Performance Determinants of Agricultural Extension Organizations of Bangladesh

Performance Determinants of Agricultural Extension Organizations of Bangladesh Performance of Agricultural Extension Organizations of Bangladesh was evaluated by using a proposed AKSTPILL Model representing aggregate attainments of professional goals of extension work viz. attitude change, knowledge transfer, skill development, technologies diffusion, productivity bincrease, income increase and level of living improvement among their clients. The model was tested in two selected organizations, namely Department of Agricultural Extension and Directorate of Cane Development and Research taking a sample of 887 farmers 437 service personnel across different hierarchies of the organizations. The findings showed that agricultural extension organizations of Bangladesh had been performing about two-fifth of the potential level with significant variation among primary administrative units, the Upazillas and Subzones. The extension organizations of Bangladesh succeeded to attain the potential level of their professional goals of attitude change, knowledge transfer, skill development technology diffusion, productivity increase, income increase and level of living improvement at the rate of 4.83%. 1.75%, 1.95%, 2.45%, 1.11%, 1.22% and 0.40% respectively. The overall performance increased at the rate of 2.25% per year. The relationships between the attainment of behavioral goals was circular, so also the relationships among attainment of economic goals. The chain of relationship was found to be broken between the attainment of behavioral and economic goals, possibly due to program deficiency. The determinants of performance were searched out by using a model of management, a proposed net-work of macro systems and proce es viz. model of extension work, environment, management, staff and resources. The findings showed that level of performance was significantly contributed by environment staff. Models of extension work (T&V and others), strategy, management and resources had circular relationships and has failed to influence on staff or on performance of the organizations significantly. The failure was attributed to the pull of opposite influences of individual discrete Variables the performance and the attainments of different goals of the Maximization of depends of performance of discrete Variables of different systems organizations. rationalization pro on and ses so as to generate the greatest synergy inside the The Variables, which need organization. minimization, optimization or maximization were identified. Improvement along the critical path of model of extension work-resource-management- staff are likely to provide the greatest opportunity maximizing the performance of the organizations. for