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“The New Extensionist”: Roles and Capacities to Strengthen Extension

Dr Kristin DavisExecutive Secretary, GFRAS

“Towards Enabling Policies for the New Extensionist”

East Africa Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Policy Dialogue

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

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What IS the “New” Extensionist?Global view of extension clearly articulating and reinventing its expanded role within agricultural innovation systems.

View goes beyond strengthening individual skills to look at organisations and systems and their capacities.

Extension include actors from public, private, civil society who support rural dwellers in many ways.

Organizing Principle: Innovation Systems

Ethiopian Example

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Extension Agent Services

Traditional

Community

Institutions

Researchers

Private Financial Services

Farmers

Private traders

Private Processors

State-owned Input Suppliers

Cooperatives

and Unions

Private Input Supplier

Private Exporters

NGOs

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Why the New Extensionist? Increase clarity on important role of

extension in enabling agricultural innovation

Advocate for strengthening extension, especially developing new capacities at different levels so extension contributes better to agricultural development

© 2003 Anna Temu/IFPRI

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How was the New Extensionist Produced? Literature review Position paper drafted Expert review from different

sectors Online survey based on 2-page

summary Electronic discussion Paper & e-discussion report

discussed at GCARD-II* Prioritization of

recommendations (in 2013)*Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development

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Position Paper Content Agricultural innovation systems

viewpoint Examines new roles, capacities,

strategies for extension Recommendations to strengthen

capacity at individual, organizational, system level

Recommendations for actions by actors at national, regional, global level

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Wide Range of Roles for Extension

Extension collectively performs wide range of roles

developing networks organizing producers facilitating access to credit input & output services convening innovation platforms facilitating knowledge management promoting gender equality supporting adaptation to climate change disseminating new knowledge through

training & demonstrations

Levels of Capacity

Enabling Environ

ment

Individual

Adapted from FAO (2010)

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General Capacities Needed

System

• Alliance building

• Networking

Organizational

• Partnering

• Learning & adaptation

Individual

• Technical skills

• Functional skills

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Individual Level Capacities

Technical FunctionalCommunity mobilizationFacilitationLeadershipCritical thinkingCoachingNetworking

TechnologiesPractices Intellectual property rightsICTs

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Organizational Capacities

In the areas of Strategic management

functions Structures Relationships Processes, systems,

procedures Incentives/rewards Human & financial

resources Knowledge & info resources Infrastructure

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Recommendations for Action to Strengthen EAS

12 recommendations at national level

5 recommendations at regional level

8 recommendations at global level

Includes actors who can implement these recommendations

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Prioritization: Pretoria, 2013

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Top Prioritized ActionsAction* Issue Region

N2 Survey EAS providers, analyze models, conduct research

Africa, South Asia, Pacific, Latin America

N6 Support establishment of regional networks & synergize

Asia, Pacific, Latin America, Caribbean

N11 Develop curricula for vocational & continuing education & skill up-gradation; regular curricula revision

Africa, North Africa, South Asia, Asia, Latin America, Caribbean

R3 Develop policy briefs & position papers to influence policy process

Asia, Pacific, Latin America, Caribbean

*N = National level ; R = Regional level

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Pretoria Outcomes Major focus on N10/N11

(education & training) Call for research on extension &

promotion of extension science Need to contextualize

recommendations to various regions

Use New Extensionist for advocacy

Consortium on Extension Education and Training formed

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Consortium Work

Promoting concept with AIAEE* Content analysis of existing

curricula Directory of extension training

providers Promoting professionalization Brief on core competencies Develop MOOCs? Proposal New extensionist learning kit *Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education

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Learning Kit and Core Competencies – Modules (1)1. Introduction to the New

Extensionist2. Adult learning and behavioral

change3. Agricultural entrepreneurship4. Communication for innovation5. Facilitation for development6. Value chain extension

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Learning Kit and Core Competencies – Modules (2)7. Extension paradigms, methods,

approaches, and tools8. Extension program management9. Professional ethics10. Community mobilization11. Farmer institutional development12. Gender and youth issues in

agricultural extension and rural development

13. Dealing with change

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Thanks! For More Information: http://

www.g-fras.org/en/activities/the-new-extensionist

https://www.aiaee.org/index.php/professional-development

http://www.g-fras.org/en/knowledge/extension-training-directory.html