TSSD is promoting the extension of stronger rural financial services to resource-poor smallholder farmers through Group Revolving Funds (GRFs) and enabling better access to support services and technical and market information on improved livelihood practices. Capacity building for the Livelihood Improvement Groups (LIGs) will be mostly outsourced, with firms/NGOs or individual (including farmer) with specialized expertise being potential service providers. Funding for the required training service comes from the Community Development Fund (CDF) which is provided to each commune as a block grant.

The Commune Council is responsible for effective management of the CDF to respond to the needs of LIGs in the commune. To that end, the project has developed appropriate guidelines and provided training on supervision of delivery of outsourced training for LIGs to the commune staff and supporting district teams. During July 2014, four provincial training were organized with a participation of around 600 persons (150 females) who are C/S chiefs, Commune Extension Workers, district staff (district authority and agriculture office).

In order to improve access to technical and market information for farmers, the TSSD Commune Extension Workers are equipped with mobile ICT device (i.e. tablet) with pre-loaded content for key agricultural technologies and other useful contents (in printed and audio-visual formats) and mobile internet. Each Commune Council is being provided with basic ICT equipment (laptop, printer and USB modem) and solar panels for the commune offices without access to electricity. This will allow internet access in the commune offices to enable effective information flow in response to farmers needs and for improved communication for commune administration