Compiled & Printed by: ATMA-Kohima UNDERSTANDING ATMA IN BRIEF Introduction: Agricultural Extension plays a crucial role in the context of growing population and demands of agricultural production in a sustainable manner. The existing system of Agricultural Extension and Research, working in the state by agriculture and allied developmental departments is largely top-down and centralized in nature. In such faulty system of agricultural extension and research programmes, the farmers who are actors playing a crucial role in the process are considered as receivers of benefits only rather than empowering them as responsible persons who can effectively the production process. The process not only undermines the farmers but also overlooked the farming situation that differs from one village to another. Although agricultural extension and research works by public sector has achieved significantly in spite of having deficiencies at initial stages of agricultural development in the state, the time has come for reformation towards empowerment of farmers. The need for reforms in Agricultural Extension has been explicitly raised in the National Agricultural Policy. The report of expenditure reforms commission and in the Tenth Plan Approach paper keeping these recommendations in view- a broad policy framework for Agricultural Extension has been developed by the Ministry of Agricultural Extension, Government of India with five major guiding elements of the policy framework as: - 1. Reforming Public Sector extension. 2. Broadening Private sector to effectively complement, supplement and wherever possible to substitute public extension. 3. Augmenting Media and IT support for extension. 4. Mainstreaming gender concern in extension. 5. Capacity building, skill up gradation of farmers and Extension functionaries. The purpose of Extension Reforms Scheme is to promote new institutional arrangement & operational procedures- not merely strengthen the existing Extension system. One key concept or goal is to de-centralize decision- making to the district level through the creation of Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA). A second goal is to increase farmer input into programmes planning and resource allocation, especially at the block level, and to increase accountability to stakeholders. A third major goal is to increase programme coordination and integration, so that the programme thrusts such as Farming System Innovation, Farmer Organization, Technology Gaps and Natural Resources Management can be more effectively and efficiently implemented. What is ATMA? ATMA is a society of key stakeholders involved in agricultural activities for sustainable agricultural development in the district. It is a focal point for integrating Research and Extension activities and decentralizing day-to-day management of the public Agricultural Technology System (ATS). It is a registered society responsible for technology dissemination at the district level. As a society, it would be able to receive and expend project funds, entering into contracts & agreements and maintaining revolving accounts that can be used to collect fees and thereby recovering operating cost. Why ATMA? The ATMA at district level would be increasing responsible for all the technology dissemination activities at the district level. It would have linkages with all the line departments, Research Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations and agencies associated with agricultural development in the district. Research and Extension units within the project districts such as ZRS or Sub-Stations, KVK’s and the key line Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture and Fisheries etc. would become constituent members of ATMA. Each Research-Extension (R-E) unit would retain its institutional identity and affiliations but programmes and procedures concerning district-wise R-E activities would be determined by ATMA Governing Board to be implemented by its ManagementCommittee(AMC) Roles and responsibilities of ATMA ATMA is supported by Governing Board (GB) and Management Committee (AMC). The Governing Board is a policy making body and provide guidance as well as review the progress and functioning of the ATMA. The Management Committee would be responsible for planning and executing the day-to-day activities of ATMA. ATMA Governing Board (GB) Composition: 1 District Magistrate/ Collector Chairman 2 Chief Executive Officer/ (CEO) Chief Development Officer (CDO) Vice- Chairman 3 Joint Director/ Deputy Director (Agri) Member 4 A representative from ZRS/ KVK -do- 5 One Farmer Representative -do- 6 One Livestock Producer -do- 7 One Horticulture Farmer -do- 8 Representative of Women Farmers Interest Group -do- 9 One SC/ST Farmer representative -do- 10 A representative of NGTO -do- 11 Lead Bank Officer of the district -do- 12 A representative of District Industrial Centre -do- 13 Representative of Agriculture Marketing Board -do- 14 Representative of Input Supplying Associations -do- 15 One Fishery/ Sericulture representative -do- 16 Project Director ATMA Secretary- cum- Treasurer (Ex-Officio) Key functions of ATMA Governing Board: i. Review and approve Strategic Research & Extension Plan (SREP) and annual work plans that are prepared and