The Department of Agriculture–National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (DA-NFRDI) contributed to the development of a national capacity-building agenda for sustainable rural development during the National Convergence Initiative for Sustainable Rural Development (NCI-SRD) Training Needs Analysis Workshop held on July 28–30, 2026, in Legazpi City, Albay.

Representing DA-NFRDI, Education Section Chief Cyrenes Moncawe participated as a member of the NCI-SRD Knowledge Management Component Working Group (KM CWG), joining national focal persons, component working groups (CWGs), Regional Convergence Initiative Technical Working Groups (RCI-TWGs), and the NCI-SRD National Secretariat in identifying priority competencies needed to strengthen the implementation of the NCI-SRD Roadmap and the National Capacity Development Plan 2024–2028.

The workshop served as a strategic platform to assess organizational competencies across the NCI-SRD network, identify capacity gaps, and formulate targeted training interventions that will enhance the effectiveness of interagency collaboration and rural development initiatives.

Through situational analyses and competency assessments based on the Competency-Based System Manual, participants identified current organizational strengths and areas for improvement, established desired institutional conditions, and prioritized capacity-building interventions to address critical gaps.

As part of the KM CWG, Moncawe contributed to the group’s discussions and presented its outputs, including the results of the SWOT analysis and recommendations for strengthening knowledge management systems to support evidence-based planning and decision-making across participating agencies.

The workshop concluded with the presentation of each group’s priority training needs, corresponding action plans, and implementation timelines, providing a clear roadmap for strengthening institutional capacities throughout the NCI-SRD network.

NFRDI’s participation underscores its commitment to advancing whole-of-government approaches to rural development by helping build stronger institutional capacities, improving knowledge-sharing mechanisms, and supporting more coordinated delivery of programs and services that benefit rural communities.

KM CWG is responsible for developing and managing the NCI-SRD’s knowledge management and information systems. NFRDI is one of the member agencies of the NCI-SRD, established through the DA-DENR-DAR-DILG Joint Administrative Order No. 01, series of 2015, to address fragmented rural development efforts through a unified and collaborative governance framework. ### (Cyrenes Moncawe)