delphi method

The purpose of this research was to identify and prioritize factors affecting the use of digital promotion tools by farmers. The research in terms of division based on the purpose is considred as a developmental research; In terms of classification based on the method of data collection can be categorized as a descriptive-survey research; And in terms of the type of data, it is a mixed qualitative and quantitative research.The statistical population of the research consists of professors, agricultural experts and leading farmers who have enough experience in the field of digital agriculture. The analysis method in the qualitative part is the Delphi method and in the quantitative part the analytic hierarchy prosses (AHP) is used to rank the known factors. The results in the qualitative part led to the identification of 6 main factors (economic, individual, educational-extensional, policy making, technical and motivational factors). The ranking results showed that individual factors with weight (0.267) in the first place, educational-promotional factors with weight (0.256) in second place, technical and technological factors with weight (0.187) in third place, motivational factor with weight (0.131) In the fourth place, policy making weight (0.093) is in the fifth place and economic factors with weight (0.065) is in the sixth place.

This study aimed at identifying the factors affecting the rural empowerment and rural entrepreneurship development at the level of policy makers, managers and decision makers in rural entrepreneurship policies. It was a qualitative research conducted in Delphi method. The statistical population consisted of 22 experts and professionals in this field who were selected by non-probability sampling with a combination of purposeful judgment method and snowball sampling. Data analysis was conducted in two stages using Delphi method and exploratory factor analysis. The study findings highlighted the importance of the three factors of emotional, behavioral and cognitive empowerments and their explaining components. The results indicated that the dimensions of cognitive empowerment included the individual, group and enterprise factors affecting the emotional empowerment and led to behavioral empowerment which in turn involved the results of entrepreneurial behavior. In addition, the two-way linkage of these dimensions with the institutional environment including five dimensions of support, rural planning, improved rural business environment, rural entrepreneurial goals and rural entrepreneurial values was explained by the study results.

Evidence and previous research results indicate that many barriers have affected the success of entrepreneurs in dairy industry. The main objective of this paper is to identify and prioritize the barriers to entrepreneurship development in dairy farming in southern Khorasan province. The statistical population of this study, in the Delphi method, was knowledgeable experts, among whom 15 experts were selected by snowball sampling method and the determined
factors were prioritized by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The results showed that among the barriers to entrepreneurship in the dairy farming sector, the highest priority was given to market barriers with an importance of 0.333, legal barriers with a significance of 0.196, second priority and psychological barriers with an importance of 0.150 priority third. And "financial barriers", "barriers caused by inappropriate government interventions", "educational and
educational barriers", and "management-information barriers" are other barriers to
entrepreneurship development in the dairy industry of southern Khorasan province. In general, the results indicate the importance and necessity of policymakers to eliminate the barriers of entrepreneurship towards the development of entrepreneurship in dairy cattle industry in South Khorasan province.

Over 80 years after the first agricultural cooperative in Iran, the companies failed to fulfill their mission of increasing production efficiency and improving the marketing of agricultural products. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting the management of agricultural cooperatives based on expert opinions and field visits. For this purpose, the Delphi method was used to obtain expert opinions and the DEMATEL method was used to systematize the information.A total of 22 factors affecting the management of cooperatives were identified.Among them, the factors of stable and continuous financial resources, managerial experience, use of qualified experts, and target market recognition for products were highlighted.In addition to having a direct impact on the quality of management, these factors also interact with each other.According to the results, the provision of sustainable and continuous financial resources is the most effective and influential factor and mutually the most effective factor on the quality of management of agricultural cooperatives.

