1. ASARECA Region Experiences in Capacity Building for
Agricultural Information & Communication
Management: The Case for Capacity Building
3rd IAALD Africa Chapter Conference
23rd May 2012
Presented By Nodumo Dhlamini

2. ABOUT RUFORUM
 Established in 2004;
Formerly a Rockefeller
Funded Project which was
called FORUM
(1992-2003)
 29 Member Universities in
17 countries
 Regional Secretariat based
at Makerere University,
Kampala Uganda
WWW.ruforum.org

3. Background to the MSc AICM
• RUFORUM supports a number of regional
postgraduate training programs in agriculture
• 2003 the Regional Agricultural Information Network
(RAIN) was established as a programme for the
Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research
in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA)
• Priority setting exercise for RAIN, network
members unanimously agreed that enhancing skills in
ICM in Eastern and Central Africa (ECA) was the
most important problem-solving area that RAIN
should focus on.

4. Background to the MSc AICM
• RAIN conducted a regional study to assess human
resource capacities and training needs in Eastern and
Central Africa (ECA).
• Development of the Master of Science in Agricultural
Information and Communication Management (MSc
AICM) programme was strongly supported by the
findings of this training needs assessment (TNA)
undertaken by RAIN in 2005
• Regional Partnership in the program development:
ASARECA, FARA, RUFORUM and various
stakeholders from National Research Organizations,
Private Sector and Universities

5. Key Findings of 2005 TNA
• Agricultural professionals of all cadres in the
ASARECA region with AICM skills were few or
lacking.
• Agricultural researchers, educators and technologists
in national agricultural research systems (NARIs),
universities and extension services lacked skills that
could make them self-sufficient in meeting basic
information needs to generate and disseminate
technology.
• Agricultural research results are not known or
effectively transmitted to the international research
community. As a result, African concerns do not

6. Key Findings of 2005 TNA
• There was also a scarcity of trained professional
scientific editors capable of assisting African scientists
to get their papers and other literature published in
international refereed journals.
• Existing university programmes did not have
adequate ICT/ICM content, explaining the low
ICT/ICM competency among graduates, and there
was a growing recognition that ICM was emerging as
a ‘new’ profession in development.

7. The Curriculum
MSc by Non-thesis
Product
Thesis MSc
Thesis Research 4 Specialization areas 2 courses each
Specializations 12 credit hrs Total 6 credit hrs + project 6 credit hrs
Electives 2 Elective courses total 6 credit hrs
Core Mini-
Competencies
10 Core Courses Total 24 credit hrs PGD
Project
Remedial ICT/ICM Basics Agricultural Science
Coursework 8 credit hrs 9 credit hrs
Intake Agriculture Fresh Graduates of Non-agric
Graduates Any Backgrounds Graduates

8. The Courses
Core Courses
Fundamentals of AICM
Management of Agricultural Information and communication
Systems
Information System Analysis and Design
Database Design and Management
Agricultural Knowledge Management
Web Content Design and Management
Communication for Innovation
Farming Systems and Rural Livelihoods
Statistical and Research Methods in AICM
Seminar on Current Topics
Thesis

9. The Experiences of Implementing
MSc AICM
• 2008: RUFORUM took over the implementation of the
program
• 1st group of 14 students at Egerton University in Kenya
supported by FARA/ASARECA through SCARDA and
others by RUFORUM
• In 2008 University of Nairobi took up the programme
• In 2010 Haramaya University (Ethiopia) took up the
programme
• In 2012 Makerere University will commence the
programme

10. Egerton University Statistics
Name of Intake # and Total # of No of No of Males
University Year Students Females
Egerton University 1st - 2008 14 5 9
2nd – 2009 9 5 4
3rd - 2010 3 1 2
4th - 2011 7 3 4
Regional DRC, Ethiopia, , Kenya,Tanzania , Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Representation
Total Graduated Three graduated in 2011
Funding Profile of The 1st intake was financed under the DFID funded SCARDA
Students project and some were funded from RUFORUM sources. The
second and third intakes were funded from other means identified
by the students.
Delivery of MSc AICM Programme delivered as a full-time regular semester
Program programme. Participants are fresh post Bachelor students or
employees on study leave.

