TECHNICAL ADVISORY SERVICES IN GHANA

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mavis DAYIE ◽  
Esther Nuonibe BEMILE
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Extension Agents ◽  
Advisory Services ◽  
Advisory Service ◽  
Source Of Information

Public extension systems worldwide have been accused of being deficient in management and inefficient in technical advisory service delivery. This is even more in developing countries where fiscal budgetary and human resource allocations are low. This study assessed the current status of technical advisory services delivered to farmers by public sector agricultural extension agents. Survey data revealed that 95% of those with contacts with extension agents rated public extension as the most important source of information. Results revealed that farmers are mostly dissatisfied with some technical advisory packages which points to the need for improvement in these services by the Agricultural Ministry.

scholarly journals Influence of Human Resource Development Skills Towards Work Performance of Agriculture Extension Agent

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmin Arif Shah ◽  
Nur Bahiah Mohamed Haris ◽  
Muhammad Faiq Hafiz Abd Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Resource Development ◽  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Extension Agents ◽  
Extension Agent ◽  
Agriculture Extension

Agriculture extension primarily deals with the human resource development (HRD) skills as well as knowledge. In the agriculture scope, all extension agents must have the knowledge, training, and skills to fulfil the requirement as a good agricultural extension agent. As the profession of extension agents continues to grow, it is important to know the human resource development (HRD) skills gained by the extension agent of agriculture to measure their performance in the extension job. Thus, this study determines the influence of human resource development (HRD) skills factor with work performance among agriculture extension agent. This is descriptive and correlational research design. Using a quantitative survey methodology consists of 5 sections of questions (A, B, C, D and E). 182 respondents were participated in this study as a sample. Simple random sampling technique has been used to choose the sample. Data has been gathered from the respondents using a self-administered questionnaire. Data has been analysed using IBM SPSS version 25 to indicate the descriptive and inferential methods. In results, the level of HRD skills and performance of agricultural extension agent is moderate. All HRD skills show a positive and high correlation with agriculture extension agent work performance. The highest factor contributing to work performance is social skills followed by decision-making skills. The two factors from HRD skills (social and decision making) accounted for 72% significantly to the performance of the agriculture extension agent job. The main purpose of this study is to provide beneficial information’s for the extension agents, respondents and organizational framework in term of relationship between the work performance towards the agriculture sector in Malaysia. This study provides insights into the theory and practice of agriculture extension agents in Malaysia.

E-Government and Transformation of Service Delivery in Malaysia

2020 ◽  
pp. 1606-1622
Author(s):  
Noore Alam Siddiquee ◽  
Mohd. Zin Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Delivery Systems ◽  
Sector Reform ◽  
The Core ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
The World ◽  
Service Delivery Systems ◽  
The Government

Since the 1990s e-government has been a leading feature of public sector reform in Malaysia. As elsewhere around the world, at the core Malaysia's e-government agenda is the desire to reinvent governance and service delivery so as to realize national developmental goals. Variety of e-initiatives undertaken and implemented over the past decades has improved the nation's e-profile and readiness. These programs have also brought about profound changes to the mode of service delivery and the nature of interactions between the government and citizens and other stakeholders. The paper demonstrates the current trends in e-government by focusing on some most recent initiatives and their roles in modifying governance and service delivery systems thereby producing benefits of efficiency, improved access and convenience, among others. It argues that while Malaysia has made significant inroads in e-services and is ahead of most developing countries, yet progress remains unsatisfactory when compared with regional and world leaders. The paper sheds lights on current impediments of e-government in Malaysia and their implications.

