The Performance of Extension Workers Toward the Success of Rural Aquaculture Development Program in the East Sumba Regency East Nusa Tenggara

The success of the aquaculture farming group in the development of rural aquaculture is highly determined by the cooperation and the commitment of the entire farming group, technical team, and extension instit utions, particularly government employee and contract fishery assisting extension w orkers. The present study aimed to analyze the effects of e xtension workers’ performance and direct community assistance on the success of t he Rural Aquaculture Development Program (Pengembangan Usaha Mina Perdesaan Perikana n Budidaya – PUMP-PB) in the East Sumba Regency. Data was analyzed using a d escriptive qualitative and partial least square (PLS) method. Data collection was carr ied out by interview, observation, and documentation. Meanwhile, a census sampling met hod was employed to select a total of 102 respondents from 17 groups, from which 6 persons were selected (3 persons in management and 3 persons as members). Results show that: 1) extension workers’ performanc e have a highly significant influence on the success of the Rural Aquaculture D evelopment Program in the East Sumba Regency, with facilitating the strengthening of Pokdakan agencies as a dominant extension workers performance indicator; 2) the dir ect community assistance from the Rural Venture Development of Aquaculture have a sig nificant impact on the success of Rural Aquaculture Development Program in the East S umba Regency, with distribution of direct community assistance as a dominant extens ion workers performance indicator; 3) collectively, both the extension workers’ perfor mance and the direct community assistance of PUMP-PB variables appears to have a s ignificant influence on the success of the PUMP-PB program, with a coefficient of deter mination (R 2 ) value of 27.90%. The study suggests that it is imperative to increas e the performance of extension workers in rural aquaculture development program in the East Sumba Regency, as it has been proven to have a positive impact on the su ccess of the program. It is also necessary to extend the provision of direct communi ty assistance, which has played a significant role in the success of the rural aquacu lture development program. Further research is needed to determine other factors that may influence the success of the rural aquaculture development program in the East Sumba R egency. Key words: performance, extension workers, success of the Rural Aquaculture development program