A six year review on the implementation of an extension ...nda.agric.za/doaDev/topMenu/DoAProgrammes... · Web view4.4 ERP allocations per pillar from 2008/09 to 2013/14 25 4.5 ERP

A SIX YEAR REVIEW ON THEA SIX YEAR REVIEW ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EXTENSIONIMPLEMENTATION OF AN EXTENSION

RECOVERY PLAN (ERP)RECOVERY PLAN (ERP)

AUGUST 2014

DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL: FOOD SECURITY AND AGRARIAN REFORM

A Six year review on the implementation of an Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) ii

CONTENTSPage

List of tables iii

List of diagrams iv

Acronyms iv

Definition of terms vi

Executive summary vii

1. Background 1

2. Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) Deliverables per pillar 3

3. Progress achieved on each pillar of ERP for the past six years 3

3.1 Pillar 1: Visibility and accountability 3

3.1.1 The Farmer’s green book 4

3.1.2 The Digital pen system 4

3.1.3 Vehicles 5

3.1.4 Uniform 6

3.2 Pillar 2: Improving image and promoting professionalism of extension 6

3.2.1 Extension Conferences 7

3.2.2 Provincial awards 7

3.2.2 Extension as a field of practice 10

3.2.3 Extension Partnerships 12

3.3 Pillar 3: Recruitment of Extension and advisory Services Practitioners 13

3.3.1 Extension: producer ratio prior ERP implementation 13

3.3.2 Recruitment of Extension Practitioners 14

CONTENTS

A Six year review on the implementation of an Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) i

CONTENTSPage

3.3.3 Extension: Producer ratio after 6 years of ERP implementation

Page

15

3.4 Pillar 4: Reskilling and reorientation of Extension and Advisory Practitioners 17

3.4.1 Qualification upgrading 17

3.4.2 Compliance to Norms and Standards in terms of minimum qualification requirements (four year qualification)

19

3.4.3 Training on skills programmes 20

3.5 Pillar 5: Provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and other resources

21

3.5.1 Extension Suite Online (ESO) utilization 21

3.5.2 ESO Top users 23

4. Financial performance 23

4.1 Allocation of funds to provinces 23

4.2 Funding range 24

4.3 ERP fund allocation for 2008/09 to 2013/14 financial years 24

4.4 ERP allocations per pillar from 2008/09 to 2013/14 25

4.5 ERP budget allocation and expenditure from 2008/09 to 2013/14 26

5. Challenges 27

6. Recommendations and conclusion 29

7. References 32

A Six year review on the implementation of an Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) ii

LIST OF TABLES

Page

Table 1: ERP delivery focus area per pillar 3

Table 2: Number of Digital pens procured and used by Practitioners 5

Table 3: Provinces hosting extension conferences during 2008/9 to 2013/15 7

Table 4: Extension Practitioners rewarded for excellent performance in different categories

8

Table 5: Categorization of Extension Practitioners for Professional Registration 11

Table 6: Recommended extension: producer ratio 14

Table 7: Extension: producer ratio in 2007 13

Table 8: Number of Targeted and recruited Extension Practitioners as at end 2013/14

15

Table 9: Extension: producer ratio as at end 2013/14 16

Table 10: Qualification status of the Government-employed Extension Practitioners in 2007

18

Table 11: Number of Extension Practitioners registered for qualification upgrading and completing as at end 2013/14

18

Table 12: Number of Extension Practitioners complying with Norms and Standards by 2013/14

19

Table 13: Number of Extension Practitioners targeted and trained 20

Table 14: National consolidated number of ESO users 22

Table 15: Registered ESO users against active users 22

Table 16: National consolidated Top users of ESO 23

Table 17: ERP Gazetted budget for the period 2008/9 to 2013/14 25

Table 18: ERP allocations per pillar for the past six years 26

Table 19: ERP budget allocation and expenditure from 2008/09 to 2013/14 27

A Six year review on the implementation of an Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) iii

LIST OF DIAGRAMS

Page

Fig 1: ERP pillars funding range 24

ACRONYMS

BBBEE Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment

CASP Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme

DAFF Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

DI Declaration of interest

DOA Department of Agriculture (former)

DORA Division of Revenue Act

EC Eastern Cape

EDP Extension Development Plan

E.G For Example

E.T.C Et cetera

ERP Extension Recovery Plan

ESO Extension Suite Online

FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

F’SAGRI French and South Africa on Capacity Development Initiative

FY Fiscal Year / Financial year

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GPS Global Positioning System

ICDL International Computer Driving License

ICT Information and Communication Technology

JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency

KZN KwaZulu-Natal

LP Limpopo

MEC Member of the Executive Council

MP Mpumalanga

A Six year review on the implementation of an Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) iv

MTEF Medium Term Expenditure Framework

MTSF Medium Term Strategic Framework

NAP National Assessment Panel

NC Northern Cape

NDP National Development Plan

NGO Non-Governmental Organisation

NW North West

PDA Provincial Department of Agriculture

PhD Doctor of Philosophy also DPhil

PPEA Participatory Programmed Extension Approach

SACNASP South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions

SASAE South African Society for Agricultural Extension

SETA Sector Education and Training Authority

SHEP Small Horticulture Empowerment Programme

WC Western Cape

A Six year review on the implementation of an Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) v

DEFINITION OF TERMS

3G Modem A mobile device that allows mobile phones, computers, and other portable electronic devices to access the Internet wirelessly.

Advisory Services A service provided by subject matter specialists, private organisations or firms to support commercial interest

Extension A systematic process of working with farmers or communities to help them to acquire relevant and useful agricultural or related knowledge and skills to increase farm productivity

Extension Recovery Plan A strategy developed by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in 2007 to revitalise the state of agricultural Extension and Advisory Services in the country

Extension Suite Online An internet based Agricultural Decision Support system used by Extension and Advisory Practitioners to access information used to advice farmers

Smart Pen / Digital Pen An electronic ballpoint pen that digitizes stores and transfers what is written or drawn to the computer.

A Six year review on the implementation of an Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) vi

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Despite past advances in agricultural innovations through improved crops and farming

systems, South Africa like other developing countries is characterised with rural

communities which still face challenges of food and nutrition security, non-sustainable

agricultural practices, poor access to markets and a falling contribution of agriculture to

national Growth Domestic Product (GDP). Rural farming communities have not really fully

benefited from advances in agricultural technology. Latest statistics indicate that about

20% of the South African population is food insecure. The major challenge is food

accessibility and affordability in rural areas. As the Department of Agriculture, Forestry

and Fisheries (DAFF) is entrusted constitutionally with the mandate to ensure access to

food, a policy on Food and Nutrition Security Policy has been put in place. The policy

extensively addresses issues of market access, food safety nets and increasing food

production amongst others. In order to increase food production, DAFF through the

implementation of the Fetsa Tlala Integrated Food Production Initiative will cultivate one

million hectares of land by 2019.

The New Growth Path (NGP) has identified agriculture as a significant sector for the

creation of jobs and an area with potential for growth and development. The agricultural

sector is expected to create one million jobs by 2030. The National Development Plan

(NDP) envisions by 2030 rural areas which are spatially, socially and economically well

integrated where residents have economic growth, food security and jobs as a result of

agrarian transformation and infrastructure development programmes. The NDP takes it

further by clearly stipulating ways and targets of eradicating poverty, eliminating inequality

and reducing unemployment by 2030. The plan recognizes that for development of rural

economy where poverty levels are at the high, Extension and Advisory Services has a

major role to play especially in mobilising and empowering producers to be market-

oriented hence improving economy right where they are. The NDP further determines that

the Extension and Advisory Services be adequately skilled in order to contribute to the

attainment of the set targets.

