Practical Answers operates 30 decentralized knowledge centers (Gyaner Haat) across Bangladesh to spread agricultural knowledge to farmers. They maintain a call center, website with online resources, and network of social entrepreneurs and knowledge agents. In 2012-13, they reached over 300,000 beneficiaries. Their goals by 2016-17 include serving 600,000 people annually through expanding their knowledge centers and partnerships. Challenges include developing demand-driven content and strengthening relationships between knowledge centers and local governments.

1. Practical Answers
Spreading knowledge beyond your project area
Annual Impact Review
2012-13

2. Small is Beautiful Clip

3. UP based Knowledge Centre Krishi Call Centre
09633123123
Practical Answers International
Team Meeting
Decentralised Knowledge Centre
4th National Knowledge Convention

4. Our Resources
ü 30 Decentralised Knowledge Nodes (Gyanerhat)
ü 60 Social Entrepreneur
ü 241 Skill RTE
ü A Resource Centre
ü A Call Centre (Krishi Call Centre)
ü Multilingual web portal
ü Web-based Social Network
ü Knowledge Partnership with INGO, NGO and Government Organisitions
ü Technical Enquiry Service with Online Technical Enquiry Database

5. How we evolved
TES, Booklet
Research
Testing 2-3
Knowledge Center
,Local K Agents
2010-20122008-20092005-2007
TES, K Objects, Web,
K Map
KM Training Module,
capacity building
30 Knowledge
Center /UC/School
Krishi Call Center
Huge validated
Q & A, Expert pool
National Partnership,
Convention, Network

6. Our current Activities
• Managing 30 Knowledge centers called Gynaer Haat in partnership with
A2I, AIS
• Capacity building of 300 Grass root Knowledge Agents (60 entrepreneurs)
• Operating Call Center for Farmer
• Responding technical enquires and dissemination of information
• Content development (Q & A type, fact sheet, Knowledge objects),sharing
key learning issues
• Innovation work – research , evaluate
• Customer mobilization/database- farmer network
• National Knowledge Convention (Jointly with our knowledge partner)
• Marketing of Practical Action website of Bangladesh part including
Practical Answers Bangla site

7. Practical Answers operation model

8. Operational Model
Local Knowledge Centre (Gyaner Haat)

9. Human process: Grass Root Knowledge
Agents Agents

10. Map of our existing Knowledge centres

11. Practical Action, Bangladesh Website

13. New features
1. Data entry is possible in offline
2. Data feeding option added
3. More user friendly
TES database

18. Reach (Number of knowledge beneficiary ) Year 2012-2013
Service Source People/Year
knowledge centre (30) 90000
call centre 1500
web content 1500
social networking 15000
RTE 200100
TES Not included here
Knowledge Convention 1500
Total 309600 (75% of target)
Target was 400000

19. Trend of TES from 2008-2013
1940 1920
1520
2408
3060
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
NumberofTES
Year
Trend of Technical Enquiry Service

20. System Map

21. External KPI Categories
INFLUENCE
KNOWLEDGE
IMPACT
?
?

22. Business plan (by Year 2016‐17)
§ 0.6 million people per year access the service
§ 1.8 million people from poor communities benefit from the service
§ Repository of 500 knowledge objects with at least 400 objects in
Bengali
§ A strong network of 35 de‐centralized Knowledge Centres
§ Answering 80,000 enquiries per year
§ Reach 41,500 people through website
§ 5,000 downloads per year
§ 15 new strategic partnerships
§ Scaling up our experience in Nepal, Bhutan and India

23. KPI Model:What do we measure
How do we measure
• Knowledge sources
• Location specific knowledge needs/demands
• Barriers to access knowledge & information
• Information channel used
• Access to information on pro poor technologies
• Number of technical enquiries
• No. of knowledge products produced, customized, updated,
shared
• Diversity of knowledge products
• Knowledge partnership and networks
• No. of clients reached
• No. of innovative options developed in knowledge information
management
• Reduced knowledge poverty

24. Success, good things of Gyaner Haat
 Reaching knowledge clients directly through Rural Technology
Extensionists, Call center and Gyaner Haat
 Increased income, service efficiency and identity of rural
intermediaries
 Effective relationship between Upazila officers and RTEs
 Stimulated the functions of technical departments/agents at
Union and Upazilla level
 Expansion of knowledge service through Govt and private
sector
 Enhanced timely , low cost knowledge service – increased
accessibility
 ICT based youth employment
 Expansion of ICT based development in rural areas

