ECO-RCC project provides two-day training on project cycle management to representatives from ECO countries
Ankara, Turkey – On 16-17 March, a two-day Introductory Training on Project Cycle Management (PCM) was organized for the representatives of ECO countries, within the scope of a project to strengthen the Economic Cooperation Organization Regional Coordination Centre for Food Security (ECO-RCC).
Provided in English, Russian and Turkish, the event was facilitated by Borja Santos Porras, a professor from IE University in Madrid, Spain, with extensive experience in leadership, problem-solving and public policy. The training provided an opportunity for participants to learn the basics and tools of PCM, which are essential for developing and implementing projects. In addition, the training introduced the participants to some new approaches to project management including the Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA).
Prior to the training, Volkan Güngören, ECO-RCC Coordinator and Deputy General Director for Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, provided some opening remarks. Güngören emphasized the importance of project cycle management to the successful implementation of projects designed to meet the needs of the ECO region, noting that without proper planning even the best ideas can be wasted.
These remarks were followed some comments by Sumiter Broca, Senior Officer in FAO Sub-regional Office for Central Asia, who explained that the training teaches both basic and new approaches to PCM. These different approaches help users to break down complex problems into their root causes and identify possible solutions.
The training provided the participants with comprehensive information about project cycle management including key terms, components, monitoring and design. Participants completing the course receive a training certificate issued by ECO-RCC and FAO.
This training also aims to improve capacities to support implementation of the new ECO Regional Programme for Food Security. In particular, it is designed to support the development of projects to alleviate food insecurity in the ECO region, where about 13 percent of the population is still food insecure.
The Economic Cooperation Organization Regional Coordination Centre for Food Security (ECO-RCC) was established in 2012 as a programme-based subsidiary body of the ECO dealing with food security, with the objective to facilitate the identification and prioritization of key impediments to food security at national and regional levels, and the planning of coordinated actions to address those impediments. The Centre benefited from the support of the “ECO Regional Coordination Centre for Food Security (GCP/RER/044/TUR)” project, which was financed by the first phase of the FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme (FTPP), through which FAO provided technical support to enhance the Centre’s institutional capacities.
With the support of this new project, ECO-RCC’s capacity will be strengthened to provide systematic and useful support to member countries to enable them to acquire the necessary advice, guidance and information to improve their food security and nutrition policies and programmes.
Several more training sessions aimed at capacity development are planned for upcoming months under the project.
About the FAO-Turkey Partnership Programmes
The objectives of the FAO-Turkey Partnership Programmes are to provide support to ensure food security, rural poverty reduction and sustainable forest management, combat desertification and preserve ecosystems in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan and other countries of mutual interest.
Established in 2007, the first phase of the FAO Turkey Partnership Programme on Food and Agriculture (FTPP) has benefited from trust fund contributions totaling USD 10 million, financed by the Government of Turkey and represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. During the first phase of the programme, 28 projects were implemented in 16 countries between 2009-2015.
In 2014, Turkey and FAO commenced the second phase of the FTPP along with the first phase of the FAO-Turkey Forestry Partnership Programme (FTFP) with an additional fund of USD 20 million, bringing Turkey’s total contribution to USD 30 million.
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