Improving public agricultural extension services in Bangladesh using the M4P approach

The Katalyst programme has been successful in adding new dimensions to Bangladesh's public extension system, the experience of which has left the programme with several insights that may be of use to donor agencies and development practitioners elsewhere. This case study illustrates Katalyst's experience of designing intervention ideas, testing them in small scale, route towards achieving scale and associated challenges, and how poverty reduction can be attained by better collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Main findings

Findings demonstrate a change in farmers' behaviour ‒ they are more likely to seek information from their networks. Extension officers experienced a reduction in their work burdens.  

Intervention description

Katalyst developed a model, centred on agricultural trader associations, to improve the effectiveness of public extension agencies by increasing their outreach to farmers, re-activating farmer groups, and introducing greater responsiveness to constituent demands. 

Evidence methodology

The case study drew on secondary-data and communications with government stakeholders, traders' association committees; and primary data from the Katalyst project including a before-after income assessment of farmers who attended an extension training event, and a survey of extension officers, to construct a narrative about what worked and how.

Useful for:

Projects targeting improvements to extension services.