The workshop included targeted presentations to familiarize participants with important concepts such as ways to calculate the cost benefit measures (Net Present Value, cost benefit analysis ratio, Internal Rate of Return). Hands-on activities where participants applied models to their respective research projects quantified whether a technology would be profitable, and if so, how long it would take to see peak adoption.

  
Dr. Samia Akroush, NCARE Jordan, and Dr. Boubaker Dhehibi, ICARDA Jordan present tools to assess the profitability of improved interventions in the management of natural resources.

The workshop, organized in Collaboration with The National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE) in Jordan, included targeted presentations to familiarize participants with important concepts such as ways to calculate the cost benefit measures (Net Present Value, cost benefit analysis ratio, Internal Rate of Return). Hands-on activities where participants applied models to their respective research projects quantified whether a technology would be profitable, and if so, how long it would take to see peak adoption.

13 researchers representing the bio-physical and socio-economic teams of the partnering National Agricultural Research and Extension Services (NARES) in six countries attended the workshop.

Participants were trained in the Adoption and Diffusion Outcome Prediction Tool (ADOPT) software that was developed by CSIRO of Australia. This tool offers researchers a set survey to analyze the likelihood of a rural technology being adopted beyond the life of a development project.

Group Photo.

Dr. Samia Akroush, Director of Socioeconomic Studies Directorate at (NCARE) in Jordan, presented an introduction to cost benefit analysis and pricing project costs and benefits among several important topics related to economics of natural resource management. The workshop was attended by 13 researchers representing the bio-physical and socio-economic teams of the partnering National Agricultural Research and Extension Services (NARES) of Egypt, Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and Jordan. Participants from Syria and Tunisia were not able to attend the meeting due to technical difficulties that delayed their travel plans. Two participants from the University of Florida also attended the workshop.