Balance ambitious targets with training effectiveness. Original targets were to train 60,000 farmers in on-farm water management, 30,000 in high-value agriculture practices and 300 enterprises with post-harvest, processing and marketing support. These targets were revised to 45,000 farmers for on-farm water management training, 36,000 farmers for high-value agriculture training and 225 enterprises as a result of lessons learned during implementation, a smaller scope of the irrigation rehabilitation, currency devaluation, and the difficulty in finding 60,000 appropriate farmers and 300 enterprises to participate in training. However, the targets were still ambitious and might have resulted in a less-effective approach to farmer training, selection of participants and limited attention to the post-harvest, processing and marketing activities. More targeted and longer duration of trainings and technical support could be designed for different levels of farmers depending on their ability to adopt certain practices. The structure of the lump-sum contract with the implementer also drove the sequencing, whereby they were compensated based on meeting training targets rather than being rewarded for changes in program participants’ income.
Lesson Learned