Developing an Evaluation Framework to Assess the Effectiveness of Extension Programs

Extension program evaluation refers to the systematic and objective process to determine the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact of activities with reference to the program’s performances (Kumar et al., 2023). Results of evaluation can provide valuable insights for further improvements; however, program evaluation remains as one of the most overlooked stages in the extension education process due to reasons such as absence of context-specific evaluation frameworks, time and resources limitations, and poor knowledge of program evaluation. Lack of validated and standardized tools is seen as a considerable barrier impeding extension officers (EOs) when it comes to documenting impacts of extension programs (Diaz et al., 2019). The study attempted to develop a program evaluation framework (PEF) to assess the effectiveness of extension programs in the food crop sector. A mixed method research approach was used. Item generation for the PEF was done using qualitative methods such as literature review and expert interviews. Scale development and validation was performed using quantitative methods such as exploratory factor analysis and reliability testing. Based on the literature review and expert interviews, 10 items were selected for the PEF. Five evaluators rated 16 extension programs based on a report and a presentation session. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software package. The PEF scale proved to be reliable, having internal consistency (α = 0.879, p=0.000). The items selected for the scale included direct and indirect impact of the program, total number of beneficiaries, sustainability, environmental impact, extension methods & strategies, program outcomes, and contribution of the project in achieving national-level agriculture development goals. Study concludes that the scale was proven useful in evaluations. Further research and insights are needed to accommodate participatory evaluation methods into the framework.