submitted by the participating units. ii. Receive and review annual reports presented by the participating units, providing feedback and direction to them as needed, for various research & extension. iii. Receive and allocate project funds to carry out priority research, extension and related activities within the district. iv. Foster the organization and development of Farmers Interest Groups (FIG’s) and Farmers Organization (FO’s) within the district. v. Facilitate the greater involvement of private sector and firms and organizations in providing inputs, technical support, agro-processing and marketing services to the farmers. vi. Encourage Agriculture lending institutions to increase the aailalbility of capital to resource poor and marginal farmers, especially SC/ST and women farmers. vii. Encourage each line department, plus the KVK and ZRS, to establish farmer advisory committees to provide feedback and input into their respective R-E programmes. viii. Enter into contracts and agreements as appropriate to promote and support agricultural development activities in district. ix. Identify other sources of financial support that would that would help insure the financial sustainability of the ATMA and its participating unit. x. Establish revolving funds/ accounts for each participating unit, encourage each unit to make available technical services, such as artificial insemination or soil testing, on a cost recovery basis moving towards full cost recovery in a phased manner. xi. Arrange for the periodic audit of ATMA’s financial accounts; and adopt and amend the rules and by-laws for the ATMA. ATMA Management Committees (AMC) 1 Project Director of ATMA Chairman 2 District Head of Department (Agriculture) Member 3 District Head of Department (Horticulture) -do- 4 District Head of Department (Animal Husbandry) -do- 5 District Head of Department (Fisheries) -do- 6 District Head of Department (Sericulture) -do- 7 District Head of other appropriate line departments, that may be important within a district (S&WC/ L.R) etc. -do- 8 Head, KVK -do- 9 Head, Zonal Research Station -do- 10 One representative of NGO in charge of farmers organization -do- 11 Two representatives of Farmer’s Organization (one year rotation basis) -do- Key functions of Management Committees (MC) The functions and tasks to be carried out by the ATMA Management Committee would include the following i. Carry out periodic Rural Appraisal (PRAs) to identify the problems and constraints faced by different socio-economic groups and farmers within the district ii. Prepare an integrated, Strategic Research & Extension Plan (SREP) for the district tht would specify short and medium term adaptive research as well as technology validation and refinement and extension priorities for the district: these priorities should reflect during the PRA. iii. Prepare annual work plans that would be submitted to the ATMA Governing Board for review, possible modification & approval. iv. Maintain appropriate project accounts for submission to Technology Dissemination Unit (TDU) for audit purposes (at state level) v. Coordinate the execution of these annual work plans through participant line departments, ZRSs, KVKs, NGOs,FIFs/FOs and allied institutions, including private sector firms. vi. Establish coordinating mechanism at the Block level, such asFarm Information & Advisory Centres (FIACs) that would integrate extension and technology transfer activities at the block and village levels. vii. Provide annual performance reports to the Governing Board outlining the various research extension and related targets that were actually carried out, including targets achieved. viii. Provide Secretariat to Governing Board and initiate action on policy direction, investment decisions and other guidance received from the Governing Board. Linkage Mechanism The following Farmer-Extension-Research (R-E-F) linkage mechanisms have been proposed under Extension Reforms Scheme in addition to the existing mechanisms. I. State Level Inter-Departmental Working Group is constituted to ensure effective coordination among the departments like Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Soil Conservation and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) under the chairmanship of Agriculture Production Commissioner/ Secretary (Agriculture). It will promote and establish integrated approach in transfer of technology at state, division and district level by agriculture and line departments. It also oversees and support agriculture extension and research activities being undertaken by ATMA and to make policy intervention on interdepartmental matters etc. A Nodal Cell would be established with the office of the Agriculture Production Commissioner/ Secretary (Agriculture)/ Director (Agriculture) to monitor scheme activities in each of the selected districts of the state. This working group shall meet once in a month. II. Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) would be established in each selected district for integrating research and extension activities and for decentralizing day-to day management of the public agricultural technology system. ATMA would be responsible for technology dissemination activities and have linkages with all the line departments, research organizations as well as the NGOs and agencies associated with agricultural development in the district. III. The Governing Board (GB) and Management Committee (MC), ATMA. The Governing Board consists of 16 (Sixteen) members representing all the stake holders and farmers representing different enterprises in the district. It is a policy making body and provide guidance as well as reviews the progress of functioning of the ATMA. It will review and approve the strategic annual action plans that are prepared and submitted by the participating units. It will provide feedback and direction to the participating units, as needed about the various research and extension activities being carried out in the district. It will facilitate the greater involvement of the private sector, NGOs and farmers organizations in providing inputs, technical support, agro-processing and marketing services to farmers. ATMA Governing Board will meet once in two months. IV. The ATMA Management Committee (AMC) constitutes of line departmental heads, ZRS, KVK, NGO and two representative from Farmers; Organizations (FOs). It would be responsible for reviewing of the day-to-day activities of ATMA. It will carry out periodic Participatory Rural Appraisals (PRAs) to identify the problems and constraints faced by the different Socio-economic groups of farmers. It will prepare and integrated Strategic Research & Extension Plan (SREP) for the district that would specify extension priorities reflecting the important farmer constraints identified and also short and medium term adaptive research for its validation and refinement. The district level line departments and research units would organize inservice training and support activities for the block and filed level extension staff. The Management Committee also prepare Block Action Plan (BAPs) that would be submitted to ATMA Governing Board for approval and coordinate the extension through line departments, ZRS, KVKs, NGOs, FOs and Private Sector Firms. The MC shall meet every month under the Chairmanship of P.D., ATMA. V. Farm Information and Advisory Centre (FIAC): It would be created at the block or mandal level. It would, in effect, manage key extension programmes within the block/ mandal level, leaving other service and developmental activities to be managed by other units or personnel within the line departments. In effect, the FIAC would act as the extension planning and operational arm of ATMA. It would be the common meeting point for the departments to prepare detailed extension programmes and coordinate their implementation. It would also be the level where farmer input could be more effectively mobilized through a Farmer Advisory Committee (FAC). Such a mechanism, including representatives of major stakeholders, would help set extension priorities across each programme area and allocate resources. The FIAC Team would be responsible for operationalizing the SREP in each block and moving toward a single window extension system. The FIAC team would prepare Block Action Plans (BAPs) that would detail extension activities to be undertaken. This plan should be approved by the FAC before it could be forwarded to the ATMA. The ATMA Management Committee (AMC) would ensure that these plans were technically and administratively feasible, and consistent with the SREP, before being forwarded to the ATMA Governing Board for approval. The district- level line departments and research units would also prepare seasonal or annual WPs (1) maintain diagnostic and support services (e.g. soil testing laboratory), (2) organize in-service training and technical support activities for FIAC and field level extension staff, (3) carry out research programmes and (4) periodically up date the district SREP. VI. Farmers Advisory Committees (FACs) will be constituted for providing formal feedback mechanism. It would be constituted representing all major stakeholders and farmer representatives of FOs within the block. The FAC would help set block extension priorities and recommend resource allocation across programme areas. These committees would review and provide advice to each block level. The chairman of the FAC would be selected from the farmer representatives on rotation. FACs shall meet once in a month during the season and quarterly in lean season. VII. Farmers Organization (FOs) would be encouraged at village level and village level groups would, in turn evolve into Commodity Associations (CAs), Marketing Co- operatives and other types of FOs at the block and district level. At village level Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs) and Farmer Associations (FAs) will be effectively involved in the preparation of BAPs. The organizations will coordinate in organizing demonstrations, on-farm and adaptive trials and give feed back to the extension and research. Their representative would be directly involved in the block level FACs and also at Governing Board of ATMA. The GB of ATMA would select and utilize project funds to support one or more NGOs to assist different types of farmers in becoming organized into different types of FOs in the district. Funding Mechanism ATMA will have operational flexibility in use of project funding. They will be expected to adapt plan