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Book (stand-alone)Indicator framework for national extension and advisory service systems
Metrics for performance and outcome measurement
2022Also available in:
No results found.Extension and advisory services (EAS) play a key role in facilitating innovation for sustainable agricultural development. To strengthen this role, appropriate investment and conducive policies are needed in EAS, guided by evidence. It is therefore essential to examine EAS characteristics and performance in the context of modern, pluralistic and increasingly digital EAS systems. In response to this need, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed guidelines and instruments for the systematic assessment of national EAS systems. The Indicator Framework provides overarching guidance on EAS systems assessment, including a list of 40 indicators (10 core and 30 complementary) which cover all major aspects of EAS from inputs to impact. This Indicator Framework provides much needed structure to EAS assessment, taking into account contemporary, pluralistic services and is complemented by FAO’s instruments for participatory data collection in EAS, including quantitative and qualitative data. -
Book (stand-alone)The Extension and Advisory Service Systems Yardstick (EAS-Y)
A scoring tool to generate evidence on performance and outcomes
2022Also available in:
No results found.Extension and advisory services (EAS) play a key role in facilitating innovation processes, empowering marginalized groups through capacity development, and linking farmers with markets. Advisory services are increasingly provided by a range of actors and funded from diverse sources. With the broadened scope of EAS and the growing complexity of the system, the quantitative performance indicators used in the past (e.g. related to investment, staffing or productivity) are not adequate anymore to understand whether the system is well-functioning. To enable evidence based and informed policy and investment decision for extension and advisory systems, the EAS-Yardstick (EAS-Y) has been developed through a consultative expert process. It constitutes a holistic scoring tool based on a comprehensive set of metrics that can capture all the nuances of the pluralistic EAS. Metrics are organized into two modules, related to EAS performance and to EAS outcomes, each subdivided into key EAS topics. These cover elements of the EAS enabling environment, scope and provision of services, and coordination, collaboration and learning in the system. At the outcome level, topics include the acquisition of skills, changes in behaviours and livelihood transformations. All metrics are operationalized through a scoring mechanism. EAS-Y is digitally enabled through the Kobo toolbox and is used for participatory assessments in various contexts. Assessments can support a systematic crosscountry analysis, complementing findings from more specific impact evaluations of EAS interventions or in-depth process evaluations. As such, it contributes to substantially enhance EAS system performance and outcomes by guiding investment and policy decisions. -
Book (stand-alone)Advancing rural advisory services in Arab countries to promote market orientation and inclusive transformation
A regional study
2023Also available in:
No results found.Small-scale family farmers are the backbone of rural communities in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. Despite their extensive participation in the agricultural sector, these types of farmers and their farms are disproportionately affected by poverty, ultimately constituting about 70 percent of the poorliving in the region. Apart from adverse agroclimatic conditions, smallscale farmers experience several challenges that stem from their limited assets, land fragmentation and weak capacities, with negative impacts on their productivity, profitability and income. Specific constraints include low volume and quality of produce, high transaction costs, high costs of inputs, low prices and weak access to market information and postharvest facilities – all of which adds up to a limited ability to reach and compete in markets. Small-scale farmers need services that enable them to make informed decisions and facilitate their access to quality inputs, post-harvest facilities and more profitable markets. They also need to reinforce their capacities to act collectively and develop effective organizations that can articulate their demands, amplify their voice, and facilitate their access to services and markets. As a result of persisting gender-based social norms, women typically face more challenges than men in terms of owning assets, accessing quality inputs and services, reaching markets and achieving fair prices.
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