Realising the lack of capacity in Extension and Advisory Services even before the NDP

was developed; DAFF conceptualized and developed the Extension Recovery Plan (ERP)

A Six year review on the implementation of an Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) vii

in 2008. The main objective of the plan was to revitalise Government Extension and

Advisory Services. This plan strives to achieve the aims and objectives of the Norms and

Standards for Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (2005). The ERP is

implemented through five the Pillars namely: Ensuring visibility and accountability,

Promoting professionalism and improving image, Recruitment of Extension Practitioners,

Reskilling and reorientation and Provision of the information communication technology

(ICT) infrastructure and other resources. Through the skills development programme,

increased human resources and adequate tools, the Extension and Advisory Services is

positioning itself to significantly contribute towards the attainment of Outcome 7 “ Vibrant,

equitable, sustainable rural communities contributing towards food security for all” ,

Outcome 4 “Decent employment through inclusive economic growth”, Outcome 5 “A

skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path” and Outcome 10

“Protect and enhance our environmental assets and natural resources”.

With the financial assistance of over R1, 5 billion in a form of a grant from the National

Treasury over the past six years, DAFF has improved capacity of the service in terms of

human resources, skills development and tools. Through ERP implementation by the

provinces since 2008/9 financial year to 2013/14 the following was achieved: Recruitment

of 1 351 Extension Practitioners, Registration of Extension Practitioners for qualification

upgrading of whom 375 Practitioners completed their studies. The training on skills

development programme was provided to Extension Practitioners in soft, technical and

ICT skills. The Extension Practitioners were provided with tools such as ICT equipment

package consisting of cellphones, 3G Cards, laptops etc. These tools provided were

enablers for Extension Practitioners to deliver an effective Extension and Advisory

Services to their clients.

The review provides information on the ERP set targets over the past six years, what has

been achieved and to what extent. It also provides the allocated budget for the six year

period and the financial performance. The last section covers the challenges and

recommendations.

A Six year review on the implementation of an Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) viii

1. BACKGROUND

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has a concurrent function with

Provincial Departments of Agriculture (PDA’s) on Extension and Advisory Services.

DAFF is responsible for the policy formulation, provision of frameworks and guidelines,

funding advocacy and coordination. PDA’s are responsible for ensuring success and

productivity of the agricultural sector, providing funding and support to programmes and

implementation mainly.

When the democratic government took over in 1994, a number of programmes aimed at

inclusion of previously disadvantaged group into the mainstream economy were

introduced. Concerning agriculture programmes such as Land Reform, i.e. redistribution

and restitution were implemented. Such programmes introduced a number of producers

as new entrants in the agricultural sector for economic gain. Extension Practitioners

were no match in terms of skills on demand and capacity for those kinds of producers.

They were, through inequalities of the past, only equipped to deliver services at

subsistence level, hence they were deemed inefficient by those beneficiaries of these

government initiatives.

In 2002, the then Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the Dutch Government

commissioned a study in pursuit to find the most appropriate Extension Approach. This

study was succeeded by another study in 2005, in collaboration with the Netherlands

Government looking at the ideal standards the Extension and Advisory Services could

take mandate from when rendering the service. The Norms and Standards for Extension

and Advisory Services in Agriculture were developed, approved and published in 2005 to

be the guiding document governing the rendering of Extension and Advisory Services in

South Africa. The Norms and Standards document clearly stipulates the skills and

competencies every individual rendering Extension Services should possess, the

required qualification and the ideal extension: producer ratio (1:250-500 depending on

the enterprise) which should be adhered to if an effective Extension and Advisory

Services was to be realised.

In order for the Norms and Standards to be implemented, it was imperative that the

baseline information on the Extension and Advisory Services be drawn. The department

commissioned a study to profile the government-employed Extension and Advisory

A Six year review on the implementation of an Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) 1

Services officers in 2007. The study covered a wide range of demographics ranging from

qualifications, gender, skills accrued, ratio of officers to farmers etc.

The study revealed that there were capacity deficiencies such as, out of 2 210 Extension

Practitioners only 20% possessed the correct minimum qualification requirements of a

four year qualification. It also revealed that the extension: farmer ratio was unrealistic. In

predominantly rural provinces (former homelands), one extension officer was servicing

farmers ranging from 540 to 1 700.

The then Minister for Agriculture therefore hosted the Extension Indaba in 2008 in order

to come up with an intervention to deal with the discrepancies in Extension and Advisory

Services. Through the thematic areas discussed in the extension indaba, the five pillars

of Extension Recovery Plan were formulated. During the first two years, only three pillars

were implemented which were Recruitment, Reskilling and ICT provision. The ERP

document from the onset had objectives focused on reforming the Extension and

Advisory Services. As stipulated in the ERP document, the objectives which had

underlying actions to be taken mainly focused on:

Ensure that Extension Practitioners are accountable and visible

Ensure the development and implementation of the ICT policy

Improve the image of the profession

Ensure the establishment of Extension and Advisory Services monitoring tools

Forge linkages between Extension, Training and Research

Promote the implementation of new qualifications for extension.

This review seeks to identify to what level were the set objectives achieved through

implementation of five the pillars of the Extension Recovery Plan over the past six years.


2. EXTENSION RECOVERY PLAN (ERP) DELIVERABLES PER PILLAR

The Extension Recovery Plan is implemented through five pillars as indicated in Table 1

below. Under each pillar, there are deliverables which provinces ought to achieve/

deliver on as guided by DAFF. The table below indicates delivery areas per pillar.

Table 1: ERP deliverables per pillar

Pillar 1: Ensure visibility and

accountability

Pillar 2: Promote professionalism and

improve image

Pillar 3: Recruitment of Extension and

Advisory Practitioners

Pillar 4: Re-skilling and re-orientation of

extension

Pillar 5: Provision of ICT infrastructure

Procurement of digital pens or any other M&E tools deemed appropriate

The use of farmer’s green book

Formation of study groups in partnership with the commodity organizations.

Provide funding for extension officers to participate in professional bodies such as SASAE, congresses as per provincial corporate services policies

Host and fund the provincial extension conferences which include the presentation of papers by extension, research and training components of provinces

The recognition of excellent performance by the Extension Practitioners through the bestowing of provincial awards.

Recruit Extension Practitioners in line with the provincial agricultural production strategies

Recruit in support of the provincial growth and development strategies.

Fund the qualification upgrading of Practitioners

Fund targeted short course training in line with competency profile of extension cadres

Fund the management training of local Extension Managers operating at local municipality levels.

Provision of ICT equipment as a package

Ensuring the training of Practitioners on the use of Extension Suite Online (ESO)

Procure other useful resources in consultation with DAFF.

3. PROGRESS ACHIEVED ON EACH PILLAR OF ERP FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS

3.1 Pillar 1: Visibility and Accountability

The increase in the number of producers owing to programmes such as Land Reform,

inclusive of both redistribution and restitution resulted in the thin spread of Extension and

Advisory Services. The beneficiaries of such government programmes often raised


concerns and complained that the extension service was not available to support them

and that they lacked the necessary skills. This pillar of ERP seeks to discard this

perception by creating an environment whereby producers know who their advisors are,

where to find them and how to relate/communicate with them. To ensure visibility and

accountability of Extension and Advisory Practitioners, the tools which are utilised are

the Farmer’s green book, Digital pen system, vehicles and uniform.

3.1.1 The Farmer’s Green Book

The Farmer’s green book is a record-keeping tool that farmers use to record their daily

interactions with various agricultural advisors from government and outside government.

