Effectiveness of agricultural development training in three hill districts of western region of Nepal

Data were collected from 50 trainees trained during the period of 1982-1987, 32 older members of the trainee's household, 50 wives of the trainees, and 50 follower farmers. Simple frequency counts, means, percentages, multiple correlation, partial and semi-partial correlation, and stepwise multiple regression were used in analyzing the data. The real effect of the training, analyzed by removing the effects of other sources in information awareness, was found to be about 46 percent. Trainees were retaining, utilizing, and transferring information gained in training. Among them were basic cultural practices requiring no purchase of inputs in maize. In rice, on the other hand, aside from basic cultural practices, the procurement of fertilizers, insecticides were additionally done by trainees. Some basic cultural practices and input-use aspects were transferred within and across the family, in accordance with utilization of training-learned information by trainee. A development model for predicting training effectiveness was developed. The factors in the model that accounted for 92 percent of the variance reflect that there is critical need for training needs identification, analysis of existing technology or skill level of trainees before training, consideration of the trainees role in farm activity, and designing of course content according to type of trainee selected. Furthermore it was found that pure lecture discussion can also be effective since trainees came with existing experience in farming except in some new skills needed. The junior staff could equally be effective in teaching farmers and hence relegation to juniors does not reduce the effectiveness of training. Physical factors such as accessibility to market outlet, and irrigation water have an effect on trainings' behavioral outcome. The results also substantiated the principal hypothesis of the study that training effectiveness is affected by the trainee's, variable in trainee's household, training package, training institution, and trainee's work environment.