Technology development transfer feedback in agriculture

To develop the model, INTERPAKS will employ operational systems analysis to: (1) identify key components of the agricultural technology development and transfer system (e.g., researchers, farmers, extensionists, suppliers, credit and marketing personnel, and policymakers) and to specify their elements and interactions; (2) determine the essential functions of the system, including specific tasks and minimum performance requirements; (3) define the inter-relationships and linkages between components and consider alternative arrangements; and (4) specify environmental factors that affect the process. A panel of U.S. and international specialists and scholars will review the model in the various stages of its development, and the developed model will be empirically refined and then tested in the light of selected case studies of actual agricultural technology development and transfer and the successes and failures found therein. The finalized model and the results of the case studies will be presented at a major international conference and subsequently published. Project findings will also be disseminated through workshops for personnel from national governments, the private sector, universities, and international entities.