The document summarizes a symposium presentation on approaches to extension service provision by development organizations. It discusses interviews conducted with 19 organizations to identify common approaches, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. Key findings included: 1) Common approaches included farmer field schools, demonstration plots, capacity building, credit mechanisms, and engaging the private sector. Successful approaches involved participation, building trust, and reducing risk. 2) Challenges included weak local capacity, short project cycles, facilitating behavior change and adoption, and inadequate infrastructure. 3) Opportunities for improvement included greater use of ICT, participatory methods, formative research, knowledge sharing within and between organizations, and more engagement with the private sector and local

1. MEAS Symposium 2015
June 3
“Private Sector and
Development
Organizations'
Approaches to Extension
Service Provision”
Documenting Extension Approaches
of Selected Development
Organizations
Sarah Sahlaney &
Katie Hoeberling
Junior Specialists
University of California, Davis

2. What did we do and why?
Interviewed 19 development organizations of varying size and function.
Four Questions:
1) What are organizations’ EAS approaches and success factors?
2) What approaches are unique to each organization?
3) What are common challenges, and how do they overcome them?
4) Where do organizations want to improve?
Identify shared knowledge, best practices, and common
areas for improvement among EAS organizations
Extension systems are increasingly pluralistic and
organizations provide non-traditional extension and
advisory services.

3. Common Approaches
Common Approaches
• Farmer Field School and demonstration plots
• Capacity building involving lead farmers
• Credit mechanisms
• Engaging and involving private sector
Successful Approaches: Participation, building trust,
and reducing risk
• Engaging the private sector – collaboration and capacity building
• Flexibility
• Farmer-to-farmer
• Facilitating relationships

4. Challenges
• Weak local capacity
• Short project cycles
– Developing trust and relationships to help long-term success
• Behavior change: facilitating adoption, messaging
• Inadequate infrastructure

5. Opportunities for Improvement
• ICT use
• Participatory methods
• Formative research
• Knowledge sharing:
– within organizations
• Organizational approaches
• Best practices
• Gender mainstreaming
– among organizations
• Engagement of private sector
• Collaboration with local governments
• Innovative attitudes

6. Disclaimer
This presentation was made possible by the generous support of the American
people through the United States Agency for International Development, USAID. The
contents are the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
views of USAID or the United States Government.