Myra Wopereis-Pura 1 , Dady Demby 1 , Francois Stepman 1 , Krishan Bheenick 2 , Kone Anatole 3 and Jacky Nyagahima 4 1 FARA, Accra, Ghana; 2 SADC-FANR, Gabarone, Botswana; 3 CORAF, Dakar, Senegal; 4 ASARECA, Entebbe, Uganda. Connecting people to catalyze African agricultural innovations IAALD Africa Chapter Conference 14 July 2009 regional agricultural information and learning systems (RAILS)

FARA supporting African agricultural innovations 3 main functions Advocacy and constituency building Promote functional partnerships and strategic alliances Sharing and exchange of information and knowledge 5 networking support functions Advocacy and resource mobilization Access to knowledge and technology Regional policies and markets Capacity strengthening Partnerships and Strategic Alliances NASRO ASARECA CORAF/ WECARD SADC-FANR (CARDESA)

3 main functions

Advocacy and constituency building

Promote functional partnerships and strategic alliances

Sharing and exchange of information and knowledge

5 networking support functions

Advocacy and resource mobilization

Access to knowledge and technology

Regional policies and markets

Capacity strengthening

Partnerships and Strategic Alliances

International agricultural ICT/ICM service providers CABI CGIAR CTA FAO

CABI

CGIAR

CTA

FAO

Keeping researchers abreast within a knowledge-driven agricultural development … e.g. growing number of ICT-based advisory services Radio - dial up and radio broadcast Multi-channel platforms SMS of market prices FARA inventory of innovative farmer advisory services using ICT, 2009

Kenya and Tanzania, leading the way National farmer information service Kenya Agricultural commodity exchange Thematic publications

But challenges remain, where research interventions can be critical … SMS – mobile phones can only send out limited amount of information Requires basic level of literacy Voice information delivery services Requires adoption to various local languages Customer Relationship Management application to support integrated call Handling and management of a very large audio database Web-based platform Too many information difficult to digest and a challenge to farmers Internet connectivity Traditional media (TV and Radio) is still seen as the most convenient channel in disseminating information to farmers District information, telecentres or knowledge centres are growing in numbers

SMS – mobile phones

can only send out limited amount of information

Requires basic level of literacy

Voice information delivery services

Requires adoption to various local languages

Customer Relationship Management application to support integrated call

Handling and management of a very large audio database

Web-based platform

Too many information difficult to digest and a challenge to farmers

Internet connectivity

Traditional media (TV and Radio) is still seen as the most convenient channel in disseminating information to farmers

District information, telecentres or knowledge centres are growing in numbers

What is needed? communication technologies working within the prevailing physical, socio-economic, cultural and institutional conditions of farmers comprehensive model addressing limitations in existing methods, by offering a holistic, one-stop-shop information service on a variety of carefully integrated platforms A model that implements farmers’ feedback as a resource to further enhance existing tools and approaches

communication technologies working within the prevailing physical, socio-economic, cultural and institutional conditions of farmers

comprehensive model addressing limitations in existing methods, by offering a holistic, one-stop-shop information service on a variety of carefully integrated platforms

Knowledge creation Recognition of uneven distribution of information Mere information in the form of flow of messages is not enough Knowledge creation as the creative result of a flow of messages anchored on the commitment and beliefs of the actors involved in the process and resulting in human action Knowledge is built within an environment that takes into account Capacity building and empowerment Processes i.e. social mobilization and organization

Recognition of uneven distribution of information

Mere information in the form of flow of messages is not enough

Knowledge creation as the creative result of a flow of messages anchored on the commitment and beliefs of the actors involved in the process and resulting in human action

Knowledge is built within an environment that takes into account

Capacity building and empowerment

Processes i.e. social mobilization and organization

Creating dynamic and evolving agricultural knowledge systems With ready access to knowledge sources categorized into themes linked to the interests of African farmers using multi-media information and learning systems Agricultural Service Providers research institutions universities extension services NGOs

With ready access to knowledge sources categorized into themes linked to the interests of African farmers

using multi-media information and learning systems

Agricultural Service Providers

research institutions

universities

extension services

NGOs

Integrated agricultural knowledge systems Inventory of knowledge stocks Develop/identify and adopt multi-media information and learning systems Develop/identify and adopt dynamic and evolving agricultural knowledge systems quality information databases multi-media information and learning tools feedback and feed forward mechanisms to diffuse knowledge and continuously improve the quality of knowledge sharing Strengthen the capacities of farmer advisory service providers

Inventory of knowledge stocks

Develop/identify and adopt multi-media information and learning systems

Develop/identify and adopt dynamic and evolving agricultural knowledge systems

quality information databases

multi-media information and learning tools

feedback and feed forward mechanisms to diffuse knowledge and continuously improve the quality of knowledge sharing

