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.

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.

ໃນຂະນະທີ່ໄດ້ມີການປຶກສາຫາລືກັນຢ່າງຫຼວງຫຼາຍຢູ່ໃນຊຸມປີທີ່ຜ່ານ ມາກ່ຽວກັບການເສີມສ້າງວຽກງານສົ່ງເສີມ ແລະ ສະໜັບສະໜູນການບໍ ລິການໃຫ້ຄໍາປຶກສາດ້ານກະສິກຳໃນຊຸມຊົນເຂດຊົນນະບົດໃຫ້ເຂັ້ມແຂງ ຂຶ້ນ ແຕ່ຄວາມຮູ້ກ່ຽວກັບວິທີການສ້າງຂີດຄວາມສາມາດທີ່ຈໍາເປັນໃນ ການບໍລິການໃຫ້ຄໍາປຶກສາດ້ານກະສິກໍາ (EAS) ແມ່ນຍັງມີໜ້ອຍ.ເຊັ່ນ ດຽວກັນກັບບົດບາດຂອງການສົ່ງເສີມ ແລະ ການບໍລິການໃຫ້ຄໍາປຶກສາ ດ້ານກະສິກໍາຢູ່ໃນລະບົບການປະດິດສິ່ງໃໝ່ໆທາງດ້ານກະສິກໍາ (AIS). ທີ່ຍັງບໍ່ເປັນທີ່ຮູ້ຈັກຢ່າງກ້ວາງຂວາງເທື່ອ. ເອກະສານສະບັບນີ້ມີເປົ້າ ໝາຍເພື່ອເພີ່ມເຕີມໃສ່ຊ່ອງຫວ່າງຂອງຄວາມຮູ້ດັ່ງກ່າວດ້ວຍການສ້າງ ວິໃສທັດອັນໃໝ່ສໍາລັບການບໍລິການໃຫ້ຄໍາປຶກສາດ້ານກະສິກໍາ (EAS) ຢູ່ໃນລະບົບການປະດິດສິ່ງໃໝ່ໆທາງດ້ານກະສິກໍາ (AIS), ທີ່ພວກເຮົາ ເອີ້ນວ່າ “ນັກສົ່ງເສີມຍຸກໃໝ່” ເຊິ່ງບໍ່ໄດ້ໝາຍເຖິງບົດບາດ ແລະ ຂີດ ຄວາມສາມາດຂອງບຸກຄົນໃດໜຶ່ງເທົ່ານັ້ນ ແຕ່ໝາຍເຖິງບົດບາດ ແລະ ຂີດຄວາມສາມາດຂອງທັງອົງການຈັດຕັ້ງ ແລະ ຂອງລະບົບທັງໝົດ. ເອກະສານສະບັບນີ້ ຈຶ່ງເວົ້າເຖິງແນວທາງຕ່າງໆເພື່ອພັດທະນາຂີດ ຄວາມສາມາດທີ່ຈໍາເປັນເພື່ອເຮັດໃຫ້ວິໃສທັດດັ່ງກ່າວສາມາດດໍາເນີນ ການໄດ້ຢູ່ທຸກລະດັບ. 

This document on Good Practices in Extension Research and Evaluation is developed as a hands on reference manual to help young researchers, research students, and field extension functionaries in choosing the right research methods for conducting quality research and evaluation in extension.

This brief summarises the results and recommendations of a scoping study that examined the current levels of professionalism in the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) regional networks. The aim was to provide evidence that would guide the future activities and tools offered by GFRAS as well as to promote inter-regional learning and information exchange.

Businesses and other institutions around the world are increasingly using the term ‘professionalism’ to describe their level of service provision. While some professions, for example medicine and engineering, have been well known and recognised through standard qualifications for many years, others – such as rural advisory services (RAS) – have only recently begun to aspire to a high level of professionalism.

In 2016, the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) commissioned a scoping study to examine the current levels of professionalism in its 11 regional networks. The aim was to provide evidence that would guide the activities and tools offered by GFRAS as well as to promote inter-regional learning and information exchange with a specific focus on training, talent and career development, performance incentives, certification and registration, mentoring and standards.

The Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) seeks to strengthen rural advisory services (RAS) by providing a platform for learning and exchange for stakeholders in agricultural innovation systems. GFRAS provides advocacy and evidence on the relevance and contributions of RAS to achieving sustainable development, and particularly to ending poverty and hunger. This is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, reflected specifically in SDGs 1 and 2.

While much has been written about the importance of mainstreaming gender in agricultural value chains (and the challenges inherent in doing so), relatively few studies have provided details on cases in which gender integration 1 has been successful. This study, therefore, presents a collection of experiences in which rural advisory services (RAS) were able to successfully mainstream gender into agricultural value chains, categorised in terms of “best-fit practices”. While the examples presented here cannot be precisely replicated in other contexts, they provide general guidance for organisations that implement programming related to agricultural value chains.

Le présentGuide a été élaboré par le Forum mondial pour le conseil rural (GFRAS). Il vise à aider ceux qui participent à l’évaluation de la vulgarisation à déterminer comment effectuer des évaluations plus détaillées, rigoureuses, crédible setutiles . Le Guide aide les lecteurs à comprendre les différents types d’évaluation afin de décider de ce qui est le mieux adapté à leur situation et à accéder à d’autres sources d’informations théoriques et pratiques . Le Guide est destiné principalement à quatre groupes de parties prenantes de l’évaluation :

• Ceux qui commandent et gèrent les évaluations
• Les évaluateurs professionnels et le personnel chargé de surveiller les systèmes
• Les professionnels participant à la format ion et à l’éducation des évaluateurs
• Les chercheurs explorant les moyens de coordonner leurs efforts avec les initiatives d’évaluation

Most farms worldwide are family farms and they produce about 80 percent of the word’s food in value terms. The majority of family farms are smallholdings that face many challenges, but their contribution to sustainable intensification of agriculture and to poverty eradication is crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

This document has been developed based on many consultations (workshops, e-discussions, interviews, expert contributions) and literature reviews by FAO and GFRAS. It describes briefly the diversity of family farms, as well as the roles played by rural advisory services (RAS) in enhancing these farms. Constraints on RAS’ ability to respond to the diverse needs and demands of family farms and to provide relevant good quality advice in an efficient, effective and sustainable way are outlined. Experiences and solutions are then presented for addressing these limitations. Finally, conclusions and key messages are formulated for policy and action for tailoring RAS to family farms.

უკანასკნელ პერიოდში აქტიურად განიხილება სოფლად ექსტენციისა და საკონსულტაციო მომსახურების გაძლიერება, მაგრამ ამისათვის საჭირო შესაძლებლობების განვითარებაზე ბევრი რამ ცნობილი არაა. ასევე ბევრი არ არის ცნობილი ექსტენციისა და საკონსულტაციო მომსახურების (EAS)  როლზე აგრარულ ინოვაციურ სისტემებში (AIS)  მოცემული დოკუმენტის მიზანია აღნიშნული პრობლემური საკითხების შესახებ ცოდნის გაღრმავება აგრარულ ინოვაციებთან დაკავშირებული ახლებური ხედვის ჩამოყალიბების საშუალებით ექსტენციისა და საკონსულტაციო მომსახურების მიმართ, რასაც ჩვენ დავარქვით „ახალი ექსტენციონისტი“.