This report presents the results of the Pilot Benchmark Study conducted for the Decentralized Agriculture and Forestry Extension Projet (DAFEP) by a team of CIRAD and Idé-Force consultants in cooperation with the DAFEP Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) section, between March and July 2000. The report consists of two volumes: - This volume, i.e. volume I, presents an account of the work conducted by the Team, including the objectives of the mission, the methodology and a discussion of the results of the mission; - volume II presents the output of the mission, in the form of guidelines for the implementation of the DAFEP Benchmark Study.