The main purpose of this applied research was to assess and analyze the performance of agricultural cooperatives in Hamedan Province based on combined evaluation model. The research paradigm was mixed method (Qualitative and Quantitative) in some phases. In qualitative part of the research, Delphi technique was used in order to distinguish suitable indexes for assessing successful cooperatives. In this phase, 26 specialists were selected as purposive sampling. In quantitative phase of the research, a survey were used for assessing agricultural cooperatives based on defined indexes in last phase. A questionnaire were used as main tool in this phase. A sample of 86 managers of agricultural cooperatives were selected randomly. Assessing performance of agricultural cooperatives by TOPSIS method showed that for identifying successful agricultural cooperatives, six group of indexes such as economic, social, legal, managerial, educational and individual were needed. Based on TOPSIS results, cooperatives of Hamedan Township was in the first rank. After that, the cooperatives in Bahar and Toyserkan Township have second and third rank. The results also showed that the rank of Townships were different based on different indexes. There was not an appropriate distribution of facilities and opportunities in all Townships of the province.

The main objective of this study is to identify structural changes in Iran’s agriculture up to 2025 based on experts views. The study applies Delphi technique to reach to a consensus among the experts. The statistical population consists of all policy makers in agricultural sector. Through a purposive sampling a sample size of 20 is selected to respond to the main question of research. The experts predict 16 changes for the sector and they reach to a consensus about the type of change - decrease or increase. The changes can be classified in 6 themes: type of crop production, production equipments, market demand, quality of cultivation, size and number of farm plots, and human factor in production.

Central District of Khodabandeh is an important agricultural zone of the Khodabandeh County and in the Zanjan province. Studying the role of agricultural cooperatives in economic development as well as identifying its possibilities and limitations can improve the performance of cooperatives and rural development projects. This paper investigates the effects on the development of agricultural cooperatives in the rural economy through SWOT analysis in 2010. Delphi method is used to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats the cooperatives face and based on the results an appropriate strategy to improve the performance of cooperatives are presented. Statistical population includes 155 companies with 1,130 members of agricultural cooperatives in rural areas from which 35 Cooperatives and 250 members were randomly selected and 2 questionnaires were filled out in each cooperative. Also 70 questionnaires were distributed among non-member individuals to collect the necessary data. The results show that the cooperative sector of rural economy has the ability to solve problems, but some factors prevent the development of their work which in addition to rural economy stem from structural barriers and weaknesses in national and regional policy making. To improve the performance of cooperatives, Ministry of Cooperatives Cooperatives should increase its range of operations and a comprehensive revision of facilitating and monitoring policies, particularly in rural areas and agriculture, is also necessary.

Analyzing of higher agricultural education and finding strategies for its improvement are of great interest because of importance of higher agricultural education and its impact on all dimensions of human resource, economical and agricultural developments. Therefore, this system must be continuously evaluated, reviewed and appropriate models and approaches should be provided.This research project used a Delphi technique to inve stigate and analyze the vi ews of higher agricultural education specialists in order to provide an educa tional approach in form of a conceptual model for Bachelor of Science degree program in agriculture. The subjects of th is research were Iranian higher agricultural education specialists that were select ed by nominating method. Two questionnaires were used to collect data which a panel of experts confirmed their validity. The test-retest method was used to evaluate the second questionnaire reliability that was designed by using Li kert type scale. An educational approach was designed for Bachelor of Science degree in agricultu re on the basis of the findings of this research. This approach assumes that the current higher agricultu ral education system is not compatible with the changes that occur in agriculture, environment, socio economic situation, science and technology, and is not able to train students who work in this dynamic world of agricultural development. In this approach planning is done with emphasis on national objectives, technical and practical skills. Due attention will be to make coordination between instructor, students and physical and human facilities. This education system works in such away that graduates can be employed in areas of agricultural production, se rvices, education and research or continuing education. The ability to become self-employed is an important strategy in educational planning. Other necessary components of this educational approach are acquiring practical experience, enhancement of creative ability in the students and increasing practical and technical knowle dge in students. According to this educational approach, to be dynamic higher agricultural educati on system must have continues and viable linkage with other organizations. In this system students will focus on real field problems and will try to propose solutions under the supervison of these instructors. In this program, higher agricultural education system will achieve the following goals: Training the experts who can recognize current situation and agricultural department problems, can use agricultural sciences in practice, and earn good income by their effective skills.