In search of Actionable Insights for Successful Information Dissemination to Rural Small-Scale Farmers by Extension Workers: A Case Study of the Omaheke Region in Namibia
type: CreativeWork
description: Extension workers in Namibia provide services and information to small-scale farmers, but it is believed that extension services are ineffective and produce little to no trust in small-scale farmers. The primary purpose of this study is therefore to explore actionable approaches for ensuring successful knowledge transfer to rural small-scale famers by extension workers. It is argued that problems in extension services can be understood as soft problems related to Knowledge Management (KM). Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) was therefore used as the method of inquiry for this study. The boundaries of this study are limited to extension workers (agricultural technicians) and small-scale farmers in the Omaheke region of Namibia. These actors in the extension services system were participants in the study. SSM allowed for a holistic understanding of extension services to be surfaced. Participants were able to surface the problem situation from their perspective and surface how they believe the situation can be improved. The SSM results reveal that, in the Omaheke region, extension workers operate in working environments that impede the successful flow of information, thus affecting their own access to information and the dissemination of information to small-scale farmers. Participants identified problems in the structure, processes and people of MAWLR and other actors in the extension system that lead to ineffective extension services. In particular, the poor interrelationships between MAWLR and other stakeholders lead to poor collaboration in pursuit of successful extension services. The poor information seeking behavior in extension workers and small-scale farmers was also revealed to be a contributing factor to poor access to information. Stakeholders then proceeded to indicate that actionable insights that can help improve the situation are key changes in budgets, need-based inquiry processes, endorsing bottom-up recommendations, prioritising the training of extension…
abstract: Extension workers in Namibia provide services and information to small-scale farmers, but it is believed that extension services are ineffective and produce little to no trust in small-scale farmers. The primary purpose of this study is therefore to explore actionable approaches for ensuring successful knowledge transfer to rural small-scale famers by extension workers. It is argued that problems in extension services can be understood as soft problems related to Knowledge Management (KM). Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) was therefore used as the method of inquiry for this study. The boundaries of this study are limited to extension workers (agricultural technicians) and small-scale farmers in the Omaheke region of Namibia. These actors in the extension services system were participants in the study. SSM allowed for a holistic understanding of extension services to be surfaced. Participants were able to surface the problem situation from their perspective and surface how they believe the situation can be improved. The SSM results reveal that, in the Omaheke region, extension workers operate in working environments that impede the successful flow of information, thus affecting their own access to information and the dissemination of information to small-scale farmers. Participants identified problems in the structure, processes and people of MAWLR and other actors in the extension system that lead to ineffective extension services. In particular, the poor interrelationships between MAWLR and other stakeholders lead to poor collaboration in pursuit of successful extension services. The poor information seeking behavior in extension workers and small-scale farmers was also revealed to be a contributing factor to poor access to information. Stakeholders then proceeded to indicate that actionable insights that can help improve the situation are key changes in budgets, need-based inquiry processes, endorsing bottom-up recommendations, prioritising the training of extension…
author: Ndjarakana, Zanjinganjinga Phistosina
language: en
date published: 2026-03
date modified: 2026-07-24T04:40:09Z
provider: Stellenbosch University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University