This tool serves as a record keeping system for the farmers. The green book which was

developed in English and further translated, is available in all eleven (11) official

languages, i.e. Afrikaans, English, isiXhosa, isiZulu, siSwati, isiNdebele, Sepedi,

Setswana, Sesotho, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. This book was developed in 2008/9 and it

was piloted in 2009/10. It was adopted in 2010 and evaluated in 2011/12 financial year.

During the past six years over 38 000 green books have been printed and utilised by

farmers nationwide. Provinces such as Western Cape were innovative to digitalise the

Farmer’s green book to be incorporated into the Digital pen system.

3.1.2 The Digital Pen System

The Digital pen is a tool used by Extension Practitioners for information management

and project monitoring purposes. It utilises a digitalised form and a pen that records,

digitalises and stores information. The other tool needed for its effective use, is a

compatible smart cellphone. This tool provides real time information which the

Practitioner records in the field during interaction with producers through the server to

the relevant viewers. The system also allows for attachment of pictures and it records

the location where the information was recorded.

Due to poor record keeping and projects monitoring especially government funded

projects, DAFF adopted this tool and recommended to provinces to procure this tool

through ERP funding. It was after the Western Cape had piloted the tool in 2009 that in

2010 all provinces embarked on a full scale roll-out. The table below indicates the

number of pens procured and the level of their use.


Table 2: Number of Digital pens procured and used by Practitioners

Province No of pens procured No of pens active No of registered projects

EC 350 195 -

FS 150 96 681

GP 120 96 915

KZN 504 81 302

LP 700 323 655

MP 260 175 427

NC 110 47 157

NW 250 120 -

WC 200 120 1 059

Total 2 644 1 253 4 196

Table 2 shows that a total of 2 644 pens were procured nationally. It further shows that 1

253 are actively being utilised and have registered a total of 4 196 projects were

registered. As seen on the table, the low usage of the Digital pen system is due to none

compatibility with the cell phones that some Practitioners already had (Limpopo), the

delay in the procurement of the system (Eastern Cape) and the delay in printing of

relevant forms (North West). The other challenge is a slow pace in the approval of the

forms sent in by Extension Practitioners by relevant authorities hence they are not

validated for storing in the server. The strengthening of the use of the Digital pen system

as an information management and project monitoring tool is very critical.

3.1.3 Vehicles

One of the factors impeding the visibility and accountability of Extension and Advisory

Practitioners is the inability to reach the producers because of the unavailability of

transport. To address this challenge, the provinces procured vehicles through the

subsidy scheme and state vehicles. Over six years, a total of 72 vehicles have been

procured under this pillar. The operational costs are borne by the provinces through their

equitable share which still poses a challenge that even though vehicles are available but

they are not utilised optimally due to limited funds availability.

3.1.4 Uniform


In order for the Extension and Advisory Practitioners to be visible to producers, the

general public and to be professional, the use of an identifiable uniform has been

recommended. DAFF developed a draft policy on uniform in 2009 but this deliverable

was put on hold during 2010/11 financial year due to focus being shifted to other areas

which were of major priority such as the information management system (Digital pen

system). KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng went ahead and provided Extension and Advisory

Practitioners while Western Cape provided name tags, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and

North West have provided protective clothing. The branding of these items provided is

province specific and in the future one Extension and Advisory Services of South Africa

logo like the universal Veterinary or LandCare logos will be utilised for the whole country

guided by the policy on uniform.

3.2 Pillar 2: Improving Image and Promoting Professionalism of Extension

The Norms and Standards for Extension and Advisory Services in Agriculture set the

basis for a professional service by putting into perspective the skills and competencies

required in provision of Extension and Advisory Services, institutional arrangements in

mechanisms for delivery of advisory services and implementation guidelines in relation

to suitable extension model or approach. This document took cognisance that different

organisations in collaboration with government have a role to play in extension service

delivery. To put the proclamations on the Norms and Standards in practice, the ERP

document of 2008 prescribed for the establishment of the statutory body to guide and

uphold the image of extension and putting in place the award system in recognition of

service excellence. They mostly prescribed for the strengthening of the linkage between

extension, training and research. In improving the image and professionalism of

extension, this review focuses on the achievements in terms of extension conferences,

provincial awards, extension as a field of practice and extension partnerships.

3.2.1 Extension Conferences

As part of improving image and professionalism, the ERP framework prescribed for

provinces to host extension conferences to provide a platform for information sharing

where all the experts in the field convene and deliberate on extension related issues.

This gathering also encourages presentation of papers by Extension Practitioners on

topical issues on which research was conducted. Not all provinces hosted the provincial


awards during the past six years, the table below shows those provinces which did host

them.

Table 3: Provinces hosting extension conferences from 2008/9 to 2013/14

Provincial Extension conferences held Year of hosting

1. Free State 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13

2. Gauteng 2011/12

3. Limpopo 2009/10, 20010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14

4. Mpumalanga 2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14

5. Northern Cape 2009/10

6. North West 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14

7. Western Cape 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14

Table 3 shows that seven provinces hosted annual provincial extension conferences.

The non-listed provinces, never hosted any conference at a provincial level rather held

district summits in some of the years.

3.2.2 PROVINCIAL AWARDS

In 2009, DAFF developed the National Framework on the award system to guide

provinces on how to go about awarding best Extension and Advisory Practitioners who

exceptionally performs in their area of work. Over and above recognising good work, this

framework also motivates and encourages all Extension Practitioners to go an extra mile

in serving their clients. All provinces adopted the framework and customised it to suite

their provinces’ individualistic characteristics.

To honour those Extension and Advisory Practitioners who excel in their area of work,

the Members of Executive Council (MEC) of Agriculture in provinces hosted the awards

ceremonies during provincial conferences. The MECs awarded the outstanding

performance by Extension and Advisory Practitioners in different categories as outlined

in the Awards System Framework namely: Top performer/s in the category of

Agricultural Advisor, Top performer/s in the category of Senior Agricultural Advisor, Top

performer/s in the category of Subject Matter Specialist, Top Performer in the category of

Supervisor and Top Performer/s in the category of Support Services. Awarding of the


outstandingly performing Extension Practitioners was not consistent and varied from

province to province. The table below indicates Extension and Advisory Services

winners who were awarded with provincial awards dating back from 2010.

Table 4: Extension Practitioners rewarded for excellent performance in different categories

Year Place Top performer/s – Agric. advisor

Top performer/s supervisor

Top performer/s subject matter specialist

2009/10 Limpopo1st Grobler RJ Greeff BF Maake LP2nd Maake ML Nethononda LO Sithomela M3rd Tlolana LF - -

2010/11 Limpopo1st Netshithuthuni

NCMpe BA Nevhufumba L

2nd Raseruthe MP Matlou JM Munyai M3rd Mokhudu D Radamba MS Tshabutse TE

Free State1st Van Loggenburg

R Mofutsanyane MS -

2nd Van der Westhuizen M

Mahne CJ -

2011/12 Limpopo1st Moriri SC Schoeman C Makhura TD2nd Rathongwa AT Diale NR Morutse MH3rd Kgoelele Mbedzi SE Napo LM

Free State1st Van der Walt G Willemse T Mphahlele PK2nd Malate TB Smith CTB Mane CJ

Mpumalanga1st Madonsela R Ratshidzea P Mhlanga J

Western Cape1rd September W Cronje A Dr P.R Botha

2012/13 Free State1st Ntsoetsa BJ Dr J Van

Rensburg-

2nd Van Der Walt GA

Willemse MJ -

Limpopo

1st M.J. Manganyi G. Coetzer T.R. Napo


Year Place Top performer/s – Agric. advisor

Top performer/s supervisor

Top performer/s subject matter specialist

2nd V.G. Lengwate C. Mojela N.M. Mamaila3rd N.D Mabitsela J.K. Legodi Napo L.M.

