Extension agents critical to the success of any extension program, and one of weakest yet most critical resources to strengthen extension is staff members. Field agents have little knowledge/experience in extension education and need competence in planning, delivery, evaluation, communication, teaching methods. Purpose: Agriculture colleges personnel determine ways to incorporate extension education into the master’s curricula Objectives: 1. Investigate the potential for extension education programs 2. Identify skills/competencies needed by agriculture graduates 3. Propose an extension education program model

1. Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services
Developing Extension Pre-
Service Training Programs for
Sub-Saharan Countries
R. Kirby Barrick
University of Florida
Qureish Noordin
AGRA, Kenya
Joe A. Kwarteng,
University of Cape Coast, Ghana
Agricultural Extension and
Food Security Conference
Center for African Studies
Columbus, Ohio
October 20-21, 2014

2. Need
• Extension agents critical to the success of any extension
program (Oakley & Garforth, Easter)
• One of weakest yet most critical resources to strengthen
extension is staff members (Swanson & Rajalahti)
• Field agents have little knowledge/experience in extension
education (Cho; Mutimba & Bekele; Andovor, Estrada-Valle & Yin)
• Field agents need competence in planning, delivery,
evaluation, communication, teaching methods (Raad, Yoder &
Diamond; Rigyal & Wongsamum)
• Professional development based on well-intentioned
competencies (Mulder)

3. Purpose and Objectives
Purpose:
Agriculture colleges personnel determine ways to incorporate
extension education into the master’s curricula
Objectives:
• Investigate the potential for extension education programs
• Identify skills/competencies needed by agriculture graduates
• Propose an extension education program model

4. What We Did
• Partnership between Modernizing Extension and Advisory
Services (MEAS) and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
(AGRA)
• Designed workshop Preparing Agriculture Science Graduates for
Extension
• Faculty and administrators from six universities in sub-Saharan
Africa plus graduate students and agencies representatives
• Workshop held at KNUST in Kumasi, Ghana; five phases over
four days

5. Results
• Phase 1 - Four major competency areas identified:
• Needs assessment
• Impact assessment
• Technical skills
• Administrative and management skills

6. Results
• Phase 2- Essential components for an extension training
program identified
• Extension program planning/development process
• Communication
• Innovative thinking
• Administration and supervision
• Groups and group dynamics
• Rural sociology
• Extension teaching methods
• Technology
• Advocacy

7. Results
• Phase 3 - Options for delivery
• One course; overview of extension education competencies
• Non-degree certificate program; include planning, delivering, and
assessing as content of three courses
• Major (degree course) in extension education

8. Results
• Phase 4 - Nine essential components from Phase 2 collapsed
into five focus areas with specific competencies
• Communication Skills and Information Technology
• Rural Sociology
• Leadership and Management
• Program Planning
• Teaching Methods

9. Results
• Phase 5 - Plan a Course and plan a Certificate Program
• Course: Extension Education and Practice
• Conduct needs assessment
• Design and implement extension program based on needs
• Manage and supervise extension programs
• Identify different socio-cultural settings
• Apply communication theories
• Network and relate with different actors/institutions
• Apply principles of adult teaching/learning

10. Results
• Phase 5 - Plan a Course and plan a Certificate Program
• Certificate in Extension (three courses)
• Program planning
• Communication skills
• Teaching methodology

11. What’s Next
• Colleges determine which alternative best fits existing
master’s programs
• MEAS and AGRA continue to support development and
enhancement of extension field agent training
• Materials shared with other institutions in the region
• Follow-up workshops to assist colleges in preparing course
syllabi and enhancing delivery of instruction

12. This presentation was given:
By R. Kirby Barrick, University of Florida,
on behalf of MEAS project
Agricultural Extension and Food Security Conference
October 20-21, 2014
Ohio State University
Columbus, OH

13. Terms of Use:
© R. Kirby Barrick and MEAS project. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Users are free:
• to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work
• to Remix — to adapt the work
Under the following conditions:
• Attribution — Users must attribute the work to the author(s)/institution
(but not in any way that suggests that the authors/ institution endorse the user or the
user’s use of the work).

14. Disclaimer:
This presentation was made possible by the generous support of
the American people through the United States Agency for
International Development, USAID. The contents are the
responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the
views of USAID or the United States Government.
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