Evaluation on the Workshop of Implementing Agricultural Development Plan at Tambon Level

Abstract

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE), Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) held workshops for 926 district level agricultural extension officers from all over the country on "Implementing Agricultural Development Plans at Tambon Level". The objectives were to transfer knowledge, skills and experience in implementing tambon agricultural development plans by participatory techniques involving all concerned persons and offices in the tambon. There were four workshops : one each in Khon Kaen, Phitsanulok, Songkhla and Rayong Province. The methodology emphasized practicums with small group case studies. Each group was has 1 instructor and his trainees for supervising the participants. Research design was action research using qualitative and quantitative techniques. Data were collected by structured questionnaire, semi-structured questionnaire and focus group verification. The objectives of this research were (1) to build up an appropriate curriculum for workshops on Implementing Agricultural Development Plan at Tambon Level ; (2) to study some socio - economics characteristics of agricultural extension officers who attended the workshop : (3) to study the opinions of participants of the workshop management ; and (4) to study the confidence of participants in transferring gained knowledge and skills from the workshop. The research revealed that there were two appropriate patterns for curriculums of workshops. The lectures were given between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and the practice sessions between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. The same topics were presented in the lectures and practice sessions but the orders in which they were presented differed. Of the 796 participants, 85.96% were chief agricultural extension officers on the district or sub-district levels, and the rest were chiefs of planning divisions at the provincial level or at the district level. Of the participants, 777 (83.91%) had had experience in implementing agricultural development plans, while 145 (15.66%) had had no such experience. Those with experience had worked on between 1 - 10 plans. The participants rates at high level the knowledge they gained about and their confidence in implementing and transferring all topics covered except for data presentation by GIS, which they rated at moderate level. Concerning practices, the participants had the highest level of confidence in implementing rural development plans. Their opinions of workshop management were high except for the duration of the workshops, with which they expressed low satisfaction, and coffee breaks, with which they expressed moderate satisfaction.