Understanding extension and practice change over time

www.RuralPracticeChange.org

Department ofPrimary Industries

Understanding extension and practice change over time

Prof Frank VanclayTasmanian Institute of Agricultural

ResearchUniversity of Tasmania


SELN is a gathering of government extension leaders and influencers from each state of Australia.

SELN strives to provide leadership and strategic direction in the development of State and National extension service delivery.

www.seln.org.au


Drivers The word ‘extension’ is misunderstood The value of extension is not recognised The role extension has played is too

easily discounted Lack of consensus about definition and

process

Extension needs to be pitched in modern ‘policy-speak’


‘Extension’ by other names Practice change Knowledge

brokering Change

management Outreach Interpretation Community

engagement Capacity building Social marketing (Targeted)

communication

Health promotion Road safety

education Adult education Environmental

education Education for

Sustainability Marketing and Public

Relations Community

development Public participation


Different levels of meaning

As a science/discipline/discourse/ community of practice

As a policy instrument As a process/activity As an agency


Getting the message across Roman times (ca 2,000 yrs ago), Virgil Georgics.

Poetry King George III in 18th century Contemporary ‘extension’ originated at Cambridge

Uni in 1867 with community lectures – the university extending its work beyond the campus.

USA Landgrant system 1890s. State Universities required to assist the development of agriculture in each US State.

Australia, dust bowl, Soldier Resettlement schemes UK, radio programs Landcare, and NRM


Traditional extension= Transfer of Technology

the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education.

How to get the message across?


Critique of traditional extension Extension uncritically promoted

agribusiness products Social and environmental impacts Little reflection on theoretical models Farmers’ local knowledge ignored Farmers were treated as homogeneous Farmers’ needs were ignored Social and political context ignored Farmers treated as passive recipients


New extension

Extension is a capacity building process that involves the use of communication and adult education processes to help diverse rural people and communities identify potential improvements to their practices, and then provide them with the skills and resources to effect these improvements. (Vanclay after Coutts, Macadam and others)


SELN’s definition

Extension is the process of enabling change in individuals, communities and industries involved in the primary industry sector and with natural resource management.


Extension is a discipline

Extension has developed over time in theory, method & scope

Capacity building, community engagement, social marketing


Extension is a policy instrument to be used in conjunction with other PIs


Shift from old to new Production to NRM Technical to social Teaching/instructing to learning/facilitating Public to private & third sector (Greening

Aust) One-on-one to group Top-down to bottom-up From human capital to social capital Information transfer to capacity building Extension as activity to extension as policy

instrument Producer to consumer


[email protected]

Vanclay, F. 2004 “Social principles for agricultural extension to assist in the promotion of natural resource management”, Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44(3): 213-222.

State Extension Leaders Network 2006 Enabling change in rural and regional Australia: The role of extension in achieving sustainable and productive futures (a discussion document produced by the State Extension Leaders Network August 2006). Online resource http://www.seln.org.au