Introduction to the New

Extensionist
Global Forum for Rural Advisory
Services (GFRAS)
Part of the New Extensionist Learning Kit
What is the New Extensionist?
 A set of core
competencies required
for extension providers
 Built on the wider
Agricultural Innovation
System (AIS)
 A shift towards
professional training and
accreditation
 Pluralistic approach
among extension
providers
Study unit 1
Rationale for the New
Extensionist
Overview

 Study unit 1 is about:

• Trends observed in the rural sector with a focus on
globalisation and the need for pluralism
• The development of the AIS to address the changing
rural context
• Types of EAS providers and their roles
Changes in rural farming/ livelihoods

Trends affecting rural agricultural development:

 Globalisation
 Marginalisation of rural communities
 Diverse socio-economic conditions
Pluralism
 Rural communities have diverse needs
 Collaboration of rural advisory service
providers
• Different methods and approaches to address specific
problems
• Divided into public/government and non-government
actors
Extension and AIS
Aimed at meeting the ever-changing needs
of rural communities
AIS framework
 Built on the agricultural knowledge and information
system (AKIS)
 Aimed at connecting actors within the agricultural
sector to promote interaction
 Focused on innovation
Implementation
Focus Capacity
Actors and their roles Identify actors and their roles
Aimed at value addition, output
marketing, social mobilisation,
institutional development, policy
advocacy, coordination, and
networking

Patterns of interaction that exist The level of connection between

between different role players actors
The identification of isolated
institutes and organisations
Methods of linking actors
Implementation
Focus Capacity
Actors and their roles How organisations operate and
considering social and infrastructure
aspects
Their readiness to link other actors
How their structuring will affect
linking with other actors

Patterns of interaction that exist Challenges and limitations

between different role players Policies available to promote linking
actors
Abilities of actors to influence
policymaking
Role of extension in AIS
 Identifies gaps in service delivery
 Facilitates the interaction between actors
 Assists in the distribution of resources
 Depends on public or private extension
provision
EAS
providers
and their
roles
Pluralism involves
identifying the roles
of all extension
providers
Private extension providers
 Farmer organisations
• Both recipients and providers of extension services. Used
to spread extension programmes among farmers by
farmers
 NGOs
• Normally focused on addressing welfare, gender equality,
and environmental stability issues
 Private companies
• Corporate organisations who also provide extension
services often through the use of outgrower schemes
Public extension providers
 Government run extension programmes
• Meant to be impartial and focused on the public good
• Normally able to assist through training programmes and
financial aid
Combined systems
Combinations of both private and public
extension systems
Study unit 2

New Extensionist capacities

Overview
 Study unit 2 is about:
• The vision, mission, and guiding principles of GFRAS
• The strategic fields and different levels of capacity
development
• How these fields relate to one another
• The core competencies to be covered in the New
Extensionist Learning Kit.
GFRAS principles
 Focused on
• Demand-drive and accountability
• Pluralism and partnership
• Harmonisation
• Subsidiarity
• Alignment
• Results
Capacity development
Capacity development levels
 The capacity development levels defined by
the FAO form part of the guiding principles
of GFRAS
 Basis for the mission and vision of GFRAS
Capacity development levels
Level
Level 1: Enabling environment
Level 2: Organisational
Level 3: Individual
Goal
Focus on strengthening the
enabling environment for pluralistic
RAS networks and actors
Create and further strengthen
regional RAS networks and forums
Develop appropriate and
comprehensive human resources in
rural advisory services
Strategic fields of action

Ensure the achievement of GFRAS’ mission and vision

based on the capacity development levels
Strategic fields of action
Field
Field 1: Advocacy and support
Field 2: Professionalisation of RAS
Field 3: Facilitation and
enhancement of effective and
continuous knowledge generation
and exchange
Goal
Increased recognition of rural
advisory services in policies and
investments
Strengthening the performance of
RAS
Enhanced learning in RAS
Core competencies
 Competency
• The ability to do something efficiently and effectively
 Core competencies outlined by the GFRAS
consortium
• Aimed at promoting professionalism in extension
 Divided into 13 modules
13 core competencies
 Module 1: Introduction to the New Extensionist
 Module 2: Extension approaches and tools
 Module 3: Agricultural extension programme management
 Module 4: Professional ethics
 Module 5: Adult learning for behavioural change
 Module 6: Basic knowledge management and extension
 Module 7: Introduction to facilitation for development
 Module 8: Communication mobilisation
 Module 9: Farmer organisational development
 Module 10: The role of extension in value chains
 Module 11: Agricultural entrepreneurship
 Module 12: Gender in extension and advisory services
 Module 13: Risk management and adaptation in extension and advisory
services
Acknowledgements
This module was made possible through the support of the
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
The contents of this module are the responsibility of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect the views of GIZ or their
government.

All work by Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services is licensed

under a CC BY-NC 3.0 Unported License.