Managing Agricultural Directorates & Extension Services
Overview
Agricultural directorates support farmers, protect resources and help secure food supplies, often with limited staff and equipment. This course strengthens the management of agricultural directorates and extension services: planning, field operations, farmer outreach, data and coordination with partners.
Who should attend
Directors and staff of agricultural directorates, extension officers, agricultural planners, and project staff.
Training methodology
Interactive presentations, regional and international public sector experiences, case studies, group work on participants' own institutions, practical exercises, and an action plan for each participant's entity.
Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Organise agricultural directorates for effective service
- Plan and manage extension programmes
- Use modern methods to reach farmers
- Collect and use agricultural data
- Coordinate with partners, cooperatives and donors
Course outline
Day 1Role of Agricultural Directorates
- Mandates and services
- Challenges in the sector
- Organisation and staffing
- Performance indicators
- Self-assessment
Day 2Extension Services
- Extension approaches
- Farmer field schools
- Demonstration plots
- Women farmers
- Programme design exercise
Day 3Field Operations
- Planning field visits
- Plant protection and veterinary campaigns
- Input distribution
- Logistics and vehicles
- Case study
Day 4Data and Digital Tools
- Agricultural statistics
- Crop and land surveys
- Mobile tools for extension
- Early warning for pests
- Data exercise
Day 5Partnerships and Planning
- Working with cooperatives
- Donor-funded programmes
- Annual work plans
- Monitoring results
- Directorate action plan
