AGRI 61 - Extension approaches (MOD 4.5)
farmers' organization approach
- Extension approach where independent, self-management, and in most cases permanent organizations are formed with the objective to propagate some kind of social or economic development for the members - organization seeks their objective by setting up social and/or economic activities, for which they sometimes hire professionals or technicians
functional group approach
- Extension approach where one of the prime targets is to form groups who join the efforts to mobilize the necessary resources to be able to achieve a shared goal - change in behavior of the participants is carried out through mobilization, organization, training, technical and resource support, and special efforts to consolidate and replicate the results
target category approach
- Extension approach which provides carefully selected information, and other support for the specific needs of deliberately chosen categories in the population based on the similarities of their needs and/or opportunities
scheme approach
- Organized and coherent combination of extension strategies and methods which aims at the reinforcement of the rules and regulations of a scheme -Communication is used to instruct and/or convince the tenants of the scheme to abide to the rules
general extension approach
- assumes that technology and knowledge that are appropriate for local people exist but are not being used by them - usually fairly centralized and government-controlled - success measures are adoption rate of recommendations and increases in national production
training and visit approach
- centralized based on a rigorously planned schedule of visits to farmers and training of agents and subject matter specialists - close links maintained between research and extension - agents are only involved in TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER - success measures: increases in the production of particular crops or commodities
project approach
- concentrates efforts on a particular location, for a specific time period, often with outside resources - purpose: often to demonstrate techniques and methods that could be extended and sustained after the project success measure: change in the short term
cost sharing approach
- cost-sharing with local people will promote a programme that is more likely to meet local situations and where extension agents are more accountable to local interests - Purpose: to provide advice and information to facilitate farmers' self-improvement. - Success measure: willingness to pay
extension approach
- encompasses the philosophy and style of action which informs, stimulates, and guides the extension system, its nature/ type of structure, leadership, programs, resources and linkages - the dominant guide and style of an extension system or organization to achieve the system's goals and objectives most effectively - an organized or coherent combination of strategies and methods to make rural extension more effective
commodity approach
- facilitates the production of one specific crop (commodity) - extension content is limited to technical and administrative or commercial aspects of the production of the commodity - Extension is managed by the society or board which frequently has monopolized the markets
agricultural extension participatory approach
- focused on the expressed needs of farmers' groups - goals: increased production and an improved quality of rural life - decentralized and flexible - success measures: numbers of farmers actively participating and sustainability local extension organizations
technical change approach
- most common extension approach that aims at the maximum adoption of a number of innovations - Technical information is diffused indiscriminately within the rural society - first to a small number of 'progressive farmers' in the hope that autonomous diffusion processes will multiply the impact of the intervention
educational institution approach
- uses educational institutions which have technical knowledge and some research ability to provide extension services for rural people - implementation and planning: often controlled by those who determine school curricula. - Emphasis: transfer of technical knowledge.
advantages of education institution approach
1. Can help the schools in providing real world relevant examples to their academic teaching materials (build practical into classroom) 2. Good training for scientists and field extension personnel 3. More efficient use of human resource due to borrowing personnel from educational institution , instead of maintaining AEWs as part of their own professional staff
advantages of training and visit approach
1. Government is forced to organize a number of agricultural extension units into one integrated service 2. AEWs are forced to get out of their offices and meet with farmers. 3. AEWs are more up to date with information and technology 4. Field staff receives greater technical supervision 5. Logistical support to extension staff are more available
disadvantages of education institution approach
1. Instructors as trainers of field extension staff tend to speak too academically 2. Lectures and demonstration may not be as practical and useful from a farmer's perspective 3. Competition between the LGU extension workers and extension staff of the university
advantages of cost-sharing approach
1. Local program planning increases the relevance of the program content and methods to the needs and interests of clientele 2. Higher adoption rates 3. Local influence on personnel selection, contributes to their ability to communicate effectively and win the confidence of rural people 4. Lower cost of central government
failure of previous models before participatory approach
1. Simplistic measures of success and corresponding under-estimation for institution building 2. Lack of ownership by intended beneficiaries 3. Unresponsiveness to variation in farmer needs and priorities 4. Failure to reach poor and women farmers
advantages of general extension approach
1. can interpret national government policies and procedures to rural people 2. usually covers the whole nation; relatively easy to control by central government 3. there are officers and staff in every political division, ensuring continuity of extension programs 4. when it works well, it provides for rapid communication from department level to rural people
disadvantages of agricultural extension participatory approach
1. difficult to manage 2. central reporting and accounting
governance related concerns why participatory extension
1. emergence of active civil society 2. decentralization of government authority and control 3. search for more responsive models
