Assessing agricultural extension agent digital readiness in Rwanda

Kristin Davis, Simrin Makhija, Lucy Mwangi, Gracie Rosenbach and David Spielman

No 12, Rwanda SSP working papers from International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Abstract: Effective agricultural extension and advisory services are a key component of efforts to achieve sustainable agricultural production, resilient livelihoods, and inclusive economic growth. These are all necessary elements for accelerating Rwanda’s agricultural transformation. Both extension and information and communication technologies (ICT) are important elements in Rwanda’s Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation. This paper examines the capacities of public and private agricultural extension agents in Rwanda and their readiness to use ICT in their work—that is, to be digitally equipped—and provides recommendations for enhancing agricultural extension capacities through expanding and effectively using ICT. To examine capacities and readiness, we use a representative survey of 500 public and private extension agents in Rwanda, augmented by qualitative data from a literature review and key informant interviews. To assess agents’ ‘digital readiness,’ we create two indices focused on their digital experiences and attitudes toward digital modernization.

Keywords: Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Rwanda; agricultural extension; sustainability; agricultural production; livelihoods; Information and Communication Technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-ict
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fpr:rsspwp:12

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