The Roles and Challenges of Agricultural Extension Program Evaluation

농촌지도사업 프로그램 평가와 농촌지도사의 역할

Evaluation in both an art and a science. The art of evaluation involves working with the management to agree upon purpose and users of results, creating design and gathering information that are appropriate for a specific situation and a particular policy making context. The value of evaluating extension p개grams has received a lot of attentions recently, and many extension educations see evaluation as an integral part of their work. The science of evaluation involves determining standards and developing indicatiors, selecting methods appropriate to gather information in a systematic way, analyzing information to assist in determining the value of the program in an objective manner. First, extension specialists have to consider relative merits about methods of gathering evaluation data. Selection of method should be influenced by the type of information desired, time availability, and cost of using the method. Second, good evaluations involve stakeholders at all stages including planning, implementation, and utilization of results. Third, far from being an "add-on ," evaluation begins with the initial planning of an educational program. Fourth, it is important for extension specialists that although evaluation is valuable and essential in any effective program, one of the biggest mistakes of extension program evaluators in to promise results that cannot possibly solve all the problems of project.