WORLD CONGRESS ON AGROFORESTRY 201410-14 FEBRUARY 2014, DELHI, INDIATrees for Life: Accelerating the Impact of Agroforestry

Session 6.3: The science of scaling up and the trajectory beyond subsistence

A framework for assessing the effectiveness of rural advisory service (RAS) approaches

Steven FranzelWorld Agroforestry Centre

Outline

• Agroforestry and rural advisory services (RAS)

• Conceptual framework for RAS

• Framework for assessing RAS approaches

• Assessment criteria

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Agroforestry and rural advisory services (RAS)Innovative and low-cost RAS approaches are especially important for agroforestry because • Agroforestry RAS is complex, that is it – Involves more than one component (trees/crops/livestock)– Is knowledge-intensive, involves new skills (e.g., nurseries, pruning, harvesting) – long-term, periodic training

• Agroforestry extension is neglected, neither agricultural nor forestry policy and extension pay it much attention

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Conceptual Framework for Rural Advisory Services

Innovation system

Market Demand

Policy support

Enabling environ-

ment

Farmers and farming systems

Improved productivity

Improved livelihoods

Germplasm and other

inputs

Skill development

Knowledge and

information

How can RAS approaches

such as volunteer

farmer trainers facilitate this

process?

Adapted from Degrande and Birner

Framework for Assessing Rural Advisory Service Approaches

Not a question of best practice but Best FitResearch question: Which RAS approach fits best for which target group, under which circumstances and for which AF practice?Which RAS approach to use will vary according to – Which farmers you are targeting, eg some more appropriate

for women than others– Which circumstances (agro-ecological zone) you are in, e.g,

some more suited to higher population density areas than for low density areas

– Which AF practice you are promoting, eg, some more suited to knowledge intensive practices and others to simpler practices

– The objective of the approach: to sensitize? To train? Both?

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Framework for Assessing an Extension ApproachFour dimensions

Extension objectives - to sensitize - to train

Clients, eg - Poor - Women

Circumstances - Biophysical - Socioeconomic

AF practices Degree of complexity f (period, skills required, components))

Framework for Assessing Extension ApproachesFour dimensions

Extension approaches - to sensitize - to train

Clients, eg - Poor - Women

Circumstances - Biophysical - Socioeconomic

AF practices Degree of complexity f (period, skills required, components))

Women trainers as effective as men (reaching 20 farmers/mo)

Trainers more effective in high population density areas

Trainers most effective on simpler practices

Criteria for Assessing Effectiveness of RAS Approaches

The degree to which they 1. facilitate the flow of information, innovation and

materials (e.g., seed) among farmers leading to improved livelihoods

2. benefit marginalized groups: women, youth and the poor 3. are cost-effective; high benefits relative to costs4. are sustainable, can be managed by communities5. Are compatable with other RAS approaches 6. strengthen local capacities to access information and

solve problems7. are accountable to their clients

1. Does approach facilitate the flow of information, innovation and materials (e.g., seed) leading to improved livelihoods?

• There is a long chain to monitor from farmer trainer to improved livelihoods:

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FarmerTrainer

Trained farmer

Farmer tests

Farmer adopts

Incomes increase

Impr. live-

lihoods

• Surveys at particular stages, eg did farmer trainers train? Did Trainees plant? Did they adopt?

• Randomized controlled trial to assess impact of volunteer farmer trainers

2. Does approach benefit marginalized groups: women, youth and the poor?

• Note that women can benefit in two ways from farmer to farmer extension– Women are empowered as farmer trainers– Approach reaches more women

• In the East African Dairy Development Project, Kenya,

– <10% of extension staff are

women while

– 38% of 1,400 farmer trainers

are women.

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4. Is it sustainable, can approach be managed by communities after end of a project?

• In western Kenya, Volunteer farmer trainers were actively training farmers even several years after project support ended, (Lukuyu et al, 2012).

• The main factor here: Community based organization (local village councils) to manage the approach

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7. Is approach accountable to its clients?

• Community members have role in – Selecting the farmer

trainer– Deciding on the content

of the extension program

– Monitoring and evaluation

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The next step in assessing RAS approaches….

• Instead of starting with an RAS approach and assessing its effectiveness, start with a particular target group, agro-ecological zone and potential innovations and ask:

• Which RAS approaches will be most appropriate?

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