Part II. Certificate of Consent
II. PART B
1. Based on your experience, what to you is extension?
2. How are you involved in the implementation of the University’s extension programs?
Appendix E
CONCEPTS OF EXTENSION-COMMUNICATION PRACTICE IN XY UNIVERSITY
The participants shared that under their university, or a state university system, extension has the following characteristics: 1) is guided by a university mandate; 2) it follows an organizational structure; 3) it implements different
approaches and strategies; 4) it can be internally led; and 5) it can be externally led (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Summary of concepts of how extension-communication in the university
The experiences of the participants provide evidence as to how extension is implemented in a state university. From the narratives, it can be gleaned that
extension is guided by a university mandate, of which they serve as a clearing house of all extension-related work and generally undertake knowledge and technology transfer. Extension also follows an organizational structure where the key players include extension directors, technical experts, and extension staff. It also implements different approaches and strategies such as participatory bottom-up and top-down
approaches. It banks on collaboration and the use of needs assessment and various media. Extension in a state university can also be internally-led which means it is needs/problems-based and depends on the availability of resources. It can also be agriculture- and clients/beneficiaries-based. It is usually short-term and has a pool of experts and manpower. On the other hand, extension can also be externally-led.
This means it is a component of the national/regional research, development, and extension (RDE) program which is why it has a different organizational structure.
They are also independent in conducting research, extension, and monitoring. They are focused on technology promotion and have the means to provide free capital and inputs to their beneficiaries.
These are discussed individually in the next section using the interview transcripts and documents from the participants.
Guided by University Mandate
The extension program of XY University is based on a presidential decree promulgated in 1978 that established the University and provided its mandate to offer education and training in the arts, agricultural and natural sciences, and technological and professional fields through instruction, research, extension, and production. Its extension mandate was further strengthened through Republic Act No. 8292 or the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997 and the Republic Act No. 8435 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) of 1997. The specific provisions are as follows:
• Republic Act No. 8292 (Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997):
o Section 4 (m). “…to establish research and extension centers of the SUC…;
o Section 4 (v). “…to establish policy guidelines and procedures for participative decision-making and transparency within the institution…”
• Republic Act No. 8435 (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997):
o Section 86. “It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote science and technology as essential for national development and progress. The State shall give priority to the utilization of research results through formal and non-formal education, extension and training service.”
o Section 90. “…The extension program of State colleges and
universities shall primarily focus on the improvement of the capability of the LGU extension service by providing a) degree and non-degree training programs; b) technical assistance; c) extension cum research activities; d) monitoring and evaluation of LGU extension projects; and, e) information support services through the tri-media and electronics.”
In the implementation of the aforesaid state policies, the participants’ view of their mandate can be summarized into two—as knowledge and technology transfer and clearinghouse of all extension activities.
Knowledge and technology transfer. The participants explained this process as drawing information from their research results or mature technologies.
They use these in knowledge and information services such as the design and conduct of trainings in communities. This conforms with Khalil et al. (2008) who argued that agricultural extension is a broader concept of implementing projects and delivering knowledge and information, in addition to being a vehicle for disseminating scientific and technical advancements and technology transfer. Ramussen (2002) also recognized extension as an educational process that utilizes scientific and research-based knowledge to address issues and needs at the local level.
Further, knowledge and technology transfer also includes assisting LGUs in extension delivery as mandated by the AFMA. Excerpts from the participants’
narratives indicating these include:
“Pag transfer kasi halimbawa, merong technology pag tinransfer mo sya, nagpa-training ka, tapos natuto sya, actually transfer na yun.”
(In technology transfer, for example, there is a technology, you transfer it when you conduct training and your participants learn from it. That is transfer already.)
– Participant 1, p.11, lines 11-12
“…[the] extension program of SUC… one of our mandates yung technology transfer, yung knowledge and info services, we have to draw info from generated research result, yun dapat ang mga ineextend namin.” (for the extension program of SUC, one of our mandates is technology transfer, knowledge and info services. We have to draw information generated from research. Those are what we are supposed to extend.)
