CSU/ CID Support Plan for California National Guard ADT Initiative

CSU/ CID Support Plan for California National Guard ADT Initiative

Introduction:
Building a civil society is seen as paramount to achieving a lasting solution for the Afghan nation. Afghanistan is a rural society with agriculture the dominant activity. The California National Guard recognizes the seminal role of agriculture and has committed troops and funds through its first Agriculture Development Team (ADT).Every effort should be made to support the efforts of the ADT so that success is achieved-one farm at a time.

While the ADT concept is new in Afghanistan, a recurrent challenge reported by ATD members from completed tours is the issue of adapting their agricultural skills from their US experience to the completely different environment of Afghanistan. The US agricultural system is primarily design for commerce while the Afghanistan system is a complex web of social/cultural economic factors.
Guidance in how to adapt ADT expertise to the Afghan situation is crucial for achievement

The Consortium for International Development (CID) stands ready to assist the ADT to ensure a successful outcome. CID members bring wide ranging knowledge, skills and experience from around the globe that are directly applicable to the mission of the ADT.

CID advisers blend technical expertise with essential community engagement skills so that immediate impact happens and genuine improvement is achieved. This art and science approach is especially valuable given the relatively short tour of duty time frame for the ADT. Quick impact is essential so the ADT specialists need to know their key technical messages and the most effective ways of communicating those prime messages to achieve results.

The CID proposes to design a program of support for ADT initiative.

The Aim: to provide advisory support to each team member so that the mission is accomplished.

The Objectives:
By the end of the 12 month program:
1. Each ADT member will have upgraded their knowledge and skills in their technical specialty as well as effective ways to engage the Afghan communities they work with.
2. Each member will have designed their own “road map for achievement” with set benchmarks and timetables. They will be able to show what they achieved during their tour of duty.

The Strategy:
Step 1: Pre-deployment: skills upgrading.
Step 2: Deployment: continuing technical support
Step: 3: Return: Lessons learned for next ADT

Step 1:
CID will design and present a pre deployment skills up-grading workshop.
The quick action training workshop will address the key issue of preparing ADT personal in ways to effectively communicate their technical assistance.

By the end of the training the ADT personal will:
1. Gain an understanding of the Afghan farming environment they will be working in.
2. Understand key technical issues for promotion to improve household food security and or commercial farming
3. How to adjust their existing agricultural skills to be effective in the Afghan environment.
4. Design their own “roadmap to success”
5. Identify support resources from California to make their mission a success.
STEP 2: Deployment
Aim: provide ADT with technical support to ensure the skills developed in the pre deployment workshop are applied effectively.
Strategy:
1. Provide a CID mentor for each ADT specialist for the entire tour of duty.
2. Mentor and ADT member will review their workplans regularly measuring progress challenges and opportunities.
3. Establish private social networking site for the ADT initiative to encourage exchange of ideas between all of the mentors and ADT .
4. Groups “webnars” will be presented by CID at strategic points through the exercise to the ADT members in order to continue with skill upgrading as well as problem solving.
STEP 3: Return from Tour of Duty
Debrief on ADT experience. Discuss lesson learned for the next ADT deployment.