Extension is accountable to a number of stakeholders—participants, funders, local leaders, collaborators, and other professionals. These stakeholders need information about Extension and its work. By carefully evaluating Extension programs, objective information can be shared about the programming process, the impacts of programming and the changing need for alternative efforts. Applied research and program evaluation results facilitate more objective decision making—and identify opportunities to use scarce resources in creating meaningful change.
Agricultural Extension Techniques and Applications by
BIOTECH BOOKS, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi
Conservation Agriculture by
Agriculture in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is diverse, and has great potential to revitalize the economy of the countries in the region via improved productivity (efficiency) and higher total yield for food, fodder and fibre crops. Conservation agriculture can rise to the major challenge of making sustainable intensification of production systems a reality. In order for farmers to transition to appropriate sustainable production systems, the provision of an adequate enabling environment and access to knowledge and services, including extension, mechanization, inputs and market intelligence, are crucial. Farmer Field Schools are the best place for exchanging experience and knowledge about conservation agriculture, building the technical and scientific capacity of national partners, and thus moving towards widespread adoption and uptake of sustainable and viable agricultural practices.
Improving Agricultural Extension: A reference manual by
This book on Improving Agricultural Extension: a Reference Manual offers a critical review and inventory-analysis of the "State of the Art" in agricultural extension theory and best practices written by internationally known agricultural extension practitioners, educators and scholars. A total of 38 authors from 15 countries contributed to the 23 chapters of this book and thus they provided broad international perspectives, covering both theory and practice, as well as micro and macro issues related to agricultural extension. It is the third edition of a classic reference manual on agricultural extension published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Aimed at agricultural extension planners, managers, trainers, educators, and field practitioners, this book could be useful in improving the quality of agricultural extension and in generating new ideas and methods for increasing further the cost-effectiveness of agricultural extension programmes. It provides many sound and practical suggestions for developing and improving the conceptual, technical, and operational methods and tools in order to strategically plan, efficently manage, and scientifically evaluate a problem-solving, demand-driven and needs-based agricultural extension programmes.
Increasing production from the land : a source book on agriculture for teachers and students in East Africa by 
Assessments A-Z: A collection of 50 questionnaires, instruments, and inventories by 
Benchmarking for Nonprofits by
This unique book defines a formal way to benchmark. You'll learn how to prepare your organization, measure performance, and implement best practices as well as learning the five key steps of benchmarking, the arguments against benchmarking--and why you should disregard them, how benchmarking differs from evaluation and assessment, how to form a benchmarking team, how to create a "success equation" that helps you measure your organization's performance, how to make sure to measure what matters, how to choose your benchmarking partners--and what you can learn from the "wrong" partner, and how to overcome staff resistance to benchmarking.
Collaborative, Participatory, and Empowerment Evaluation by 
Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods: Integrating theory and practice, 4th ed by 
Academics in Action!: A model for community-engaged research, teaching, and service by 
Appreciative Inquiry Handbook: For leaders of change, 2nd ed. by 
Cognitive Interviewing Practice by
This book provides a practical handbook for implementing cognitive interviewing methods in the context of applied social policy research, based on the approach used by the authors at the NatCen Social Research (NatCen) where cognitive interviewing methods have been used for well over a decade. The book provides a justification for the importance of question testing and evaluation and discusses the position of cognitive interviewing in relation to other questionnaire development and evaluation techniques. Throughout the book, the focus is on providing practical and hands-on guidance around elements such as sampling and recruitment, designing probes, interviewing skills, data management and analysis and how to interpret the findings and use them to improve survey questions and other documents. The book also covers cognitive interviewing in different survey modes, in cross national, cross cultural and multilingual settings and discusses some other potential uses of the method.
Community-Based Research: Teaching for Community Impact by
Community-based research (CBR) refers to collaborative investigation by academics and non-academic community members that fosters positive change on a local level. Despite recent trends toward engaged scholarship, few publications demonstrate how to effectively integrate CBR into academic course work or take advantage of its potential for achieving community change. Community-Based Research: Teaching for Community Impactfills these gaps by providing: * An overview of language and methods used by professionals engaged in CBR * A framework for orienting CBR toward concrete community outcomes * Effective ways to integrate CBR into course content, student-driven projects, and initiatives spanning disciplines, curricula, campuses and countries * Lessons learned in working toward positive outcomes for students and in communities This text is designed for faculty, graduate students, service-learning and other engaged learning and scholarship practitioners, alliance members, special interest groups, and organizations that desire to strengthen student learning and utilize research for improvement in their communities.
