Building agricultural advisors’ capability within agricultural innovation systems: a systematic review of capability development for practice

Purpose The transformation of agricultural extension towards pluralistic systems has resulted in new advisory roles and functions, requiring new capabilities. A knowledge gap remains in articulating the process of building such capabilities. Drawing on professional practice in education, health and agriculture, this paper examines the current state of knowledge concerning capability building to inform best practice for advisors in Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS).Methodology A systematic review of literature examined capability building in professional practice. Sixty-eight academic articles were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.Findings Divergent approaches to capability building were identified as either (1) prescriptive, organisation-driven approaches or (2) co-constructed, practitioner-centred approaches. Where capability building was managed systemically by accounting for individual cognition, organisational structures and institutional dimensions, outcomes were transformative and sustainable. For individual practitioners, effective professional development (PD) was found to require content relevance and contextual fit.Practical implications This study directs designers of capability-building initiatives and practitioners seeking to build capability towards the key considerations and elements of best practice by accounting for systemic factors that influence capability.Theoretical implications By combining adult learning and social practice theories, this study contributes to the theorisation of capability building in AIS.Originality This paper provides a synthesis of research evidence on capability building from various sectors and links this evidence to key concepts within AIS to inform capability building for advisors.