Performance monitoring of agricultural extension is weak in many developing countries. Monitoring is often done haphazardly and mostly for accountability purposes, less so for learning and decision-making. Extension providers tend to regard monitoring as something done by ‘others’ for bosses and donors. Yet, ability to monitor own performance is a key element of institutional capacity (Simister and Smith, 2010). Plant clinics are currently being implemented in 34 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America with the support from CABI’s Plantwise programme. The purpose of Plantwise is to improve plant health extension and to strengthen the links between other key actors in plant health. As part of its institutional strengthening strategy, Plantwise aims to build capacity of extension agencies to monitor performance of their own plant clinics. One component of this effort is a 3-day training course for extension agents where plant doctors (extension agents) and their supervisors learn principles of supportive and self-critical monitoring as a means to improve learning, accountability and decision-making at different levels. The purpose of this case study is to assess the trainees’ perception of the course and the preliminary effects on organisational practices.