Agriculture is one of the activities responsible for the greatest changes in human life and history. Both segments, and all intermediate production systems between these extremes, are expected to provide more and better food to meet the ever-growing demand and to address the problems of access to basic food for the large part of the population suffering from malnutrition .
Why is it necessary to change?
Wise use of soil
Consumer expectations and quality
Differentiated markets and certification
Sustainability and natural resources
An overview of change management
How is change management useful?
The process of change itself refers to how and when the changes will be designed, planned and implemented, both in content and in attitudes. Rate on a scale of 1 to 5 the degree of change that occurred at that time as a result of the training you provided.
What is change management for? To ensure that farmers
When is it time to change?
Two approaches
The first is as a reaction to a crisis: if the situation is to be corrected, it is necessary to react in time. Another situation is when change and adaptation become part of the daily attitude of the farmer and he is constantly looking for opportunities for improvement.
Change in times of crisis. The reaction!
Another example is the emergence of a pest or disease with which the farmer is not familiar. It is common for new pests to attack crops, not only because of their potential damage, but also because the farmer lacks knowledge about how to manage them or rarely adapts management practices. Short-term crops or activities may be more suitable for this type of response, as the farmer can certainly identify the damage, effect or situation and foresee the results of his decisions.
Permanent change, a way of seeking how to be better
Stages in the process of change
Depending on their motivations, expectations and perception of needs, each person responds with a different behavior towards change. The facilitator should understand the characteristics of each person and each group in order to facilitate activities and experiences that enable the participants in the process to continue towards achieving their goals. The facilitator may identify other stages or subdivide those presented in this documentary (the term "stages" is used for illustrative purposes).
Content “I’m fine as is”
Unlike people in the first stage of the process, this group includes farmers who admit that they have a problem or a situation that they should improve. Nevertheless, when they return to their farms and communities, they continue with previous practices and continue to do things the same way, despite having identified the benefits of the action suggested in the training. In this group are the farmers who are openly against change and directly express their disagreement.
Focused action “Let’s get to work”
It's common to hear them say, "What if the variety you're suggesting doesn't work?" Helping this group to overcome their fears and anxieties is essential to being able to engage them to change. Some will implement the practices just to reaffirm their position, and by not implementing the right recommendations they may show that the practice does not work, to reaffirm their initial perception that things will fail. With this attitude, consciously or unconsciously, the farmer is making sure that the new practice does not work.
Ownership “It’s my solution”
Resistance as a lever for change
There is nothing in the biological system to show that humans are resistant to change. When the person feels the need in his life, he will want to change his work style. As you have seen, in the vast majority of cases there are deep and personal motives that drive resistance to change.
Fear as a driving force for resistance
If the resistance of farmers and their families is not overcome, in the end there will be volumes of ideas but none of them will be implemented. Much of the resistance is not related to technical issues, but rather aspects of human nature. Seeing reality objectively reduces fear to more manageable proportions, but that's only part of the solution.
Self-perceived ability to undergo change
The second part is building confidence, which helps the person believe that they can handle the change without failure. Although farmers believe that change is good for them and their farms, they will resist it if they do not feel capable or have the means to do so. Trust kills fear (some additional ideas are discussed in the section on suggestions for making changes).
Some situations that the facilitator should avoid
The facilitator must fully understand the proposed technology, how to use it, any resources needed to implement it, and the real results of its application. The facilitator should seek to build a relationship of trust and credibility with the farmer and should avoid criticizing him and his way of working, as the farmer's natural reaction would be to reject the facilitator. The facilitator must be sure to verify that the messages or content are understood and that they are relevant to farmers in their daily work.
Part three
The role of the facilitator in the process of change
The role in three important components of the process
Initially, the facilitator must work to build a positive relationship with the farmer and his family. For workshops, the facilitator must develop content that motivates and meets the needs of the farmer. The facilitator must propose methodologies that facilitate the development of content and promote learning processes that develop new capabilities in the group of farmers.
