Information, Education and communication: Conducted Tours


What is it?

It is a method by which a group gets together for the purpose of seeing an improved performance or result of a practice in actual situations. This requires the group move out of the area for a considerable period with a definite programme.

Why is it?

  1. To convince the clients by providing them an opportunity to see the result of a new practice, demonstration of a skill, new implements, and thus have an idea of the accomplishments in other area.
  2. To help people to recognize problems, to create interest, to generate discussion and to provoke action.
Advantages:

  1. Can serve to stimulate people to action.
  2. Percentage of takes to exposures are high.
  3. Participants become active cooperators.
  4. Promotes better understanding between participants and extension workers.
  5. Widens the vision of participants.
  6. Develops leadership.
  7. Could also serve sight seeing purposes.


Limitations:
  1. It is costly.
  2. Difficulty in fixing up the season and time suitable to all
  3. Lack of facilities like transport and accommodation at the halting places, etc.
  4. If badly conducted would create frustration.
  5. If other interests overlap the educational purpose of the tour, its effectiveness would be reduced.


What to do?
  1. PLANNING:
    1. Decide upon the places to be visited and the things to be seen and learnt.
    2. Decide upon the composition of the group and leaders.
    3. Discuss with the participants details related to the tour.
    4. Help them decide the dates, period, transport, food and other related matters.
    5. Get in touch with the concerned persons and agencies.
  2. CONDUCTING:
    1. Keep the interest of the group always in view.
    2. Let every one see, hear and discuss at the places of visit.
    3. Allow time for questions and answers.
    4. Help them make notes of interesting information.
    5. Do not crowd the programme or bore the members.
    6. Provide for recreation, look to the comforts of the party and keep up the cheer.
  3. FOLLOW UP:
    1. Contact the members individually and in groups.
    2. Lead their interest to action.
    3. Arrange for necessary supplies and services.
    4. Recognize and appreciate the best and the quick learner.
    5. Use successful members for reaching others.
    6. Build up new stories.
  4. SUGGESTIONS:
    1. Plan in advance.
    2. Take up correspondence well in time.
    3. Select homogeneous groups for specialized tours and representative groups of several sections for general tours.
    4. Let not the group be too big.
    5. Have the representatives of the party share the responsibility for food, finance, recreation, maintenance of accounts, etc.
    6. Let the participants speak at the places visited about their own achievements.