Short Course on Developing Climate-resilient Agriculture System
2018-06-26 - 2018-06-29 | Baireni, Dhading, Kathmandu, Nepal
Background
Climate change and food insecurity are two intertwined problems for an agrarian society which cannot be addressed in isolation from each other. Several pieces of evidence indicate that climate in Nepal is already changing and the impacts are being widely felt (IPCC 2014; GoN 2011). Given that agriculture is the mainstay of Nepalese economy, climate change adaptation in agriculture sector warrants special attention. The Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is considered as a felicitous strategy for future agricultural development because it amalgamates the objectives of food security and climate change adaptation under one umbrella.
Realizing the need for planned efforts to address the challenges of climate change and variability, Government of Nepal has already implemented National Adaptation Programme of Action and operationalized Local Adaptation Plans of Action framework for mainstreaming local level adaptation actions in regular development plans. The government has also rolled out the process of formulating National Adaptation Plan for medium and long-term planning for climate change adaptation. These initiatives have been paralleled with a growing portfolio of agricultural sector investment plans for responding to climate change through the new Agricultural Development Strategy (ADS) 2014 targeting to promote CSA technologies and practices by strengthening the capacity of agricultural extension staff and farmers.
Course Objectives
The goal of this course is to improve the capacity of decision-makers, extension officers and agriculture frontline staff working in agriculture development and climate change adaptation in Nepal.
After completion of the short-course, the participant will have:

Improved understanding of climate change, agriculture, and food security nexus
Enhanced knowledge and skills of appropriate methods and tools to assess, plan, implement and evaluate technologies, practices, methods, and approaches
Knowledge and skills for designing and implementing location specific CSA
Able to integrate climate change adaptation in agricultural development programmes
Provide training to the farmers and field level staffs for planning, implementing and evaluating climate-smart interventions

Course Modules

Figure: Training building blocks
Course Components
The course uses ‘interactive learning and sharing’ training methods. Participants will learn from, and share experiences with, national and international experts, scientists and practitioners of CSA. The course also includes a field visit to the sites where CSA technologies and practices were piloted and promoted. At the end of the project, participants will develop a skill to integrate CSA into agricultural research and development with potential impact, outcome and output level goals, indicators and activities.
Target participants
The course is designed for extension officers, researchers, academicians, policy makers, I/NGO professionals and practitioners working in the field related to agriculture, climate change, and food security. Applicants should have at least a bachelor degree in agriculture, environmental science, natural resource management, forestry or relevant subjects or working knowledge on agriculture and climate change.
Practical information
Duration: 26-29 June 2018
Deadline: 19 June 2018
Venue: Baireni, Dhading
Course Fee: NPR. 25,000 (Residential- full board, double occupancy) | NPR. 28,000 (Residential- full board, single occupancy)
Fee includes administration, field excursion, lecture materials, stationeries etc. The participants will be awarded a certificate of participation.

For Registration
Please duly fill this online form to book your seat: https://goo.gl/forms/wUSD1zJybHOJCdAS2
Please make your payment to the following bank account:
Name of Account: GrowInnova Pvt. Ltd.
Bank Account Number: 01200105200890
Name of Bank: Everest Bank Ltd.
Branch Office: Pulchowk, Lalitpur
Swift Code: EVBLPKA
For detail information, please write to asha@growinnova.com or call at 98512 30438

Short Course on GIS and Its Applications
2018-11-22 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
Background
GIS is a computer-based information system for collecting, storing, analyzing, organizing, managing and visualizing geospatial data. It analyzes spatial location and organizes layers of information into visualizations using maps and 3D scenes. It has now become one of the integral components of every scientific study mainly of agriculture, forestry, natural resource management, and environmental monitoring.
The GIS-based analytics gives newer insights into the studies and helps in planning and decision making. This course starts with an introduction to GIS and the review of software which includes practical hands-on exercises for working with GIS software. The course ends with a discussion on various applications of GIS in different domains.
Course Objectives
The overall aim of this course is to sharpen hands-on knowledge and skills of participants on handling, analyzing and using cartography techniques to communicate results in maps. This course is oriented more towards practical exercises and some theories behind GIS.
The specific course objectives are:

Understand the concept of GIS and its applications.
Understand the concepts of the GIS database management system.
Be familiar and conduct spatial analysis.
Be able to create map visualization using cartographic design.
Be able to use GIS in respective domains.

