The right communication strategy also determines the development process. Communication, Information and Education (IEC) focuses on individual behavior change or reinforcement, changes in social norms, community education and communication to empower communities. Dean of the Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Science, Universitas Diponegoro, Prof. Bambang Waluyo Hadi Eko Prasetiyono, in implementing the IEC strategy requires community involvement and the initiation of agricultural extension workers in formulating community empowerment programs starting from planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. This was conveyed in the webinar “Development Counseling and Communication”, Agribusiness Masters Study Program, on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. This public lecture presented two speakers, namely: Dr. Idha Widi Arsanti, Head of the Center for Agricultural Education, Extension and Development of Agricultural Human Resources (BPPSDMP), Ministry of Agriculture and Subejo, Ph.D., Head of Study Program for Extension & Development Communication (PKP) UGM Graduate School. The chairman of PS S2 Agribusiness FPP UNDIP, Dr. Ir. Mukson, MS., added that the concept and design of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) has been applied in the field of agricultural extension.
Resource person Subejo, PhD., emphasized the strategy for implementing IEC where agricultural extension workers have an increasingly strategic and significant role in determining the success of the development process, not only playing a role in the transfer of information but “convincing” and guaranteeing positive attitude changes and carrying out the desired behavior ( desirable changes). The Importance of Community Adaptation Strategies in Utilizing Digital Media by prioritizing Digital literacy skills (ability to access, collect, select, sort, use, disseminate information correctly). The second resource person, Dr. Idha Widi Arsanti, focused on the implementation of IEC in the KOSTRATANI (Strategic Command for Agricultural Development) program. This national program is a national agricultural development reform movement based on information technology by optimizing the tasks, functions and roles of the Agricultural Extension Center (BPP) by utilizing IT in realizing national food sovereignty.
At the end of the webinar, we conclude that there is a need to digitize agricultural information with infrastructure improvements, resource support, and networking between stakeholders, so as to be able to improve our agricultural programs, with the support of the social and policy environment as well as being adaptive to technological developments.
