The document outlines the role and activities of the Asia-Pacific Islands Rural Advisory Services (APIRAS) in strengthening agricultural advisory services for smallholder farmers in the Asia-Pacific region. Key activities include networking, policy advocacy, capacity building, and implementing the 'new extension' approach to enhance productivity and livelihoods. The SAAS project aims to strengthen these advisory service networks through training and knowledge management, targeting various stakeholders across public, private, and civil society sectors.

1. Virginia R. Cardenas, PhD
Regional Focal Person, Global Forum for
Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS),
Focal Person, APIRAS
Regional Activities Coordinator, IFAD-Funded SAAS Project
Dean College of Public Affairs and Development
University of the Philippines Los Banos
PHILIPPINE ACADEMIC-GOVERNMENT-FARMER
-AGENCY POLICY DIALOGUE
August 3, 2017
UP Diliman, Quezon City
ACADEMIC
PERSPECTIVES,
PROJECTS, NETWORKS
AND PARTNERSHIPS

2. APIRAS is part of a global forum
for extension and rural advisory
services

4. Active Regional Networks
• Pacific Islands Rural Advisory Services (PIRAS)
• Agricultural Extension in South Asia (AESA)
• Central Asia and Caucasus Forum for Rural
Advisory Services (CACFRAS)
• Philippine Extension and Advisory Services
Network (PhilEASNet)
• Mekong Extension Learning Alliance (MELA)
• Australasia Pacific Extension Network (APEN)

5. APIRAS Role in Strengthening
Rural Advisory Services within
Asia-Pacific Region

6. APIRAS Core Activities
•Networking (Regional KM Hub)
•Policy Advocacy (New Extension)
•Capacity Building (New
Extensionist)

7. “New Extension”
• What is new is not necessarily the
competencies needed by individuals,
• but the expanded role of Extension and
Advisory Servics
• organizational and system level capacities.
• implies changes in EAS organizations, systems,
and enabling environments,
• reskilling all types of individuals to better
contribute to increasing the productivity and
effectiveness of agricultural systems to
improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers

8. The New Extensionist
Learning Modules
1. Introduction to the New Extensionist
2. Extension Approaches and Tools
3. Agricultural Extension Program Management
4. Professional Ethics
5. Adult Learning for Behavioral Change
6. Basic Knowledge Management and Extension
7. Introduction to Facilitation for Development
8. Community Mobilization
9. Farmer Organisations (FO)
10. The Role of Extension in Value Chains
11. Agricultural Entrepreneurship
12. Gender in Extension and Advisory Services
13. Risk Management and Adaptation in Extension and Advisory Services (EAS)

9. Saas project
Supporting Smallholder
Farmers in Asia and
Pacific Islands Region
Through Strengthened
Agricultural Advisory
Services

10. Country Host Organization Overseeing Subregional Network
BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Agricultural
Extension Network Agricultural Extension in South Asia
FIJI
Secretariat of the Pacific
Community
Pacific Islands Rural Advisory
Services
PHILIPPINES DA-Agricultural Training Institute
Asia-Pacifc Islands Rural Advisory
Services Network*
*
Participating Countries

11. “The SAAS Project will strengthen regional and
subregional AAS networks to enable AAS providers
and networks to respond to the demands, and to
assess and strengthen existing models, innovations,
policies, and practices in the provision of AAS.”

12. Objectives
• Strengthen individual and organizational capacities
of AAS stakeholders in target countries at regional
and sub-regional level, which will directly benefit
poor farmers, indigenous communities, and
producers’ organizations
• Facilitate the availability and accessibility of
appropriate and up-to-date knowledge and
evidence of innovative advisory services from a
range of sources in the Asia-Pacific Region and
worldwide

13. Target Stakeholders
• Regional and sub-regional AAS service providers
from public, private, and civil society sectors
• Farmer/producers’ organizations as providers and
clientele of AAS
• Public/private/civil society extension and AAS
organizations in the project countries

14. Target Stakeholders
• Higher education institutions providing education
and research in AAS though KM
• Local and national government units and policy
makers
• IFAD Country Programs

15. Project Activities
• CAPACITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
• Situational analysis of AAS in the countries, introduction
and discussion of country fora approach
• Capacity needs assessments of APIRAS,AESA, PIRAS
• Learning events, trainings, peer-to-peer coaching

16. Project Activities
• KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
• Development of knowledge management strategy for
the Asia-Pacific Region
• Elaboration and publication of good practices
• Region-wide AAS event

17. Project Activities
• POLICY ENGAGEMENTS
• Participation in and holding of policy dialogues in
national, subregional, and regional levels
• Publication of policy briefs

18. Thank You!

19. For more information:
apirasnet2017@gmail.com
www.apiras.org
FB & Twitter:
@APIRASNetwork