advantages of farming systems development approach
1. farmers can easily see the results in the application of technology in the field 2. strong linkages between extension and research personnel 3. farmers are committed to use the technologies they helped to develop
disadvantages of commodity specialized approach
1. farmers' interest may have LESS PRIORITY 2. usually difficult to handle CONFLICTS 3. fails to provide advisory services to other aspects of farming when farmers produce more commodities 4. farmers are confused with several extension workers from different agencies, with competing advice or demands 5. with narrow focus, environmental factors may be ignored
advantages of project approach
1. give QUICK results 2. novel techniques and methods can be tested and experimented
fiscal reasons why participatory approach
1. high and unsustainable public cost 2. shrinking public sector budget and resources to support extension
disadvantages of general extension approach
1. lacks two way communication 2. communication about farmers' problem, needs and interest tends not to flow up through the extension channels 3. field staff tend to be not accountable to the rural people; may ignore priorities of local people while trying to satisfy supervisors 4. expensive and inefficient since messages are inappropriate, the impact is low and cost of personnel is very high
advantages of commodity specialized approach
1. messages are appropriate as technology is "fit" the production problems 2. efficient, timely and effective delivery due to BETTER COORDINATION with research, input supply and marketing of output 3. focus on NARROW RANGE OF TECHNICAL CONCERNS, closer management and supervision, fewer farmers per AEW 4. easier to monitor, evaluate and relatively more cost effective
disadvantages of cost-sharing approach
1. more difficult for central government to control either program or personnel 2. reporting financial management, and other aspects of administrative concerns tend to be more complex and difficult
advantages of agricultural extension participatory approach
1. mutually supportive relationship develops among participants 2. increase confidence, awareness, and activity among farm people 3. greater empowerment resulting from a bottom up decision making approach
disadvantages of farming systems development approach
1. only one farmer cooperator benefits 2. the farmer cooperator cannot continue the operation after the end of the project 3. Little adoption of the technology packages due to failure in addressing farmers' socio-economic and institutional environments 4. Costs can be high, and results can be slow
disadvantages of training and visit approach
1. technology is not enough to increase production 2. often bias in favor of the rich or more powerful in selecting contact farmers 3. top-down and supply driven 4. recommendations are not prompted by farmers' expressed needs 5. high long term cost to the government 6. change from place to place and from time to time
disadvantages of project approach
1. time is too short, ends when budget ends 2. tend to consume large resources on baseline surveys and the establishment of temporary logistic base 3. Staff both local and expats tend to become the immediate beneficiaries 4. Pressure to show immediate results leading to fictitious reporting 5. Innovations introduced are quickly abandoned once external funding ceases
1. client-oriented approach 2. farm-family approach 3. demand-driven approach 4. private extension approach 5. agri-tourism approach
alternative approaches
human resource development in general
building the social capital of clients
human resource development in specific
capability building of the agriculture, fisheries and natural resources and rural sectors (technical, business, organizational)
1. general extension approach 2. commodity specialized approach 3. training and visit approach 4. agricultural extension participatory approach 5. project approach 6. farming systems development approach 7. cost-sharing approach 8. educational institution approach
enumerate the extension approaches based on Axinn (1988)
1. technology transfer 2. non-formal education 3. human resource development 4. facilitation for empowerment 5. knowledge management 6. provision of advisory services 7. poverty reduction and elimination
enumerate the extension paradigms
Collaborative Extension Programs among Extension agencies
example of Cost-sharing Approach
farmers scientists training program of uplb
example of Educational Institution Approach
Techno Gabay Program of ATI and DOST
example of Farming Systems Development Approach
farmers field school
example of agricultural extension participatory approach
Rice Extension Program of RCEP
example of commodity specialized approach
Development of Farm Business School
example of project approach
National Extension Program during the Green Revolution
example of training and visit approach
Extension Programs of the Agricultural Training Institute
examples of general extension approach
1. scheme approach 2. commodity approach 3. technical change approach 4. target category approach 5. functional group approach 6. farmers' organization approach
extension approaches based on ICRE (1991)
participatory
extension employs _______ approach
primary, secondary, university, polytechnic, ITEs
formal education
extension approach
how extension is organized
extension strategy
how extension is organized
extension paradigm
how extension is viewed
extension strategy
how to operationalize the extension approach
education at work setting
informal
commodity specialized approach
key characteristic: groups all the functions for increased production - extension, research, input supply, marketing and prices - under one administration. - fairly centralized and is oriented towards one commodity - managed and financed by COMMODITY ORGANIZATION - agent has many functions
farming systems development approach
key characteristic: systems or holistic approach at the local level - close ties with research are required and technology for local needs is developed locally through an iterative process involving local people - success measures: extent of local people adoption and continue to use technologies developed
people, processes, technology, networks
knowledge management involves efficient use of:
income inequality, processes, technology, networks
poverty reduction and elimination seeks to address:
1. strengthening capacities 2. empowering rural people 3. promoting innovations
purpose of provision of advisory services
broker of knowledge
role of advisory services in the AIS
non-formal
type of education where extension is included
extension method
what teaching or communication techniques to apply in each extension strategy