A major focus of any new multi-disciplinary agricultural services institution would have to be on developing a participative process for identifying and prioritizing research, extension and education needs. This would be a significant contrast from present approaches, whereby decisions are largely or completely taken at central level, with little input even from regional research and extension stations, and none from farmers themselves. The design of the new institution would therefore have to take explicit account of the need for communication with, and input from, these sources, and endeavour where possible to incorporate farmers in programmes of applied field research.