2013/14 Limpopo1st Netshithuthuni

N.CMakhura T.D C,Ratshidzea

2nd Tshiambwa T.C Morutse M.H -North West

1st K. Sereo Mr D. Mache -2nd K. Senosi Mrs T. Mosadi -

KwaZulu-Natal

1st B Gcaba T Xulu -2nd K Dlamini P Jele -

MpumalangaPlace Land reform

projectInfrastructure Project

Masibuyele Emasimini

1st J. Skosana H. Mphahlele MM Monyamane2nd A. Magolela RT Malumane L.W Kutu3rd ME Ramashapa MS Mahasha ST Ngemntu

Place Female Farmer LandCare CASP project1st NC Mazhaka BG Mbuyane MC Mamabolo2nd SV Tsela MG Shivambu ES Dlamini3rd NC Mhlongo SJ Mathebula A. Sibuyi

Table 4 indicates that in the first three categories were almost consistent; it is in only in

2013/14 whereby Mpumalanga awarded Practitioners in terms of programmes they

facilitated best.

3.2.2 Extension as a Field Of Practice

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries formally recognised the need for

professionalism in extension in 2005 when it published its report on the “Norms and

Standards for Extension and Advisory Services in Agriculture”. The pillar on improving

the image and professionalism of Extension and Advisory Services of ERP, strives to

fulfil this need. However, although there are a number of regulatory initiatives and

strategies aimed at ensuring improved Extension and Advisory Services, the lack of a


National Extension Framework for registration of Extension Practitioners with a

professional council remained a challenge in South Africa. As an interim measure,

Extension Practitioners were encouraged to register with the Extension Association

called South African Society for Agricultural Extension (SASAE) in order to be

professionally groomed and developed.

In order to address this shortcoming, DAFF developed a National Framework on

Extension as a Field of Practice to formally recognise Extension as a profession and

establish clear categories for the registration of Extension Practitioners with a

professional body. The negotiations with the South African Council for Natural Scientific

Professions (SACNASP) to review and amend Act No. 27 of 2003 for inclusion of

Extension Science as a Field of Practice concluded well. The Minister of Science and

Technology, as a custodian of Science and Technology in South Africa approved the

substitution of Schedule 1 to the Act on the 3rd of December 2013. The Extension

Science Field of Practice was published in Government Gazette Notice No.: 36 on 24

January 2014. The approval came after a series of consultations and negotiations

between DAFF, the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP),

South African Society for Agricultural Extension (SASAE) and other relevant

stakeholders.

The National Framework on Extension as a Field of Practice seeks to ensure a high level

of professionalism and ethical conduct, that is internationally acceptable and in broad

interest of the South African community. This initiative will enable extension to regain the

dignity it deserves by promoting professionalism in Extension and Advisory Services

through the registration of Extension Practitioners with a professional council. The

mission of DAFF is to improve the image and professionalism of Extension Services in

South Africa. This will create the circumstances in which society is confident that the

extension service profession in South Africa is able to carry out the functions necessary

for the socio-economic growth. The categories for registration agreed to are indicated in

the table below.

Table 5: Categorisation of Extension Practitioners for Professional Registration


Category and registration suffix Qualifications and work experience

Professional Extension Scientist

(Pr.Ext.Sc.)

PhD, Masters and 4 years Degree in Ext (120

min credits)

Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience

Candidate Extension Scientist

(Cand.Ext.Sc.)

Same aforementioned qualifications in category

1

Lacks 5 years relevant work experience

Extension Technologist (Ext.Techn.) A recognized extension qualification (60 min

credits)

5 years of relevant work experience

Candidate Extension Technologist

(Cand.Ext.Techn.)

Same aforementioned qualifications in category

3 above.

Lacks 5 years relevant work experience

Associate Extension Technician

(Assoc.Ext.Tech.)

10 years positive extension work but lacks

appropriate academic training

2 credible and independent witnesses to make

submissions

Table 5 shows different categories for registration as well as the required qualifications

and work experience. As indicated in the table, the lowest level of registration is

Associate Extension Technician which requires 10 years of positive extension work but

lacking academic training and the highest being Professional Extension Scientist

possessing a PhD, Masters and 4years Degree in Extension and minimum of 5 years

working experience.

3.2.3 Extension Partnerships

In attempts of creating a platform for learning, information sharing and strengthening

research linkages, local and international stakeholders were engaged. Nationally, a

number of commodity organizations were consulted to obtain a deeper understanding of

the Extension and Advisory Services’ support that they require from government as well

as the services that they (in partnership with government) can provide to agriculture,

forestry and fisheries clientele particularly smallholder producers. The study showed that

a number of commodity organizations have taken proactive steps in terms of providing

support (training in particular) to smallholders farmers.


With the support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

(FAO), the DAFF facilitated the attendance and participation of three smallholder farmers

at the Extension Week which was held in Gaborone, Botswana from the 5 th – 9th August

2013. A total of twenty five (25) government officials participated in the extension week

of which twenty two (22) of them were representatives from the various Provincial

Departments of Agriculture (PDAs) and three (3) were from the Department of

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF).

With attempts to forge partnerships internationally, partnership possibilities were

explored with French and Japanese. The former entails the collaboration between the

French and South Africa on Capacity Development Initiative in Agriculture (otherwise

known as F’SAGRI). The main objective of this programme is to promote high level

human resource development in scarce skills areas, especially among previously

disadvantaged students, thereby contributing to the national priorities identified in the

Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF). These priorities include Outcome 5: “A

skilled and capable workforce to support the inclusive growth path” and Outcome 7 “A

vibrant, equitable, competitive and sustainable rural communities with food security for

all”.

DAFF is also in partnership (no formal agreement yet) with the Japanese through the

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Smallholder Horticulture

Empowerment Programme (SHEP). This programme aims to promote “market-oriented”

agriculture, which is effective for increasing income of smallholder farmers in Africa.

Three officials from Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga were selected to visit

Kenya in order to get a clear understanding and meaning of market-oriented agriculture.

With a clear understanding of the market-oriented agriculture concept, participants would

formulate an Action Plan based on their learning and observation, which will be

implemented in South Africa.

3.3 Pillar 3: Recruitment of Extension and Advisory Services Practitioners

The drive behind the recruitment of Extension and Advisory Practitioners is to attain an

ideal extension: producer ratio as recommended by the Norms and Standards for

Extension and Advisory Services in Agriculture for 2005. The Norms and Standards

identified that the most common challenge of the extension services relates to the lack of


capacity. The demand for advisory services varies according to the nature of production

practices as well as the state of advancement. The market oriented producers are often

serviced through a higher extension: producer ratios while the subsistence through a low

extension producer ratio. The recommended ratios are as indicated in the table below.

Table 6: Recommended extension: producer ratio

Scale of operation Nature of operation

Crops Livestock Mixed

Subsistence and

household

1:400 1:500 1:500

Semi-commercial/

smallholder

1:250 1:250 1:300

Market oriented and

large commercial

1:500 1:500 1:500

3.3.1 Extension: producer ratio prior ERP implementation

The profiling study on government-employed extension and advisory services conducted

in 2007 to assess its capacity, revealed that there were 2 210 Extension and Advisory

Practitioners nationally. The highest number was in Limpopo (30%) followed by Eastern

Cape at 28% and the lowest in Gauteng and Northern Cape with 1% respectively. The

spread of Practitioners per province, producers (extrapolated from the population) and

ratios are indicated in the table below.

