Perception of local government leaders on decentralized agricultural extension services: the case of Mbinga district, Ruvuma region, Tanzania

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Date

2006

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Volume Title

Publisher

Sokoine University of Agriculture

Abstract

One of the goals of the Public Sector Reform Programme (PSRP) is to improve the delivery of, and access by the public, to services, including agricultural extension services. One way of achieving this is by transferring resources to District level, and by making Local Government Authorities (LGAs) responsible for provision of most public services including agricultural extension. Accordingly, under the Local government Act No 6 of 1999, the responsibility for implementing agricultural extension services has been placed with the Local Government Authorities. The idea is to be as near to the people as possible. It is assumed that the success of decentralized agricultural extension services is much more dependent, among others, on how local government leaders as the key actors perceive it. Using local government leaders of Mbinga District as a case study, perception of local government leaders on decentralized agricultural extension services was determined. The main objective of the study was to determine the perception of local leaders on decentralized agricultural extension services in Mbinga District, Ruvuma Region. The specific objectives of the study were to; assess the extent to which local government leaders are aware of their additional or new roles under decentralized agricultural extension services, determine the expectation of local government leaders with regard to the provision of agricultural extension services under a decentralized institutional set up, identify limitations faced by local government leaders in the implementation of decentralized agricultural extension services and determine opinions of local government leaders on sustainability of decentralized agricultural extension services. The survey population comprised all local government leaders of Mbinga district council having experience of at least three years in a particular administrative position. Local government leaders involved are those at district, ward and village levels (head of departments, ward councilors, ward executive officers, village executive officers and village chairpersons).

Description

Dissertation

Keywords

Agricultural extension services, Local government leaders, Public Sector Reform Programme (PSRP), Mbinga district, Ruvuma region, Tanzania

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