Bulgaria: C3 Training activity
evaluation report
Saving water in crop production
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Background
This report aims at providing information and evaluation on the Training Activity implemented in Bulgaria under the Saving water project. It aims to sum up the feedback received from the participants in the last mobility organized under the project.
The Training Activity took place in the cities of Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria in the period 16-20 May 2022. The main objectives of the Training were:
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To analyse and “understand” the main challenges in water conservation in crop production; ❑ Find and apply appropriate solutions in soil cultivation, drought-resistant crop varieties, etc.;
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Understand the importance of proper soil management – the key to conserving water. As it is the soil that absorbs, transmits, and holds the water for crops, participants will learn how to apply various techniques such as using compost and utilizing cover for crops;
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Avoid water runoff as a tool to lower the water-use footprint in crop production. Main factors that lead to water runoff - overwatering, poor soil, etc.;
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Use all the information and materials of the training in order to apply them to all the project target groups.
The objective of the Training evaluation was to collect the participants’ feedback on the training; more specifically, to:
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ensure that the training conducted meets all qualitative and quantitative indicators set by the consortium;
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measure the level of satisfaction with the planning, organization, and implementation of the Training Course, as well as participants’ involvement;
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assess the extent to which the Training Course meets participants’ needs and allows the transfer of knowledge;
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collect suggestions for improvement of the organization and implementation of the next training activities.
A total of 12 representatives from three countries (Chech Republic, Spain, and Portugal) attended the Training Course. All the participants in the training completed the evaluation forms on paper. They were prepared and distributed by the project quality management leader, ECQ. The response rate to the evaluation forms was 100%. (See Table 1)
Detailed quantitative and qualitative results are described in the next few sections of the report.
Personal Information of Participants
The first part of the evaluation form, similar to the evaluation forms used for the other trainings, aims to collect some personal information of the participants including country of origin, and age. The latter is needed in terms of popularizing the work in the agricultural sector among young people and in terms of the assessment of the transferability of the knowledge and skills acquired.
There are 4 responses submitted by each of the participating countries – Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Spain. The representation of respondents per country is as follows:
This distribution of participants by country is completely in line with the project proposal.
The second question in the introduction part of the questionnaire aimed at receiving some information on the age of the participants involved in the training. As the figure below clearly shows, the major part of the participants in this training is in the age group over 50. There are two participants in the age group 18-25 and 41-55, and 3 in the group 41 -55.
Preparation of the Training Course
There were 3 questions included in the first part of the questionnaire that aimed at receiving information on the satisfaction of the participants with the preparation of the training. The questionnaire collected information on the following aspects of the preparation process:
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Initial information about the Training
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Agenda of the Training
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Logistic information about the Training
As figure 4 below shows, most of the respondents were quite happy with the initial information received in all the 3 components. The responses “very satisfied” and satisfied” were considered positive, while “dissatisfied” and “very dissatisfied”, as negative. All of the participants in the training provide positive answers to the questions on the initial information on the training and the agenda provided by the hosting partner, and there is only one neutral answer registered regarding the preliminary logistic information about the training.
Implementation of the Training Course
Like the training activities implemented in Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Spain, the one in Bulgaria was structured in parts that take into account different aspects and problems of saving water in crop production. In this regard, the participants in the training activities were asked to evaluate the relevance of the different parts of the training to the overall aim and objectives of the project.
The responses “relevant” and “quite relevant” are considered positive feedback, while “irrelevant” and “absolutely irrelevant” can be defined as negative. The option “neutral” is assessed as neutral feedback. Receiving negative feedback should lead to recommendations for improvement outlined at the end of the current report.
The respondents had to evaluate the following aspects of the training:
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Visit to Ondo company
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Visit to Botanical garden Borika
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Visit to Institute of plant genetic resources and lecture there
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Visit to rose and lavender destillery and fields
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Visit to Maritsa Crops Research Institute
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Visit to Botanical garden Sofia
As visible from Figure 5, most of the participants are quite satisfied with the activities included in the programme of the training. There are only two neutral answers on the relevance of the visit to the rose and lavender distillery and fields and one neutral answer regarding the visit to Maritsa Crops Research Institute.
