Extension and rural advisory services (RAS) are important to help ensure a safe and resilient food systems worldwide. With growing population demands and limited resources, Extension providers play a key role in supporting farmers and communities. However, strengthening these efforts requires more than individual expertise; moving from informal to more professional recognition for Extension services is important to build both trust and perceived value. In certain international contexts Extension services are not always centrally administered or managed, leaving the potential for some Extension providers to not necessarily have the background nor expertise to provide needed services. Working with a great team of researchers we wanted to identify the critical capacities necessary for Extension networks to establish professionalization standards.
Key Findings
Capacity Building: Most identified capacities revolve around access to knowledge, resources, and technologies, emphasizing the interconnected nature of Extension networks.
Professional Milestones: Professionalization does not happen spontaneously; rather, networks must progress through structured milestones. (A great resource is Abbott (1991): https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888491018004001)
Shared Norms & Values: A shared sense of purpose across Extension networks encourages coherent communication and develops a supportive environment for practitioners.
Context Matters: The diverse experiences and perspectives of global Extension professionals underscore the importance of customizing capacity-building efforts to local conditions.
Practical Recommendations
Assess Network Maturity: Determine if the network is aligned, has the right actors engaged, and is committed to collective goals before initiating professionalization strategies.
Formalize Standards: Establish associations or committees to develop and enforce professional benchmarks, promoting consistency across contexts.
Leverage Conceptual Frameworks: Utilize established frameworks to guide professionalization efforts (e.g. knowledge management), helping to support efforts.
Use Diagnostic Tools: Use empirical instruments to evaluate network readiness, plan capacity-building activities, and facilitate common understanding among stakeholders.
Our hope with this research is to provide Extension networks a set of research findings to help guide and engage in meaningful conversations about professionalization. Using other models (law, medicine, etc.) Extension networks may be able to leverage best practices and implement an approach which helps promote consistency and standards, and thus helping to support stakeholders more effectively. I've included the full manuscript if you would like to read more. Please be sure to share your insights using the comments below.
Lamm, K. W., Lamm, A. J., Davis, K., Swaroop, B. J., & Edgar, L. D. (2020). Identifying capacities needed for professionalization of extension networks. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, 27(2), 91-107. https://doi.org/10.5191/jiaee.2020.27291