The fifth module of the ASEAN Climate Leadership Program III (ACLP III) reconvened 27 Southeast Asian climate leaders from eight ASEAN countries to deepen their understanding of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and how to apply inclusive climate actions within their institutions and communities.
Module 5, conducted online on 21-22 May 2025, explored leadership development using Theory U, particularly its “Prototyping” and “Institutionalising” stages, alongside the practical and user-focused methodology of Design Thinking.
The two-day session opened with a lecture by Dr Andre De Wit, Dean of the Amsterdam Leadership Academy. He introduced participants to the concept of Design Thinking. His presentation explained its core principles, detailing how the method, characterised by empathy, ideation, prototyping, and iterative testing, intersects and diverges from Theory U. He clarified that while both approaches value deep listening and collaborative action, Theory U adds an inner reflective component, called “presencing,” which is absent from design thinking’s outwardly user-focused lens.
Dr De Wit emphasised empathy as the cornerstone of human-centered innovation. It calls for emotional immersion, not just 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 design thinking into practice by engaging in exercises, conducting interviews with stakeholders, and capturing nuanced insights. These insights formed the basis of the “Define” phase, where participants synthesised data to frame specific, actionable problem statements.
In the “Ideation” phase, participants were invited to engage actively in subgroup brainstorming to maximise creativity and broaden the pool of innovative solutions. This free flow of ideas was then channeled into the “Prototyping” stage, where participants sketched and shared initial designs of solutions. Dr De Witt urged participants to “build fast, fail fast, learn fast”—a principle that encourages continuous iteration rather than perfection. Finally, in the “Testing” phase, participants integrated feedback mechanisms into their Personal Change Projects (PCPs), aiming to ground their solutions in the lived experiences of their stakeholders. Dr De Wit emphasised 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 of the module, 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 emphasised the role of data-driven tools, such as 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 policy-making process, and emphasised 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, and in the Asia-Pacific region, the figure drops to just one-quarter. He introduced Climate-Smart Agriculture Investment Plans as practical tools to bridge this financial gap. These plans map NDC priorities to potential funding from public, private, domestic, or international sources. He emphasised 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 provided participants with a holistic experience. They were not only equipped with methodologies to generate user-centred solutions but were also inspired by real-world policy applications of CSA and climate governance.
As ACLP III moves into its final stages, participants will now prototype and institutionalise their project plans by moving from reflection to action and from design to delivery. Module 5 reaffirmed the program’s core vision: that transformational leadership and inclusive innovation are essential to achieving resilient and climate-smart futures in the region.
Photo: SEARCA
The ACLP III is jointly organised by the ASEAN-EU-German Climate Action Programme (CAP) and Promotion of Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains in ASEAN (ASEAN AgriTrade II), with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the European Union (EU), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The program is coordinated with the ASEAN Secretariat, specifically the Food, Agriculture, and Forestry Division (FAFD) and the Environment Division (ED). The SEAMEO Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) provides technical and knowledge management support.
