The Fourth UNCRD/JICA Training Course on Project Formulation for Regional Development Focusing on Human Security for Southeast Asian Countries was organized in Nagoya from 8 July to 13 August 2008. This training course is a joint initiative conducted by UNCRD and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to improve regional development planning by integrating a human security approach. This year's training was the fourth year of the five-year project, and included two participants from Lao PDR, three from Myanmar, and three from the Philippines who are currently engaged in human security-related fields. Specific objectives of the training were: (a) to identify the area of intervention from a human security perspective; (b) to understand the skills and practical means of addressing human security concerns; (c) to develop action plans in order to integrate the concept of human security in project planning and implementation in regional development; and (d) to disseminate these activities at their relevant organizations and submit progress reports that describe the realization of their action plans.

To fulfill these objectives, the training was divided into three phases, namely, a preliminary programme, a main programme (in Japan), and a post-training programme. In the preliminary programme, the training participants were requested to prepare both brief and detailed reports on their assignment in their respective countries from a human security perspective. The participants were, at the same time, exposed to basic human security readings prior to the training course in Japan. The main training programme in Japan was further divided into participants' report presentation, lecture and discussion sessions, field visits, workshop sessions, and action plan preparation and presentation covering a wide range of human security issues including conflict management, impacts of large development projects and resettlement, sustainable livelihoods, endogenous regional development (EnRD) cases in Japan, disaster management, and others. The skills workshop also equipped the participants with basic knowledge and methodologies on planning tools such as Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA)/Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Project Cycle Management (PCM). At the end of the training course, each participant prepared an action plan. Among the themes were: training on administrative work focusing on the agriculture and forestry sector; Action Plan for "Project Formulation for Regional Development Focused on Human Security"; agriculture development for ex-poppy farmers and poor vulnerable families, promoting the rice yield of small farmers; income generation and food security for poor farmers by combining the organic farming and livestock project; rehabilitation of the Caraga Timber Corridor; strengthening the capacity of indigenous people's out-of-school youth to promote food and environmental security in conflict-affected areas of Central Mindanao, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Mindanao, the Philippines; and implementation of community-based training enterprise development (CBTED) to the five poorest municipalities of the Province of Bohol, the Philippines.

Following the training course, participants were required to submit progress reports on their action plans. In addition, they were encouraged to strive towards achieving and sustaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by implementing projects integrating the human security concept. In the training evaluation, most of the participants responded that the training had met their expectations and that they were now able to deal with human security concerns better than before receiving training. They also found the knowledge and skills obtained through the training to be useful in their jobs. The participants particularly appreciated the subjects covered such as participatory planning methods, sustainable livelihoods, and EnRD. On the other hand, mismatches were identified between their expectations and some of the lecture content or timing. JICA and UNCRD will reflect upon these comments in order to upgrade the training programme for the next fiscal year.