Combined report on the technology & IKS audit report back sessions with internal and external stakeholders

Between July and October 2010, on behalf of the Directorate: Technology, Research and Development (CD:TRD) of the national office of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, a multidisciplinary team of researchers, led by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), conducted a scoping study to identify technologies available for rural development and to develop baseline information on technology-oriented initiatives previously and currently underway in eight of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) pilot sites. One of the recommendations of the study was to share the findings with members of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform working in the CRDP sites and also with other stakeholders involved or interested in the CRDP. During the same period the CSIR led a consortium to audit the availability and use of indigenous knowledge at the same 8 CRDP pilot sites. One of the recommendations from that study was also to share the findings with members of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform working in the CRDP sites and also with other stakeholders involved or interested in the CRDP. The DRDLR indicated that these recommendations would be best served if both teams reported back on the studies and subsequent findings at combined sessions. This report outlines the process of reporting back the findings various internal and external stakeholders, including some national and provincial DRDLR officials, national and provincial government departments, NGOs, CBOs and the research community (Science Councils and Universities).