EXTENSION

APPROACH
APPROACH METHOD TECHNIQUE

Approach
Method
Technique
 • An approach embraces the entire
spectrum of the process. It states a
Approach point of view, a philosophy, an article
of faith. Within an approach there
can be several methods
• It is a procedural consisting a series
of action arrange logically for the
Method smooth flow of operation
• It is the procedure or step by step
guiding prospective client

• It is a particular trick, strategy,

Technique individual artistry of the teachers/
extension workers
EXTENSION APPROACH
 it is an organized and coherent combination of strategies
and methods designed to make rural extension effective in a
certain area
 embodies the philosophy of a system
 Spells the doctrine of the system
 Style of the action which by and large, determines the
direction and nature/style of the various aspects of the
system (e.g. structure, leadership, program, methods,
resources and linkages)
STRATEGIES

 Strategies are approaches and method chosen or

develop to reach a particular set of goal; used to
define the operational design by means of which
the national government, or other sponsoring
organization, implements its policies
DIFFERENT EXTENSION APPROACHES (CAPT
G FET)
COMMODITY SPECIALIZED APPROACH (CSA)

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION PARTICIPATORY APPROACH

PROJECT APPROACH

TRAINING AND VISIT SYSTEM APPROACH

GENERAL AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION APPROACH

FARMING SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL APPROACH

THE COST SHARING APPROACH

 GENERAL AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
APPROACH
General Nature Transfer of Technology
Basic Technology and information are available but are not being used
Assumption by the farmers. If these could be communicated to farmers, farm
practices would be improved
Purpose To help farmers increase their production
Program • Controlled by the government
Planning •Changes in priority, from time to time, are made on a national
basis with some freedom for local adaptation
Implementation •Carried by a large field staff assigned throughout the country
•Demonstration plots are major techniques
 GENERAL AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
APPROACH
Advantages Interpret national government policies and procedures to the
local people;
covers the whole nation:
relatively rapid communication from the ministry level to rural
people
Disadvantages •Lacks two-way flow of communication
•Fails to adjust extension messages to different localities
•Field staff not accountable to rural people
•Expensive and inefficient
Measure of Increase in national production of the commodities being
Success emphasized in the national program
 COMMODITY SPECIALIZED APPROACH
General Nature •Highly specialized
•Focuses on one export crop or one aspect of farming
Basic Assumption The way to increase productivity and production of a particular
commodity is to concentrate on that one grouping extension with such
other functions as research, input supply, output marketing, credit, and
sometimes price control, will make the whole system productive.
Purpose •Increase production of a particular commodity
•Sometimes to increase utilization of a particular agricultural input
Program Planning Controlled by the commodity organization
Implementation • Carried by a large field staff assigned throughout the country
• Demonstration plots are major techniques
 COMMODITY SPECIALIZED APPROACH

Advantages •Technology tends to “fit” the production problems and so

extension messages tend to be appropriate because of
coordination with research and marketing people, messages
tend to be delivered in a timely manner
•Focus on a narrow range of technical concerns
•Higher salary incentives
•Closer management and supervision
•Fewer farmers per extension worker
•Easier to monitor and evaluate
•Relatively more cost effective
 COMMODITY SPECIALIZED APPROACH

Disadvantages • Interests of farmers may have less priority than those of

commodity organization
• Does not provide advisory service to other aspects of farming
• Commodity organization maybe promoting its commodity even
in situations where it is no longer in the national interest to be
increasing production of that particular commodity
Measure of Increase in yield, and total production of the crops being
Success emphasized
 THE PROJECT APPROACH
General Nature Fixed period of time, large funding
Basic Assumption Better results can be achieved in a particular location, during a specified time
period, with large infusion of outside resources, high impact activities, carried
out under artificial circumstances, will have some continuity after outside
financial support is no longer available
Purpose •To demonstrate, within project area, what can be accomplished on a
relatively short period of time
• To test the validity of alternative extension methods
Program Planning Controlled by outsiders, with central government, the donor agency or some
combination
Implementation Flow of good ideas from the project to areas outside the project
Includes a project management staff, project allowances for field staff, better
transportation, facilities, equipment and housing than regular government
programs
 THE PROJECT APPROACH
Advantages • Focus enables evaluation of effectiveness and sometimes “quick
results” for a foreign donor
• Novel techniques and methods can be treated and
experimented with within the limits of the project
Disadvantages • usually too short time period
• Money provided tends to be more than what is appropriate
• Double standards
• When money ends, project extension programs most often end
also
Measure of Increase in yield, and total production of the crops being
Success emphasized
 THE FARMING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
APPROACH
General Nature Interdisciplinary approach, i.e., involves several scientific disciplines
Basic Assumption Technology which fits the needs of farmers particularly the small
farmers, is not available and needs to be generated locally
Purpose To provide extension persons, and through their farm people, with
research results tailored to meet the needs and interests of local
farming systems conditions
Program Planning • Evolve slowly during the process for different climatic farm
ecosystem types since program takes into account a holistic approach
to the plants, animals, and the people in each particular location
• Control of program shared jointly by local farm men and women,
extension people, and agricultural researches
 THE FARMING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
APPROACH
Implementation • Through partnership of research and extension personnel with
the local people, taking a systems approach to the farm
• Requires research personnel to go to the farm, listen to farmers
and in collaboration with them and the extension personnel,
understand the farm as a system
Advantages • Local control of program planning increases relevance of
program content and methods to needs and interests of clientele
• Higher adoption rates
• Effective communication between local people and extension
personnel
• Lower cost to central government and local people
 THE FARMING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
APPROACH

