MEAS Symposium 2015

June 4

“Leading Issues in Extension and Rural Advisory Services”

Adoption, Diffusion & Scaled Impacts- Using what we know in extension

practice -Brent M. Simpson

Senior Agricultural Officer,Investment Center,

United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization

Adoption of Innovations

ADOPTION PROCESS• Awareness• Interest• Evaluation• Trial (adaptation)• Adoption

Source: Rogers, 1964

Technology Characterists

INNOVATION CHARACTERISTICS• Perceived advantage• Complexity• Riskiness• Trialability (lumpiness)• Observability

Source: Rogers, 1963

Time in reaching Scale

?

Source: Rogers, 1995

Diffusion of Innovations

Time

20%

Source: Rogers, 1964

Diffusion of Innovations

Diffusion of Innovations

The nature of scale

No change is permanent – it’s a process

Every innovation has its natural scale of utility – its

never 100% of farmers

Going Forward

• Start with good innovations• Be careful in targeting where innovations are

promoted• Be purposeful in outreach activities• Matching methods, messages and messengers

to the 5-phases of adoption• Make sure innovations are actionable• Using different methods for different

technologies• Allow farmers to tryout and make adaptations

• Understand that it will take time – set appropriate targets and timeframes, design supportive M&E systems to monitor progress, be patient

MEAS Technical Note

Simpson, B.M. 2015. Planning for Scale: Using what we know about human behavior in the diffusion of agricultural innovation and the role of agricultural extension. MEAS Technical Note. Urbana-Champaign, Ill: University of Illinois.

Disclaimer

This presentation was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development, USAID. The

contents are the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.