Table 7: Extension: producer ratio in 2007

Province No. of Practitioners No of Producers – extrapolated from

the population

Extension: producer ratio

EC 623 671 695 1:<600-3000

FS 70 25 583 1:<400-600

GP 29 9 502 1:1000-2600

KZN 360 354 776 1:<400-3000

LP 666 590 259 1:<600-3000

MP 189 168 717 1:<600-800

NC 23 13 114 1:483-570


Province No. of Practitioners No of Producers – extrapolated from

the population

Extension: producer ratio

NW 137 64 235 1:<600-1000

WC 119 30 669 1:<200-800

Total 2 210 1 928 820 1:542-1 707

Table 7 shows that a total of 2 210 Practitioners were responsible for 1, 9 million

producers in 2007. Provinces which had a ratio closer to the recommended one of 1:500

were Free State, Northern Cape and Western Cape. If practical extension: producer ratio

was to be achieved for instance a ratio of 1:250, a total of 7 706 Practitioners would be

needed. If the ratio was to be 1:500, a total of 3 559 would be needed for 1, 9 million

producers (the speculated ratios did not take into consideration diversity of producers in

terms of enterprises).

3.3.2 Recruitment of Extension Practitioners

The ERP document aimed to recruit Advisors and Subject Matter Specialists. This is in

line with the Guidelines of the implementation of grading levels in Extension of 2009,

which recognized only three titles in Extension and Advisory Services namely:

Agricultural Advisor, Senior Agricultural Advisor and Specialist Agricultural Advisor. As

indicated in the table below, a total of 2 001 was therefore a target (planned recruitment)

for the years 2008/9 to 2013/14.

Table 8: Number of targeted and recruited Extension Practitioners as at end 2013/14

Province Target and recruited Practitioners TOTAL

2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14

Target 396 272 253 388 378 324 2 001

EC 139 86 19 0 0 14 258FS 26 8 4 16 0 0 54GP 62 0 52 0 9 0 123KZN 0 38 197 235 0 0 470LP 55 43 39 14 0 0 151MP 22 13 9 31 14 21 110NC 16 4 5 7 4 0 36NW 15 8 21 0 0 49 93


Province Target and recruited Practitioners TOTAL

2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14

WC 15 17 17 7 0 0 56Total 350 217 346 310 27 84 1 351

Table 8 shows that a total of 1 351 Extension Practitioners were recruited on a

permanent basis during the six years period. It further shows that KwaZulu-Natal

recruited most number of Practitioners (470) and Northern Cape the least (36). Overall

the table indicates that a target of 2 001 was planned and the achievement was 1 351

Extension Practitioners recruited. The challenge indicated by most provinces hindering

full scale recruitment was the lack of assurance of continued existence of ERP funding

for further maintenance of the recruited Practitioners since it is a conditional grant.

3.3.3 Extension: Producer ratio after 6 years of ERP implementation

Recruitment of additional 1 351 Extension Practitioners increased human capacity of on

the ground from 2 210 in 2007 to 3 602 in 2013/14. The Stats SA, General Household

Survey of 2013, indicates that there is a total of 2.82 million producers actively practicing

agriculture which implies that 3 602 Extension Practitioners are responsible for rendering

Extension Services to those producers. The table below looks at two scenarios

demonstrating the status of extension: producer ratio at the end of 2013/14.

Table 9: Extension: producer ratio as at end of 2013/14

ProvinceSCENARIO A SCENARIO B

No. of total Practitioners

No. of producers

(in thousands)

Extension: producer

ratio

No. of Practitioners with 4 year

qualification

No. of producers

(in thousands)

Extension: producer

ratio

EC 794 583 1:734 332 583 1:2 569

FS 124 176 1:1 419 108 176 1:1 629

GP 130 176 1: 1 354 115 176 1:1 530

KZN 1 044 625 1:599 800 625 1:781

LP 817 658 1:805 489 658 1:1 346

MP 263 349 1:1 326 204 349 1:1 710


ProvinceSCENARIO A SCENARIO B

No. of total Practitioners

No. of producers

(in thousands)

Extension: producer

ratio

No. of Practitioners with 4 year

qualification

No. of producers

(in thousands)

Extension: producer

ratio

NC 59 35 1:593 48 35 1:729

NW 250 170 1:680 215 170 1:790

WC 121 47 1:388 104 47 1:452

Total 3 602 2 820 1:878 2 415 2 820 1: 1 009

Table 9 indicates the existing scenarios A which shows the total number of individuals

practicing Extension and the number of producers they are serving and existing

extension: producer ratio. As indicated in existing scenario A, 3 602 Practitioners are

responsible for 2. 82 million producers and the extension to producer ratio is 1:878 on

average. This shows improvement in extension: producer ratio compared to 1:1 707 of

2007. The purpose of bringing these two scenarios is to indicate that as much as in

existing scenario A the ratio has improved, about 1 187 (33%) Practitioners’ credibility to

provide advice is questionable in terms of the Norms and Standards. These individuals

possess less than a four year qualification. This may be one of the causes leading to

Extension and Advisory Services being deemed inefficient and having this negative

perception and image presently due to a third of the cadre lacking expertise and

competency. In 2007, 80 % Extension Practitioners lacked competency and skills to

practice the extension profession efficiently.

The table further shows ideal scenario B which indicates the number of qualified

individuals meeting the minimum requirement of expertise and competency as

prescribed in the Norms and Standards implemented as per the 2009 Guidelines for

implementation of grading levels for Extension Practitioners. Scenario B demonstrates

the qualified Practitioners (2 415) against the total number of producers who are 2. 82

million, the extension: producer ratio is 1: 1 009. Ideally these are individuals who should

be making up the cadre of Extension and Advisory Services in the country. In this

scenario, the portrayed ratio is unrealistic meaning efforts to have more qualified

Practitioners should continue.


3.4 Pillar 4: Reskilling and Reorientation of Extension and Advisory Practitioners

The Norms and Standards recognise the dynamic nature of the agricultural extension

and advisory services profession due to the changing policy environment and clients’

needs. The Norms and Standards therefore prescribe for an extension service that is

well-trained, motivated and has dedicated staff skilled in agricultural production,

business and communication techniques. Since Extension Practitioners core work is to

deal with clients, the Norms and Standards further prescribe for individuals who are

competent in the following areas: Client orientation and customer focus, Communication,

Project Management, Knowledge Management, Service Delivery Innovation, Problem

solving and analysis, Honesty and integrity as well as People management and

empowerment. Under this pillar, the focus is on qualification upgrading and training of

Practitioners in a skills development programme.

3.4.1 Qualification Upgrading

The study on profiling of Government Extension and Advisory Services in 2007

established that only 20% or 438 of the total number of Extension Practitioners (2 210) in

the country possessed the required four year qualification or more to match the

responsibilities that the job required. The Norms and Standards for Extension and

Advisory Services prescribed that for anyone to practice Extension, the qualification

requirements is a four year Bachelor’s Degree. To implement the Norms and Standards,

the job evaluation was conducted and clearly indicated that a minimum of a four year

qualification is required for the Practitioner to deliver the Extension and Advisory

Services. Based on the findings on qualifications of extension cadre of 2007, there was a

need for 1 772 Extension Practitioners to enroll and upgrade their qualifications. The

ERP document therefore required for facilitation of the programmed qualification

upgrading for extension personnel, Recognition of Prior Learning and review of

extension qualification against the qualities of the 21st century cadre. The Extension

Practitioners were therefore registered with institutions of higher learning across the

country for qualification upgrading as indicated below.


