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News: Strengthening Digital Video Skills for Monitoring and Evaluation, Sharing and Learning for Community Development - Suva, Fiji Islands (February 4th 2008) – A well known digital video trainer from India, Janak Rana Ghose is here in Suva at the invitation of FSPI to run a workshop...  read more >> Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovations (MORDI) In June 2004 the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) supported a regional workshop in Apia, Samoa.  The workshop was attended by representatives from a range of Pacific NGOs and private sector organisations.  The purpose of this workshop was to identify key factors that impede the development of rural isolated communities in the Pacific.  Major findings included: NGOs and community based organizations (CBOs) are already involved in innovative work with rural communities but lack support for sustained long-term engagement; NGOs and CBOs lack resources for the expansion and consolidation of successful innovations; Traditional structures are increasingly less stable to act as community safety nets and to cope with the increasing complexity of the issues; Government and service providers do not hear the voices of the rural poor in capital cities of many Pacific countries. It was against this backdrop that the MORDI programme was developed and approved by the IFAD Executive Board in December 2004, with FSPI as the executing agency.  Where we work? The population targeted by MORDI is the poor, vulnerable, isolated rural communities in the eight Pacific Island member countries of IFAD:  Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. What we do? The Programme will look at ways to support innovative work (e.g. niche product development and new crop development:  coconut oil, market flowers, off-season pineapple etc) where knowledge and infrastructure already exist in communities.  In addition, the Programme will work to build the capacity of community members to engage effectively with government and service providers – to access sources of funding, information and support – to turn these rural innovations into sources of sustainable income.  How we work?  Overarching regional coordination will be managed by the MORDI office which is now fully staffed with a Regional Coordinator, a Training, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, a Head of Learning Unit, and a Finance and Administration Officer. High Lights of work in 2005 – 2006 Three countries have been selected for implementation of Phase 1 of the Programme – Fiji, Tonga and Kiribati.  Fiji MORDI Programme is hosted by Partners in Community Development with the signing of an MOU with FSPI in May 2006 while in Tonga the establishment process is currently under way. Fiji MORDI Programme has a team of skilled staff to implement the Programme at national level.  A report titled “Proposal Paper on the Selected  areas” identified three key provinces as focus areas for the Fiji MORDI Programme – Bua, Cakaudrove and Namosi based on collected data showing that these provinces were disadvantaged – due to isolation and a lack of existing development projects.  Potential partners in these provinces will be identified to assist with the implementation and monitoring of the Programme on the ground. A handbook and training series is being prepared in collaboration with Fiji MORDI office and other NGOs such as WWF, Live and Learn and the Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and Advocacy (ECREA).  The handbook and training series are being produced in response to identified needs of program management partners or communities.  Successful relationship building and networking with national, regional and international agencies and organisations such as UNESCO, UNDP, ANZ and SPC with inclusion in their programmes.  In July 2006 in partnership with the Fiji Governments Micro Finance Team, and PCDF conducted a Financial Literacy Training in the province of Namosi.  ANZ bank conducted follow up monitoring and reported a high level of success in terms of savings amongst the targeted communities.