McNamara, P - 5 Key Dimensions of Extension Policy Presentation given at the GFRAS side event on Rural Extension Policy, Manila 2012_09_25. More info at http://www.meas-extension.org/meas-offers/best-practice/policy

1. Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services
Five Key Dimensions of Extension
Policy Based on MEAS Activities in
Developing Countries
Dr. Paul E. McNamara
Side Event on Extension Policy
GFRAS Annual Meeting
Associate Professor,
Manila, Philippines Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
September 25, 2012
Project Director, Modernizing Extension and Advisory
Services Project (MEAS); and, Extension Specialist,
University of Illinois Extension

2. 1. Implementation
Pressman and Wildavsky:
“Implementation actually establishes
policy”
• Key point = Without implementation
the policy is simply a hollow statement
• Simplicity and directness are great
virtues for implementation

3. 2. Process
Does the process reflect the policy?
• If we say that farmer-led extension is the
objective, are farmers engaged significantly
in the policy development process?
• Market oriented? Are any private sector
dealers and firms involved in the process?
• Pluralistic? Are a mix of providers involved?

4. 3. Broaden the Base of Support
• Does extension have support beyond the people
who are paid to deliver the programs (staff,
iNGOs, NGOs, paid advisors, etc.)?
• Do other government ministries care whether or
not the program exists?
• Do farmers/clients value the services?
• Example of nutrition coalitions
(e.g., Thailand and others)
• Key role of national level forums

5. 4. Link Between Budget and Performance
Broken link between budgeting and performance
• Often farmers and farmer groups have very little
input into extension programming
• Often hires and placements are made centrally
or by District level leaders
• Farmers report not seeing an extension agent
after the project has ended
• Little transparency on flow of funds
• Lack of link discourages active field staff

6. 5. Resources and Quality
• How public programs are supported depends in
part on how well they are delivered
• Is program quality emphasized in the policy?
• Assertion: “The quality of spending to agriculture
is more important than the overall level of
spending.” Akroyd and Smith, 2007, “Review of
Public Spending to Agriculture,” p. 20

7. Conclusions
• Starting with the end in mind helps shape
the policy development process and the
policy
• Implementation
• Groups engaged in the process
• Developing the policy takes real resources of
time, effort, and funds
• What is hoped to be gained?

8. This presentation was given by:
Dr. Paul E. McNamara
Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Project Director, Modernizing
Extension and Advisory Services Project (MEAS); and, Extension Specialist,
University of Illinois Extension.
on behalf of MEAS
at the a side event on Extension Policy at the GFRAS Annual Meeting
Manila, Philippines
on September 25, 2012

9. Terms of Use:
© Paul McNamara, 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).

10. 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 author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
views of USAID or the United States Government.
www.meas-extension.org