ABSTRACT

In today's competitive and complex world, the importance of using a performance management and appraisal system is not hidden from any organization. Agricultural extension, which provides services to farmers as the main and executive arm in the agricultural sector, is no exception of. The aim of this study was to designing a performance appraisal model for fielded experts of agricultural extension (area promoters) of Iran. This research is applied in terms of purpose, field in terms of data collection and quantitative in nature. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire and the statistical population was field experts in agricultural extension (promoters of the zone) of Iran, whose number was 7567 people. The sample size based on Daniel formula's was determined 465 people, by Using stratified sampling method with proportional assignment 460 questionnaires were completed. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by professors and experts. Reliability of the questionnaire after its completion by 17 experts of the Iranian Agricultural Extension and Education Institute and the calculation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient (above 0.7) was confirmed. The model was designed in the form of 44 indicators in three dimensions of behaviors (20 indicators), competencies (11 indicators) and results (13 indicators). In order to evaluate and measure the model, confirmatory factor analysis method and to weight the indicators Analytical Hierarchy process (AHP) was used. The results of model fit indicated that after modifying the model and removing 9 indicators, the overall structure of the model could be confirmed.

Keywords: performance management, performance appraisal, fielded agricultural extension staff of IRAN