RELEVANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF FARMER TRAINING CENTERS (FTCs) BASED TRAINING IN GUREWA DISTRICT, EAST HARARGHE ZONE, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to analyze the relevance and effectiveness of FTCs based training in Gurawa woreda in terms of changes in knowledge, attitude and practical levels, and explore institutional linkages withFTCs. This study used cross-sectional survey method to obtain the necessary data froma sample size of 120 (60 trained and 60 untrained) respondents from 4 kebeles in 2018/19 production season. In addition, KII, FGD, and review of available record at FTCs were used for data collection. For data analysis a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods were employed by using descriptive and inferential statistics toanalysis the status, relevance, effectiveness, and linkage mechanisms of FTCsbased trainings. As key findings of the studythecurrent status of all sampled FTCs shows discrepancy among themselveswith regard to availability of infrastructuralfacilities, human resource with experiences and management of FTCs for training. Relevance of FTCs were obtained based on the identifications of farmers’ needs and constraints, content of training, training delivery methods, selection criteria of trainees and appropriateness of period, duration and schedules of trainings were vary among the sampled FTCs in the area. Effectiveness of FTCs were identified based on the obtained result of knowledge, attitude and practical assessment of trained and untrained farmers, their mean difference of trained farmers towards the given technologies and commodities were significantly higher than untrained farmers at 1%,1%, and 5%(p=0.01,0.01 and 0.05) of probability level of significance respectively. According to the linkage mechanisms, the public, private and NGOs wereidentifiedas key actorsfor institutional linkages which are weak inthe functioning of FTCs based training. As a recommendation, the practical measures that can be taken at woreda level was to make all FTCs fully functional in terms of their performance, to increase the relevance of the FTCs, the trainers will have to give more emphasis for proper TNA, focus on practice based training, selecting relevant content of training, make uses of indigenous knowledge forthe selected FTCs. To increase the effectiveness of FTCs and reducing the existences of disparities between trained and untrained farmers towardstheir knowledge, attitude and practical change of farmer’s, thegovernment should have to donea joint follow-up and regular evaluation of activity.For better functioning of FTCs, the linkage mechanisms should be strengthening with different institutional actors. Lastly, beside this, policies and strategies of the government should give due emphasis for improving the status and potential of selected FTCs in the study area