Mapping & Systematization of Good Practices

1. Mapping of good practices and innovations:

We carry out scoping work to identify local knowledge or good practices available with regards to a specific topic related to a project (e.g. rural youth employment, agro-tourism, climate change adaptation on the farm, associative rural enterprises, food security and family-based farming, etc.). Good practices are experiences that are:

• Relevant to the thematic of the project and include innovative elements – Relevance, significance & innovation

• Successful, have produced good results and lessons to be learned and demonstrated to have user value – Impact & achievements

• Environmentally, economically and socially sustainable – Viability & sustainability

• Replicable in other contexts – Replicability

Information is gathered about potential experiences that stand out in the chosen thematic area, which have good practices, lessons or innovations. Once local specialists or experiences have been identified, we carry out visits and interviews to collect information based on a guideline. Depending on the complexity of the project, the “mapping” phase can include interviews with key stakeholders or consulting experts working in the study field to identify potential good practices, holding local workshops or using field assessment instruments. Once a broad range of information is gathered on each experience, relevance and quality is analyzed.

Furthermore, we also provide support to identify knowledge gaps, training and technical needs to support adoption of sustainable agricultural and rural development strategies.

2. Systematization of good practices: 

After the mapping process is complete, each case study is analyzed and the most suitable ones are selected. These cases are further analyzed and documented through a participatory systematization approach. This step consists of further analyzing the cases by better understanding their background, experiences, lessons learned, challenges, achievements, timeline of development, partnerships, vision, contributions, inputs, support, etc. This is a time where the selected cases reflect upon their path, own context and practices they have chosen and why. Building and valorization of knowledge is put forth by the study cases themselves, through a participatory approach. A series of activities can be carried out as well as interviews with local partners, customers or any person relevant to the study case, who can bring new elements or explanations to light.