Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences (2020) Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 227-237The study was conducted in Western Amhara Region of Ethiopia to determine the linkage between personal, socio-economic and institutional characteristics and effectiveness of delivery of extension services on Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) practices among smallholder farmers. Data were collected using questionnaire survey and checklist from nine kebeles and 383 randomly selected farmers. The study found that effectiveness of extension service delivery on SWC practices in the study area largely depends on the farmers’ personal, socio-economic and institutional characteristics. Therefore, the study concludes that demand-driven extension service delivery is more effective when farmers’ personal, socio-economic and institutional characteristics are addressed and policies and legal frameworks are in place to guide the extension service delivery. The study draws a number of policy and research implications including the development of policies and strategies that the Amhara National Regional State should approve for addressing personal, socio-economic and institutional variables of farmers as a means for effective delivery of extension services on SWC practices in the study area and areas with similar conditions.