The Institute for Socio-Economic Development Initiatives (ISEDI) formerly Institute for Small Farms and Industries (ISFI) is an outreach arm of the Ateneo de Davao University, one of Mindanao’s premier educational institutions.

ISFI was organized in 1981 through a grant from the Belgian Government and the University of Louvain through the Association of Catholic Universities of the Philippines, initially to form self-reliant communities among the urban and rural people in Mindanao. After the successful run of its first project on social credit extended to women in one coastal community in Davao City, the Institute has developed a distinct project approach called “environmentally sustainable enterprise organizing”, embracing people’s organizations and empowering them to establish income-generating and environment-friendly livelihood projects. Soon, the Institute has expanded to other provinces in Davao Region, Northern Mindanao and Cotabato.

Marking 2008 as its 27th year of existence, the Institute’s work is more associated with capacitating communities and groups of people marginalized by education, distance (such as in upland and remote places), ethnicity, gender, age, religion and lack of economic opportunities. ISFI practices the principles of participation and shared responsibility, taking great care in involving the beneficiaries and other stakeholders in every major decision.

While ISFI maintains a lean core staff, it has developed its own network of experts, with as many as forty individuals, who can be tapped to undertake specialized technical engagements. It also draws support from the University for its administrative requirements and in return, provides opportunity for graduating students to get their first practical exposure in development work.

WHAT ISFI DOES BEST

Collectively with these ready human resources support, the Institute has successfully managed and implemented projects on:

1. Research, including:
1.1. Resource Inventory (Upland and Coastal)
1.2. Surveys and Assessments
1.3. Training Needs Assessment
1.4. Training Program Assessment
1.5. Pre-Implementation Evaluation of Enterprises

2. Training
2.1. Livelihood Development
2.2. Business Planning
2.3. Marketing
2.4. Finance
2.5. Feasibility Study Preparation
2.6. Pre-Membership and Membership Education
2.7. Organizational Development
2.8. Basic Training on Cooperatives
2.9. Upland Development
2.10. Seedling Production
2.11. Nursery Management
2.12. Fisheries and Coastal Resources Development
2.13. Participatory Coastal Resource Assessment and Planning
2.14. Fish Sanctuary Management
2.15. Mangrove Action Management

3. Project Monitoring and Evaluation
3.1. Upland Development
3.2. Reforestation Projects
3.3. Watershed Rehabilitation Projects
3.4. Agro-Forestry Projects
3.5. Community Development
3.6. Livelihood, Water, Health and Education

4. Reforestation
4.1. Mini-Forest Establishment
4.2. Upland Contour Farming

5. Strategic Planning and Area Development
5.1. Integrated Area Development
5.2. Forest Land Use Plan
5.3. Integrated Resource Management Plan
5.4. Watershed Management Plan

6. Fund Management
6.1. Asian Development Bank – Japan Bank for International Cooperation
6.2. CEBEMO
6.3. Canadian International Development Agency
6.4. MISEREOR
6.5. United States Agency for International Development
6.6. Philippine Business for Social Progress
6.7. Presidential Management Staff

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OTHER FACTS on the ORGANIZATION

1. Human Resources
1.1. Six (6) Core Staff, including the Executive Director
1.2. Ten (10) Project-based Staff
1.3. Network of more than forty (40) Technical Consultants

2. Previous Clients
2.1. LGUs
2.1.1. Glan and Maasim (Sarangani)
2.1.2. Makilala and Kidapawan_FLUP
2.1.3. 7 Municipalities of CVEDS II project
2.1.4. 7 Municipalities FRM Project within Davao Gulf
2.1.5. Malalag – CBMS
2.1.6. Davao Region and some provinces in Mindanao

2.2. Government Agencies
2.2.1. DAR
2.2.2. DA
2.2.3. DENR
2.2.4. DTI
2.2.5. PMS
2.2.6. BFAR
2.2.7. DSWD

2.3. Non-Government Organizations
2.3.1. Leap Foundation
2.3.2. FSSI
2.3.3. PBSP
2.3.4. CRS
2.3.5. PCJC
2.3.6. PTFCF

2.4. Development Organization
2.4.1. CordAid – Netherlands
2.4.2. Asian Development Bank
2.4.3. US Agency for International Development
2.4.4. Australian Agency for International Development
2.4.5. Canadian International Development Agency
2.4.6. International Finance Corporation – World Bank

2.5. Projects
2.5.1. EcoGov (USAID)
2.5.2. Upland Development Program (EU)
2.5.3. PALS (AusAid)
2.5.4. LGSP (CIDA)
2.5.5. ARCP (ADB)
2.5.6. PCEEM (CIDA)
2.5.7. InfRES (ADB and JBIC)
2.5.8. FRMP ( ADB )

2.6. Corporations
2.6.1. Davao Union Cement Corporation
2.6.2. Pitrade
2.6.3. Stanfilco
2.6.4. Alsons
2.6.5. Sagittarius Mines Inc.

3. On-Going 2008 Projects
3.1. Craft Village Enterprise Development and Strengthening – CordAid
3.2. Monitoring and Evaluation of Mindanao Banana Project – International Finance Corporation – World Bank
3.3. Household Baseline Survey in Six Barangays, Malalag, Davao del Sur – Sagittarius Mines
3.4. Mt. Apo Management Plan – EcoGov
3.5. Integrated Resource Management Plan for Maasim and Glan, Sarangani Province – EcoGov

4. Finalist, Development Marketplace 2008 Competition, sponsored by the World Bank

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IN CONDUCTING SURVEY…

To emphasize ISFI’s expertise and experience relevant to the conduct of surveys, the following are examples of its previous engagements:

• Two (2) Household Surveys covering five (5) barangays that are within SMI’s mining exploration areas. The specific barangays are mentioned in the Introduction part of this proposal;
• Baseline Studies in 69 coastal barangays (8 municipalities) in the Davao Gulf Area for the Fisheries Resource Management Program (FRMP) of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), funded by the Asian Development Bank-Japan Bank for International Cooperation;
• Training Needs Assessment (TNA) for Micro and Small Entrepreneurs and DTI Staff of Sultan Kudarat, under the Craft Village Enterprise Development Program implemented by the Department of Trade and Industry and funded by the Canadian International Development Agency;
• Monitoring and Evaluation of the Saug Watershed Sub-Project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the municipalities of New Corella, Nabunturan and Montevista in Davao del Norte and Compostela provinces;
• Training Needs Assessment of Community-based Organizations in nine (9) municipalities and 131 Barangays in Misamis Occidental, funded by the Philippine-Australia Local Sustainability Program (PALS-USAID)
• Assessment of the effectiveness of Entre-farm training programs conducted in 36 barangays assisted by the Upland Development Programme, an EU funded programme. This engagement led to another partnership with EU-UDP through 2 more Projects: Assessment of Organizational Capacity and Feasibility of Proposed Expanded Production and Marketing of Abaca and Coffee in Barangay Datudanwata, Malita, Davao del Sur and Assessment of the Effectivity of In-house Trainings for UDP assisted communities in Davao Oriental.