Agricultural education and training system capacity development for sub-Saharan Africa: The role of InnovATE

Tom Gill,Kristal Jones,Tom Hammett

doi:10.4314/jdcs.v4i2.1

Abstract

There is an urgent need to develop capacity in African agricultural education and training (AET) through innovative methods that achieve the goals of food security, economic development and poverty reduction. InnovATE (Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education) is a five year, demand-driven USAID-funded program with a mandate for capacity development in AET systems in low income and emerging economies across the world. Though innovATE’s primary focus is on formal AET, the program’s activities and findings are oriented toward developing capacity acrossagricultural knowledge and information systems (AKIS), which includes agricultural extension activities. Through innovATE’s learn-design-train approach, the program has developed capacity through various activities in Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA). These have included the generation of AET system studies on countries and thematic issues, the creation of an online Community of Practice, in-country assessment of AET systems in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the provision of training workshops for capacity development in Senegal and Mozambique. Evaluating the results of these activities provides the context for critical examination of the most effective approaches for AET system capacity development in SSA.Key words: Agriculture Education and training, AKIS, extension, InnovATE, Sub-Saharan Africa

Highlights

Africa, the continent with the fastest growing population, holds significant potential in meeting our planet’s food needs in the 21st century (NEPAD, 2013a)
Under Design, we present examples of needs assessments of the AET systems conducted in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
They characterize the policy environment and can support human and institutional capacity development” (HICD) activities that have the potential to contribute to changes in the enabling environment

Summary

Introduction

The continent with the fastest growing population, holds significant potential in meeting our planet’s food needs in the 21st century (NEPAD, 2013a). Capacity in the agricultural sector across sub-Saharan Africa has been weak for a long time, with many countries unable to finance or even prioritize capacity development activities, since the midtwentieth century wave of independence from former colonial powers This situation was made worse in the era of structural adjustment following the Berg report, which encouraged reduction in public sector funding for development, and the provision of conditional loans by multilateral donors in return for the establishment of market-liberalizing economic policies by African governments (World Bank, 1981). This underinvestment is perhaps most notable in the weakened capacity at multiple levels in the agricultural sector (amongst others) that faces Africa today (FARA, 2007; AGRA, 2013)

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Conclusion