Identification and prioritizing scenarios for developing cooperative extension structure in Iran

Development of cooperative extension structures despite of help to drive development trend and function improvement of cooperative sector can play key role in empowering cooperative agents and success of cooperatives. This two-phase research aimed to identify and prioritize development scenario of cooperative extension structures. By a Delphi study, the first phase leads to identify five alternatives and four criteria. Considering these alternatives and criteria, a decision making tree was outlined. Following designing hierarchical tree, data was collected through pair wise comparison by 21 samples among extension and cooperative experts (experts and superior managers from deputy of extension and entrepreneurship in ministry and faculty members with published articles in extension and cooperative). Expert Choice software used to analysis data. Based on the relative weight (inconsistency ratio lower than 0.1), the alternative and criterions for developing cooperative extension structure in Iran prioritized. Criterions were prioritized as: 1) “appropriateness with capacities and conditions of cooperative sector”, “effectiveness regarding presenting extension and education services to stakeholders”, “appropriateness with administration structures and related regulation”, “feasibly regarding existing infrastructures and resources in ministry”. Alternatives were prioritized as: (1) institutional networking: organizing national cooperative extension network; (2) developing governmental administration: organizing administrative structure in ministry of Cooperative, Labor and Social Welfare; (3) institutional outsourcing: developing non-governmental structure in the cooperative sector by participation of cooperative unions; (4) go on with past situation: rebuilding organization related to former Cooperative Ministry; (5) go on with current situation: after establishing ministry of Cooperative, Labor and Social Welfare.