4. Governance of Agricultural Service Delivery at the Grassroots Level in Nepal

Service delivery at the grassroots level is a basic function of the state. When the supply side becomes responsive and the demand-side stakeholders become active, service delivery becomes effective. Nepal, being an agricultural country, has been providing agricultural extension services to beneficiaries and has established institutional arrangements at the grassroots level in different regions. This chapter discusses to what extent the institutions created for the delivery of agricultural extension services are effective in fulfilling their given objectives, and to what extent those who are meant to benefit from these services actually do experience any benefit. The areas of Betrabati, Naubise, and Prasauni, which are in three different geographical zones, were selected purposively to generate primary information. This study applies a sequential explanatory research design that uses quantitative data, followed by qualitative interviews for explaining respondents’ perceptions, feelings, attitudes, and experiences. The findings reveal that proper institutional capacity, people’s participation, and organizational coordination are critical variables for effective service delivery and are more significant than the delegation of authority.