The third ASEAN Climate Leadership Program (ACLP III) convened 27 climate leaders from eight Southeast Asian countries for its fifth module. The session aimed to deepen their understanding of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and equip them to implement inclusive climate actions within their institutions and communities.
As implementer of ACLP III, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) provided the technical and knowledge management support that ensured a seamless, interactive learning experience for all participants.
Conducted online on 21-22 May 2025, Module 5 delved into leadership development using Theory U's "Prototyping" and "Institutionalizing" stages alongside the user-focused methodology of Design Thinking.
Dr. Andre de Wit, Dean, Amsterdam Leadership Academy, opened the two-day session with a lecture introducing participants to Design Thinking. His presentation detailed its core principles empathy, ideation, prototyping, and iterative testing—, and explained how the method intersects with and diverges from Theory U. He clarified that while both approaches value deep listening and collaborative action, Theory U incorporates an inner reflective component, "presencing," which is absent from Design Thinking's outwardly user-focused lens.
Dr. De Wit emphasized empathy as the cornerstone of human-centered innovation, calling for emotional immersion rather than mere observation into the realities of those impacted by change.
"It's not about watching from a distance, but about feeling with the people you are designing for," he said.
Practicing Design Thinking
Participants put theory into practice through empathy exercises, interviewing stakeholders, and capturing nuanced insights. These insights formed the basis of the "Define" phase, where participants synthesized data to frame specific, actionable problem statements.
In the "Ideation" phase, participants engaged in subgroup brainstorming to maximize creativity and broaden the pool of innovative solutions. This free flow of ideas was then moved into the "Prototyping" stage, where participants sketched and shared initial designs of solutions. Dr. De Wit urged participants to "build fast, fail fast, learn fast"—a principle that encourages continuous iteration over perfection.
Finally, in the "Testing" phase, participants integrated feedback mechanisms into their Personal Change Projects (PCPs), aiming to ground solutions in stakeholders' lived experiences. Dr. De Wit stressed that testing should occur in real contexts, allowing solutions to evolve based on real-world insights.
Formulating national climate action plans
The theoretical foundation laid by Design Thinking was grounded in real-world examples from national adaptation strategies. On the second day, the first session featured Dr. Mercedita A. Sombilla, SEARCA Center Director and former Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Agriculture. She shared the Philippines' experience in developing its National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). She also emphasized the role of data-driven tools like climate dashboards in forecasting risks and guiding local interventions.
Dr. Sombilla stressed that effective adaptation is rooted in community-level action, supported by robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems.
"Our success lies in aligning national plans with international agreements and in valuing indigenous knowledge and grassroots innovation," she noted.
In Session 2, Dr. Nur Masripatin, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia, detailed the multi-step, multi-stakeholder process of formulating Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Highlighting Indonesia's experience, she outlined the technical, political, and diplomatic dimensions of developing climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. From drafting and negotiating to presidential endorsement and UN submission, the NDC journey exemplifies national resolve and international accountability.
Dr. Masripatin also noted the importance of inclusivity, ensuring voices from gender, youth, and vulnerable groups are integrated into the policymaking process, and emphasized the continuous nature of NDC updates to reflect evolving climate priorities.
In Session 3, Mr. Janek Toepper, Lead Technical Officer of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, expanded the dialogue to the broader Asia-Pacific region. He spotlighted the growing, but still insufficient, ambition in regional NDCs. He shared that only about one-third of global NDCs include adequate costing, afigure drops to just one-quarter in the Asia-Pacific.
He introduced Climate-Smart Agriculture Investment Plans as practical tools to bridge this finance gap. These plans map NDC priorities to potential funding from public, private, domestic, or international sources. He emphasized that transparent monitoring and robust data systems are crucial to drive real progress and accountability in NDC implementation.
By integrating conceptual frameworks with policy insights and innovation tools, ACLP III's Module 5 offered the participants a holistic experience. They were not only equipped with methodologies to generate user-centered solutions but were also inspired by real-world policy applications of CSA and climate governance.
As ACLP III enters its final phase, participants are set to prototype and institutionalize their project plans, transitioning their insights from design to tangible delivery. Module 5 reinforced the program's core vision: that transformational leadership and inclusive innovation are essential to achieving resilient and climate-smart futures across the region.
The ACLP III is a collaborative effort jointly organized by the ASEAN-EU-German Climate Action Programme (CAP) and Promotion of Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains in ASEAN (ASEAN AgriTrade II). Funding is provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the European Union (EU), with implementation by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The program works closely with the ASEAN Secretariat's Food, Agriculture, and Forestry Division (FAFD) and Environment Division (ED).