Assessment of Root Causes for Development Agents’ Competency Gap: The Case of Wolmeraworeda Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Agriculture is a source of livelihood for more than 80% of the population of Ethiopia.  Even though the sector has been given due attention by the government and non-government development practitioners, the level of its growth has not been enough to meet the needs of the majority of the population. Weak agricultural extension systems among others are contributing to the low agricultural growth in the country.  This research was carried out in the central part of Ethiopia, Wolmeraworeda (district), Oromia Special Zone.  Development Agents (DAs) working in agricultural extension were the focus and unit of analysis for this study.  The research looked qualitatively at the root causes that created the low competency of DAs in agricultural extension service. This was done to deeply understand their low competency from the insider point of view.  It was revealed that the main root causes of the DAs low competencies were low-quality education/training in Agricultural, Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (ATVET) colleges, political interference, the complication of specialization, and TVET education/training policy problems among many others.  The paper recommends that given the need and urgency to improve the existing competency gap, establishing a database at the federal and regional level is necessary where DAs can refer to when the need arises. There is also a need to look into possible policy intervention to give quality training through separation of generalists for public extension service seekers and specialist DAs for private extension service seekers; better training for improving DAs perception about serving; devising policies and securing professional secularism from politics is recommended.

Keywords: Competence, Development Agents, Rural Development, Agricultural Extension, Ethiopia