Participatory monitoring and evaluation is particularly important wherein all involved in the project commit to collaboratively work together in generating project outcomes. As in CASREN Philippines, the project team was truly participatory from planning and needs assessment. Smallhold crop-livestock farmers as well as development workers were assessed of their problems/needs and preferences through participatory exchanges using semi-structured questionnaires, informal interactions and focus group discussions.
Other workable participatory tools and techniques were used such as experience sharing, spillover maps, season long monitoring form, meta cards, bio-resource flow, technology and benefits ranking and cropping pattern timelines.
The project outcomes generated through this scheme increased technology adoption enhanced crop-livestock productivity, and increased economic benefits were derived as well as positive changes in the acquired knowledge, attitude and practices of farmers and development workers. The stakeholders’ active participation in the CASREN policy effort provided positive results in changes in organizational structures and at the program level with local officials’ support of more systematic approaches in extension and governance.
Such outcome was reflective, action oriented, learning process providing stakeholders the opportunity to apply the lesson learned for corrective actions thereby, helping on building their capabilities, enabling them to better understand their environment and make changes by themselves on those that they have discovered and advocated.
