Facilitating IPM: The role of participatory workshops

Successful, long-term implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) re quires the integration of key technical and management activities and the p articipation of a wide range of stakeholders including farmers, researchers , extension officers, crop consultants, government agencies, and industry. A key issue that needs urgent attention is how to achieve the high quality interaction between these different groups which is necessary for sustained IPM. Problem specification and planning workshops (PSPWs) provide one mean s of facilitating an integrated strategy for tackling complex pest manageme nt issues. Since 1992, the Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Pest Ma nagement has facilitated over 20 PSPWs, focusing on different farming syste ms in Australia. This paper describes the philosophy, the process involved, and the impact that these PSPWs have had. It examines three specific cases to describe the relationship between plans and results and ways of improvi ng impact. The results reinforce the major role that social scientists can play in providing mechanisms for collaborating with technical researchers a nd other partners to facilitate effective, participatory ventures in IPM.