Training Module
1. Introduction to Geospatial Technology

Introduction
Explore the QGIS interface
Displaying vector and raster data

2. Spatial Analysis

Introduction of spatial analysis
Attribute and spatial query
Vector data analysis
Data formats, Working with attribute table properties
Linking spatial and attribute data and working with database

3. Cartographic Design

Understanding the coordinate reference system
Map elements and design principles
Types of maps
Map symbols and visual variables

Training Approach
The course uses ‘interactive learning and sharing’ training methods. We will make use of PowerPoint presentations, plenary discussions, individual hands-on exercises, and the application of open source GIS software.
Target Participants
This course is specially designed for researchers, scientists, academicians, fresh graduates and or scholars of various backgrounds. The course, however, could be useful to those I/NGO professionals and practitioners working in the field of natural resource management, disaster preparedness, land use management, environment, and social science.
Key Requirements
Each participant should have a laptop with the required software.
The participants will be granted a certificate of participation.
Duration: 4 Days (16 Hours in total )
Course Fee: NPR 12,000.00 (Twelve thousand rupees only)
Deadline for Application: This course is open all year round and has no application deadline.
Please fill out this online form to enroll in this course and book your seat: https://goo.gl/forms/DF2yfG2s5V6pGXQs1
For further information, please write to asha@growinnova.com or at 98512 30438

This is the week we write
2019-08-27 08:00 - 17:00
There is something for everyone on our Week of Writing menu.
Sign up for one or more workshops or drop in to our free evening Flashcard Sessions.
What’s on the menu: (training overview)
1. Get Flow in Your Writing (Featured course for the week)
We all want our writing to ‘flow’ but what exactly does that mean and what must I do to make it happen? The good news—it’s a lot easier than you might think. All it takes is understanding a few simple principles and your meaning will come shining through.
In this one-day workshop, you will learn:
• Definitions, features & benefits of the flow writing style
• The difference between hyper-fluent and flow writing
• Finding and cutting clutter
• Improving flow by reducing cognitive load on readers
• Engaging readers
2. Writing Up Research for Publication
Is your research getting the recognition it deserves? Are you getting published in the best journals in your discipline? Would you like to be a more productive, efficient and effective writer and learn how to greatly increase your chances of getting published in the journals of your choice?
In this one-day workshop, you will learn:
• The classic 3-move pattern for introductions
• Working with “the literature”
• Schemas
• Selecting the right journal and working with journal editors
• The peer-review process and its variations
• Working with reviewer feedback
3. The Six-Week Thesis & Dissertation Writing Plan
Are you ABD? All But Done?
All you need to do to graduate is write up your research. That’s easier said than done and many graduate students find themselves stuck for some or all of these reasons:
• feeling overwhelmed and stressed
• lack motivation
• not enough time
• lack of clear direction in terms of how to organize my ideas
• lots of advice about what to do but not how to do it
• lack of academic writing skills
• problems formatting the paper to the required style guidelines
The Six-week Writing Plan is designed to help you push past these obstacles and get that all-important first draft down on paper. A lot of the advice you read or hear tells you ‘what’ to do (write clearly and concisely) but not ‘how’. The Six-week Writing Plan focusses on the ‘how’ and provides practical tools and techniques to help you produce that critical first draft.
In this one-day workshop you will learn:
• How to take stock of where you are now
• How to focus your personal writing process
• The most commonly used structures for each section of your thesis or dissertation
• Getting your thesis/dissertation advisor on your side
4. Non-Technical Writing Topics
Blog posts, success stories, policy briefs, terms of reference, job descriptions, corporate and promotional material…
There seems to be now end to the non-technical writing you have to do as part of your job and it’s not easy. Not easy, that is, if you don’t know the secret of structures. In this one-day workshop, you will learn:
• Everything has a structure
• How structure helps you write better and faster
• Where to find structures
• How to ‘switch gears’ when writing non-technical material
5. Write Convincing Policy Briefs
Have you ever wondered if, how, and why policy briefs make a difference? There are many guides that will tell you how to write a policy brief, but there is more to an effective brief than facts and evidence. Writing the brief is just a small part of the work. In this half-day workshop, you will learn:
• To select the right kind of brief for your audience
• Design and planning your brief
• How to engage readers through your writing and writing style
• Getting the right feedback before you publish
• Using the right channel to distribute your brief
• Engagement and impact
Workshop Facilitator

