Agriculture and Nature Conservation Primary Agriculture

Extension and Development Organisation and Management Training

SAQA US 253314 | NQF 6 | Credits 10 | Duration 7 Days
From $1,523 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the skills to assist in organising and managing extension and development activities within agricultural and community contexts. Participants will learn to coordinate resources, support programme implementation, and facilitate stakeholder engagement to achieve developmental outcomes.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply principles of extension and development management to support programme coordination.
  • Analyze community needs and stakeholder dynamics to inform extension planning.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of extension activities using appropriate monitoring tools.
  • Demonstrate ability to organise resources and logistics for extension events.
  • Implement communication strategies to facilitate knowledge transfer among stakeholders.

Target Audience

Extension officers, development practitioners, and field workers involved in agricultural or community development programmes.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Extension and Development Organisations

Objectives:
• Define extension and development in the South African context
• Identify the roles and functions of extension organisations
• Understand the historical evolution of extension services
• Recognise key stakeholders in extension and development
• Outline the regulatory framework governing extension work

Topics:
• Concepts of extension and development
• Types of extension organisations (public, private, NGO)
• History of extension in South Africa
• Stakeholder mapping: farmers, communities, government
• Legislation and policies: Agricultural Extension Strategy, relevant acts
• Ethical considerations in extension work

Day 2: Organisational Structure and Management Principles

Objectives:
• Describe organisational structures common in extension agencies
• Apply basic management functions (planning, organising, leading, controlling)
• Understand the role of leadership in extension organisations
• Identify communication channels within organisations
• Analyse organisational culture and its impact on service delivery

Topics:
• Organisational design: hierarchies, matrix, networks
• Management functions and their application
• Leadership styles in extension contexts
• Internal communication strategies
• Organisational culture and change management
• Case studies of extension organisations

Day 3: Programme Planning and Needs Assessment

Objectives:
• Conduct a community needs assessment using participatory methods
• Develop a logic model for extension programmes
• Set SMART objectives for development interventions
• Prioritise interventions based on available resources
• Design monitoring and evaluation frameworks

Topics:
• Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques
• Needs assessment tools: surveys, focus groups, interviews
• Logic models and theory of change
• Objective setting: SMART criteria
• Resource mobilisation and budgeting
• M&E planning: indicators, data collection methods

Day 4: Implementation and Resource Management

Objectives:
• Plan the implementation of extension programmes
• Manage human, financial, and material resources effectively
• Apply project management tools (Gantt charts, work breakdown structures)
• Coordinate with partners and stakeholders
• Address common implementation challenges

Topics:
• Implementation planning: timelines, milestones
• Human resource management: roles, training, motivation
• Financial management: budgets, expenditure tracking
• Material and logistics management
• Partnership coordination and networking
• Risk management and contingency planning

Day 5: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

Objectives:
• Differentiate between monitoring and evaluation
• Collect and analyse data for programme assessment
• Prepare progress reports for different audiences
• Use evaluation findings to improve programmes
• Understand impact assessment methodologies

Topics:
• Monitoring systems: indicators, data collection frequency
• Evaluation designs: formative, summative, impact
• Data analysis: quantitative and qualitative methods
• Report writing: structure, clarity, audience focus
• Feedback loops for programme improvement
• Case studies of M&E in extension

Day 6: Communication, Advocacy, and Stakeholder Engagement

Objectives:
• Develop communication strategies for extension messages
• Apply adult learning principles in training sessions
• Facilitate participatory workshops and meetings
• Advocate for extension services and resources
• Manage conflict and build consensus among stakeholders

Topics:
• Communication models and channels
• Adult learning theory and facilitation techniques
• Workshop design and delivery
• Advocacy strategies for extension
• Conflict resolution and negotiation
• Building partnerships with communities and government

Day 7: Integration, Sustainability, and Professional Development

Objectives:
• Integrate all aspects of extension organisation and management
• Plan for sustainability of extension programmes
• Develop a personal professional development plan
• Apply ethical decision-making in complex situations
• Present a comprehensive extension management plan

Topics:
• Sustainability: financial, social, environmental
• Scaling up and replication of successful programmes
• Professional ethics and standards
• Continuous learning and networking
• Final project: extension management plan presentation
• Course review and evaluation

Practicals

21 hours of practicals To be conducted online or on-campus or in-house
Overview

Practicals provide hands-on experience in applying management tools to real-world extension scenarios. Learners will conduct a needs assessment, develop a logic model, and create a monitoring plan, culminating in a simulated programme implementation exercise.

Practical Activities
  • Needs Assessment Simulation — Learners role-play a community needs assessment using PRA tools (transect walk, focus group) and analyse findings. (6h)
  • Logic Model and M&E Plan Development — In groups, learners develop a logic model and a monitoring and evaluation plan for a given extension scenario. (6h)
  • Resource Management and Budgeting Exercise — Learners allocate a budget and resources for a simulated extension programme, using project management software. (4h)
  • Simulated Extension Programme Implementation — Teams implement a mini-extension programme (e.g., workshop, field day) with stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution. (5h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) 100% 30%
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 50%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Practicals 30% + Daily Average 20% + Final Test 50%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Wed 09 Sep 2026 Thu 17 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,523 Register
Tue 29 Sep 2026 Wed 07 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,523 Register
Mon 19 Oct 2026 Tue 27 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,523 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Tue 15 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,523 Register
Fri 15 Jan 2027 Mon 25 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,523 Register
Thu 18 Feb 2027 Fri 26 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,523 Register
Wed 03 Mar 2027 Thu 11 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Tue 09 Mar 2027 Wed 17 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Tue 23 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Fri 11 Jun 2027 Mon 21 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Thu 01 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Wed 21 Jul 2027 Thu 29 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Tue 07 Sep 2027 Wed 15 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Mon 27 Sep 2027 Tue 05 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Fri 22 Oct 2027 Mon 01 Nov 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Tue 14 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
Fri 31 Dec 2027 Mon 10 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
Thu 20 Jan 2028 Fri 28 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 494 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Fri 07 Aug 2026 Mon 17 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,284 Register
Fri 07 Aug 2026 Mon 17 Aug 2026 Lagos, Nigeria Winter 2026 $5,173 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Tue 18 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,607 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Tue 18 Aug 2026 Mauritius Winter 2026 $4,525 Register
Tue 11 Aug 2026 Wed 19 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,769 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Thu 17 Sep 2026 Fri 25 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Wed 07 Oct 2026 Thu 15 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Tue 27 Oct 2026 Wed 04 Nov 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Tue 15 Dec 2026 Wed 23 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Mon 18 Jan 2027 Tue 26 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Fri 26 Feb 2027 Mon 08 Mar 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Thu 11 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Wed 17 Mar 2027 Thu 25 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Tue 23 Mar 2027 Wed 31 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Tue 22 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Fri 09 Jul 2027 Mon 19 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Thu 29 Jul 2027 Fri 06 Aug 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Wed 15 Sep 2027 Thu 23 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Tue 05 Oct 2027 Wed 13 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Mon 25 Oct 2027 Tue 02 Nov 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Tue 14 Dec 2027 Wed 22 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Tue 11 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Fri 28 Jan 2028 Mon 07 Feb 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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