A group of dairy industry advisors from across Zambia have completed training on how to transfer knowledge successfully to farmers and other field extension workers.
The innovative Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions were facilitated by the ZDTP and led by Dr Alan Pearson, New Zealand-based Group Chairman of Prime Consulting International Ltd, in April 2022.
They were held in a classroom setting and included a field trip to a nearby farm and Milk Collection Centre in Liteta. The course was so well-received another ToT session is planned for September 2022.
ToT participants visit a farm in Liteta, Central Province, facilitated by Dr Alan Pearson (ZDTP-E Dairy Business Technical Specialist) and Kelvin Mulusa (ZDTP-E Field Extension Manager).
Dr Pearson says the purpose of the sessions was for the 31-plus participants from the public and private sector to learn more on how to transfer technical knowledge successfully to smallholder farmers and other dairy industry workers.
Participants of the ToT sessions, which included key people from two leading dairy processing companies Lactalis and Zammilk, are now members of a ‘Champions of Change’ group.
They will act as key contacts in the sector for those seeking to improve their farming practices and dairy businesses.
Dr Pearson says the focus of the training was how to bring about change in the Champions’ communities effectively for the benefit of the dairy industry as a whole.
“I think it was really eye opening for the extension workers who took part and relevant to what they do in the field every day,” he says.
“One of the biggest hurdles they face is assuming that all farmers are immediately ready to learn new ways of doing things that would benefit them. That’s not always the case. Farmers need first to understand the benefits of changes from their existing practices.
"The sessions introduced the participants to new ways of thinking. All advice, whether it’s about milk hygiene, breeding or business management, needs to be tailored to where smallholders are on their learning journey.”
Concepts introduced included the training process (i.e., tools, preparation, delivery, measuring impact, follow up), the Training Triangle, the Five Point Dairy Plan and the AIDA method (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action) for bringing about behavioural change.
The sessions also allowed for valuable networking between participants, many of whom work in remote locations.
As members of the Champions of Change group, they will now connect regularly via WhatsApp to share ideas and opportunities for growth, while still being supported and mentored by the ZDTP over the next 18 months.
Dr Pearson says the ToT sessions marked an important milestone for the ZDTP as they signified the end of the programme’s “proof of concept” phase, working directly with farmers in Central Province and the Copperbelt, and the start of efforts to bring what had been learnt to others across the industry.
“We have created worked examples of improved dairy practices. This is the turning point where we start to retreat from doing that and support others to foster their implementation.
"The programme has been transformative for the farmers and dairy co-operatives that we have worked with over the past five years, but this is taking that knowledge out to the wider industry.”
Get in touch by emailing zdtpinfo@primeconsultants.net to find out more about the Champions of Change group and to connect with who is active in your area.
Comments