Community Profiling: A practical guide, 2nd ed. by 
Doing Community-Based Research: Perspectives From the Field by
Community-based research (CBR) offers useful insights into the challenges associated with conducting research and ensuring that it generates both excellent scholarship and positive impacts in the communities where the research takes place.
Empowerment and Participatory Evaluation in Community Interventions by 
Empowerment Evaluation Principles in Practice by
This book presents the most current formulation of the 10 principles of EE and provides professionals and students with the tools to put these principles into practice.
Evaluation in Organizations: A systematic approach to enhancing learning, performance, and change by 
Facilitating Evaluation: Principles in Practice by
Michael Quinn Patton’s Facilitating Evaluation: Principles in Practice is the first book of its kind to explain in depth and detail how to facilitate evaluation processes with stakeholders. Using the author’s own stories of his experiences as an evaluation facilitator, the book illustrates the five evaluation facilitation principles that are the organizing framework for addressing how to work with stakeholders to generate evaluation questions, make decisions among methods, interpret findings, and participate in all aspects of evaluation.
The Focus Group Research Handbook by
A handbook covering the essentials for all the stage of focus group implementation, including designing and conducting a targeted focus group study selecting the proper research facility, and analysing and incorporating results into the decision making process.
Focus Groups: Applying communication theory through design, facilitation, and analysis by 
Focus Groups: A practical guide for applied research, 5th ed. by
Using an engaging, straightforward writing style, the authors draw on their more than 50 years of hands-on experience in the field to cut through theory and offer practical guidance on every facet of the focus process, including tips for avoiding problems and pitfalls.
Handbook of Methodological Approaches to Community-Based Research by 
Internet, Phone, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Tailored Design Method by 
The New Human Capital Strategy: Improving the value of your most important investment-- year after year by 
The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research, 2nd ed by
The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research, Second Edition presents a comprehensive, interdisciplinary overview of the field of qualitative research. Divided into eight parts, the forty chapters address key topics in the field such as approaches to qualitative research (philosophicalperspectives), narrative inquiry, field research, and interview methods, text, arts-based, and internet methods, analysis and interpretation of findings, and representation and evaluation. The handbook is intended for students of all levels, faculty, and researchers across the disciplines, and thecontributors represent some of the most influential and innovative researchers as well as emerging scholars.This handbook provides a broad introduction to the field of qualitative research to those with little to no background in the subject, while providing substantive contributions to the field that will be of interest to even the most experienced researchers. It serves as a user-friendly teaching toolsuitable for a range of undergraduate or graduate courses, as well as individuals working on their thesis or other research projects. With a focus on methodological instruction, the incorporation of real-world examples and practical applications, and ample coverage of writing and representation,this volume offers everything readers need to undertake their own qualitative studies.
Palgrave International Handbook of Action Research by
Cross-national issues of networking, as well as the challenges, tensions, and issues associated with the transformative power of action research are explored from multiple perspectives providing unique contributions to our understanding of what it means to do action research and to be an action researcher. This handbook sets a global action research agenda and map for readers to consider as they embark on new projects.
The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A practical guide to positive change, 2nd by 
Practising community-based participatory research : stories of engagement, empowerment, and mobilization by
This book presents stories about CBPR from Manitoba Research Alliance projects in marginalized communities. Bringing together experienced researchers with new scholars and community practitioners, the stories describe the impetus for the projects, how they came to be implemented, and how CBPR is still being used within the community.
The Trainer's Handbook by
Based on the feedback of workshop participants, readers, and instructors, this new third edition has been expanded to provide guidance toward new technologies, leadership training, distance learning, blended learning, and other increasingly common issues, with new case studies for each chapter. A systematic approach to training breaks the book into five parts that separately target analysis, design, development, delivery, and evaluation, giving you a comprehensive reference designed for quick look-up and easy navigation. New inventories, worksheets, job aids, checklists, activities, samples, and templates help you bring new ideas into the classroom, and updated instructor guide help you seamlessly integrate new and established methods and techniques.