Knowledge management, communication
and e-extension in the LIVES project
Fanos Mekonnen, Knowledge Management and Communications Expert
LIVES Commodity Value Chain Development Inception Workshop
Addis Ababa, 21–24 January 2013

Knowledge
• Is information and data
• Could be explicit or tacit
• Could be individual or
collective/ organizational
• May come in different
formats

Knowledge Management
The right knowledge
In the right place
At the right time
Two types of Knowledge Management
• Personal knowledge management
• Organizational knowledge management

The Five Focus areas of LIVES
1. Commodity value chain development
2. Capacity Development
3. Knowledge Management and Learning
4. Monitoring and Documentation
5. Promotion and Scaling out

3 Major components in KM
People
Processes
Technology (ICT)

Strategic approach to KM in LIVES
1. What knowledge to capture, store & share
2. With whom to share
3. How to share
4. When and where to share
5. How to measure impact of Knowledge sharing

Planned KM and Comms in LIVES
1. Agricultural Knowledge centers
2. Online platforms
3. Offline platforms
4. E- extension use of ICTs (E-
readers, videos, Cellphone,….)
5. Training, coaching, skills development

1. Agricultural Knowledge Centers (AKC)
A one stop shop!!!

1. Agricultural Knowledge Centers (AKC)
A one stop shop!!!

Experience from IPMS on AKC
Usefulness of Agricultural information in AKC
80
60
40
20
0
Alaba Alamata Bure Goma
Useful Average Not useful

2. Online Platform
Mahider

3. Offline platforms
 Study tours&
Technology Exhibition
 Field Days
 Seminars &
Workshops
Conferences
 Farmer training
centers

4. E-extension
The use of information and communication
technologies (ICT) for sustainable agriculture
and rural development

E-extension
Participatory Agricultural Radios Series
Source: Farm Radio International

E-extension
Market information/
production management
Source: ILRI/ Azage Tegegne

E-extension
E-reader (electronic – reader)
Source: Amazon
Capacity to store 3000 books

E-extension
Participatory Video
Making for engaging
farmers in documenting
their knowledge
Source ILRI/Beth Cullen, Nilebdc

4. Training, Coaching, skill development
Improved capacity to value chain actors
(producers, suppliers, service providers )
– Training farmers, Das, input
suppliers, processors…..
– guidelines on production
technology, market assessment, extension
service provision,

Public extension and advisory staff
capacity at LIVES district
Amhara district
staff SNNP district staff
463 78
974
Total district staff 750
1089
3082
BSc & Above Below BSc
Oromia district Tigray district staff
staff 332
216
574
784

Training, coaching, skills development
• BSc/ MSc studies
• On job training
for practical skills
development

At the end of the LIVES project….
1. Strengthened knowledge sharing and learning
processes
• knowledge and information is packed in different
formats that are appropriate to the needs and
interest of its stakeholders, and thus have
greater utility
• Enhanced staff capacity on knowledge sharing
and learning

At the end of the LIVES project….
2. Increased impact of the project’s
intervention, research and capacity development
activities
Greater engagement, linkage
and collaboration of partners.
Facilitate evidence based
decision making on Livestock
and irrigated value chains
development

At the end of the LIVES project….
3. KM and communication approaches, methods
and tools are tested, proved and taken up to be
institutionalized
Source: www.genardis.apcwomen.org

www.lives-ethiopia.org