In this engaging conversation, Dr Nii Tackie discusses an innovative project he isimplementing with his colleagues Drs Henry Findlay and Prosper Doamekpor that

aims to address and remedy ineffective leadership skills in rural counties

What is your background and where do your research interests lie?

My background is in applied economics and public policy. My research interests span community and economic development – including leadership development – agricultural policy, agricultural fi nance, agricultural marketing, agribusiness management, small farm issues and consumer issues.

Rural counties are faced with distinct challenges that may require strengthened leadership development. Could you outline these challenges and explain how your programme is addressing them?

A lack of leadership and economic development skills means that it is very challenging for citizens to climb the social and economic ladder. For example, in one of the targeted counties in our project, the residents voted an entire city council out of offi ce due to ineffective leadership skills and a marked lack of measurable progress. In response to these challenges, our project is providing extension personnel and citizens with training that enables them to develop effective leadership skills, as well as strategic planning and grant writing skills, which will give them the acumen to address the challenges in their various communities.

How might better leadership advance economic progression in rural regions?

It will produce better leaders to move their communities forward and citizens who are more informed about issues in their communities. It will also increase the number of individuals willing to run for elected offi ce and generate a greater involvement in decision making and civic engagement activities. Finally, it will result in enhanced skills for policy

advocacy for improved community services and improved decisions based on valid needs.

How will you increase the capacity of the Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension Program’s personnel?

Personnel are being trained in participatory leadership development training approaches. This is accomplished through a series of workshops, specially designed for them to acquire the necessary skills. The project directors serve as the main trainers for the personnel and, where necessary, outside trainers are brought in to teach specifi c topics. Several different methods and approaches are taken into account, including adult learning principles, participatory workshops, group dynamics, role play and assessments. In addition, at the end of the training, the newly trained personnel will be provided with a curriculum or manual to enable them to train community residents.

Who are you working with to achieve your goals?

I am working closely with my colleagues, Drs Henry Findlay and Prosper Doamekpor. I am also collaborating with extension agents and specialists, as well as experts in other subject matters, personnel from community-based organisations, community residents and a range of other stakeholders.

You have created three Leadership Development Institutes for extension personnel and professionals. What success have you witnessed in these institutes so far?

We have witnessed high participation rates and positive feedback. Encouragingly, our tests showed that the knowledge, skills and abilities of participants in regard to leadership improved after the training sessions.

What role-play exercises do you conduct during the programme’s community workshops?

The role-play exercises vary; they depend on the particular topic under discussion. We usually have between two to four volunteers who act out the topic or an aspect of the topic being discussed. For instance, during the leadership workshop, we examine different leadership styles by using four volunteers. One volunteer acts as the boss while the others act as the subordinates and they play out various roles. For example, the boss is given different roles with different qualities – autocratic, democratic, etc. – and then this is discussed.

Could you highlight some of the results and outcomes of the programme?

So far we have made 308 contacts – 180 extension personnel and 128 community residents. From both the extension personnel and community residents, there has been positive feedback, with pre- and post-tests in the different workshops clearly demonstrating that the participants took the new information on board. In addition, the participants in Epes, Alabama, wanted the workshops to be offered in other parts of the county.

Where will you be focusing your outreach and research efforts in the near future?

The following events are planned for the future: the Leadership for Economic Development Workshop Series; follow-up sessions on workshops that have been conducted previously; a County Leadership Series for elected, appointed and emerging leaders; a Volunteer Summit for those interested in volunteerism; and, fi nally, research in the area of leadership and community development.

Community collaborations

DR PROSPER K DOAMEKPORDR HENRY J FINDLAYDR NII TACKIE

DR

NII

TACK

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32 INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION

Leadership progressionA group of researchers based at Tuskegee University in Alabama, USA, are running a community-based project that facilitates and furthers the development of robust leadership in deprived rural counties

THE RURAL COMMUNITIES in the Black Belt Counties (BBCs) of Alabama are the poorest in the state and in the US at large. These communities have a number of characteristics in common: for instance, there is a high concentration of poor black people and of female-headed households, as well as low income levels, high unemployment rates, high rates of infant mortality and a disproportionate number of health problems. A number of past leadership training programmes have tried, and largely failed, to address these challenges. Their poor success rates seem to be linked to the fact that they have not focused on the concept of value-added leadership, which seeks to empower the citizens themselves. In light of this, training that promotes effective leadership, which in turn enhances citizen participation in the community as a whole, is of paramount importance.

Dr Nii Tackie, Professor and Economic Specialist at Tuskegee University – a historically black university in Alabama – has expertise in applied economics. Over the past 15 years, he has conducted extensive research in this area. Importantly, he has implemented practical training sessions in community, economic and leadership development, as well as agricultural and policy development in rural contexts. Working in collaboration with his colleagues Drs Henry Findlay and Prosper Doamekpor, Tackie is currently the Project Director of a pioneering initiative entitled ‘Value-added leadership for strengthening extension personnel and citizens’. The researchers have set up leadership development training programmes in 12 BBCs in Alabama in order to hone the practical leadership skills of extension personnel, elected and appointed officials, citizens who have displayed leadership potential and, finally, of various volunteers. So far, 308 individuals – 180 extension personnel and 128 rural community residents – have participated in these workshops on value-added leadership.

