Purpose: We facilitated a critical integrated work session during the merger of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR). The workshop was pivotal in designing the macro-organizational structure of the newly formed Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.

Objectives and Outcomes:

• Identification and clarification of overlapping or duplicated functions and services.
• Recognition and integration of complementary functions between both departments.
• Mapping and clarification of stakeholder groups, clients, and service delivery areas.
• Defined responsibilities across National, Provincial, and District levels.

Impact: This facilitated session effectively streamlined organizational structures, roles, and responsibilities, enabling a smoother transition and clearer operational framework post-merger.

Purpose: Mabalengwe Agriculture facilitated a stakeholder consultative workshop with the goal of collaboratively developing an integrated strategy for rolling out the recruitment of 10,000 Extension Assistants in the agriculture, land reform, and rural development sectors over three years.

Objectives and Outcomes:

• Engaged diverse stakeholders to build consensus and clarity around recruitment goals.
• Developed a structured rollout plan ensuring alignment with strategic sector needs.
• Fostered collaboration and ownership among key sector stakeholders.

Impact: The workshop established a clear roadmap for capacity expansion, directly contributing to enhanced service delivery in agricultural extension and rural development.

Purpose: Addressing recommendations from the 2021 consultative workshop, this focused capacity-building workshop aimed at designing a comprehensive training and qualification upgrade programme for appointed Assistant Agricultural Practitioners.

Objectives and Outcomes:

• Designed an effective capacity-building framework to enhance the qualifications and skills of Extension Assistants.
• Identified core training needs and developed actionable strategies for implementation over three years.
• Ensured alignment of training programmes with sector-specific requirements and job roles.

Impact: The workshop significantly contributed to the professional growth and development strategy, improving effectiveness and sustainability in agricultural service delivery at community and regional levels.