Terry Erle Clayton is a cognitive psychologist, author and international communications consultant based in Thailand. Terry was an Associate Professor at the Asian Institute of Technology for nearly 10 years and has worked for over 80 international, regional and national organizations in the public and private sector in Central, South, Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific and Africa. In this region, his clients have included FAO, ICIMOD, ICRISAT, IWMI, LI-BIRD, UNDP, WorldFish and WHO.
In addition to over 50 academic publications, Terry publishes on LinkedIn and is the author of three non-fiction books on Amazon Kindle. You can see samples of Terry’s work on his website at www.terryerle.com and his online writing courses at www.terryerleteaches.com
Don’t see anything you like?
Can’t get away from work for day? Not sure you want to spend the money? Drop in to one or more of our FREE evening Flashcard Sessions.
F1 Monday: Writing Flow. Get an overview of the featured course of the week. Learn some of the basic techniques of writing with flow and how mastering this style leads to greater clarity and flow in your writing.
F2 Tuesday: Writing Up Research for Publication. This one-day intensive workshop is for young researchers who want to boost their publications and publish in higher impact journals.
F3 Wednesday: The Six-Week Thesis/Dissertation Writing Plan. Get expert guidance on structuring your content and learn how you can write that all-important first draft in just six weeks without the agony and the pain most grad students suffer.
F4 Thursday: Non-technical writing. Learn how easy it can be to master blog posts, success stories, policy briefs, terms of reference, job descriptions, corporate and promotional materials.
F5 Friday: Is there a book in you? Every dream of writing a novel or your own non-fiction book? Here’s what you need to know to self-publish on Amazon and other Indie platforms.
Fees and Registration

Total fee (All one-day workshops)= NPR. 33,000
If someone signs up for less than three workshops= NPR. 25,500
If someone signs up for only one workshop= NPR. 10,000
Evening Flashcard Sessions are free
No different pricing for Nepalis, international, etc.
Fee includes training materials, lunch and high tea. It does not include travel and accommodation expenses

Duration: 5 Days
Date and Time: 23-27 September 2019 | Time: 11:00 AM-4:00 PM
Deadline for Application: 20 September 2019
Venue: Kathmandu, Nepal

For further information, please write to asha@growinnova.com or contact at 98512 30438

International Course on Plant Genetic Resources and Resilient Seed Systems for Sustainable Food Security
2019-10-21 - 2019-11-08 | Pokhara, Nepal
Why resilient seed systems?
Increasing stresses on agricultural systems have resulted in an intensification of the use of natural resources for agricultural production. Many have risen concerns on the future of food and nutrition security, especially for smallholder farmers and their communities. The actual seed systems appear not sustainable if we are to feed more than 9 billion people in 2050. For agriculture to be sustainable, new approaches in seed systems ought to transit from conservation towards resilience.
An integrated approach: resilient seed systems
The challenge is not to maintain the status quo of a particular system, but to make it more amenable to deal with stresses and shocks of different nature. To achieve this a much better understanding is required of the processes that make seed systems operate effectively or not, especially in what concern individual and collective decision-making capacity of farmers. This can be done by increasing the access to useful knowledge and information, creating opportunities to learn about (new) crops and crop varieties that fit local agricultural conditions, building new or expanding existing relationships to exchange seeds and related knowledge, and through participation in community and higher level decision-making processes related to seeds.
From a research and development point of view, it requires a holistic, dynamic and participatory approach that supports farmers to understand and implement the principles of a resilient seed system, fosters collective action and catalyzes innovation.
Course objectives
Upon completion of the course you will:

Be familiar with contemporary approaches towards crop conservation and sustainable use of plan and genetic resource for food and agriculture (PGRFA);
Know the conceptual framework of resilient seed systems, its components, and practices;
Be able to identify opportunities in your local context to integrate resilient seed systems and food security in implementation strategies
Learn mechanism and procedure for acquiring (new) planting material;
Designing a successful intervention for resilient seed systems and food security;
Linking ex-situ conservation (seed conserved in a genebank) with the on-farm management of PGRFA through a community seed bank, seed fairs, diversity blocks);
Learn about supportive policies and laws boosting seed systems towards resilience.

