Entrepreneurship

Part of an  
extension worker’s 
work is to facilitate 
the learning 
process
Developing 
entrepreneurship  
skills among farmers 
is highly specialised

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Extension support for developing entrepreneurial capacity 
97
Balanced  programme:  The  “scope”  and  complexity  of 
the programme is balanced with the learning capacity of 
the participants, the time available, resource constraints 
and the desired learning outcomes.
Learning  outcomes: Learning outcomes are clear and 
well defined and match the knowledge, skills attitudes 
and  behaviours  needed  at  each  of  the  stages  in  the 
development of farm businesses. Each learning outcome 
has indicators that can be easily measured.
Participants: The training programme has been designed 
with a clear understanding of which farmers are meant 
to  participate  in  it.  Is  it  aimed  at  farmers  in  existing 
businesses  or  potential  farmers  who  are  considering 
going into farming? Is it directed at women? At youth? 
Selection: How are participants selected? What criteria 
are used? Are they being selected on the basis of:
•  Similar backgrounds and/or farming systems
•  Similar minimum levels of skills and knowledge
•  Common training needs
•  Potential learning capacity 
Training needs: Has an assessment of the training needs 
of potential participants been conducted? Were training 
needs measured against the learning outcomes? Was 
the  training  programme  designed  according  to  the 
assessment? Does it reflect the participants’ preferences 
for how their needs should be addressed? Will training 
needs  assessments  be  conducted  at  various  times 
during  the  training  programme  and  at  the  end  of  the 
programme?
Training programme design: Was the training programme 
designed taking the following into account? 
•  Specific learning outcomes were chosen from the 
complete set of learning outcomes and based on the 
training needs assessment.