Good Practices: Submission Guidelines

AESA invites you to share your personal experiences with effective extension and advisory practices in South Asia. By doing so, others in the region can learn from your insights and improve their efforts.

What is a good practice?

A good practice is simply a process or a methodology that represents the most effective way of achieving a specific objective. Some people prefer to use the term ‘good practice’ as, in reality, it is debatable whether there is a single ‘best’ approach – and of course, approaches are constantly evolving and being updated. Another way to define a good practice is one that has been proven to work well and produce good results, and is therefore recommended as a model. The essence of identifying and sharing good practices is to learn from others and to reuse knowledge. The most significant benefit is the development of well-defined processes based on accumulated experience.

Tips for writing a Good Practices Note

1.  Start with Context: Briefly describe the agricultural challenge addressed — who was affected, where, and why intervention was needed. Explain why conventional approaches were insufficient and what made the situation urgent or unique.
2. Describe Good Extension Practices: Present 4–6 key practices used, each with:
   1. Name and short description
   2. Implementation process and adaptations
   3. Extension soft skills applied (e.g., facilitation, mentoring, negotiation)
   4. Practical replication tips: Focus on how the practice worked, not just what was done.
3. Explain Challenges and Solutions: Outline the main obstacles faced (technical, financial, social, institutional, etc.) and how they were resolved. Highlight adaptive strategies, stakeholder engagement, and lessons learned from failures.
4. Show Benefits and Impact: Provide evidence of results — quantitative (e.g., yield, income, adoption) and qualitative (e.g., empowerment, social cohesion, sustainability). Mention both short-term and long-term impacts.
5. Discuss Sustainability and Scaling Up: Explain how outcomes will continue post-project. Assess financial, institutional, technical, and social sustainability, and describe potential for scaling or replication elsewhere.
6. Summarise Lessons Learned: Capture key insights — what worked well, what could be improved, and practical recommendations for others. Include critical success factors and policy implications.
7. Use Clear and Practical Writing
   1. Write in simple, practitioner-friendly language
   2. Use specific examples, data, and evidence
   3. Be concise, objective, and culturally sensitive: Focus on actionable insights, not theory
8. Follow the Suggested AESA Template and Structure: Prepare your submission strictly according to the AESA template (given below), maintaining the section sequence (1–6) and adhering to the suggested word limits. Include subheadings for each practice and ensure clarity, consistency, and readability throughout.
9. Submission Format: Email your submission as a Word document to crispindia@gmail.com or aesanetwork@gmail.com. Attach any images, charts, or other media used in the draft as separate files. Also, share your photo (preferably casual) and a short bio.

We look forward to hearing from you!

AESA Template for Writing a Good Extension Practices Note