Table 10: Qualification status of the Government-employed Extension and Advisory Practitioners in 2007

Province Number of Practitioners

Qualifications Percentage compliance to

Norms and Standards (%)

Less than a four year degree

Degree or more

EC 623 569 54 8.6

FS 70 27 43 61.4

GP 29 7 22 75.8

KZN 360 325 35 9.7

LP 666 517 149 22.3

MP 183 142 41 22.4

NC 23 12 11 47.8

NW 137 80 57 41.6

WC 119 92 27 22.6

Total 2 210 1 772 438 19.8

Table 10 shows that out of 2 210, only 19, 8% complied with the Norms and Standards

of 2005. The table demonstrates that the highest number of Practitioners who did not

meet the required requirements was from Eastern Cape followed by KwaZulu-Natal then

Limpopo while Gauteng, Free State and Northern Cape were at a 75, 61, and 47%

respectively.

Table 11: Number of Extension Practitioners registered (yearly) for qualification upgrading and completing annually at over the six years period (most upgrading took a minimum of two years on average)

Province No. of Practitioners registered (yearly) for qualification upgrading and those who completed

2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14

EC 0 225 134 225 134 222

FS 6 25 26 24 10 12

GP 0 0 7 9 0 7

KZN 12 49 215 209 377 55

LP 0 129 95 94 36 14

MP 0 131 65 82 46 69


Province No. of Practitioners registered (yearly) for qualification upgrading and those who completed

2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14

NC 15 16 20 20 9 15

NW 0 40 67 75 70 0

WC 0 31 41 46 32 25

Total 33 646 670 784 714 419

No. completing - - 81 107 142 45

Table 11 shows the number of Extension Practitioners registered for qualification

upgrading in each year and the number is non accumulative. The table further indicates

those completing each year from 2010/11 till 2013/14. As indicated in the table, during

2012/13 a high number of Practitioners (142) completed their studies. Contributing to this

good achievement might be the pressure to meet deadline set by the Guidelines on the

implementation of grading levels of 2009 which stipulated that by 2013 all Extension

Practitioners should have attained a four year qualification.

3.4.2 Compliance to Norms and Standards in terms of minimum qualification requirements (four year qualification)

Table 12: Number of Extension Practitioners complying with Norms and Standards by 2013/14

Province No. of Extension

Practitioners

Qualifications Percentage compliance to

Norms and Standards (%)

Less than a degree

Degree or more

EC 794 462 332 41FS 124 16 108 87GP 130 15 115 88KZN 1 044 244 800 77LP 817 328 489 60MP 263 59 204 78NC 59 11 48 81NW 250 35 215 86WC 121 17 104 86Total 3 602 1 187 2 415 76


Table 12 indicates that out of 3 602 Extension Practitioners, a total of 1 187 are having a

qualification less than four years while 2 415 have a four year qualification and more.

The table further indicates that the level of compliance to the Norms and Standards for

required minimum qualification is at 76%. The attributing factor to change of situation is

the results of qualification upgrading and recruiting Extension Practitioners who possess

the required qualifications.

3.4.3 Training on skills development programme

The profiling study of 2007 revealed that out of 2 210 Extension Practitioners only 204

had completed training in communication, 238 completed project management, 140

completed computer training and only 143 had completed training in people

management and empowerment. ERP therefore was to ensure that all employed

Extension Practitioners are trained in a skills development programme classified as

generic soft, technical and ICT skills. DAFF has also contributed to the training of

Extension Practitioners in generic soft skills through FAO –DAFF Capacity Building

Agreement; the numbers of trained Extension Practitioners were incorporated in the

table below.

Table 13: Number of training opportunities offered for the skills development programme

Category of TrainingNumber of training opportunities

2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14

Generic Soft Skills (GSS) 730 498 385 1 076 367 777Technical Skills (TS) 266 1 206 771 810 623 455ICT Skills 268 642 791 707 967 752

Table 13 shows the categories of skills provided training during the past six years. Skills

classified under Generic Soft Skills include courses such as Project Management,

Conflict Management, Customer Care, Communication etc. Under Technical Skills

courses included Broiler Production, Vegetable Production, De-horning etc. on ICT,

training focused mostly on International Computer Driver’s License, Digital pen usage.

3.5 Pillar 5: Provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and other resources


The Extension Practitioners who are sources of information for producers need to keep

abreast with relevant, updated and reliable information. In this era, ICT plays a pivotal

role in the dissemination of information. ICT gadgets are therefore prone to abuse and

loss, hence the ERP document prescribed for the development of the ICT policy to

standardize the supply of ICT equipment and to guard against misuse of gadgets. DAFF

therefore developed a draft ICT policy in 2008. In order for provinces to regard Extension

Recovery Plan as an enabler for them and to mobilise the extension services not a

stand-alone programme, the use of ICT is therefore guided by provincial ICT policy of

the respective Provincial Departments of Agriculture. The standard was therefore set by

DAFF that for ICT provision, a package should be constituted as per provincial needs but

preferably comprising of a Laptop, cell phone, 3G modem and a Digital pen in order to

access information on the spot during the interaction with the producers. These tools

provided were accompanied by training on their use as elaborated in the preceding

section of the skills development programme.

3.5.1 Extension Suite Online (ESO) utilization

The implementation of the Extension Recovery Plan has highlighted an urgent need for

the adaptation of a decision support system for agricultural extension in South Africa.

Extension and Advisory Practitioners need a quick access to relevant, appropriate and

timely information. The Extension Suite Online is a decision support system (internet

based) which provides information that enables the Extension and Advisory Practitioners

to provide advice to producers during the interaction on the farm. The DAFF studied the

benefits/value of utilizing such a system in order to improve service delivery by the

Extension Practitioners to producers and found it most efficient. It was therefore,

recommended to provinces that they procure this system during 2009/10 financial year

sourcing funds from the ICT pillar of ERP. The provinces had to provide funding for

installation, maintenance, aftercare and training on the use of the system.

Provinces which managed to install the system in 2009/10 were North West, Eastern

Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape. The process of procurement was

dragging and there was no uniformity in the provision of the system amongst the

provinces. In June 2010, DAFF together with the provinces decided on centralizing the

system to be coordinated nationally. The service provider of the system was then

contracted to provide maintenance and aftercare in support of the Extension Suite

Online. The maintenance and aftercare of the system has since been funded by DAFF.

The figure below presents the registration of users during the past four years.


Table 14: National consolidated number of ESO new registration of users per year

Province 2010 2011 2012 2013

EC 264 159 27 172FS 170 62 5 5GP 122 60 25 22

KZN 421 79 250 432LP 144 334 169 188MP 110 122 33 31NC 76 23 11 174NW 131 6 20 11WC 314 27 34 8

National Annual Total 1 752 872 574 1043National Cumulative Total 1 752 2 624 3 198 4 241

National % growth from year 1 301 557 407

Table 14 shows the number of total registration of users of ESO and the growth in the

number of registered users per year. It furthers shows that the highest number of new

registrations was in 2010 and the least in 2012.

Table 15: Registered ESO users against active users at end of March 2014

Registered ESO users Active ESO users Non-active ESO users

4 241 2 750 1 491

Table 15 indicates that out of 4 241 registered users, 2 750 are actively using the

system. Active users are individuals who access the system on a regular basis, to view

or download the information. The non-active users are those individuals who only

registered and received passwords but had never logged onto the system. The 4 241

registered users, include a total of 85 DAFF officials. The table further shows that 1 491

registered user’s accounts are inactive. Continuous training is provided to ensure

effective utilization of the system, the challenge cited by provinces such as Eastern

Cape, as a cause of low utilization of the system is poor internet connectivity.

