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“.

Résumé

Bien que l’appui apporté aux communautés rurales en matière de renforcement de la vulgarisation et de conseil, ait fait l’objet de nombreux débats ces dernières années, l’on sait peu de choses sur la façon de renforcer les capacités nécessaires dans les services de vulgarisation et de conseil (SVC), et sur le rôle que ces services jouent dans le système d’innovation agricole (SIA). Le présent document vise à combler ce déficit de connaissances en articulant une nouvelle vision pour les SVC dans le SIA, que nous appelons le « Nouveau Conseiller Agricole », tout en reconnaissant que ceci ne concerne pas seulement les rôles et les capacités individuels mais également les rôles et les capacités aux niveaux organisationnel et des systèmes. Le présent document examine les moyens de développer les capacités nécessaires pour l’opérationnalisation de cette vision à ces différents niveaux.

Bien que l’appui apporté aux communautés rurales en matière de renforcement de la vulgarisation et de conseil, ait fait l’objet de nombreux débats ces dernières années, l’on sait peu de choses sur la façon de renforcer les capacités nécessaires dans les services de vulgarisation et de conseil (SVC), et sur le rôle que ces services jouent dans le système d’innovation agricole (SIA). Le présent document vise à combler ce déficit de connaissances en articulant une nouvelle vision pour les SVC dans le SIA, que nous appelons le « Nouveau Conseiller Agricole », tout en reconnaissant que ceci ne concerne pas seulement les rôles et les capacités individuels mais également les rôles et les capacités aux niveaux organisationnel et des systèmes. Le présent document examine les moyens de développer les capacités nécessaires pour l’opérationnalisation de cette vision à ces différents niveaux.

For agricultural extension and advisory services (AEAS), social media presents a huge scope not just to communicate to the farmers  better and with efficiency, but also to act as innovation brokers in Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS). And not just for the organizations, social media has made it easier for farmers to communicate with extension professionals, experts and peers in real  time. And with this increased potential to share views and ideas and easy access to information, discretion  becomes important for organizations to maintain professionalism in a new social world.

Since the introduction of social media, communication is becoming more and more dynamic every day. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter have 1.18 billion and 316 million active monthly users as of 2015. Communication has become more virtual than physical. More and more people – young and old alike – are fascinated by the social media and it is a trend that is not going down very soon. For a long period in the future, social media is going to shape the way people interact, share information, form opinions and also lead individual and collective actions. In a world where social media etiquettes are probably more important than table manners, ignoring it is not something that the development sector can afford to do. Especially for agricultural extension and advisory services (AEAS), whose primary element is communication, social media can be a potential goldmine. The GFRAS global survey on use of social media in agricultural extension and advisory services conducted online across 60 countries and 226 respondents provides interesting results. 

Os Serviços de Extensão e Consultivos (EAS na sigla inglesa, Extension and Advisory Services)1 desempenham um papel importante no desenvolvimento da agricultura para segurança alimentar e da nutrição, soberania alimentar e estabilidade económica. No entanto, muitos serviços consultivos requerem novas capacidades para abordarem os atuais desafios que a agricultura enfrenta, a fim de contribuir melhor para a inovação agrícola – um processo que exige interações e o fluxo de conhecimentos entre uma vasta gama de atores no sistema de inovação agrícola (AIS na sigla inglesa, Agricultural Innovation System)2. Nos últimos anos, verificou-se que o cenário da extensão se tornou mais pluralista, com uma participação crescente do setor privado (insumos agrícolas, agronegócio, serviços financeiros), das organizações não-governamentais (internacionais e locais), grupos de produtores, cooperativas e associações, consultores (independentes e os ligados a associações de agronegócio e/ou de produtores) e serviços baseados nas tecnologias da informação e comunicação (TIC). Esse pluralismo, porém, não é bem compreendido por planeadores, decisores políticos, investigadores e até mesmo pelos consultores dos serviços de extensão.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), working in collaboration with the University of Illinois (UIUC), FAO, and the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), developed the Worldwide Extension Study database as part of the assessment of the status of agricultural extension and advisory services worldwide between 2009-2013.  Also collaborating were the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Danish Agricultural Advisory Services (DAAS), and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD).  The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported the work. This report briefly outlines the status of public extension in these countries by region and sub-region. Much more detailed information, data, web links, and secondary documents on most countries can be found at http://www.g-fras.org/en/world-wide-extension-study.html.