DAP 2015 Agriculture – Irrigation and Water Resources Management for Agriculture

Desired Applicant Profile – Irrigation and Water Resources Management for Agriculture
Target group	You are a national of an eligible country. You are a mid- to senior-level professional working in an agriculture policy, practice, research or reform role. You are currently employed in an agriculture institution, ministry, non-governmental organisation or private company. You have a clear vision of how you will use the knowledge gained through the Short Course to improve agricultural policy, practice, research or reform in your home country.
Eligibility	You must meet the age restriction requirements of your country. You must meet the work experience requirements of your country. You must be willing to make a formal commitment to return to your current employment following completion of the Short Course. As this course will be delivered in English, an appropriate level of language proficiency is required, such that Awardees will be able to participate fully and benefit from the course. You must meet the general minimum eligibility criteria outlined below. Female candidates and people with a disability are encouraged to apply.
Support service options	Special needs assistance as deemed appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
General eligibility criteria for Africa Fellowship applicants
To be eligible for an Africa Fellowship, applicants must:	have citizenship of and currently be living in the country of your nationality; not be married to/or be a de facto of, or engaged to be married to a person who holds or is eligible to hold Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent resident status; satisfy any specific criteria established by the applicant’s country and/or government of citizenship; satisfy all requirements of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) for a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) student visa; satisfy any specific admission requirements of the institution at which the short course is to be undertaken; and hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

Applicants must inform the Australian Government of any connection or relationship to staff employed by the Australian Government or with the managing contractor at the time of application.

Course details
The course will seek to provide participants with skills and knowledge relating to: Designing and managing small-scale irrigation and water harvesting projects Integration watershed management and planning Political and organisational challenges to developing and managing water resource management Understanding current soil and water conservation and conservation agriculture best practice approaches such as: Enhancing soil water retention and availability, as well as soil fertility Small-scale mechanisation and tillage equipment: zero tillage Micro-dosing Residue retention Weed control Design principles of water harvesting systems Selecting water harvesting techniques suitable for smallholder irrigation Irrigation scheduling to match crop water requirements and soils Implementing irrigation systems best suited to small-scale farmer needs Practical water spreading and contour furrowing training Reducing evaporation losses and optimising the use of soil moisture. Broader leadership and organisational management competencies to include project management, implementing change and public speaking Addressing cross-cutting development issues (gender equity, inclusive development, ethics, transparency)