The new Team Leader of FoSHoL Coordination project and the IRRI Representative for Bangladesh Dr. M. Zainul Abedin made a courtesy call to the Interim Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB) Mr. Shoaib Siddiqui at AAB country office on October 10, 2006.

They exchanged views on common issues related to European Community-funded FoSHoL programme. As part of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and IRRI's mandate, Dr. Abedin underlined the importance of linking sources of appropriate technologies with the farmers as well as process documentation for large-scale adoption of those technologies. Mr. Siddiqui agreed and told that IRRI can directly add value to FoSHoL local partner NGOs' work by establishing sustainable linkages and partnerships with other NGOs, government, regional, international and private institutions. FoSHoL-AA Project Manager Mr. Masud Khan, Postdoctoral fellow of FoSHoL Coordination project Dr. Tapash Biswas and Communications Officer Mamunul Haque were present.

Later on, Dr. Abedin met the FoSHoL-AA team at the project office where Mr. Masud Khan, Mr. Indu Bhushan Roy and other team members briefed him about the project's progress.

While Dr. Abedin wanted to know the areas where IRRI can contribute as a coordinating agency, FoSHoL-AA team expressed that IRRI can assist in:

1. adding value through developing a model to scale up adoption and for advocacy;
2. fine-tuning and synthesizing the process of working with resource poor farmers and grass root level community-based organizations;
3. strengthening linkages with sources of technology;
4. staff capacity building in using technologies and processes;
5. identifying strengths and weaknesses;
6. experiential learning through facilitation of sharing of lessons learnt;
7. publicizing project learning nationally through workshops, media and other appropriate channels for greater awareness and sustainability;
8. developing monitoring and evaluation system;
9. enhancing access to web-based resources;
10. mainstreaming gender issues and systems perspective;
11. making different working groups functional; and
12. developing communication and training materials both at central level and partner level.
    

Dr. Abedin expressed his interest to learn more about Shikhon Shibha (SS) used by FoSHoL-AA at community level. FoSHoL-AA informed that SS promotes experiential learning and prioritization of their needs in participatory manner. IRRI proposed to organize a learning session at central level to discuss experiences gained from SS.

oSHoL-AA informed that they are interested in testing a FM-band community radio and enquired if IRRI can assist. Dr. Abedin supported the idea and emphasized on the need for human resource development and learning from similar experiences.