DEVELOPING LEADERS

Three Leadership Institutes aimed at extension personnel were held between May 2013 and April 2014. Some 34 individuals attended the first Institute, which dealt with a range of leadership qualities over the course of two days. The sessions were varied and included examining core values that shape leaders, analysing leadership traits and skills in successful leaders, understanding personal leadership and ethics, discerning the dynamics of leadership, mastering organisational effectiveness, managing conflict and implementing strategies for effective problem solving. Importantly, two tests were conducted – one before and one after the session – in order to measure the extent of the knowledge, skills and abilities obtained by participants during the training. Promisingly, the results of the second test were much better, strongly suggesting that the sessions had a positive impact on the participants’ leadership knowledge, skills and abilities.

The second Leadership Institute delivered training in the following areas: strategic planning, building partnerships and collaborations, strategic recruiting and targeting, developing resources, integrating relevant research and understanding grantsmanship. 51 extension personnel took part and, once again, the outcomes were encouraging: a Likert-scale evaluation was conducted at the end of each day, in which 86 per cent of participants responded positively (‘strongly agree’ and ‘agree’) to the statements made about the two training days. Finally, the third Leadership Institute – which focused on civil rights, leadership accountability, extension team projects and impact writing and making impact through leadership – was delivered to a total of 95 individuals and again received positive feedback.

A COMMUNITY FOCUS

The team has also set up workshops to train community residents and elected and appointed leaders. To date, these workshops have mainly

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DR NII TACKIE

VALUE-ADDED LEADERSHIP FOR STRENGTHENING EXTENSION PERSONNEL AND CITIZENS

OBJECTIVES

The goal of the project is to deliver leadership development training to citizens in 12 Alabama Black Belt Counties, including community leaders and volunteers. The project is expected to improve the overall leadership skills of the targeted audiences and help spur economic development and better quality of life for citizens.

KEY COLLABORATORS

Dr Arturo S Menefee, Auburn University, Alabama Cooperative Extension System

FUNDING

Funding for the project is provided by the US Development of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture

CONTACT

Dr Nii TackieProject Director

110 Henderson HallGWCAES, Tuskegee UniversityAlabama 36088USA

T +1 334 727 8813E ntackie@mytu.tuskegee.edu

DR NII TACKIE is Professor and Economic Specialist at Tuskegee University and has taught applied economics for over 15 years. He has also conducted workshops and training sessions in community and economic development, leadership development, and various aspects of agricultural and policy development in rural counties for over 15 years.

DR HENRY J FINDLAY is currently Director of the Continuing Education Program, Tuskegee University. He conducts training in teaching and learning, leadership development, strategic planning and assessment/evaluation at the national and international levels, including countries in Eastern and Central Europe and in the African countries of Tanzania and Senegal.

DR PROSPER K DOAMEKPOR is agricultural and extension specialist with over 15 years’ experience in rural development, extension programming, designing and implementing intervention programmes in agricultural and rural development. Over the years, he has assisted with human capacity strengthening programmes aimed at maintaining sustainable livelihoods among underserved and vulnerable populations.

focused on leadership training that advances economic development. The sessions, which have been designed to encourage participant interaction through role-play and discussion-based exercises, include training in areas such as fundamental leadership qualities, strategic planning and grant writing.

The community workshop sessions were held in Clayton, Barbour County, and Epes, Sumter County, between July 2013 and April 2014. In Clayton, 73 individuals participated in the workshops while 55 individuals attended the workshops in Epes. The difference between the pre- and post-test results in Clayton were signifi cant, once more providing compelling evidence that the participants’ leadership knowledge and skills improved as a result of the training. In Epes, participants rated the training sessions highly – at least 50 per cent gave a very positive rating – and expressed that they would like the workshops to be repeated in other areas of the county.

DEMONSTRABLE IMPACTS

The project has already delivered some important outcomes. For example, the range of workshops conducted so far have exposed 308 individuals to important information that has allowed them to advance their leadership knowledge and skills. Furthermore, the researchers anticipate that in the medium-term, 75 per cent of the 308 individuals will actively use the knowledge they acquired in the sessions. Additionally, following a grant writing workshop in Epes, three participants put together their own mini grant proposals for US $750 each to fund various youth projects planned to

take place during the summer of 2014. The fi rst project, ‘G.I.R.L.S. Youth Entrepreneurial Workshop’, will offer training to at least seven young females aged between 13 and 19 who want to set up their own babysitting business. The workshop will include sessions on managing personal fi nances, marketing services and volunteerism. The second project, ‘Youth Entrepreneurial Workshop’, is also aimed at youths aged 13 to 19 and will teach them how to develop feasible business plans. Finally, the third project is a one-day workshop that will train 16 youths aged between 13 and 19 how to develop practical, vocational and business skills in the context of farming.

Looking ahead, the team is confi dent that its workshop training will result in long-term benefi ts, bringing positive and tangible changes to deprived rural communities. It has been estimated that 185 of the 308 participants (60 per cent) will permanently change their behaviour as a result of the information they acquired in the workshops. It expects that the extension specialists, agents and other fi eld staff who participated in the training will be better placed to deliver curriculum-based materials to target audiences. Additionally, it envisages that improved skills in policy advocacy will result in enhanced community services and increased community involvement in decision making and civic engagement activities. Based on these predicted outcomes, the ultimate hope is that a new generation of effective leaders will enable rural communities to develop and progress, empowering citizens to respond effectively to the challenges that confront them.

PROJECT GOALS

1

To increase the capacity of Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension

personnel to effectively deliver leadership development

training programmes

2 To enhance the leadership skills

of community stakeholders, including emerging leaders and appointed and elected offi cials

3 To promote leadership and volunteerism as a means of advancing the communities

34 INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION

INTELLIGENCE