In the face of declining resources, national extension services need to review their priorities and modes of delivery. A policy framework that provides the national extension service and other actors with strategic direction can help to ensure that resources are targeted to where they are needed most in line with client needs and national priorities; that extension staff receive the appropriate training to carry out their duties; and that scarce resources are used more effectively through partnerships with NGOs and the private sector and use of information and communication technologies where appropriate. Monitoring and evaluating performance based on stakeholder feedback is also crucial to ensuring that extension staff skills remain up to date and relevant to client needs.
Developing a policy is a combination of technical, strategical, and political processes. It not only includes finding the right contents based on previous policy analysis and evidence from the field, but also finding the right level on which these contents shall be treated in a particular policy to have the greatest impact. In order to ensure compliance and right impact, the development of a policy must include complex and long participatory consulting processes with various stakeholders from all levels.
Developing a Policy Framework for Extension Systems
Author: Secretariat of the Pacific Community , 2011
Type: Manuals and guidelines (how-to)
Type: Manuals and guidelines (how-to)
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Policy Development Processes
Type of Document: Brief