Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08642
Notes:
Located in Review of Extension Studies, volumes for 1946-1956, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., Summary of research report. U.S. Federal Extension Service, Washington, D.C. Extension Service Circular 507. 42 pages., Circular contains findings from 43 research studies on the use of meetings in the Extension Service.
This paper describes the rationale for a change from conventional extension towards participatory innovation development and extension. The "Conservation Tillage Project" and the "Food Security Project" developed such an approach and have embarked on institutionalisation of this approach into the agricultural extension service in Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe. Dialogue with farmers, farmer experimentation and the strengthening ofself-organisational capacities of rural communities are the major elements to improve development and spreading of innovations, thus the efficiency of extension. The new approach requires a role change of agricultural extension workers from teacher to facilitator as well as appropriate methods and tools. Elements of "Training for Transformation" and Participatory Rural Appraisal(PRA) were tested and developed and were found to be effective tools. The strategy to institutionalise participatory extension is based on joining efforts and networking with other organisations, a campaign to familiarise institutional staff and a training and follow-up programme for staff in the framework of organisational development. The experiences show that the attitudinal change required to implement participatory approaches is highly depended on personalities. To have an impact on the change of attitudes a continuous medium-term training process with a close follow-up is required. The paper concludes that institutionalisation of participatory approaches into hierarchically structured organisations is a highly complex intervention. In order to besuccessful, major changes in planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation procedures are required. Changes of that nature require a process of at least 5 to 10 years and high commitment on the side of institutional staff on all levels and donors as well.
Agunga, Robert A. (author) and Kimball, Mary (author)
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
1997-04
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 116 Document Number: C11781
Notes:
Francis C. Byrnes Collection, Proceedings of the 13th annual conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education, Arlington, Virginia, April 3-5, 1997.
Gerken, Shirley (author), McKenna, Connie (author), and McKenna: National Leader for Program and Staff Development, Extension Services, USDA, Washington, DC; Gerken: Leadership Development Specialist, Institute of Leadership and Volunteer Development, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
1994
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C07372
Notes:
See C07353 for original, In: Donald J. Blackburn (ed.) Extension Handbook: Processes and Practices, 2nd edition, 1994. Toronto, Canada: Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc. p. 201-210
