PRINCIPLES

OF
PROGRAM
PLANNING
BADINO, D.A; ABRENICA, L.O.;
OCTAVIO, R.P.; EMBUDO, J.D.
 Module 6
PRINCIPLES OF PROGAM PLANNING
By: Derilyn A. Badino

I. Overview
Program planning has certain principles, which hold good irrespective of
the nature of the clientele and the society they may pursue and if the program
planning principles are followed in preparing and execution of the extension
programs in the community, the set objectives along with the results will be achieved
and viewed as the success of the extension program. Therefore, all the principles of
program planning must be kept in mind by the extension people for preparing the
extension programs and in the effective execution for the achievement of the
program’s objectives.

II. Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of session, the students should be able to:

1. Recognize the principles of program planning;
2. Reflect on the importance of planning in extension program; and;
3. Collect accurate data for their baseline survey.

III. Take Off

Share your thoughts about the what is being asked.
1. Why it is important to plan before conducting an extension activity?
IV. Learning Focus

PRINCIPLES OF PROGAM PLANNING

A principle may be defined as a statement of policy to guide decisions and actions in a

consistent manner. The importance of having certain principles to serve as guidelines in
extension programming has been well recognized. Extension education encompasses
many phases of farm, home and
community life. To develop a
program suited to such vast and
varied conditions of human
needs and variation is not an
easy job. Planning is a complex
job and involves a variety of
facts, imagination, value
judgment, skills etc. So some
statements of policy to guide
decisions and actions related to
programming in a consistent
manner are essential in order to
develop a plan that will truly
reflect the future needs of the
extension public.

An extension program is

- A statement of situation, objectives, problems and solutions.

- A set of clearly defines, consciously conceived objectives or ends derived from an
adequate analysis of the situation, which are to be achieved through extension
teaching activities.

According to USDA (1956) an extension program is arrived at cooperatively by the local

people and the extension staff and includes a statement of:
 The situation in which the people are located.
 The problems that are part of the local situation.
 The objectives and goal of the local people in relation to these problems.
  The recommendations or solutions to reach these objectives on along time
basis or on a short time basis.

PLANNING

 Planning is designing courses of

action to achieve ends.
 Planning is a progressive step by
step process. It is never
completed.
 Social planning has been defines as
a conscious, collaborative,
interactional process combining
investigation, discussion,
agreement and action in order to
achieve the conditions, relationship
and values regarded as desirable.

EXTENSION PLANNING

The concept of extension planning is based on a number of assumptions. Boyle

(1956) has listed the following assumptions inn this regards:
- Planning is a necessary prerequisite for social progress of people and
communities.
- The most desirable change is predetermined and democratically achieved.
- People and communities need the guidance, leadership and help of extension
educators to solve their problems in a planned and systematic way.

EXTENSION PROGRAM PLANNING

Program planning is viewed as a process through which representatives of the

people are intensively involved with extension personnel and other professional people in
four activities (Boyle, 1956).
 Studying facts and trends.
 Identifying problems and opportunities based on these facts and trends.
 Making decisions about problems and opportunities that should be given
priority and
 Establishing objectives and recommendations for the future economic and
social development of a community through educational programs.
Extension Program Planning

- Is a process
- Is a decision making process
- Requires advance thinking
- Requires skill and ability on the part of planners
- Is social action process
- Is collaborative efforts
- Is a system
The end product of Extension program planning is an extension program.

PRINCIPLE OF PROGRAM PLANNING

1. Extension program should be based on an analysis of the past experiences, present

situation and future needs.

 Adequate information about the people and their situation have to be

collected.
 Present situation is to be analyzed.
 Interpreted on the basis of past experiences.
 Help in arriving at the future needs.

2. Extension program should have clear and significant objectives which could satisfy
important needs of the people.

 Ultimate objective is to satisfy the needs of the people.

 Significant objectives pertaining to important needs of the people.
 What is attainable rather than what is ideal.

3. Extension program should fix up priority on the basis of available resources and time.

 Rural people have multitude of problems.

 All problems can not be taken up at a time for solution because of
Limitation:
 Trained personnel
 Availability of funds
 Facilities and other resources
 Time
4. Extension program should clearly indicate the availability and utilization of resources.

 Wherefrom the funds, facilities, supplies and needed personnel shall be

available.
 How these shall be utilized
 Program practical and workable

5. Extension program should have a general agreement at various level.

 Extension program prepared at various levels should conform to each other.

 Extension program of a particular department should not be in conflict or
contradiction with the extension program of other department.

6. Extension program should involve people at local level.

Local people should be involved in:

 Program formulation
 Program implementation level

7. Extension program should involve relevant institutions and organizations.

 Extension programs can not be implemented in isolation.

 Requires the support of many institutions and organizations to be involved.
 How they shall contribute in attaining the program.

8. Extension program should have definite plan of work.

 Plan of work may be separately drawn up or incorporated in the program.

 How it will be executed
 Unless the plan of work is drawn up, the program remains a theoretical
exercise.

9. Extension program should provide for evaluation of results and reconsideration of the
program.
 Not a static outline of activities
 Periodical monitoring and evaluation of results to judge its progress.
 On the basis of findings of evaluation, program should be suitably modified
to facilitate its reaching the objectives.
10. Extension program should provide for equitable distribution of benefits amongst the
members of the community.

 Resource rich persons benefits more in comparison to resource poor

 Adequate emphasis on weaker section in the society.

Steps in Program Planning Process

a) Collection of facts
b) Analysis of situation
c) Identification of problems
d) Determination of objectives and goals
e) Development plan of work and calendar of operations
f) Follow through plan of work and calendar of operations
g) Evaluation of progress
h) Reconsideration and revision of the program

VII. References

Kumar, A. (n.d) Principles of Program Planning. Program Planning and Implementation.

February 7, 2021 Retrieved from
http://epgp.inflibnet.ac.in/epgpdata/uploads/epgp_content/S000573AE/P001821/
M028436/ET/1522044719Content_PrinciplesofProgramPlanning.pdf

Sharma, A. Extension program planning.

https://www.slideshare.net/Arpita615/extension-programme-planning