Determinants of professionalisation of extension service delivery: A confirmatory factor analysis approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-135
Author(s):  
Olorunfemi ◽  
Oladele
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Professional Status ◽  
Extension Agents ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

The need for agricultural extension services in Nigeria to attain a higher ethical and professional status of registering and certifying its service providers like other disciplines for effective service delivery has led this study to examine the factors influencing extension professionalisation in Nigeria. 356 extension agents from both public and private extension organisations were selected through a two-stage sampling procedure. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit information on the knowledge, attitude and perceptions on the effects of the components of professionalisation (i.e. accreditation, registration, and certification) on service delivery. The Cronbach alpha reliability values for the constructs used in the different sections of the instrument were knowledge (0.78), attitude (0.94), accreditation (0.92), registration (0.89) and certification (0.96). Data was analysed using IBM AMOS version 24 to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis to determine the interrelationships that exist between the extension agent’s knowledge, attitude, and the components of professionalisation. The findings revealed a significant and strong positive correlation between the constructs of the extension agent’s knowledge, attitude and the professionalisation components of accreditation, registration, and certification. These findings have implications for educating and training extension agents on professionalisation and its components to ensure its institutionalisation in the agricultural extension sector for the provision of a more ethical, competent, accountable, and efficient rural and advisory service delivery.

Effective performance management of local governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-45
Author(s):  
Altamash Janjua ◽  
Farrukh Attique ◽  
Adil Raza ◽  
Waqar Akbar
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ◽  
Effective Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Effective performance management of local governments is essential for efficient service delivery to the citizens. This is especially true for developing countries where performance management of public sector is severely lacking. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a pioneering and effective performance management framework that has been implemented in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach The paper outlines the design and implementation of the system in light of relevant research work. Latest digital technologies including smartphone applications and social media have been used to make the system effective and responsive to the needs of the citizens and sustainable in the long term. Findings The impact of the system includes a drastic reduction in polio infection cases by 90 percent in the province and the successful completion of one of the biggest afforestation campaigns in the world in recent years. In addition, noteworthy improvements in public health, education and municipal services have also been achieved through this system in a province that has a population of 30.5 m. Research limitations/implications The paper uses field data to highlight the positive impact of the system which has been operational for more than two years now. Practical implications The strong positive impact of the system supports the case for implementation of similar public sector reforms in other developing countries. Social implications The implementation of the system has resulted in significant improvements in social sector service delivery. Originality/value There is very limited literature available on successful performance management reforms in the public sector of the developing world. Therefore, this case study can be a very important resource.

scholarly journals Evaluating Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services through a Governance Lens

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-86
Author(s):  
Cristina Álvarez-Mingote ◽  
Paul E. McNamara
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Potential Mechanism ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Advisory Services ◽  
Governance Quality

Demand-driven extension services have been promoted as a potential mechanism to improve governance quality and lead to better-served farmers. In this paper, we evaluate i) the extent to which demand-driven elements are present in extension services in developing countries, and ii) whether governance problems persist and why. We accomplish so by performing a qualitative analysis of the Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services (MEAS) country assessments, and find that, despite the adoption of demand-driven features, extension services are not fully participatory, transparent, accountable, equitable and responsive to needed farmers.

E-Government and Transformation of Service Delivery in Malaysia

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 45-60
Author(s):  
Noore Alam Siddiquee ◽  
Mohd. Zin Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Sector Reform ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Past ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
The World ◽  
Service Delivery Systems ◽  
The Government

Since the 1990s e-government has been a leading feature of public sector reform in Malaysia. As elsewhere around the world, at the core Malaysia's e-government agenda is the desire to reinvent governance and service delivery so as to realize national developmental goals. Variety of e-initiatives undertaken and implemented over the past decades has improved the nation's e-profile and readiness. These programs have also brought about profound changes to the mode of service delivery and the nature of interactions between the government and citizens and other stakeholders. The paper demonstrates the current trends in e-government by focusing on some most recent initiatives and their roles in modifying governance and service delivery systems thereby producing benefits of efficiency, improved access and convenience, among others. It argues that while Malaysia has made significant inroads in e-services and is ahead of most developing countries, yet progress remains unsatisfactory when compared with regional and world leaders. The paper sheds lights on current impediments of e-government in Malaysia and their implications.

