Leaders and implementers of projects funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) were recently capacitated with knowledge and skills on extension project management.
This was done through the training, “Effective Management of Extension Projects: Assessment and Terminal Report Writing” conducted by the Benguet State University (BSU) in collaboration with the Cordillera Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research and Development (CorCAARRD) conducted in Panorama Summit Hotel in Davao City from December 16 to 18, 2019.
Forty participants, who were part of the 10 PCAARRD-funded projects that are nearing completion, were able to familiarize themselves with the various financial analytical tools, the importance and structure of an extension report, and report writing processes. It also gave them the opportunity to suggest various ways of improving extension project evaluation and report writing in the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR) sector.
The Council, which funded the event, considers the assessment of project outputs/outcomes and the corresponding substantial terminal report an important part of dissemination and promotion efforts. Such reports are valuable sources of information that can be packaged into appropriate information, education, and communication (IEC) materials that eventually will be disseminated to the clients of PCAARRD.
Dr. Danilo B. Pacoy, Director of the Southern Mindanao Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (SMAARRDEC) and Dr. Ruth S. Batani, Director of CorCAARRD, opened the event and welcomed the participants.
Dr. Marilyn M. Elauria, Professor at the College of Economics and Management, University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) discussed the concepts in financial analysis and its key elements for extension projects, which covered different financial tools and approaches including Partial Budget Analysis, Cost and Return Analysis, and Enterprise Budget Analysis. Elauria also discussed financial measures of project worth, which included various decision criteria used in measuring project worthiness such as Net Present Value (NPV), Benefit-Cost ratio (BCR), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Payback Period (PP).
Other speakers include Ms. Kathe Lyn L. Tamisin, University Extension Associate at UPLB, who talked about the definition and identification of an extension project as well as approaches and methods in writing a terminal report and Ms. Yolanda M. Tanyag, Head of the PCAARRD-Technology Transfer and Promotion Division’s (TTPD) Extension and Deployment Section, who provided insights on on how to write a comprehensive terminal report using the PCAARRD format.