activities at the district level in consultation with the participating entries as necessary in response to unfolding events. The ATMA Management Committee will be authorized to release project funds onward to the public/ private partners in the agreed activities included in the framework of the district extension plan and will maintain separate accounts/ sub-accounts partner-wise and activity-wise. The accounts (audited by Chartered Accountants) and re-imbursement claims will then be routed through the Nodal Cell for onward transmission to the GOI. Operational modalities Planning and Financial Procedures. The FIAC would prepare BAPs and budgets that would outline extension and farmer training activities to be undertaken during the coming season. The coordinated plans must address key constraints and opportunities outlined within SREP if they are to be funded by ATMA. In addition, the Officer In- Charge (OIC) would be responsible for coordinating these proposed block-level extension activities and for submitting these proposals to the FAC for review. After the FAC has approved these proposals, then they would be submitted to the ATMA Management Committee prior to their submission to the ATMA GB for approval. In case of programmatic between the AMC and the FIAC, then these issues would be resolved by the GB. Once a block action plans (BAPs) have been approved by the GB, then the ATMA Project Director would forward a check to the OIC in each block to cover the budgeted cost of approved extension programs. The OIC would maintain a bank account and funds would be allocated to each FIAC member in implementing their approved program of extension activities. The IOC and chair of the FAC would sign all disbursement checks. The IOC would be responsible for maintaining complete financial records, including expenditure receipts, for approved extension activities. Also, the OIC would periodically submit detailed financial records to ATMA. The flow of funds to individual blocks would be suspended if financial and performance records are not submitted to ATMA in accordance with agreed upon procedures. Operational Procedures. All FIAC team members would continue to be employed by their respective line departments, but they would continue to be employed by their respective line departments, but they would function as a multi-disciplinary technology team or working group that would address the four main programmatic thrusts within the SREP in designing and implementing an integrated extension program. Village extension workers (VEWs) would have prime responsibility for day-to-day program implementation; with FIAC team members assisting with demonstration plots installation, teaching farmer-training courses, and conducting farm field days and other group activities. In large districts, agricultural officers (AOs) would supervise the day-to-day work of the VEWs, with technical supervision and support coming from the FIAC team. The goal of this proposed new arrangement is to create an integrated or single window extension system. To the extent possible, developmental activities financed under central and state government schemes would be utilized to demonstrate and support extension and technology transfer activities within the district and block. In the long-term, the goal would be for more of these central, states, and district funds to be directly transferred to the ATMA in support of SREP and BAPs implementation. In the short run, however, the FIAC, in consultation with the FAC, would determine where these development activities (especially for agriculture) could be most effectively utilized in support of on-going block-level extension programs. The organogram on the preceding page outlines the proposed structure for implementing block and field extension activities under this new arrangement where ATMA would serve as a decentralized mechanism to finance extension activities in the district. The key to effective program implementation would rest with the establishment of a FIAC team that would ground or fine-tune the extension program for specific Agro-Ecological Zone (AEZs) within the block. It is also at the block level that farmer participation can be more effectively mobilized in the development of block action plans. It is also at this level where representatives of Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs), and block-level Farmer Associations (FAs) can be directly involved in the block-level FAC. To describe in more detail how this proposed organizational structure would be expected to operate, a set of job description and qualifications have been presented below: Job Descriptions for Block and Village Level Extension Staff. Title: Officer in charge (OIC), Farm Information and Advisory Centre (FIAC) Major Responsibilities: 1. Provide technical coordination and administrative supervision for all block-level extension programs carried out under the auspices of the FIAC and funded by the ATMA. 2. Prepare and submit block action plans (BAPs) to the ATMA. These BAPs would be compiled from proposals submitted by Block Technology Centre team. Then the combined BAPs would be reviewed and approved by a Farmer Advisor Committee (FAC) before it was forwarded to the ATMA for approval and financing.