Target audience
The training is designed for public, civic, research, education and/or development professionals working in a range of relevant programmes. Applicants should have at least a BSc degree, have three years of professional experience in a relevant field, and be proficient in English.
Practical Information
Organized by: Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation
Date: Mon 19 October 2020 until Fri 6 November 2020
Venue: Nepal
Price: EUR 4,100.00
Deadline Orange Knowledge / MENA Scholarship Programme 2020’s course: 17 March 2020
Deadline registration 2020’s course: 7 September 2020
FOR MORE
ALSO READ:
– International Course on ‘Plant Genetic Resources and Resilient Seed Systems for Sustainable Food Security’ in Nepal
– International Course on ‘PGR and Seeds for Sustainable Food Security’ in Nepal

Visual Storytelling Through Photography
2019-11-28 08:00 - 17:00
Photo: Nabin Baral, © Protected

There is an old saying, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’
Do you think this is true in a real sense?
Many people look at the pictures before reading the texts. This shows the importance of images in any reading materials to convey messages in a creative way.
‘Taking Photo from the Heart’ is a short course designed for photo enthusiasts as well as for the researcher, communication professionals, M&E and Learning Officers, project managers and anyone else who works in disseminating results on projects.

Course Outline:

Day 01

Beginning

Introduction
Objectives and process-brief for One week
Pre-test
What do you like to photograph (Share and decide your interest)?

Day 02

You and Your Equipment

Photography, communication, and Culture
Eye and camera
Lenses
How to use your camera?

Day 03

Language of Image

Visual literacy
Composition

Day 04

Capturing the Image

Access and research
Taking a photo with heart, mind, and camera
Exposure

Day 05

The Light

Developing Your Visual Signature
Natural and Available Light
Artificial Light—Continuous
Artificial Light—Flash

Day 06

A Day In A Life
Capturing a photo story in one day. Select 50 best images from the captured images. The trainer will assist you to edit and produce a photo story from 12 best images the next day.

Day 07

Closure

Post-production and photo/story editing, review and feedback from the trainer & post-test/closing
Certificate distribution

Equipment and Software Needed:
DSLR Camera, Point & Shoot Camera, or Smartphone

Workshop Facilitator

Nabin Baral is a ‘Documentary Photographer’ based in Kathmandu, Nepal. His photographic work focuses on the environment, mountains, people, and social issues. He completed a Diploma in Photojournalism from the Konrad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines in 2013. His photo work ‘Victim of Superstition’ was awarded first prize in the photo story category in the photo Nepal’s biggest photo contest organized by Photojournalist’s Club Nepal. He is a consultant photographer and visual storyteller of GrowInnova.

Fees and Registration:
Course Fee: NPR. 2,500
Course Duration: 10 hours, (5 days, 2 hours/day)
Deadline for Application: This course is open all year round and has no application deadline.
Please fill out this online form to enrol in this course and book your seat: https://forms.gle/nSvGk94FpaBHZioQ8
For further information, please write/contact mahesh@growinnova.com | 9856044190.

Writing Result-based Change Stories & Case-studies
2020-05-17 08:00 - 17:00
Writing Result-based Change Stories & Case-studies with TOYA GAUTAM

This course offers a study approach and process to dig-out the information on unfamiliar topics, and to write good case study reports or success stories that are fact-based, well analyzed and result-oriented.

Fees and Registration:
Course Fee: NPR. 2000
Course Duration: 1 hour (5 Days)
Date & Time: This course is open all year round, so the date and time will be decided as required.
Please fill out this online form to enrol in this course and book your seat: https://forms.gle/rxmvGh1fyKotZPL1A
Also, see what our alumnus said about this course.
For further information, please write to asha@growinnova.com or contact at 9851230438.

Data Management and Analysis
2020-05-25 08:00 - 17:00
With PARSHURAM BK

This course provides hands-on practical skills on data management and analysis using a simple spreadsheet and statistical software.

Fees and Registration:
Course Fee: NPR. 2,000
Course Duration: 1 hour (5 Days)
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Deadline for Application:
This course is open all year round and has no application deadline.
Please fill out this online form to enroll in this course and book your seat: https://forms.gle/rxmvGh1fyKotZPL1A
For further information, please write to info@growinnova.com or contact at 9856044190.
