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4. 5. Zambia: Assisting small farmers through maize production campaign*
4.5.1. Staff development
4.5.2. Applying SEC for extension programme planning
4.5.3 Project evaluation
* This section is based heavily on the Terminal Report of project ZAM/88/021, Rome: FAO/United Nations, 1993
During 1990-1992, Strategic Extension Campaign (SEC) activities on maize production were undertaken in Zambia by an FAO/UNDP project ZAM/88/021 "Strengthening Agricultural Extension Services of the Department of Agriculture, Southern Province". The project which was operational from June 1989 to December 1992 provided technical support in improving agricultural extension methods and services in order to contribute to the development of agricultural sector in Zambia's New Economic Recovery Programme. With a budget of US$ 1.2 million (for 3.5 years), the project's target beneficiaries were 80,000 small farm families in the Southern Province of Zambia. One of the major project activities was the planning and implementation of the Strategic Extension Campaign (SEC) on Maize Production, including training of the Dept. of Agriculture staff in SEC methods and techniques.
Provincial and District Crop Husbandry Specialists of the Department of Agriculture in Southern Province were given training on effective methodology of field inquiry and reconnaissance surveys, with a view to identify farmers' main problems and constraints and consequently to provide solution, through development of area specific problem-solving oriented agronomic, livestock, post-harvest losses practices and messages. The instrument for the farmers' KAP (Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice)/baseline survey on maize production was completed in November 1990.
Extension personnel were trained in KAP survey implementation techniques in February 1991, and they conducted the KAP/baseline survey on maize production through personal interviews and focus group interviews with farmers from March to July 1991.
The findings from the KAP/baseline survey were analyzed and utilized in Strategic Extension Campaign (SEC) workshops in October and November 1991 and again in February and September 1992. These workshops aimed at planning and developing a campaign strategy and designing prototype messages and multi-media materials based on the identified problems for the SEC on Maize Production in Southern Province. Additional aims of the workshop were: to provide extension workers with a theoretical and practical understanding and conceptual framework of strategic planning and management; to demonstrate how to formulate objectives and strategies for extension programme planning, including problem identification, objective formulation, strategy development and audience segmentation; to impart skills and techniques on multi-media campaign planning, strategy development, message design, and pretesting of prototype multi-media materials.
At least eight provincial and district Crop Husbandry Specialists, 55 Block Supervisors, 48 Subject-Matter Specialists, and 202 Camp Officers, were trained on various SEC activities in Southern Province. A wide-variety of multi-media materials covering 17 different types of messages were developed, pretested, and reproduced in large quantities in 1991. The Maize Production campaign was conducted in 1991-1992, and later in-mid 1992 new campaign topics, such as livestock (i.e., cattle), sorghum, sunflower and post-harvest practices were also introduced.
4.5.2. Applying SEC for extension programme planning
Using SEC principles and concepts, the project developed a strategic extension programme cycle, focusing on the development of problem-oriented, area-specific agronomic, livestock, and post-harvest practices. The approach appears to be highly suitable for rain-fed, drought-prone, smallholder problems at hand, as it emphasizes a "bottom-up" approach to extension strategy, programme planning, and message development rather than a "top-down" approach determined by external research and development trends. The project also concentrated more on strategic extension programme development and in-service training using experiential learning principles as applied during SEC workshops. Extension staff's improved competency was evidenced in their closer and more effective relationship with small farmers. SEC field-based activities had served as an important and valuable function to stimulate extension workers' interests in new ideas and innovative approaches in working with farmers.
One of the results of the SEC activities that has important implications on future extension programme planning was that due to the information and education demand-creation effects of campaign messages, farmers are requesting for more frequent and specific extension and training services from extension workers. Once stimulated or made aware of the campaign issues or messages through multi-media channels or materials, farmers in Southern Province sought addition information from neighbours, friends, extension workers, and/or progressive farmers in the area. Farmers and other interested groups had approached agricultural camps, blocks, district and provincial offices requesting for more copies of extension support materials and more messages to be developed. Fortunately, there were enough copies of the campaign media materials in local languages and their distribution was also timely. The experience of the project has been that the demand from farmers and extension workers for more extension and training activities was greater than expected, as a result of the campaign activities.
An in-depth evaluation of ZAM/88/021 project was carried out in March 1992. The independent evaluation mission led by UNDP found that the project has been successful in its implementation. The project was highly commended for the strategic extension campaign (SEC) methodologies used, high implementation rate (average 98 percent), monitoring and evaluation activities, and over-all technical and operational soundness. In its conclusion the evaluation mission highly recommended that the project be expanded and donor funding continued into the second phase.
Excerpt from the Report of the Evaluation Mission project ZAM/88/021 by W.M. Rivera, A.M. Bannaga, and J. Phiri, New York: UNDP, 1992 "The evaluation mission found that the project adopted and advanced a program development rather than a top-down technology delivery approach to extension, utilizing a 'strategic extension campaign' system developed by the FAO. This approach emphasizes the development of problem-oriented, area-specific agronomic, livestock, and...post harvest practices. The team found this approach highly suitable for the rain-fed, drought-prone, smallholder problems at hand, as it emphasizes a so-called "bottom-up approach to extension message formulation... The mission team was favorably impressed by the project strategy and its methodology, including its management systems for training, monitoring, and evaluation." "The
project's utilization of KAP (Knowledge, Attitude,
Practice) baseline surveys indicates that such surveys
are imperative for the development of a bottom-up
extension strategy and crucial in identifying problems
that are both relevant to extension and can be tackled by
extension staff. Household studies are not sufficient for
developing extension strategies, although they may be
useful. Extension program leaders need to know first what
local farmers know about farming and what their attitudes
and practices are with respect to their farming systems. |
The last Tri-Partite Review meeting (i.e., Government of Zambia, UNDP, and FAO) held in October 1992 gave a sound assessment of the project. The Government of Zambia regarded the ZAM/88/021 project as "one of the best agricultural extension projects, if not the best in Zambia so far". UNDP regarded the project as "an uplifting and successful technical cooperation project".
During UNDP's "Putting People in Centre of Development" meeting held in Lusaka on 18th, August 1992, the ZAM/88/021 project was selected as the best project among all UNDP funded, and also among the projects implemented by various UN agencies and non-government organizations (e.g. Africa 2000 Network) in Zambia. Project 2AM/88/021 was considered to have made relevant impact and offered an excellent programme in human resources development. Hence, its programme and achievements were recommended to UNDP Headquarters to appear in the UNDP 1993 Human Development Report publication which is widely circulated.
Planning Strategic Extension Campaign in Zambia |
Developing Multi-Media Campaign Messages and Materials in Zambia |
Field Extension and Training Activities during a Strategic Extension Campaign on Maize Production in Zambia |
4.6. Applying SEC in population education through agriculture extension programmes
4.6.1. PEDAEX results
4.6.2. Future directions for PEDAEX replications
4.6.3. Lessons learned from PEDAEX activities
Basic concepts and principles of Strategic Extension Campaign (SEC) had also been used and adapted in the efforts to integrate population issues/concerns into the agricultural extension activities in several FAO member countries. With funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), FAO/ESHE executed and operated an inter-regional project INT/88/P28 "Strategic Integration of Population Education into the Agricultural Extension Services (PEDAEX)". This PEDAEX project with a total budget of US$ 1.25 million was in operation from September 1986 to December 1991. Its main objective was to develop strategies, methodologies, and conduct pilot activities to integrate systematically population education into national agricultural extension services in selected countries.
