Strategic objectives of the PELUM Association Strategic Plan 2009-2011

• Institutional building

In the next three years (2009-2011), PELUM will endevour to enhance and sustain the institutional and organizational capacities of the Association at all levels and pay particular attention to regional and long-term program development and promoting gender-sensitiveness and HIV/AIDS mainstreaming. To do this, PELUM will:

• Build capacity at various levels of the network: Conduct regional training workshops in pelum (participatory ecological land use management) based on an updated pelum curriculum that addresses new developments such as climate change. Build the capacity of the PELUM staff at regional and country levels. PELUM secretariats will also provide member demanded trainings at least once every six months in each sub region.
• Organise and participate in partner and member retreats: Organise retreats and work camps for members and farmers for closer collaboration among members and farmers.
• Respond to the various implications of HIV and AIDS: Carryout HIV and AIDS research on its impact on members and PELUM focal areas to make sure that PELUM and its members are enabled to effectively mitigate the effects of HIV and AIDS.
• Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation: In the next three years, PELUM hopes to set up and operationalize an effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system for the entire Association to promote learning and sharing. This will be done by:
• Refining PELUM M&E system: Develop a clear M&E instrument along all strategic objectives as well as carryout ongoing M&E at all levels of the network.
• Organising Board meetings and staff retreats: Six monthly board meetings and once per year regional staff meeting to be organised so that learning and sharing can be promoted in the region. This will also ensure that planning is harmonised. One Triennial General Meeting will be held so that global perspectives can be discussed and the strategic direction of the Association reviewed by members and other stakeholders.
• Supporting planning at Country Working Group (CWG) level: Support CWG annual and strategic planning processes to ensure that country and regional planning is harmonised.
• Information dissemination and exchange: Produce and circulate the PELUM Ground UP magazine and manage a dynamic website so that these products can continue to be important sources of information on pelum issues
• Identifying and participating in other strategic networks: Maintain roles in ongoing networks including receiving and disseminating strategic information materials from those partners. PELUM’s agenda should be visible in a range of initiatives.
• Information and documentation of proven practices: Renew momentum within the network in identifying, documenting, packaging and up scaling best practices in pelum practices to enhance a truly African green revolution by;

1. Research: Research and documentation of indigenous knowledge significant in designing development interventions. Experiences are shared through the various information products.
2. Linking islands of success in sustainable livelihood practices: Farmer documentation and platforms are organised to ensure more farmer to farmer exchange.
3. Promoting farmer researcher interaction: Design knowledge convergences between different knowledges so that new knowledge based on mutual understanding of the intricacies of resources can be recognised.

• Partnership with farmer organisations.

Strengthening partnership with small holder farmers organisations and initiatives and promote farmer market access by:

1. Promoting adoption of PELUM practices:Through research, training, advocacy, learning and networking as a response to global, emerging challenges such as climate change.
2. Supporting development of farmer organisations: Conduct leadership training and participate in and support ESAFF initiated programs and initiatives. It is hoped that ESAFF and other PELUM member supported farmer organisations will be robust and effective.
   
3. Information dissemination: Identify relevant information and disseminate it to farmer organisations so that PELUM can fulfil its mandate as an important information resource for farmers.

• Promoting pelum

Reignite energy in promoting the pelum practice through training and by enhancing PELUM’s ability to propose alternatives and respond to crucial emerging global challenges especially climate change and global warming. This is being done through:

1. Building staff capacity and understanding of climate change issues: This will ensure that PELUM staff and members are well versed with climate change and able to design appropriate interventions to mitigate it.
2. Studying coping mechanism in the PELUM member countries: Document experiences on climate change and adaptation strategies adopted in the region so that success interventions are identified and lessons learnt are scaled up
3. Supporting pilot initiatives in responding to climate change: Respond to requests for support in dealing with climate changeImproving market access for smallholder farmers: Through capacity building in farming business skills, post-harvesting techniques and campaign and lobbying for fair trade and improved rural infrastructure.
4. Mainstreaming gender:Addressing the weaknesses hampering PELUM’s transition into an effective gender responsive organisation by:

• Mobilising adequate resources to mainstream gender:Develop a gender responsive resource mobilization strategy and train member organizations in gender. This, it is hoped will ensure that country working groups have gender policies and start allocating resources to gender mainstreaming.
• Re-energising the gender unit at the regional office: Support each PELUM country with one specific gender intervention per year.
• Developing and implementing a gender sensitive M&E: Develop an overall (gender responsive) M&E framework for PELUM’s core business. The M&E framework should ensure documentation and sharing with clear indicators on campaign, advocacy and lobbying, networking, research and information dissemination as well as training and capacity building.
• Building the capacity of members and staff in gender and gender mainstreaming: This is being done to ensure adaptation of gender skills in the association and member organisations. Building gender capacities is being done by developing a manual, training and information sharing.
• Adequately reflecting gender in all Association and member policies: Review and revise all PELUM and member policies and documents for gender sensitivity. The documents include constitutions, human resource policies/manuals and finance manuals.
• Setting up organisational gender standards: Efforts will be made to ensure compliance in the association activities and processes.
• Developing and operationalise a gender code of practice: Develop a code of practice and promote it among all members.

 

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