11. Haramaya University Statistics
Name of University Intake # and Year Total # of No of Females No of
Students Males
Haramaya University 1st - 2010 (Regular) 13 2 11
1st - 2010 (Summer 13 1 12
In Service)
Regional All Ethiopian
Representation
Total Graduated None Yet
Funding Profile of Students are sponsored by the Ethiopian Government and
Students RUFORUM for their research
Delivery of Program MSc AICM Programme delivered in two ways: as a full-time regular
semester programme and also as summer vacation programme. Some
of the participants are full time employees.

12. University of Nairobi Statistics
Name of University Intake # and Total # of No of Females No of Males
Year Students
University of 1st - 2008 10 4 6
Nairobi 2nd – 2009 12 4 8
3rd - 2010 11 4 7
4th - 2011 13 6 7
Regional All Kenyans
Representation
Total Graduated Four graduated in 2011
Funding Profile of Students are self –sponsored
Students
Delivery of Program MSc AICM Programme delivered as a part-time weekend and or
evening programme. Participants are full time employees.

13. What the Alumni Say

14. What the Alumni Say

15. Discussions (I)
• 85 AICM professionals have been trained by the
three universities. Some of these have graduated and
others are at the research phase of their academic
work. And additional 20 have just commenced their
studies as part of the 4th intakes to the programme.
• Therefore the objective has been partially met - the
initial plan was to have all the 9 ASARECA countries
implement the AICM program by 2012. The plan was
grand and ambitious – targeting 180 students being
admitted annually in the 9 countries over 5 years..

16. Discussions (II)
• There is a need to carry out a tracer study to be able to
say that the programme has produced competent AICM
experts with intended competencies. There is also a
need to carry out a tracer study to be able to say that
the programme has enhanced the competency of agric
researchers and other development workers in AICM.
• Capacity building for universities has been in the area of
e-learning and e-content development. To date 15 AICM
modules have been converted to e-format and 8 have
been uploaded on the RUFORUM moodle system. Due
to funding limitations, we have been unable to build the
capacity of PhD level AICM professionals to teach on
this programme.

17. Discussions (III)
• Ideally the research agenda of the AICM
students must be tightly knit to the gaps and
needs of the agricultural sector in terms of
AICM. We need to support staff and student
exchanges and seminars to strengthen the
linkages.
• Marketing of the AICM programme could be
improved to attract more students and
support for the programme

18. Opportunities for Collaboration (I)
• Internships & Practical Training for AICM students:
virtual internships to support IAALD online
platforms
• Partnerships for the development of AICM teaching
materials is an important and pending activity. The
area of AICM is lacking in terms of teaching
materials, textbooks, case studies and other
resources.
• We need to provide opportunities for AICM training
at Module, Certificate and PhD levels.

19. Opportunities for Collaboration (II)
• Support for staff/student exchanges. Opportunities for
engaging with AICM faculty and students through
tailored AICM seminars and learning internships with
strategic agricultural institutions.
• AICM Research would be more relevant if stakeholders
were to be engaged in mapping the research themes
together with the universities. Need to support the
development of the research themes, supervision of the
research MSc AICM research needs to be well
integrated into agricultural value chain systems in order
to add value to solving real agricultural information and
communication management problems.

20. Conclusions
• Need for this programme not disputed. Universities
in the Caribbean & Pacific have shown interest.
• Capacity building through MSc AICM, PGD,
Certificate is recommended for the Agricultural
Entrepreneurs, Extension Workers and related
Agents
• The integrated systems approach to solving
agricultural development challenges should
incorporate the AICM curriculum