3.5.2 ESO Top Users


The following ESO users were recognized for being top national users in each financial

year over the past four years. The top national users’ names were presented with

various prizes to acknowledge and encourage the use of the system. The value in the

use of the system has been realized by the direct linkage of the top users of the system

to being the best performing officials in some of the categories for provincial Extension

and Advisory Services Awards.

Table 16: National Consolidated Top Users of ESO

Year Province Name Rating

2010 EC Vukile Samuel Gqodwana 4 921

2011 GP Lesego Phakedi 5 695

2012 GP Vhuthu Gavhi 6 648

2013 EC Sindile Magoda 10 016

Table 16 shows that over the past four years of ESO implementation, overall top users

are from two provinces Eastern Cape and Gauteng. The table further indicates the rating

each user acquired which was the highest for Sindile Magoda (EC) and lowest for Vukile

Samuel (EC). The points rating is based on the visits to the system, number of pages

visited and the duration of visits. The system users see value and keep on searching for

information hence top users ranked in the top ten users on a yearly basis.

4. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

4.1 Allocation of Funds to Provinces

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries approached the National Treasury

to fund the Extension Recovery Plan. Financial resources in a form of a grant, to the

value of R1. 524 billion were made allocated for ERP implementation over the six year

period. The ERP is a schedule 4 grant-funded plan, administered through the Division of

Revenue Act (DORA). The allocation from the National Treasury is done to the national

department (DAFF), which then further transfers the funds to the provinces for the

implementation of the plan.

4.2 Funding Range


Funds allocations for the six year period were in accordance with the priorities and

needs as identified by DAFF and in consultation with provinces. The funding range was

put into place to create flexibility in allocating funds per pillar.

Fig. 1: ERP pillars funding range in percentages

4.3 ERP Fund Allocation for 2008/09 to 2013/14 Financial Years

The allocation of funds to provinces is based on the recommendations and findings

outlined in the report on Profiling of Government Extension and Advisory Services, 2007.

Provinces which the report identified to have an acute human resource capacity gap

received substantial funding. These were the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo

and Mpumalanga. Provinces with healthier Extension and Advisory Services received

the balance of the funding. These were the Free State, Northern Cape, North West and

Western Cape. Table 16 shows the funds allocation for the past six years.

Table 17: ERP Gazetted budget for the period 2008/9 to 2013/14

PROVINCE

DORAGAZETTED

R'000TOTAL AMOUNT

GAZETTED

2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2008/09 – 2013/14


EC 16 828 31 337 65 635 70 731 74 268 78 183 336 982

FS 9 177 15 169 22 252 23 980 25 179 26 854 122 611

GP 4 735 9 922 16 202 17 460 18 333 18 695 85 347

KZN 16 458 23 850 38 136 41 097 43 153 44 190 206 884

LP 15 162 30 891 60 767 65 485 68 759 71 384 312 448

MP 9 912 15 388 23 112 24 906 26 151 27 194 126 663

NC 6 881 12 781 19 637 21 162 22 220 27 877 110 558

NW 12 793 15 600 20 273 21 847 22 939 23 794 117 246

WC 8 054 15 825 18 740 20 195 21 204 21 756 105 774

Total 100 000 170 763 284 754 306 863 322 206 339 927 1 524 513

Table 17 shows that the financial resources through ERP have increased over the period

from R100 million in 2008/09 to R340 million in 2013/14. By the end of the 2013/14 more

than R 1, 5 billion had been allocated for implementation of ERP. As seen on the table,

Eastern Cape received a sizeable amount totaling R337million for the duration of six

years while Gauteng received only of R85 million.

4.4 ERP Allocations per Pillar from 2008/09 to 2013/14

The gazetted funds allocated to provinces were further broken down to allocations per

pillar. This measure was put in place to standardize the allocation and spending of funds

into the priotised deliverables. The table below indicates the compliance to the

recommended funding range per pillar of: Visibility and accountability (3-10%), Image

and professionalism (2-10%), Recruitment (45-55%), Reskilling and reorientation (5-8%)

and ICT provision (30-32%)

Table 18: ERP allocations per pillar for the past 6 years

PILLARS Budget Allocation Per PillarR’000

Total %

2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14


100 000 170 763 284 754 306 863 322 206 339 927 1 524 513 100

Visibility 0 4 774 14 610 26 846 36 762 53 967 136 959 9

Image 0 3 165 14 719 14 953 24 878 27 244 84 959 6

Recruitment 58 000 89 446 142 104 160 583 127 529 124 334 701 996 46

Reskilling 10 181 21 948 29 624 26 501 46 197 38 025 172 476 11

ICT provision 32 001 50 271 78 611 77 976 85 301 96 372 420 532 28

Table 18 shows the spread of funds allocation per pillar. It further indicates that the pillar

which received most allocation was recruitment at 46% followed by ICT at 28%. The pillar

which was allocated least funds was image and professionalism. This shows a general

compliance to the recommended funding range.

4.5 ERP Budget Allocation and Expenditure from 2008/09 to 2013/14

During each financial year, Provincial Departments of Agriculture which are

implementers of the ERP develop Annual Business Plans with expressive targets and

deliverables for the following year. The Business Plans are scrutinized by DAFF

(National Assessment Panel) in accordance with the annual framework and the Division

of Revenue Act prescripts, and upon satisfaction they are recommended for approval by

the Minister. Upon approval, the process of transfers of funds unfolds at the beginning of

the year and every subsequent quarter (four disbursements). Provinces are expected to

utilize the funds according to the approved business plans and for any deviation to plans,

a request to deviate must be requested and approved by DAFF. The monitoring of the

implementation of approved plans is conducted by DAFF on a quarterly basis in the form

of Quarterly Review Meetings and provincial verification visits. Provinces also submit

monthly financial and quarterly non-financial reports to DAFF. The quarterly reports from

provinces are consolidated by DAFF for submission to National Treasury. At the end of

the financial year, provinces provide annual reports which are consolidated by DAFF to a

National Annual Report. Table 21 indicates the budget and the percentage of the

expenditure for the past six years.

Table 19: ERP budget allocation and expenditure from 2008/09 to 2013/14

Items Gazetted Budget and expenditure for six yearsR’000

2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 TOTAL


Budget Allocation

100 000 170 763 284 754 306 863 322 206 339 927 1 524 513

Expenditure 81 617 153 393 261 838 295 392 322 206 339 927 1 454 373

Unspent funds 18 383 17 370 22 916 11 471 0 0 70 140

Expenditure % 82 90 92 96 100 100 95

Table 19 indicates the funds allocation during the six year period as well as the

expenditure incurred. It further shows the percentage expenditure over a six year period.

As seen on the table, during 2012/13 and 2013/14 all allocated funds were spent. The

notable under expenditure was in 2008/9 of 82%. The overall expenditure on ERP is

95% for the duration of six years. This is a good indication that indeed the financial

resource to improve the state of Extension and Advisory Services in the country is

needed and utilized.

5. Challenges

The Extension Recovery Plan has successfully put in place the initial base from which

Extension Services can grow through its recruitment, resourcing, reskilling and

professionalising of the service. However the coordination (through policy directive) of

the service is still in the process of being formulated which until then remains cause of

concern on the actual role and responsibilities of the service. This alone brings a

negative perception of the service. Often than not, Extension and Advisory Services is

accused of being invisible while the actual issue is the misunderstanding of what should

the service provide. To this date, it remains a challenge how to measure the impact of

the service and this is due to the nature of the service. These are some of the issues

which will be solved by the implementation of the Policy on Extension and Advisory

Services which is still a draft at this point.

