Neuchâtel Initiative – An Informal Donor Consultation Group

How it got started

At the outset there was unease among donor representatives with regard to agricultural extension. Simultaneously and in the same country several extension approaches were implemented according to the differing philosophies of the various donors. This led to a situation where the staffs as well as the local population were confused since the areas of intervention overlapped. There was no co-ordination among donors; rather they tried each of them to promote its own approach.

SDC invited representatives of other donors (French Co-operation, GTZ, WB, FAO, IFAD, USAID etc.) to meet in Neuchâtel and to talk about the unsatisfactory situation.

How the CoP developed (4 phases)

1. A fist step consisted in sharing the different views. All donors agreed that the situation in the field with several competing approaches wasn’t helpful for neither party. At the meeting the participants proposed to implement some activities together so as to further the common understanding. Besides, the participants considered the platform and the opportunity to exchange their views a helpful setting. They decided to repeat this kind of meeting.
    
2. At the second meeting the host invited additionally NGO representatives from the South.
    
3. The third meeting took place in Cape Coast (Ghana). There was an even greater variety of participants with representatives of farmer organisations, of Governments and donors. The event turned to repeated presentations of demands from the south and very guarded and reserved commitments from the donors.
    
4. After this disappointing experience the group of donors remembered the initial purpose of the donor consultation: a donor platform to share informally the experience in the field of agricultural extension and to co-ordinate the approaches in the field.

The Neuchâtel Initiative today

The Neuchâtel Initiative is a well established platform of donor representatives and is as such no longer questioned. There is no formal membership according to the informal setting of the platform. The interested people call themselves affiliates.

Characteristics of its functioning

Events

There is one meeting per year hosted by one of the affiliates. The participants consist of representatives of the donors (the decision-makers), their collaborators (subject matter specialists) and other invited guests who can contribute with special inputs in content.

A preparatory group plans and organises the yearly meeting.

If required subgroups meet to work on a product like i.e. a new publication. The subgroups function on their own and report to the other affiliates about the progress of their work.

All events are methodologically accompanied by a facilitator.

Basic agreements

• The jointly elaborated insights do not lead to binding rules. They are considered to be suggestions and each affiliate is responsible for the dissemination within his/her organisation.
   
• Each donor representative finances him/herself and the collaborators s/he needs.
   
• The continuation of the platform is always decided for one more year only.

Means of communication

Between the events and the yearly meeting the affiliates keep in contact by e-mail or by calling each other.

The NI has of course its own web-site. It lists the affiliated organisations with direct links to them. All conclusions published by the NI can be downloaded free of charge.

Products / outputs

Hard

Jointly elaborated guidelines for agricultural extension (common framework)

Concrete suggestions for the design and implementation of extension approaches

Tools and checklists for planning and evaluation of extension activities

Common actions in the field and reciprocal evaluations

Soft

Mutual co-ordination of proceedings among donors

Sharing of knowledge and experience

The future of NI

Right now the next yearly meeting is planned. On this occasion the affiliates will decide if the groups still does have a common concern that justifies the continuation of the NI CoP.

Within the donor institutions there is a steady fluctuation of staff and frequent reorganisations take place. This leads also to a change in the personal configuration of the platform and the retiring affiliates must prove to their successors the advantage of their participation.
  

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