Best Practices:Operational Framework

Francisco Pérez-Trejo

Natural Resources Department&

Knowledge Exchange Division

Starting Point: SARD Conceptual Framework for Agriculture and Land Management Best

Practices

SARD Conceptual Framework for Agriculture and Land Management Best Practices

FAO 2002

” CONFOUNDING FACTORS AND TRADE-OFFS IN SARD IMPLEMENTATION

The evidence shows that SARD as defined in Agenda 21 can lead to rural livelihood improvements.

However, most contexts will see the emergence of critical trade-offs and contradictions. The use of one asset can result in the depletion of another.

The Driving Forces

Understanding the Causal Linkages

Climate variability

Conceptual Issues for Best Practices in Complex Developing Systems

Levels of complexity considered:• Technical• Sectorial – Regional• System – level dynamics:

– emergence of risks, vulnerabilities, changes– climate change, energy, water, natural

resources

Conceptual Issues for Good Practices

Key elements :• Strategic context

– Mission environment, scope of effort

• System context– Desired outcome & impact

• Stakeholder context– relationship and involvement

• Implementation context– Scale of effort & systems implementation

Where

we s

pend our r

esource

s

What we i

gnore

What consumes our time and resources?

Duration of entityShort Long

Bre

adth

of

uti

lity

Narrow

Wide

OperationTools

DecisionSupportTools

SharedUnderstanding

(Language)

Storage, Access

Technologies &

Information

Distribution

Services

Loose Coupling

Tight Coupling

Information

Community’sInformationArchitecture

No mechanism or work flow

Assumed Knowledge

The Methodology - Initial phase :

• Defining the system components– Relevant spatial scales– Identify the driving forces, processes– Describe linkages: intersectorial,

production systems, land, environment, socio-economic, livelihoods

• Characterizing the processes (feedback loops)– positive feedback (vicious cycles), negative

feedback• Integration of existing information systems

– Data and information requirements of users

– Evaluation and impact assessment

Considerations for NR Department:

• Operational framework: methodology, work-flow

• Adding effectiveness to existing work in FAO• Implementing the framework with Member

Countries– Key users (policy makers, technical

programmes, key partners)– Regional entities– FAO Decentralized Offices