Strides have been made over the years to have an effective linkage one way between

Extension and Research by information dissemination through ESO; however there is

still a grey area (two way communications) which still needs to be strengthened. On the

other hand, relationships with other stakeholders have been forged and they are seen to

be valuable for empowerment of government Extension and Advisory Services as well

as producers. This however needs to be well coordinated and formalized.


Another challenge which has been voiced out in different platforms is the irrelevance of

the formal skills on Extension and Advisory Services. Currently, the institutions of higher

learning produce graduates who are not fully competent in this field. This is due to the

curriculum which was developed years ago only designed to service the commercial

sector. With the number of Smallholder Producers growing everyday with different a set

of demands, Extension and Advisory Services finds itself in a tight corner in delivering

exactly what is needed.

The above challenge links directly with the unrealistic extension to producer ratio that

still exists in the service. Whilst ERP has facilitated through the appointment of over 1

300 extra Extension Practitioners, the gap is still very huge. With the total number of

Extension and Advisory Practitioners being at 3 602 currently of whom a third is not

qualified in terms of the Norms and Standards, an additional personnel of more than 6

000 Practitioners who are properly qualified are still needed to attend the 2, 8 million

producers (mostly smallholder and subsistence). Delaying the process of recruitment,

has however been due to the lack of assurance for the PDA’s on how long would the

ERP grant be available for, since they do not have enough budget to take over the

responsibility of extra recruited Practitioners.

It has been a notable challenge that the use of ICT tools is not at a peak. The mostly

mentioned challenges are the lack of connectivity, delays in maintenance of the tools in

case they are at fault, limited training on the use of tools. These challenges are mostly

experienced by the older Extension and Advisory Practitioners. As much as ERP

afforded allowance in terms of procurement of vehicles in order for Extension

Practitioners to reach their clients, challenges were then on the limited number of

kilometers officials are allowed to travel per month which then impedes them from

visiting their clients after the limit has been reached.

With the implementation of other ERP deliverables, re-direction of resources impedes

delivery. Most often, the funds allocated for ERP would be utilized for other activities not

aligned to the national framework for ERP.

6. Recommendations and Conclusion

6.1 The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has noted the challenges which

were brought forward by the different stakeholders in the manner in which Extension and


Advisory Services is currently being rendered in the country. The deficiencies are well

known and it is high time to address them. The lack of proper coordination from a policy

perspective could only be addressed by developing the policy and implementation plan.

This process is currently unfolding as the draft policy has been developed and is being

consulted. Upon approval/finalization of the policy, it is therefore recommended that a

long term plan (20 years) be drawn by the department which will stipulate where it

foresees the service and outcomes over the long term period.

6.2 Linkages between extension and research have remained a challenge, it is

recommended that the relationship be strengthened. There must be a clear line of

communication between the department, private sector, research and the institutions of

higher learning. The extension triangle which demonstrates the linkages between

extension, research and producers needs to be considered because the three are

interlinked.

6.3 It is therefore recommended the different institutions should take note of the producers’

needs and prioritize them when planning research. Amongst other methods, provide

feedback to farmers through a more suitable method. The Extension and Advisory

Services Practitioners should continuously be trained in order to capacitate them to

transfer relevant technologies in an appropriate manner. Development of innovations is

also key in this regard but caution should be taken not to ignore the indigenous

knowledge systems of the producers. Actually, innovation by producers is highly

encouraged. Without research very little can be effectively done by Extension and

Advisory Services to uplift the lives of producers.

6.4 Another recommended strategy to strengthen stakeholder engagement is in a form of

collaboration in all issues relating to the Extension and Advisory Services. This refers to

the establishment of forums at different levels such as Districts, Provincial and National.

These structures will have representation from the private sector, research, farmer

organizations, commodity organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs),

training institutions etc. Sharing of information, knowledge and experiences as well as

coming up with innovations, research needs will all be dealt with in such fora.

6.5 The Extension and Advisory Services cadre should be competent in the line with the

Public Service Regulations of 2001. These Regulations prescribe for the Extension and

Advisory Services Practitioners to be competed in Client orientation and customer focus,


Communication, Project management, Knowledge management, Service delivery

innovation, Problem solving and analysis, Honesty and integrity and People

management and empowerment. The Norms and Standards for Extension and Advisory

Services also recognized that the service needs a cadre who is well-trained, dedicated,

motivated and skilled in agricultural production (scientific and technical expertise),

business (economics, marketing and financial management expertise), and extension

and communication techniques.

6.6 There is a challenge of misalignment of the curricula in extension with what is demanded

by the market, it is recommended that a curricula review be conducted with clear

recommendations on the correct curricula mix that should be adopted by institutions of

higher learning. It is also recommended that the curricula must incorporate an element of

practical experience in order to prepare students for the real life situation in the field.

There should be a system in place to recognize prior learning (RPL) by the institutions of

higher learning.

6.7 The recommendation on recruitment is to continue to recruit since the Extension

Practitioner: Producer ratio is still too high. Caution should be taken therefore that

recruitment should be done right meaning people with relevant skills, qualifications

should be recruited. It is also recommended that for the new recruits coming straight

from tertiary institutions without hands on experience, that they shadow experienced

Extension Practitioners or willing Producers to gain the necessary experience. In the

future, the curricula should have inbuilt practical experience on the field work before

qualification for a degree is bestowed.

6.8 This is the technology era as it assists in reducing the turnaround time for service

delivery. ICT tools assist in doing business efficiently and effectiveness. In Extension

and Advisory Services ICT tools have been introduced and adopted even though the

adoption rate is low. It is therefore critical that when tools are adopted, training on such

tools should accompany the tools provided. Thorough research needs assessment

should also be conducted to ensure that the tools provided are actually the tools needed

by the Practitioners. It is recommended that as the grant allocation increases on an

annual basis and more Extension and Advisory Practitioners should be appointed and

the provinces should also budget sufficient operational budget.


6.9 This report has indicated the level of success in improving capacity in Extension and

Advisory Services in terms of Practitioners, skills and tools. It is without doubt that the

Extension Recovery Plan has succeeded in improving capacity of the Extension and

Advisory Services Practitioners throughout all nine provinces. It is yet to be established if

the well-resourced Extension and Advisory Services Practitioners through ERP have

made impact to the producers who are at the receiving end of this service.


7. REFERENCES

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES. 2005. Norms and Standards for Extension and Advisory Services.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES. 2007. Report on the profiling of the current government employed extension and advisory service officers.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES. 2008. Extension Recovery Plan.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES. 2013. Agricultural Policy Action Plan.

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.2011. New Growth Path: Framework

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES. 2013. National Food and Nutrition Security Policy

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES. 2002. Integrated Food Security Strategy (IFSS)

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES. 2009. Guidelines for implementation of grading levels for Extension

NATIONAL TREASURY: MEDIUM TERM STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK. 2014. Government Outcomes

NATIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION, 2011. National Development Plan Vision 2030

PRESIDENCY: THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Act 108 of 1996

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, Act No. 6 of 2012. Division of Revenue Act (DORA).

STATISTICS SOUTH AFRICA. 2013. General Household Survey


Documents

A six year review on the implementation of an extension ...nda.agric.za/doaDev/topMenu/DoAProgrammes... · Web view4.4 ERP allocations per pillar from 2008/09 to 2013/14 25 4.5 ERP