staff needed to know and structured the document accordingly.
The result was "Agriculture Activity Insights," a concise 30-page report highlighting 20 critical factors for project success, categorised into four themes: project design, project partners, project environment, and project management. This resource serves as a practical guide for project managers, assessors, and decision-makers in the agriculture sector.
Empowering MFAT and Its Partners
The "Agriculture Activity Insights" document has proven invaluable for MFAT and its partners, encapsulating lessons learned from various agriculture activities. It has become essential reading for new staff in the agriculture sector and is increasingly shared with NGO partners and prospective commercial suppliers. By building on these insights, MFAT aims to ensure more successful agriculture projects, particularly in regions like the Pacific Islands.
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