Disadvantages • Some degree of difficulty in working in a multi disciplinary team

• No quick results in development of appropriate technology

Measure of Extent to which farm people adopt technologies developed in

Success the program and continue to use them overtime
 THE TRAINING AND VISIT APPROACH
General Nature Highly disciplined and patterned with fixed schedules for training of
extension workers, SMSs, and visits by extension workers to farmers
Basic Assumption • Extension personnel poorly trained, not up-to-date and tend not to
visit farmers, but stay in offices
• Management and supervision is not adequate
• Two-way communication between research and extension units and
between extension staff and farmers can be achieved
Purpose To induce farmers to increase production of specified crops
Program Planning • Centralized
• What to teach and when to teach it is decided upon by professionals
and is delivered down to farmers
• Program planning follows cropping pattern of priority crops
 THE TRAINING AND VISIT APPROACH
Implementation • Fortnightly training of village extension workers (VEW) by SMSs
• Fortnightly visits by village extension workers to small groups of farmers or to
individual “contact” farmers
Advantages • Pressure on governments to organize a large number of small agricultural units
into one integrated system
• Brings discipline to the system village extension workers become more up-to-
date with information
• Closer technical supervision
Disadvantages • High long-term costs to governments due to expanding size of VEWs
• Lack of actual two-way communication
• Technology relevant to farmers not integrated
• Lack of flexibility to change programs as needs and interests of farmers change
staff tires of vigorous, patterned activities without appropriate rewards
Measure of Success Increase in yield, and total production of the crops being emphasized
 THE COST SHARING APPROACH
Basic • Any non-formal education program is more likely to achieve its goals
Assumption if those who benefit from it share some part of the cost
• Program would more likely serve interest of the client if costs are
shared between “outside” sponsors and “inside” target groups
• Commitment of learners to participate if they pay some part of the
costs

Purpose To make funding of agricultural extension affordable and sustainable

both at central and local levels
Program Shared by various levels paying the cost but must be responsive to
Planning local interest in order to maintain cooperative financial arrangements
 THE COST SHARING APPROACH
Advantages • Some measure of local control of program planning increases
relevance of program content and methods to needs of client
• Higher adoption rates
• Effective communication between local people and extension worker
• Lower cost to central government and local people
• Local people tend to have strong voice in program planning

Disadvantages More difficult for central government to control either program or

personnel

Measure of Farm people’s willingness and ability to provide some share of the
Success cost, individually or through their local government units
 THE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
PARTICIPATORY APPROACH
General Nature Puts responsibility of determining agricultural extension programs in the
hands of farmers making them partners with GOs and NGOs
Basic Assumption • That farming people have much wisdom regarding food production from
their land.
• There is an IKS different from the scientific knowledge system but there
is much to be gained from the interaction of the two
• Needed is participation of farmers, research, and related services
• There is a reinforcing effect in group learning and group action
• Extension efficiency is gained by focusing on important points based on
expressed needs of farmers
Purpose To increase production of farming people; increase consumption and
enhance the quality of life or rural people
Program Planning Controlled locally, often by farmers’ association
 THE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
PARTICIPATORY APPROACH
Implementation • Features many meetings and discussions of farmers’ problems
• Exploring situations with extension officers
Advantages • Mutually supportive relationships which develop among participants
• Lesser cost
• Stimulates increased awareness, confidence, and activity among farm
people.
Disadvantages • Lack of control of program from central government
• Difficulty of managing, reporting and accounting
• Pressure people might bring on central units
• People’s influence on personnel management like transfer, selection,
promotion, etc.
Measure of Success • Continuity of local extension organizations and the benefits to the
community
• Extent of participation of key stakeholders in program planning and
implementation