scholarly journals The effect of supply chain management in governance: Public sector perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nontuthuko S. Nkwanyana ◽  
Albert T. Agbenyegah
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Strongly Agree ◽  
High Level

Background: Supply chain management (SCM) was introduced as a remedy to irregularities of the past procurement models in public sector. Since its inception, literature has exposed a number of irregularities and deficiencies in the acquisition management processes within SCM in this sector.Objectives: This article explores a case study of KwaZulu-Natal to ascertain the current status of SCM in the aspect of acquisition of goods and services in relation to issues of good governance and human resource capital. It aims to determine the underlying factors that have given rise to the reported irregularities and deficiencies.Method: This article draws on quantitative data collected using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire, from ‘1’ strongly disagree to ‘5’ strongly agree. The study sample consisted of 129 participants. The data collected were analysed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences tool.Results: The findings of the study indicate that there is (1) a notable human resource deficiency, (2) inadequate knowledge regarding the processes employed in the acquisition of goods and services within SCM and (3) a lack of adequate training. The study also notes best practices such as (1) a high level of accountability, (2) conformity of relevant laws, (3) transparency, (4) responsiveness and (5) participation.Conclusion: This study rejects the current assumptions that the acquisition process of the SCM system is flawed, and rather confirms the forever growing assumptions related to human resources capacity, knowledge and skills deficiencies as possible root causes of the reported irregularities and deficiencies.

scholarly journals Knowledge of Extension Agents regarding Professionalization of Extension Services: Evidence from South West Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwasogo David Olorunfemi ◽  
Oladimeji Idowu Oladele
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Extension Agents ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Public ◽  
Services Delivery ◽  
South West

The study examined the knowledge of agriculture extension agents on professionalization in South West Nigeria. This was borne out of the need to improve and ensure a viable, effective and vibrant extension and advisory service delivery in the area. 301 public and 55 private extension agents were selected through a two-staged sampling procedure. A questionnaire was used to obtain data on their socio-economic characteristics, knowledge on professionalization and its components, these being analyzed using descriptive, t-test and tobit regression analyses. The results showed that the agricultural agents in the public and private extension organizations had a basic knowledge on the concept of professionalization and its components of accreditation, registration and certification. However, disparities in the level of knowledge between the public and private extension personnel were observed. The findings indicated that their educational level and background were significant influencing factors of knowledge on professionalization. The study has implications for educating and training agricultural extension agents on professionalization. Seminars and workshops should be held specifically for the public extension agencies, to upgrade their knowledge and capacity on the concept, intricacies and potential benefits of professionalization on service delivery. This will help assist the institutionalization of professionalization in the agricultural extension sector and enhance competent, accountable and effective extension and advisory services delivery.

scholarly journals Strategies for Improving Agricultural Extension Service Delivery in Afikpo North Local Government Area, Ebonyi State

2020 ◽  
pp. 10-21
Author(s):  
J. U. Ndem ◽  
B. N. Okafor ◽  
M. A. Ochijenu ◽  
F. Azuuku ◽  
L. I. Eni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Extension Education ◽  
Extension Service ◽  
Extension Agents ◽  
Education Services ◽  
Agricultural Extension Service ◽  
Training Programmes

This study determined the strategies for improving agricultural extension service delivery in Afikpo North Local Government Area, Ebonyi State Nigeria using three purposes of study. The study adopted survey research design. The population of the study was 81 contact farmers and extension agents. Data were collected with questionnaire which was validated by five specialists and analysis using mean statistics and standard deviation. It was discovered that training programmes, provision of essential amenities in the rural areas and incentives to the extension agents improve agricultural extension service delivery. All the hypotheses were accepted at (p < 0.05) level of significance. The researchers recommended that the Government of Ebonyi State should always organize training programmes, provision of essential amenities in the rural areas and incentives to the extension agents. Low productivity of agricultural commodities by rural farmers is as a result of inadequate extension education services which need proactive to ensure adequate extension education services. 

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document