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Agricultural and Fishery Councils’ (AFCs) officers and coordinators in Davao and SOCCSKSARGEN attend the Competency Advancement on Policymaking and Engagement (CAPE) Workshop in their respective regions (source: Partnership Development Division)

Aiming to further improve the capacities of the Agricultural and Fishery Councils’ (AFCs) officers and coordinators in terms of policy-related issues, the Partnership Development Division-Capacity Development Section (PDD-CDS) of the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) in partnership with the Center for Leadership, Citizenship, and Democracy (CLCD) of the University of the Philippines’ National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG), conducted a Competency Advancement on Policymaking and Engagement (CAPE) Workshop for AFCs of Davao and SOCCSKSARGEN regions on March and April 2019, respectively.

The week-long training included lectures on topics which are on “Policy Analysis and Development” by Prof. Simeon Ilago of CLCD, “Writing Resolutions and Parliamentary Proceedings” by UP-School of Urban and Rural Planning’s (SURP) Atty. Mark Anthony Gamboa, and “Policy Advocacy” by CLCD Director Dra. Ma. Faina Diola and Charlie Rivas.

Attendees of the CAPE’s Workshop in Davao actively participate during their training session (source: Partnership Development Division)

To complement the learnings of the participants on the aforementioned topics, a series of workshops were undertaken at the conclusion of each session. Likewise, the resource persons were evaluated based on their expertise and mastery on the respective subject matters.

In reference to the Training Needs Assessment undertaken after the activity proper, it was identified that the workshop participants are looking forward to undergo more training sessions to further boost their capabilities as leaders of their respective AFC organizations.

CAPE SOCCSKSARGEN participants share ideas and inputs at the workshop proper. (source: Partnership Development Division)

For those in the Davao region, the attendees clamored for training in the areas of Technical Writing, Leadership and Management, and Personality Development and Public Speaking. On the other hand, participants of the SOCCSKSARGEN region requested to undergo training in terms of Facilitation’s Skills Training, Leadership and Management, as well as conduct of an orientation on the PCAF and AFC Manual of Operations.

Aside from broadening their knowledge on crafting policies, the AFC officers and coordinators are also expected to fortify understanding on procedural concerns and advocacy in stakeholder engagement and feedback mechanism for sound policy upon completion of the WS.

Further, additional legs of the CAPE WS will be undertaken later in the year to cover and capacitate concerned AFC members in various regions of the country. – AE