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by Amabel Fulton, David Fulton, Tim Tabart,
Peter Ball, Scott Champion, Jane Weatherley and David Heinjus May 2003
RIRDC Publication No 03/032 RIRDC Project No RDP-1A
This briefing paper summarises the relevant recent and current research and development (R&D) on agricultural extension, learning and change. The paper was developed primarily through a review of publicly available literature published since 1997 on the topics of agricultural extension, facilitation of change processes and farmer learning.
This paper reports on what research has been conducted in four key areas, as identified by the steering committee of the Joint Research and Development Corporation project:
For each of these areas,
the topics of relevant research, and the major findings, are reported,
and gaps and weaknesses in the research are identified. The main findings
are summarised below.
For the purpose of this review, the term extension was used to include any advisory, consulting, technology transfer, research, training, marketing, industry development, learning, change, communication, education, attitude change, collection and dissemination of information, human resource development, facilitation, or self-development activities that are undertaken with the aim of bringing about positive change on farms and in agriculture.
1. Institutional change
and organisational structures supporting learning and change
The current Australian institutional
and organisational structures supporting learning and change processes
include state and federal departments of agriculture and natural resource
management; private extension providers; private agricultural businesses;
vocational education and training providers; the national training authority;
state training authorities; industry training advisory bodies; research
and development corporations; Universities; farmer organisations; and other
non-government organisations. These existing structures and institutions
may have elements that foster learning and change processes (such as their
links with industry), and elements that do not (such as the way they reward
their staff). The relationships between each of these organisations (e.g.,
public and private; research and extension) will influence learning and
change on-farm.
The main topics of recent research on institutional change and organisational structures were identified as:
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