Strengthen the capacities of farmer advisory service providers

RAILS framework Advocacy to encourage increased investment in agricultural information systems Capacity strengthening geared towards access to information and knowledge Facilitating synergies and coherence among various initiatives Facilitating an African platform on agricultural information and knowledge exchange

Advocacy to encourage increased investment in agricultural information systems

Capacity strengthening geared towards access to information and knowledge

Facilitating synergies and coherence among various initiatives

Facilitating an African platform on agricultural information and knowledge exchange

Building RAILS focal points as facilitators of communication exchange

ASARECA Jacqueline Nyagahima NASRO Angola Adriano Andre Benin Etienne A. Ahandage Botswana Orman Roy Burkina Faso Hamidou Traore Burundi Janvier Nkunzebose Burundi Marie-Chantal Niyuhire Cameroon Martin Nanse Cape Verde Antonio Miranda-Fortes CAF Fernand Mboutou Chad Koye Djombang Comoros Congo Bigala jacques Congo Emmanuel Mbemba Cote d'lvoire Koffi Gabriel Djibouti DRC Jocelin Makoko Egypt Ahmed Omran Egypt Mahmoud Rafea Eritea Zeremariam Ghebremicael Ethiopia Abebe Kirub Gambia Ghana Dady Demby Ghana Joel Sam Guinea Abdoulaye Aziz Bangoura Guinea Bissau Lopes Marcos Antonio Kenya Pascal Kaubutho Kenya Rachel Rege Lesotho Maqalika Matsepe Liberia James S Dolo Libya Kamel Ben Essa Madagascar Francine Rasolofonirina- Irene Razafindraibe Madagascar Sanogo Bakary Mail Clodina Chowa Malawi Madian Diarra Mali Isselmou Abdatt Mauritania Mamadou Lamine Dia Mauritania Raj Ramnauth Mauritius Otman Sebbata Morocco Ludmila Mwaa Rafael Maguni Mozambique Claudine Umukazi Rwanda Claudine Umukazi Rwanda Sao Tome & Principe Islands Mariama Barry Senegal Mohamed A. Sanoh Sierra Leone Somalia Ahlam Ismail Musa Sudan Kamal El-Siddig Sudan Rafaa Ashamallah Ghobrial Sudan Doris Matovelo Tanzania Vidah Mahava Tanzania Bontiébite Badjare Togo Mahammed Bergaoui Tunisia Mohsen Krichi Tunisia Bob Mugerwa Uganda Sylvester Baguma Uganda Davy Simumba Zambia CORAF/WECARD Kone Anatole SADC/FANR Krishan Bheenick

e.rails … Communicating agricultural innovations All the sites are linked and searchable through a single gateway Individuals create sites The user’s backend allows to: edit and design sites and pages, provide links to external web-resources classify information

The user’s backend allows to:

edit and design sites and pages,

provide links to external web-resources

classify information

Allows actors from Agriculture to request an account to create various sites All the sites can be searched in one go RAILS focal points manage accounts in their country Multilingual

Mapping RAILS progress ASARECA CORAF/WECARD SADC/FANR NASRO Good progress on the 4 RAILS elements Good progress in some of the RAILS elements Some of the RAILS elements are in place Requires more communications

Understanding the partners Identify the range of target partners Variety in their needs and interventions in rural development through innovation Various pathways of information flow Part of identification is through consultation/participation, which may be a lengthy process Define strategies and policies that all users can relate to - ownership Have a broad framework applicable to the context, culture & political environment Multi-perspective approach , (geographically, commodity based or thematically focussed) Focus on priorities of partners identified instead of a particular tool Ensure institutional support especially by decision makers and ministries Work together with information user and suppliers, and communicate through media familiar to all Added value and contribution of each partner Coherence and sustainability at all levels RAILS lessons learnt in facilitating an African platform

Understanding the partners

Identify the range of target partners

Variety in their needs and interventions in rural development through innovation

Various pathways of information flow

Part of identification is through consultation/participation, which may be a lengthy process

Define strategies and policies that all users can relate to - ownership

Have a broad framework applicable to the context, culture & political environment

Multi-perspective approach , (geographically, commodity based or thematically focussed)

Focus on priorities of partners identified instead of a particular tool

Ensure institutional support especially by decision makers and ministries

Work together with information user and suppliers, and communicate through media familiar to all

Added value and contribution of each partner

Coherence and sustainability at all levels

Conclusion Critical factors for success Context-based content, flexibility in mode of delivery and people responsive to local and gender based issues and feedback Continuous building of new partnerships and working relationships within the multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary teams Teams or institutions in the network have a record of timely delivery of outputs and ability to sustain programs beyond the life of the projects

Critical factors for success

Context-based content, flexibility in mode of delivery and people responsive to local and gender based issues and feedback

Continuous building of new partnerships and working relationships within the multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary teams

Teams or institutions in the network have a record of timely delivery of outputs and ability to sustain programs beyond the life of the projects

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