The relevance rates for each topic are listed in the chart below:
The average satisfaction with the relevance of the thematic blocks is 95.83%. These persentages show that the program of the training in Bulgaria was very well structured and all the activities have been in line with the aim and purposes of the project.
Participants' Satisfaction with the Implementation of the Training Course
The next part of the evaluation questionnaire included questions that had to assess the participants' satisfaction with the Training in several major areas:
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Duration of the Training Course
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Venue
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Quality of presentations
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Facilitation, training methodology
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Quality of discussions, group exercises
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Contribution of participants
The results received are shown in the chart below. Most of the participants in the training activities are quite satisfied with the indicators suggested in the evaluation questionnaire. There are few neutral answers registered, namely one neutral answer regarding the duration of the training, two neutral answers on the venue, and three neutral answers on the contribution of the participants. There have been no negative answers registered in this part of the questionnaire.
The satisfaction rates regarding the different components of the implementation of the training are listed in the table below. The average satisfaction rate on the implementation indicators included in the evaluation form is 90%, which is quite high.
In the next part of the questionnaire, respondents were asked to give their level of agreement with the following statements related to the transferability of the knowledge and skills and the general satisfaction with the training and its targeting to the personal needs and interests of the individual participants:
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The implementation of the Training Course met my expectations.
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The content of the Training Course was suitable for my needs.
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The activities of the Training Course provided me with sufficient knowledge and practice.
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I will be able to use and/or transfer what I learned during the Training Course.
As visible from figure 7, all of the respondents (100%) assess the three statements positively. These results assess the training activities as applicable and transferable.
Suggestions and Recommendations
At the end of the evaluation, respondents were asked to reflect on the most important learning outcomes for them due to the Training Course. Below there are some of the statements registered:
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“The most important learning outcome for me is the preservation of plant genetic resources and the study resistance of different plants.”
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“To learn the techniques used in Bulgaria and the research being made in that regard.” ▪ “The local species of plants and the biological methodologies used.”
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“The most important learning outcome for me is the study for resistant plants for future conditions expected in concern with climate change.”
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“The importance of information, formation, and practical ways to apply all that knowledge we so we can save, protect, and guarantee safe and clean water and a wise use of it.”
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“The rose and lavender distillery provided an amazing experience and made me realize how there are incredible ways to make practical uses of plants and flowers.”
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“Even when we are from different countries we face similar problems so it's important to work together to find solutions that are suitable for us all.”
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“The visit to the Ondo company was the most useful and an opportunity for growth.”
As visible from the abovementioned citations, the feedback about the Training activities in Bulgaria was very positive and expressed the respondents’ satisfaction and acknowledgment of the trainers’ efforts and the training itself. The aspects of the training that the participants appreciate especially high are the practical applicability of the knowledge and skills, and receiving practical knowledge on the saving water problems in the agricultural sector in Bulgaria.
On the question “What suggestions would you make for additions or improvement?” respondents expressed the following recommendations:
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“It would be very beneficial if we could obtain the lecture materials in English.” ▪ “All was great.”
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“All was great but maybe it would have been interesting to visit a farm so we would see how is farming done in Bulgaria and how they save water in agricultural soils”
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“I believe that all participants will appreciate it if all the materials and PowerPoints can be shared so we can see it again in the future.”
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“Visit a farm.”
Conclusions
The overall evaluation of the Training clearly shows respondents’ satisfaction with the planning, organization, and implementation of the activities. The majority of respondents consider the topics included in the training as relevant and well-chosen.
The initial information and agenda provided for the Training Course were positively evaluated by respondents. They found trainers’ efforts and activities undertaken quite appropriate for getting sufficient knowledge on the topic of saving water in crop production. The knowledge and skills received during the training will be further transferred to other parties and subsequently adopted in the daily work of the participants.