Regional and sub-regional networks and country fora play a crucial role in the operationalisation and implementation of GFRAS work and in strengthening and advocating for RAS within their regions. They also help make sure that GFRAS puts forward the right activities and priorities on a global level, providing sort of a reality check for GFRAS’ work from the ground. Hence, the GFRAS Strategic Framework 2016-2025 and corresponding five-year operational plan place a strong focus on strengthening the capacities of the regional and sub-regional networks and country fora. Along these lines, GFRAS has been undertaking comprehensive capacity needs assessments with many of its regional networks in 2016.

Agricultural extension is considered to be the main vehicle in transporting the valuable pieces of advises to the farming community. However, the pace of delivery can be increased by incorporating Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Extending and receiving desired information within less fraction of time has become priority and need of the hour particularly in this era of agricultural intensification. In fact, common farmers now want quick advisory services with less mobility. So, ICTs can be the appropriate solution in order to speed up the process of agricultural technology transfer. Moreover, extension services can be improved with the proper use of ICTs and help in poverty alleviation, combating food insecurity issue and exchange of agriculture innovations, reaching majority of the farmers at regional and global level. Relevant review of literature was adopted as desk research for this study. The crux of the reviewed literature revealed that the new nexus between extension and ICTs will lead to impact oriented extension and advisory services and feeding the million mouths.

En un esfuerzo por aumentar los ingresos y la resiliencia de los pequeños agricultores y sus familias en los países beneficiados por la iniciativa Feed the Future, la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID, por sus siglas en inglés) financió el proyecto de Desarrollo de Capacidades Locales de Extensión (DLEC, por sus siglas en ingles). Este proyecto es dirigido por Digital Green en asociación con el Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones sobre Políticas Alimentarias (IFPRI, por sus siglas en inglés), CARE International (CARE) y otros socios. DLEC trabaja con los actores locales privados y públicos de cada país y las misiones de USAID, así como con los gobiernos para escalar y mejorar la relevancia y rentabilidad de sistemas pluralistas de extensión agrícola, para que logren juntar las tecnologías de la información, con las organizaciones comunitarias. Al colaborar con las misiones de USAID, los gobiernos del país anfitrión, los proveedores públicos y privados de EAS, las organizaciones de la sociedad civil rural y los institutos de investigación del país anfitrión, DLEC aporta para que los sistemas de extensión sean más eficaces, responsables, escalables y sostenibles. La primera etapa del trabajo de DLEC incluye la realización de evaluaciones diagnósticas de los contextos y capacidades locales de EAS en la iniciativa Feed the Future y países alineados. Este análisis retoma la situación actual de los servicios de extensión agrícola en Honduras, los actores y sus capacidades. Los resultados del estudio se utilizarán para orientar acciones e inversiones para fortalecer el sistema EAS.

In an effort to raise incomes and increase resilience of smallholder farmers and their families in Feed the Future1 countries, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded the Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project. This project is led by Digital Green in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), CARE International (CARE) and multiple resource partners. DLEC works with country stakeholders and USAID missions to scale and improve locally relevant, cost-effective and pluralistic agricultural extension systems that bring together information technologies and community-based organizations. By collaborating with USAID missions, host-country governments, public and private EAS providers, rural civil society organizations and host-country research institutes, DLEC helps extension systems become more effective, accountable, scalable and sustainable. The first stage of DLEC’s work includes conducting diagnostic assessments of local EAS contexts and capacities in Feed the Future and aligned countries. This analysis looks at the current situation of agricultural extension services in Honduras, the actors and their capacities. The results of the study will be used to guide actions and investments to strengthen the EAS system.

This report reviews existing documentation on EAS in Bangladesh to recommend areas for potential investment by government, donors, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector, and serve as an input into the design of an on-the-ground engagement under DLEC. The evidence generated through the on-the-ground engagement will contribute to the knowledge base of best-fit practices for strengthening EAS in Bangladesh and may provide a basis for future investments in EAS in the country by various actors. The modified DLEC best-fit conceptual framework described below structures and focuses the DLEC project and this report.

Guinea’s current EAS system has been underfunded and underutilized, and the government and donors are working together to improve EAS delivery. This report, produced by Feed the Future’s Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project reviews Guinea’s EAS system to recommend areas for potential investment by government, donors, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector and will serve to guide investors in EAS. Evidence generated from this desk review will contribute to the knowledge base for best-fit practices to build up EAS in Guinea. The modified DLEC best-fit conceptual framework that appears below guides the DLEC project overall and this report.

This report is a component of DLEC’s initial diagnostic work and is a desk study of EAS in Liberia. The USAID Country Development Cooperation Strategy for Liberia 2013-2017 has Sustained Market-Driven Economic Growth as one of its Development Objectives (USAID/Liberia, n.d.). Relative to EAS, the approach to achieve this development objective encompasses support for Government of Liberia (GOL) reforms to redefine and reorganize its systems for delivering extension as well as support to enhance both public and private provision of extension (USAID/Liberia, n.d.). The purpose of this report is to provide information on the status of EAS in Liberia by building on existing literature and to make recommendations for future EAS interventions to strengthen Liberia’s EAS system that could contribute to the DLEC learning agenda. Recommendations are intended for consideration by any interested EAS stakeholder.

This report presents an in-depth analysis of the extension and advisory services (EAS) system in Nigeria. The document produces actionable recommendations for improvement of EAS using the “best-fit” framework that examines the services from a systems perspective and then analyzes the EAS system through six EAS characteristics – the governance structures and policy environment; organizational and management capacities and cultures; advisory methods; market engagement; livelihood strategies; and community engagement. The recommendations are intended for any EAS stakeholder interested to improve extension, be they federal or state governments, donors, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) or others. This report is based on a literature review on the Nigerian extension system and interviews with a variety of EAS actors during the period November 2016 - January 2017.

In today’s fast-changing world, agricultural producers need support to innovate as well as reliable sources of information, knowledge, skills and technologies along the entire value chain in farming, livestock and fish production. One of the core functions of extension and rural advisory services is to facilitate the access of farmers, their organizations and other market actors to knowledge, information and technologies/practices. To carry out these multi-faceted functions, extension professionals and their organizations need to utilize a broad range of methods and approaches. While nearly every extension and rural advisory service program and project has developed guidelines on how to use and evaluate extension methods and approaches, there is a lack of detailed information and guidance on what factors need to be considered when selecting extension/advisory methods and approaches which are most suited for which purpose and content. The inappropriate selection and use of extension methods may limit the effectiveness of service provision, resulting in diminished impact and a failure to meet clients’ needs and demands. This decision guide is intended to help extension professionals and their organizations make informed decisions about which extension method and approach to use for providing information, technologies and services to rural producers and to facilitate interactions and knowledge flow. Expected users include field-based rural advisors, extension managers and programme planners

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