Abstract
The name of my program is Food Security and Sustainable Local Food Systems. This program will provide an opportunity for thirty participants to learn about food security and sustainable food systems. It will be offered on Saturday from 12 PM to 3 PM at the Community Centre.
Program Context
Program Summary
There is increased realization that sustainable food system needs to take into account not only the economic well-being of the suppliers and consumers but also the environmental impacts as well as human health issues. As such the concepts of food security as well as the sustainability of local food systems have grown in the recent past. Food security epitomizes a situation where an entire community has access to sufficient, safe as well as nutritious foods. A community that has foods security has access to enough food that can sustain an active and healthy lifestyle. The food supply is dependent on a healthy and sustainable foods system. However, recent research indicates that 12.2% of Canadian households experienced food insecurity in 2011.
Format
The workshop will employ a small-group format with the intention of providing for active participation of the audience. The participants will be grouped into groups of five members so as to ensure that the varying understanding about food security and sustainable food systems is accommodated. The use of groups is essential as the participants can learn in an environment that offers comfort and while ensuring enhanced interactions.
Using a workshop format provides that participants are matched based on their understanding levels as well as their ability to decipher information. The use of a workshop to deliver the material for this topic is critical, and it offers more than the opportunity to learn as participants can interact at a personal level and build networks. The systems are fundamental as they enable the participants to implement the lessons in their daily lives.
Learner Community
The target population is the low-income households from rural Canada. The population has once been hit by food insecurity that has rocked the country in the recent years and as such they are conscious about their foods security. The techniques that will be applied during the workshop will ensure that the sensitivity of the matter is taken into consideration. The techniques will provide simple but effective knowledge that the community can be in a position to implement. The lessons will be tailored to ensure that the community can be in a position to influence policies related to food security and sustainable food systems in the area. To make sure that we spread the news about the program, we have partnered with the local authorities.
Planning Team
I will be directly responsible for the planning of the entire program since I will be heading the planning team. I will be in charge of the logistics and related operation during the workshop. During the planning process, I will be chairing all the meetings. I will be tasked to assign other members their different roles during the planning meetings.
The planning team will include a community representative who is knowledgeable about the local food systems that are accessible to the community. Other members of the planning team will include consultants in food security as well as a representative from the Department of Agriculture, Horticultural and Food Security. The team will also include experts from World Food and Agricultural Organization, who will offer technical support during the workshop. A complete representation of the community will be achieved since the planning team will also include local leaders both from the government and those elected by the people.
The roles of the planning team will include facilitating the workshop as well as managing the logistics of the entire program. Other activities will include the facilitation of interaction between the program participants. The planning team will also prepare as well as coordinate a question and answer session so as to ensure that participation is effective. The planning team will also play the role of linking the community members, policy makers as well as the technical experts to ensure the continuity of the program activities during and after the workshop. The role of the community representative will be raise issues that affect the community regarding food security in the community.
Organizational Context
The program will be sponsored by the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the local office of World Food and Agricultural Organization. The goals of the two organizations are to ensure food security for community members through the development of sustainable methods of food production. The two organizations aim at enabling local communities to achieve food security by applying the environmentally friendly resources that are locally available. The community itself had constituted an awareness committee that guides activities designed to increase their knowledge and participation in the community development program. The committee will also be engaged in the workshop given that the objectives of the committee mirror the workshop goals.
Some of the potential constraints that will have an impact on the planning of the include finances. Despite having other organizations funding the workshop, there is still a limitation in terms of the available resources. As such, the activities that are listed in the workshop have to be regulated to ensure that the available resources are optimized. If the planning committee identifies some activities that are critical and require extra financing, the committee will identify members to conduct fund raising from local and international organizations.
Justify and Focus Planning
Needs Assessment
To assess the needs of the community the planning team will utilize the community representatives. More community needs will be obtained by conducting a retrospective evaluation of the government records at the local administration. We will also conduct focused group sessions three weeks ahead of the workshop to understand better community needs. The focused group discussions will include members of the community who have lived in the region for different durations.
The various methods of assessing the community needs have been given preference due to several factors. The methods also build on the bond of the community that is critical to ensuring that the community can maintain the trend of seeking local solutions to the issue of food security. Conducting focus groups discussions on the food security is effective. Focused groups ensure that community members who have lived in there for a long duration can engage in an evaluation of the community alongside those who moved in recently. The methods are cost efficient when it comes to implementation.
Conducting a retrospective evaluation of food security issues concerning the community is critical in that we identify trends that may not be captured through mere observation. The methods chosen have ethical and social ramifications especially the idea of conducting a retrospective evaluation of the issues related to food security in the area. As such it will be necessary that we seek permission from the relevant authorities to have access to the required data.
PCs and DCs to Consider
The data sources that will be used will include existing government records regarding food security and availability of local solutions to the issue. The other source of data will be from the focused group discussions that we will conduct in the community. Interviews with the main stakeholders in the empowerment of the communities in terms of achieving food security will also provide more data.
The three sources will synergize each other in ensuring that we do not miss important data points that could be overlooked when one relies on one method of data collection. The retrogressive evaluation of existing data will enable us to be in a position to verify the facts that revolve around food security in the community. Interviews with the key informants will provide data that is relevant to determining the technicalities involved to ensure that the community has sustainable food sources.
The accuracy of our PCs will be dependent on the methods used for data collection since the methods will have an accurate reflection of the picture in the community. This proposal contains PCs that were identified in line with personal experiences from the community. The fact that first-hand information from the community was used to determine the PCs ensures that there is increased the credibility of the PCs. The DCs will also be determined using first-hand information obtained from the community so as to ensure that there is increased the reliability of the DCs. The DCs will be aligned with the workshop goals to enhance their relevance to the community.
Clarifying Intentions
Goals and Objectives
The goal of the program is to ensure that the community learns about food security and sustainable food systems. The workshop will empower the community to employ locally available methods that will improve the food security situation. The program is designed in a manner that will enable the participants to be in a position to identify the needs of the community as well as develop local needs.
The learning objectives of the workshop are:
- To enable participants to appreciate the effects of food insecurity.
- To ensure that participants identify the local resources that can be used to guarantee food security.
- To ensure that participants understand the economic benefits of food security.
- TO ensure that the participants appreciate of using environmentally friendly methods when enhancing their food security.
- To raise awareness of the health benefits that result from food security.
Conclusion
This assignment offered me the opportunity to reflect on the workshop and program plans. The questions on this assignment helped me justify the importance of the planned program and the related workshop. The questions were instrumental in the justification of the importance of the program and the focus of the learning for the community. Completion of the units helped me gain insights into the ideas and goals of the program.
The assignment enabled me to acquire an insight into program planning and as a result I am aware that the process is not linear as I had thought before. The insights from the two units have influenced each other and have made me take a closer look at the different components that apply in the program creation. The textbook Planning Programs for Adult Learners was an instrumental resource in the development of the goals and objectives of the program. I also used lecture notes and other planning guides that are available on the internet.