In the relationship with the farmer and his family
The role in three important components of the process
Many facilitators focus their work only on technical issues and place great emphasis on content (crop management, fertilization, pest control), but pay little attention to social aspects and the relationship with the farmer and his family. When the farmer or a member of his family wants to talk to you, give your full attention. It is important that what the farmer says is taken into account in the process of change management and improvements suggested by the facilitator.
In the facilitation of content
Therefore, the most effective learning is based on farmers' perceived problems with solutions within their reach, rather than based on theoretical content determined unilaterally by the facilitator. As for the facilitator's responsibility for technical knowledge and understanding of the knowledge or practices he wishes to promote to farmers, the facilitator must understand the scope of application of the technologies being promoted, the potential expected benefits and application limitations. The farmer expects the facilitator to be knowledgeable and confident about the information he provides.
In facilitating the methodology
Likewise, the content of the training of farmers must go through a process that condenses the information to achieve clear and precise messages that are packed with the power to generate the expected change in the farmers. In conclusion, remember that farmers expect from you the best orientation, management of training content and responsibility, based on your knowledge of the subjects. For each part, the facilitator develops a series of sequential activities that facilitate the achievement of the set goals:.
Experience and analysis
The facilitator of the activity is responsible for creating an environment that encourages participants to participate. Show statistical information or results of the loss caused by the situation shown in a region or on a farm. Facilitate a positive perception of the diversity of experiences and opinions, and the opportunity to learn from other people and experiences.
Building knowledge
For an experience or a memory of an experience, a process of reflection and analysis must be created in the group. Develop the necessary skills and abilities of team members to implement alternatives for improvement. Encourage discussion activities for participants to compare their prior knowledge of the topic with the new information provided.
Testing and application on the farm
Carry out activities that stimulate the different senses (auditory, visual and kinetic) and make them draw conclusions related to the topic or improvement activity they hope to apply to their farms. Hold a guided practice so that you can check whether you understand the content and the use of new skills and abilities. Ask the participants to prepare action plans that describe the activities they want to implement on their farms.
Suggestions to implement change
Satisfaction: Can the farmer find satisfaction in the process of implementing new practices. The benefits received refer to improvements, with what the farmer will achieve and achieve by adopting a new technology or implementing a change. Just as the pressure to change is the driving force, the potential benefits provide the fuel that drives the farmer to persevere and overcome any obstacles that may arise.
Suggestions to implement change
If there is no pressure for change or a need for it, the farmer will not be willing to invest his time and resources, as the proposed change will not be enough of a priority for him. It is very important that the farmer has a clear idea of where he is going and what he can manage to get or do once he implements the required changes. The available resources depend on the farmer's perception and assessment of what resources he has to implement the necessary steps on the path of change.
With the group, identify opportunities for improvement and problems
The facilitator must understand that, in addition to economic and material resources, an evaluation of resources must also include the farmer's talents, knowledge and skills. As you will see later, dividing the change into small steps helps the farmer to be able to imagine the closest and most achievable goals, and feel that the process is not as complicated as it may sometimes seem to him. Promote the participation of different groups or actors (especially women and youth; in general, the farmer's family).
Focus your work by starting with the most motivated and first to adapt, and guide them towards becoming promoters
Break up the change into small steps
Help farmers feel that they are taken into account in project development or change management. Even if a group has serious problems on their farms that require big changes and a lot of resources, such as aging farms that need to be renovated, changes in population density or changing varieties, it is best to divide the change into small steps, since it is easier to follow and does not involve such a large investment in resources and time. When big transformations are divided into small steps, farmers can see that it is possible to change and this reduces their fear and the feeling of inability to achieve goals.
Start with the easiest actions which will begin to produce early results and benefits
Contrary to popular belief, the majority of big problems have solutions that start with very small actions. As mentioned earlier, when people quickly start receiving benefits, no matter how small, it drives them to continue and stay in the improvement process.
Establish a commitment to action with the group
Develop significant training and mentoring on the farm Providing on-going support on the farm is essential to
Understand and manage the group’s objections and fears
Some additional ideas
Supplementary bibliography
