The design and provision of effective, targeted and co-ordinated extension, advisory and knowledge services to small, medium and large scale producers in the agricultural, forestry and fisheries sectors remains a significant challenge for the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), nationally and in the nine provinces. To date State extension services have been largely synonymous with agriculture while services to producers in forestry and fisheries are poorly developed.

Currently there is an absence of an overarching policy to frame and shape the content, targeting and co-ordination of the bundle extension and advisory services to the three sub sectors. The absence of approved policy has contributed to a lack of clarity and confusion concerning the roles and responsibilities of key development actors. It also inhibits the development of a coherent monitoring system to assess the impact of extension and advisory services across and within the agricultural, forestry and fisheries sub sectors.

Grant purpose

The purpose of the grant is to enable development of a draft policy framework on extension and advisory services in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), nationally and provincially together with key agriculture, forestry and fisheries stakeholders.  The grant will enable the assembly of a multidisciplinary specialist team which combines local and international expertise to facilitate development of a draft policy through a research based and participatory policy development process. This will enable dialogue between public sector officials, private sector actors, NGOs and organisations representing producers in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors.

Key grant activities

The grant activities will be organised into five phases:

Phase 1: Inception

• A rapid inception review including  an extension timeline and an analysis of ‘where are we now’  based  on a literature review and selected key informant interviews which will assess the current state of extension for agriculture, forestry and fisheries and map the initiatives to conceptualise and transform extension services in the three sectors since 1994
  
• A review of international trends and changing paradigms in agricultural, forestry and fisheries extension.
  
• The identification of policy options for subsequent consultative processes

Phase 1 Outputs

1. Establishment of project website
   
2. The current state of extension services in South Africa
   
3. A review of international trends in extension
   
4. A discussion document identify options for a South African extension policy options

Phase 2: Policy dialogue

• Liaison with DAFF reference group
  
• Policy dialogue sessions combining face to face focus groups and use of social media to promote online sessions with national and provincial actors to:
  
  • review current state of extension in South Africa and international trends in the provision of extension and advisory services
    
  • discuss policy options for an overarching extension policy framework and propose specific approaches to agriculture, forestry and fisheries extension, technical and enterprise advisory services.

Phase 2 outputs

• A summary report of the dialogue process combining face to face sessions in the nine provinces and online consultations
  
• Analysis of key issues and recommendations emerging from consultative process

Phase 3: Write up of a draft policy framework

• Liaison with the DAFF reference group
  
• Compilation and design of a proposed system and appropriate extension approaches for supporting different categories of producers across different scales and sectors of production
  
• Identification of institutional framework and key performance areas
  
• Specification of measures to strengthen scientific and farmer led research linkages which combine universities,  research institutes, colleges, extension and veterinary staff
  
• Measures to institutionalise pluralism in extension, networking , curation and dissemination of knowledge services
  
• Assessment of resource implications and feasibility

Phase 3 outputs

1. Draft extension policy framework for agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Phase 4: Comments and amendments/ finalisation of the draft

• Distribution of the policy draft to members of the focus groups with a designated time period for comments and submissions
  
• Appraisal of comments and identification of amendments.

 Phase 4 outputs

1. Revised and DAFF approved policy

Phase 5: Indicative implementation plan

• Determine objective statement
  
• Clarify key assumptions, known  issues and risks
  
• Identify priorities
  
• Prepare high level scope statement describing key deliverables
  Identify specific extension constituencies
  
• Determine key elements of a business case
  
• Prepare an indicative estimate of costs
  Indicate key milestones and deadlines
  
• Clarify overall implementation responsibility matrix 

Phase 5 outputs

1. Indicative implementation plan