Training Module on Climate Smart Agriculture
Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) play a major role in strengthening technical, managerial and organisational capacities of farmers, who need frequent renewal of capacities to deal effectively with the evolving challenges faced by rural communities. Based on a systematic Capacity Needs Assessment of EAS in Odisha, undertaken by the Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in 2018-19, a strategy was developed to address the identified capacity gaps.
- Published in CLIMATE CHANGE, GUIDE/TOOLS/MANUALS
Guide for the evaluation of agroecology
The “Guide for the Evaluation of Agroecology” published in 2025 is a comprehensive manual that provides a standardized methodology to assess the real-world agro-environmental and socio-economic impacts of agroecological practices. It offers practical tools to help farmers, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to generate reliable data on critical aspects. This invaluable resource is designed to build a robust evidence base, supporting the effective design and scaling of sustainable agricultural systems.
- Published in AGROECOLOGY, MONITORING & EVALUATION
Preparing Youth for Agri-preneurship Development
Agriculture has long been the backbone of India’s economy, sustaining millions of livelihoods and delivering 18.4% (https://www.upag.gov.in/dash-reports/gvaagri) of the nation’s Gross Value Added (GVA) in recent years. It remains the largest source of employment, especially in rural areas. Yet, the sector faces persistent and emerging challenges such as climate change, land degradation, fragmented small land holdings, limited technological integration in farming, optimizing water use, harnessing monsoon rains, over-reliance on monsoons, crop and livestock diseases, post-harvest losses, and highly volatile market prices. Addressing these complex issues requires a workforce that is not only skilled and knowledgeable but also innovative and entrepreneurial underscoring the vital role of agricultural education in securing the sector’s future profitability and sustainability. There is the need for technology integration and entrepreneurship in agriculture to address challenges such as population growth and decreasing land holdings. Also, there is a need to prepare students for future scenarios with limited land availability and the importance of diversifying agricultural education to include animal husbandry. The education system should shift focus from producing job seekers to nurturing job creators through entrepreneurship and startup-ecosystem training. A brainstorming session on “Preparing Future-Ready Youths for Entrepreneurship Development in Agriculture” was organized to stimulate policy innovations and also Institutional reforms in academics, paving way in building students for more meaningful lives and work roles and enabling economic independence of learners capable of global competence. This would encourage higher agricultural education (HAE) Institutions to shape new generation youth in agriculture and allied fields and motivate all stakeholders, educationists, policy makers in contributing to fulfilling the aspiration of the Viksit Bharat.
- Published in AGRIPRENEURSHIP, POLICY, YOUTH
Gender Responsive Digital Extension and Advisory Services in Bangladesh and India
This paper jointly written by the Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP), Hyderabad, India, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) explores the gender responsiveness of digital EAS in two Southern Asian countries – Bangladesh and India – where women play a critical role in agrifood systems.
Both countries have piloted and scaled various digital EAS models over the past decade. The study investigated the barriers that limit women’s uptake and effective use of these services. While numerous digital EAS solutions are emerging in both Bangladesh and India, there is limited evidence that women farmers are meaningfully engaging with or benefiting from these services. One key barrier remains women’s limited access to mobile phones, the primary delivery channel for most digital EAS platforms. However, the challenge goes well beyond device ownership.
Manual on Good Practices in Extension Research & Evaluation
This document on Good Practices in Extension Research and Evaluation is developed as a hands on reference manual to help young researchers, research students, and field extension functionaries in choosing the right research methods for conducting quality research and evaluation in extension.
- Published in GUIDE/TOOLS/MANUALS, MONITORING & EVALUATION
Developing Capacity for Evaluation of Rural Extension and Advisory Services
In this NELK module you will first learn about rural advisory services (RAS) in agricultural innovation systems (AIS) and the basics of monitoring and evaluating RAS in order to understand the role of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in RAS and its basic principles and uses. You will also learn how M&E can be used to improve the policies and practices of RAS, what the current main global challenges are, and finally what this means for the M&E of RAS interventions such as reform processes, developing RAS organisations, or delivering a particular RAS service
- Published in GUIDE/TOOLS/MANUALS, MONITORING & EVALUATION
Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation: Process of Development and Guidelines for Application
This document provides guidance on how to assess agroecology by carrying out a diagnostic of production systems with regard to various dimensions (environmental, social, economic) and in a variety of contexts (production systems, communities, territories, agro-ecological zones, etc.).
- Published in GUIDE/TOOLS/MANUALS, MONITORING & EVALUATION
A Framework for Analyzing Pluralistic Agricultural Advisory Services Worldwide
The analytical framework developed in the paper “disentangles” the major characteristics of agricultural advisory services on which policy decisions have to be made: (1) governance structures, (2) capacity, management and organization, and (3) advisory methods. The framework identifies four sets of frame conditions that need to be considered when deciding on these characteristics: the policy environment, the capacity of potential service providers, the type of farming systems and the market access of farm households; and the nature of the local communities, including their ability to cooperate. The framework suggests an impact chain approach to analyze the performance and the impact of agricultural advisory services
- Published in MONITORING & EVALUATION
A Scoring Tool to Generate Evidence on Performance and Outcomes-FAO 2022
To enable evidence based and informed policy and investment decision for extension and advisory systems, the EAS-Yardstick (EAS-Y) has been developed through a consultative expert process. It constitutes a holistic scoring tool based on a comprehensive set of metrics that can capture all the nuances of the pluralistic EAS. Metrics are organized into two modules, related to EAS performance and to EAS outcomes, each subdivided into key EAS topics. These cover elements of the EAS enabling environment, scope and provision of services, and coordination, collaboration and learning in the system. At the outcome level, topics include the acquisition of skills, changes in behaviours and livelihood transformations. All metrics are operationalized through a scoring mechanism. EAS-Y is digitally enabled through the Kobo toolbox and is used for participatory assessments in various contexts. Assessments can support a systematic cross country analysis, complementing findings from more specific impact evaluations of EAS interventions or in-depth process evaluations. As such, it contributes to substantially enhance EAS system performance and outcomes by guiding investment and policy decisions.
- Published in CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT, MONITORING & EVALUATION
Comprehensive Assessment of National Extension and Advisory Service Systems- An operational guide FAO (2022)
Extension and advisory services (EAS) play a key role in facilitating innovation processes, empowering marginalized groups through capacity development, and linking farmers with markets. EAS are increasingly provided by a range of actors and funded from diverse sources. With the broadened scope of EAS and the growing complexity of the system, the quantitative performance indicators used in the past (for example related to investment, staffing or productivity) are no longer adequate to assess the performance of EAS systems. This operational guide meets the longstanding demand for guidance on undertaking such a comprehensive assessment of national EAS systems. It provides detailed directions on how to organize the entire process, from preparation to implementation and consolidation. Its use will help identify gaps and entry points for targeting investments and realigning policies for transforming EAS.
- Published in CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT, MONITORING & EVALUATION