session 6.3 taking tree based ecosystem approaches to scale
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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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