QUEZON CITY, Philippines – The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) has recently been appointed as the lead agency of the Capacity Development-Component Working Group (CD-CWG) of the National Convergence Initiatives for Sustainable Rural Development (NCI-SRD).
Representatives of the CD-CWG member-agencies unanimously selected ATI to spearhead the CWG in the conduct of activities starting 2021. Based on the DA-DAR-DENR-DILG Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No.1 Series of 2020, the Chairmanship term of CWGs is three years. Thus, the ATI will chair the CD-CWG from 2021 until 2023. After which, the Department of Interior and Local Government-Local Government Academy (DILG-LGA) will take over the leadership until 2026.
The main roles of the CD-CWG involve development, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of NCI-SRD National Capacity Development Plan. Likewise, the organization and management of all NCI-SRD learning and development activities, which include the future batches of the Master in Public Management major in Rural Development (MPM-RD) Scholarship Program.
Other members of the CD-CWG are the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR); Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) Bureau of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development (BARBD) and Agrarian Reform Capacity Development Service (ARCDS); Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Human Resource Development Service (HRDS), Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service (FASPS), Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB), and Forest Management Bureau and Land Management Bureau (LMB); and DILG’s LGA and Bureau of Local Government Development (BLGD).
This is the first time that DA will spearhead the CD-CWG. In previous years, the DENR, through its HRDS, served as the lead agency for the CD-CWG as prescribed in the DA-DAR-DENR-DILG Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 1 series of 2015.
Deputy Director, Dr. Rosana P. Mula, of the ATI will assume the Chairmanship and will also serve as a core member of the NCI-SRD National Technical Working Group (NTWG) along with the National Focal Person (NFP) and the other chairpersons of other CWGs, namely, the Policy and Advocacy (PA); Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Enterprise Cluster, and Business Development (AFFECBD); and Knowledge Management (KM).