OFWM Manual Outline

Day 1: Program Presentation, Water Management, Participatory Planning

a) Starts with a general presentation of MCA Armenia projects (corresponding to the information given in MCA info-carriers) and WtM Activity in general, presenting the major Components of the Activity. We consider this as a crucial tool to raise the general awareness of the Armenian farmers, as well as to raise their interest in the program, as from that point on they will understand that the Training is done in the scope of MCA activity. Then the Trainer goes around the class to see what are the major questions, issues and problems related to irrigation in general and irrigation water resources and on-farm water management in particular and make a schedule for his Question-Answer sessions for those 3 days. All the Trainers, beside their Manual are also provided with a Information Kit with the other two major projects of MCA –Armenia: Rural Roads Rehabilitation and Irrigation Rehabilitation Project; the rehabilitation maps, as well as structure of MCA-Armenia.

b) The next topic introduced during the first day is Introduction to Water Management, which goes in perfect accordance with the Manual and is concentrated on the topic of importance of water resources and the issue of water saving methods and techniques in general.

c) Participatory Planning is the topic which takes the most part of Day 1, as this is where the farmers are very active and interactive, as the WUA- water user relations are seen as very controversial, sometimes problematic, and very often as tense ones. The Participatory Planning is focusing on the idea of Participatory planning, mutual rights and responsibilities of WUA and water user, as well as the description of WUA structure. This is considered a very important issue from the point of the training as a whole, as it gives the famers the insight into the organizational structure of the WUA and helps the Trainer to respond specific questions related to the irrigation scheduling and WUA-water user issues.

d) Day 1 ends summarizing the first day topics and introducing the topics for the next 3 days

Day 2: Irrigation Methods, Water Measurement, On Farm Water Management, Agricultural Scheduling, Water Use Efficiency

Day 2 is totally devoted to Irrigation Methods and Water Measurement:
a) Surface Irrigation
b) Sprinkler Irrigation
c) Drip Irrigation
d) Furrow Irrigation/Infiltration
e) Water Measurement focuses on those existing water measurement practices which can and should be used irrespective of the location of the farming plot. Some of the information is quite new for the farmers and it gives them an opportunity to learn and implement that practice on their land plots, which is anticipated to further improvement of water use practices. This section ends with a sum up of the agro-technical norms and methods possible to use in general and advisable in that area in particular.
f) On-farm water measurement discusses the ways to use the water efficiently, to start and/or improve the saving practices. The farmers receive the basic knowledge regarding the water measuring techniques, which helps them to follow the correct implementation of the given methods on their own land plots, which is supposed to add to the incomes of the farmer, thus allowing opportunities for the improvement of current agricultural practices and opportunities for the adoption of/investment into comparatively new technologies.
g) Agricultural Scheduling concentrates on the significance of the advance scheduling of the Agricultural activities from the irrigation perspective.

All these topics are accompanied with Power Point Presentation, introducing the correct ways of the implementation of all the methods. During the class various questions are usually raised regarding these methods, the farmers share their own experience and preferences, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method, as well as the local landscape and water availability opportunities for the selection of the best methods implemented or to be implemented. Usually this portion involves a lot of discussion regarding the traditional approach (the ones the farmers used to apply for generations) versus the new approaches, or best practice known (local and international). The topics also go along with video material. VISTAA has developed and now possesses a video on irrigation method, techniques and technologies. The video material is used as a training material, and at some point as a substitute for the field day (in winter time).

Day 3: Et Gage, Tensiometers and Sensors, the OFWM film, Final Discussion (QA session), Training Evaluation

a) ET gage, Tensiometers and Sensors are introduced as new technologies important for the Ag. scheduling, irrigation and water management perspective.

b) The film, prepared based on the materials collected during the previous two quarters is shown as a partial substitute for the field day.

c) The training ends with filing of exit questionnaire, which is later on turned into database, which can be analyses upon necessity.

Day 4: During the irrigation season, the OFWM training lasts 4 days and the fourth day is called “field day”.

a) The fourth day of training is usually devoted to the field visits for practical observation of irrigation techniques and technologies presented by the WtM Activity mostly through demo sites.
b) At the end of the training course, information about the trainees and the knowledge they obtained from the training, as well as their opinion regarding the training is being collected through Exit Questionnaire, which is later on input into the general database and analyzed for various reports of the Project.