GFRAS Impact Stories
GFRAS is launching a survey in order to generate some snapshots of the positive effects and impacts that itself, its regional networks, and the country fora had on policies, organisations, and individuals over the past years.
At the end of this exercise, we hope to be able to illustrate some of the big successes of GFRAS. But we also think that the overall impact is very much the result of all the little, seemingly inconspicuous changes in behaviours and actions of people from all over the world directly or indirectly involved in extension. We are therefore equally interested in hearing your more subtle, implicit and less straightforward everyday-life stories that showcase the effects and impacts of GFRAS and its regional networks and country fora. So please make sure you think of those stories, too, when you are filling in the survey. Those willing to contribute to this survey can find the link here.
AESA: The First Six Years
The Agricultural Extension in South Asia (AESA) Network was formed in 2013 to meet the demand for a network of all those interested in extension and advisory services (EAS) in the region. Sustained efforts in the last six years have contributed to the development and promotion of new knowledge on extension research and practices, as well as influenced policies on EAS in the region. There is scope to accomplish a lot more to enhance EAS’s contribution to transforming agriculture in South Asia.
In March 2019, the Network completed its first six years of activities. With that, they prepared a special publication to mark the occasion, celebrate the past, and look ahead to the future. We look forward to your guidance and support to strengthen AESA so that it can make significant contributions to enhancing the capacity of extension and advisory services in South Asia. This publication can be accessed here:
2019 GFRAS Annual Meeting
Save the date! The 10th GFRAS Annual Meeting, whose topic is "Role of RAS in Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management" will take place in Jamaica between 30 September and 4 October, and registration for the event will open soon, at the end of April. The concept note will also be available then. Side Events are planned to take place on September 30th, the main meeting between October 1-3, and a General Assembly on October 4th.
New FAO Gender and Rural Advisory Services Assessment Tool
The GRAST is designed to support providers of rural advisory services in their efforts to develop gender-sensitive programmes. By supporting the gender assessment of rural advisory services at policy, organizational and individual levels, the GRAST promotes a transformative approach to improve the gender responsiveness of the design and delivery of advisory services. Its ultimate objective is to ensure that rural advisory services respond to the needs and priorities of both rural women and men and that, as a consequence, they can equitably access and benefit from these services. The tool has been validated in four countries, in Bangladesh Ethiopia, India and Peru.
The document can be accessed here.
What Works in Rural Advisory Services?
There is plenty of information available in the public domain that covers various aspects of rural advisory services (RAS; in many countries also referred to as ‘extension’). However, this information is often scattered, presented in complex academic language, and not readily accessible. RAS managers and practitioners, who often have very limited time and may have only basic formal education, find it difficult to make use of this information. Another weakness of the available literature is that much of it is written up as success stories, lacking balanced information about an extension method’s weaknesses and under what circumstances it may or may not be effective.
The Global Good Practices (GGP) Initiative of the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) aims to bridge the existing knowledge gap regarding what works in RAS by looking at experiences of existing good practices and evidence at a global level to create a set of concise briefs – Global Good Practice Notes. These provide guidance to extension managers and practitioners on how to select and apply approaches in their specific situation.
