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Agricultural Extension Skills of Sub-assistant Agriculture Officers of the Department of Agricultural Extension–a Case of General Skills and Specific Skills

M.J. Hoque
BAU, Mymensingh

K. Usami
BAU, Mymensingh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

This study was undertaken to clarify the state of general skill acquisition attributed to off- the-job training (Off-JT) and specific skill acquisition attributed to on-the-job training (OJT). Especially, the attention was paid to which general and/or specific skills can feature skillful Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officers (SAAOs). Four out of 13 upazilas in Kishoreganj district were selected randomly as study location. Data were collected from 102 SAAOs assigned to these 4 upazilas. A set of questionnaires was used for collecting data during a period from April to May 2006 through personal interview. Based on the annual competence assessment form for extension staff development (DAE, 1999), the present study adopted 8 extension skills such as (i) working with group, (ii) organizing and running a field day, (iii) organizing and running a demonstration, (iv) assessing farmers’ problems, (v) problem census, (vi) extension planning, (vii) work planning, and (viii) monitoring and evaluation. In the detail of those extension skills, the skill levels were statistically tested between the two SAAOs groups divided based on the average skill level. It was overall found that in each of 8 extension skills there were significant differences between two SAAOs groups. Furthermore, it appears that the low skill level can be attributed to lack of some general skills as well as all of specific skills. Thus, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) should ensure the rehabilitative Off-JT must be put in practice to re-acquire relevant general skills along monitoring and needs assessment, while the continual OJT can be secured to prevent the loss of specific skills.

Keywords: Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer, General skills and specific skill.

Location: 4 upazilas (namely Hossainpur, Pakundia, Kotiadi, and Kishoregonj) of Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-04-2006

End Date: 00-05-2006

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Efficiency

Objectives:

The present paper aims at clarifying the state of general skill

acquisition attributed to Off-JT and specific skill
acquisition attributed to OJT. Especially, the attention is paid to which general and /or specific skills can feature skillful agricultural extension workers.

Methodology:

Out of 13 upazilas (sub-district) in Kishoregonj district, 4 upazilas (namely Hossainpur, Pakundia, Kotiadi, and Kishoregonj) were purposively selected for this study. All of the SAAOs (102) in the 4 upazilas were selected as a sample for this study. However, due to SAAOs’ personal leave finally, data were collected from 90 SAAOs. Based on the annual competence assessment form for extension staff development (DAE, 1999), the present study adopted 8 extension skills such as (i) working with group, (ii) organizing and running a field day, (iii) organizing and running a demonstration, (iv) assessing farmers’ problems, (v) problem census, (vi) extension planning, (vii) work planning, and (viii) monitoring and evaluation. The necessary survey was conducted by face-to-face interviews with the respondents by using structured questionnaire during April to May 2006. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first part was on measuring SAAOs’ agricultural extension skill levels. SAAOs’ agricultural extension skill levels were evaluated by three Upazila Agriculture Officers (UAO) who supervised his/her daily activities (supervisor’s rating), three skillful SAAOs senior to him/her (Peer rating), and three farmers from the area in his/her charge (beneficiary’s rating). Each UAO and SAAO were directly asked to evaluate the skill levels of all SAAOs in the assigned upazila from zero point to 100 point using the following criteria: SAAOs who can provide proper extension services to farmers will be given 100 point and who cannot provide satisfactory extension services at all will be given 0 point. Meanwhile, farmers are not aware of all SAAOs in a upazila, and so three farmers in a block were asked to evaluate the SAAO assigned to their block in accordance to the basic criteria: encouraging farmers to talk to about their problem; learning from farmers; building the confidence of farmers; discussing ideas and sharing options openly with farmers; assisting farmers to undertake their own planning; and providing solution to the farmers’ problems. Thus, though an SAAO can be evaluated by nine persons separately, the level of an extension skill for analysis was calculated as an average of all scores of the three types of evaluators. The second part of the questionnaire consisted of SAAOs’ general skills and specific skills structuring each of their eight agricultural extension skills. Sixteen skillful SAAOs from the selected four upazilas were intensively interviewed for identifying the general skills and specific skills. These skillful SAAOs were identified by the Upazila Agriculture Officers. To examine the qualitative relationship between general or specific skills and agricultural extension skill levels, first the SAAOs were grouped into Group 1 (whose skill level was less than the average) and Group 2 (whose skill level was higher than the average). Then, the averaged scores of those two groups were statistically tested. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to analyze the data. Chi-square test was used to determine whether there were significant differences between the two groups of SAAOs with regard to their general skills and specific skills.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Journal of Extension Education Volume 21, No. 1&2, 2009: 43-54 ISSN 1011-3916

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Comprehensively speaking but with exception, the low skill level can be attributed to “lack of some general skills and no specific skill”. In other words, the skillfulness certainly exists and is an absolute necessity to the high skill level. Regarding “lack of some general skills”, at least one for every 3 persons has not acquired it yet. Against the assumption, due to “at least one for every 3 persons has already acquired it, despite the low skill level group”, some specific skills are no long specific in 3 extension skills. Those specific skills feature familiarity to farmers and arrangement in advance toward implementation of extension service. Thus, the DAE should prepare necessary strategies where the rehabilitative Off-JT must be put in practice to re-acquire relevant general skills along monitoring and needs assessment, while the continual OJT can be secured to prevent the loss of specific skills. So as to identify the clue or perspective of training improvement, it is an important research subject to examine the quantitative relation between training (Off-JT and OJT) and skill development.

Knowledge Management: Journal