25. Baseline Report of 30 Knowledge Centres
Sl
Name of the
Service
Percentage
1. Word Processing 100%
2 Computer Training 43%
3 Capturing Photograph 83%
4 Printing Photo 83%
5 Internet Using 97%
6 Knowledge Service 6%
7 Mobile Banking 11%
8 Multimedia Projector 23%
9 Phocopy 54%
10 Scanning 74%
11 Laminating 43%
Services providing from Knowledge Centres

26. Baseline Report of 30
Knowledge Centres
Below
2000
2000-
3000
3000-
4000
4000-
5000
5000-
6000
6000-
7000
7000-
8000
8000-
9000
9000-
10000
10000
-
11000
11000
-
12000
1200
&
above
RTE ( Ag) 16 13 15 4 7 5 4 2 3 1 2 1
RTE ( Livestock) 18 20 6 9 9 7 3 0 2 0 1 3
RTE ( Fisheries) 5 6 0 5 1 2 1 1 2 1 0 5
0
5
10
15
20
25
Income of RTE (all)

27. 7357
10944
20928
14030
12041
y = 1877.9x4 - 22659x3 + 92205x2 - 142583x + 78516
R² = 1
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
Baseline Dec/12 Jan/13 Feb/13 Mar/13
Taka
Month
Average income
Average income
Poly. (Average income)

28. Baseline Report of 30
Knowledge Centres
2166
4889
7740
4826
4230
y = 582.29x4 ‐ 6804.9x3 + 26336x2 ‐ 37383x + 19436
R² = 1
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
Baseline Dec/12 Jan/13 Feb/13 Mar/13
Taka
Month
Average expense
Average expense
Poly. (Average expense)

29. Baseline Report of 30
Knowledge Centres
221
383
727
295
376
85
153
198
122
150
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Baseline Dec/12 Jan/13 Feb/13 Mar/13
Number
Month
Male and Female receiving services from centre
Male
Female

30. Key message 1: Our development
lessons should go to the millions of
end beneficiaries

31. Key message 2: Our development
lessons should go to the education
system

32. Key message 3: Our development
lessons should go to the development
practitioners and policy makers too

33. Challenges of Knowledge Management

34. Theory of change
Delivery stream: De-centralised Knowledge Node(Gynaer Haat), web based content,
cell-phone based Call Centres, Expert pool and huge grass root Knowledge Agents
and off line materials (multi-media materials, booklets etc.)
Innovation stream: Which pilots’ new ways of knowledge capturing, sharing, learns
from the experience and then feeds successful pilots into the innovation stream.
Scaling stream: This is about bringing our development lessons to huge end users
(not just project beneficiaries), to decision makers and to our education system, Takes
the lessons of our work and shares them with donors and governments in order to
change the way that development is done.
Considering the current investment size, means and manpower PANs Bangladesh
intended to reach around 580,000 people directly and 3673750 people indirectly by
2017. Indirect is 6 times than direct. However, this target will be higher if we can raise
funds.Gyaner Haat – de-centralized Knowledge Center is the key vehicle to serve
knowledge clients at grass root

35. Challenges in 30 Centers
 Information capability/training
 Preparing demand led content –remain a big
challenge
 Activating Union level diverse knowledge actors and
institutions
 Can RTE play the role as a sub-enterpreuners in the
Center?
 Relation between RTE, Chairman, Enterpreuner
 Putting it as a Monitoring agenda of Ministry,
Department and local adminsitration
 Internet speed, Legal status of RTEs, Relation with
Govt. and RTE/Enterpreuner

36. Practical Answers
1. Content development from your project for online/call centre/print media/optical media
a) Case studies in English/Bangla
b) Fact Sheet
c) Technical Brief
d) Technical Drawing
e) Multimedia Object
f) Questions & Answers (FAQ)
Now Practical Answers managing organisational website for Bangladesh part.
Visit http:// practicalaction.org
http://practicalaction.org/practicalanswers
Bangla site http://practicalaction.org/practicalanswers/index.php?language=bn
Write your opinion http://practicalaction.org/blog/
Like at https://www.facebook.com/practicalactionbd
2. Make a call for your enquiry related to agriculture (Agriculture, Livestock &
Fisheries (096 33 123 123)
Like at https://www.facebook.com/KrishiCallCentre

37. knowledge
shared freely

38. www.practicalaction.org/
www.practicalaction.org/practicalanswers
Thank You