Key components of system for research-extension linkage in Nepal

A. Central level:

a) Tripartite meeting:

• Agencies involved in agriculture research and extension meet once in a month to discuss various matters relating agricultural research, development and extension.

b) Technical panel meeting:

• Held at the central level at NARC to evaluate technical proposal of research projects to be carried out by disciplinary division.

c) Agriculture technical working group (ATWG):

• Ensure rapid technology development and dissemination through participation of multiple actors including GO, NGOs, private sectors and farmers.
• In the same line NARC has introduce the concept of participatory technology development (PTD) for the same purpose.
• The concept of ATWG is one of the major thrusts of new strategy and expected to be crucial in operationalizing the new strategy of PTD and linkage with multiple actors.

d) Seasonal crop and other technical workshop:

• National outreach research workshop, national summer crop research workshop and national winter crop research workshop are some of the important workshops.

B. Regional level

a) Outreach research program (ORP):

• refers to adaptive on farm research conducted with farming system perspectives in close coordination with the farmers and extension worker.
• It provides technology generator technology dissemination and the farmers to work together right from the problem identification to program implementation and evaluation.

b) Outreach research planning and coordination meeting (ORPCM):

• It is held in each ARS after VLPRW or OR sites, the problems and issues are brought in the ARS to discuss various aspect of researchable problems.
• RDA and RLSO are also invited in the meeting. Regional agriculture technical working group (RATWG)

C. District level

a) District agriculture development committee (DADC)

b) District agriculture development program implementation committee (DAPDIC):

• DDC chairperson is the chairperson of both of the committee DADC and DAPIC. DADO acts as a chairperson of the committee.
• Issues of the research and extension can be discussed in the meeting.

c) Village level planning and review workshop (VLPRW):

• VLPRW is organized in each OR sites of ARS to identify the location specific problems.
• Technical problems of farming system are discussed and review of past program is done with representative farmers of sites.
• ASC/DLSC in charge, concerned DADO/DLSO, SMS also participate in the workshop.