– Participant 2, p.3, lines 3-5
“[M]alaki kasi yung information gap sa mga ganitong technology. Pwede kang mag-extract ng information, not necessarily na technology yun. Meron yung pag sinabing technology, may inventor, merong innovator, ibigay mo sa amin yun kami ang gagawa ng training component nun, kami na ang bahala do’n.” (There is a huge information gap on these technologies. We can extract information, but that does not necessarily mean a technology.
When it comes to technology, there is what we call inventor and innovator.
Give them [technologies] to us and we will take charge of the training component.)
– Participant 2, p.6, lines 7-10
“Noon kasi naabutan kong mature technology nang ibibigay sa extension, tapos sila na bahala, katulad nga nung banana, mushroom, at bamboo.”
(Before there are mature technologies that are forwarded to extension, then they will take it from there, for example, the banana, mushroom, and
bamboo [technologies].) – Participant 5, p.23, lines 5-6
“[B]asically sa extension, hindi naman tayo pwedeng dumiretso sa field, kasi yun naman ang mandate ng LGU. Tayo ang mandate natin sa extension is to really assist the LGUs in the delivery of extension services based on the AFMA.”
(In extension, we cannot just go directly to the people, because that is the mandate of the LGU. On our part, our extension mandate is to assist the LGUs in the delivery of extension services based on the AFMA.)
– Participant 10, p.1, lines 23-26
These descriptions also affirm the role of the academe in providing support to local governments in their agricultural extension service. The partnership between the local government and state colleges has long been practiced with the latter serving as an extension agency to spread and promote the use of practical information on agriculture and home economics (Jones & Garforth, 1997;
Ramussen, 2002).
Clearinghouse. The extension office serves as a gateway for all extension- related activities such as visiting communities and disseminating research results to their intended end-users. This means that all activities that needed to be conducted in the barangay need clearance from the extension office. This entails informing about the activity and coordinating directly with the extension office, so they, in turn, can liaise these activities with the barangay.
These were pointed out by the participants based from these excerpts:
“Hindi naman kasi sila basta-basta na pupunta sa barangay, dadaan talaga sa extension… Yun ang protocol. Parang clearing ano ‘tong office namin.”
(They cannot just go directly to a barangay; they need to course through the extension office…That's the protocol. Our office is like a clearing [house].)
– Participant 1, page 16, lines 12-14
“If you’re a faculty and you want to have research, mag-research ka.
Pero after ng research mo, kailangan may gagamit, may end-user. Ang end user therefore bago lumabas sa university, ay extension.”
(If you’re a faculty and you want to have research, you do research. But after your research, someone has to use it; there should be an end-user.
And before it gets out of the university, it has to pass through extension.)
– Participant 2, p.5, lines 21-23
“What therefore do we extend? Ang ie-extend namin dapat, kami ang gateway eh, kami dapat ang maglalabas ng mga dini-develop ng mga researches, especially if completed na ang mga researches...”
(What therefore do we extend? As gateways, we should extend what were developed through researches, especially of completed
researches).
– Participant 2, pp.4-5, lines 26, 1-2
This supports the claim that the extension system is a linker between the university and the people when it comes to technology dissemination and adoption (Oakley &
Garforth, 1985; Ramussen, 2002) since the university serves as an entry or pathway for the university to go down to the communities.
Follows an Organizational Structure
The participants in the interviews said that the extension system runs by an organizational structure of its organization in the university. Figure 2 presents the extension services organizational structure of XY University directly lifted from their Manual of Operations (Extension Services Manual of Operations, 2014).
XY University’s Extension is headed by the University Extension Director, which is directly under the Vice President for Research and Development, Extension and Training (VP RDET). The VP RDET handles the overall management and
supervision of three services: research and development, extension and training, and knowledge and technology management. Under the University Extension Director are the Campus Extension Directors, who manage ideally four units—
training, applied communication, community outreach, and management information services (MIS)—and the college extension coordinators. At the top of the whole