If you’re an agriculture extension agent (they use the acronym SAAO) in Bangladesh, the answer is an office. As part of the Agriculture Extension Support Activity, we asked SAAOs what they needed to get better at their jobs. Having a consistent, safe space to operate from is one of their biggest asks.
The project is piloting several different techniques to improve agriculture extension, so stay tuned for more as the evaluations roll in. We’re hoping to be able compare results and see what works best.
What have we accomplished?
- More effective services: 87% of farmers say that this model has improved the effectiveness of extension services. 63% of farmers say they gained new skills as a result of the approach.
- More satisfied customers: 97% of stakeholders are satisfied with the design of the centers, and 93% say this model is effectively meeting farmers' needs.
- More access for women: Farmers, especially women farmers, say they have more access to extension agents than they did before the service centers were constructed.
- Better job satisfaction: SAAOs themselves feel more respected and valued in their jobs, and report higher job satisfaction.
- Safer workplaces for women: Women SAAOs report feeling more effective at their jobs by having a safe space to work from.
- Spillover to other farmers: Non-project farmers also report having higher access to extension through the Service Centers.
How did we get there?
- Adopt Human centered design: Using questionnaires, formal surveys, and informal conversations with field officers, the project worked with stakeholders to understand their constraints in providing access to extension and in accessing extension. The project built pilots based on stakeholders' concerns to see if this solution feasibly addressed the challenges in a way that can be replicated at scale.
- Pay attention to gender: Women SAAOs stressed safety concerns as a reason to build offices. It is not considered appropriate for women to sit alone in markets or transportation hubs, which is what the SAAO structure often required, and women felt at risk of violence and harassment there.
- Use Adaptive Management: Service centers were not an original part of the project design; they were an adaptation based on listening to the needs that farmers and service providers expressed.
- Measure your results: AESA built M&E systems to compare the Service Center method to other extension models (notably mobile apps and private sector service providers) so that the DAE can make informed decisions about how to scale.
- Share your data: A key part of the project has been getting the DAE access to the project M&E system so that they have the most up-to-date information about services, and what is working for extension in their areas.
Want to learn more?
Check out the full evaluation.
Special thanks
The Agriculture Extension Support Activity is funded by USAID’s Feed the Future for $3.8 million from 2012-2017. CARE is a sub-grantee to the Dhaka Ahsania Mission