Question 1: ICTs for collecting agricultural, socio-economic, or M&E data (Open 11 June)

<p>This is very interesteing topic. I am invoved in M &amp; E in a research for development projects and we are in the process of developing web based M &amp; E system to monitor a project in three states, any ideas on how I should approach it?</p>
<p>Considering the volume of data to be collected by use of the monitoiring tools is larger than what can be handled by teh mobile technology?</p>
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We mPower Social Enterprises Limited are working in Bangladesh, India and in the Middle East (http://www.mpower-social.com/) using mobile technology to get realtime information from the field and the beneficiary gets instand feedback.

We are planning to track the agricultural information of the farmers, agri market and monitor the growth of the seeds. That's why planning to develop an android application to get the information. Frontline staff/worker of NGO's/Organizations will collect the data from the field.

We developed and implemented mobile based public health module and health of livestock animal. Frontline worker goes from door to door of beneficiaries carrying Android mobile handset. An application is installed in the mobile handset and there are customized questionnaires based on the NGO activities. The frontline woker ask the beneficiary/client about their health status or livestock animal health status. The collected data is sent using EDGE/GPRS and a dashboard is created in the web for each and indivisual beneficiary. The doctor or the vatenararian can see the complexity of the beneficiary or the livestock animal and can suggest or give instruction to the fronline staff and then the frontline staff convey the instruction to the beneficiaries at realtime basis.

<p>Sounds interesting. Have you done any project(s) outside Asia?</p>

I think that "digitalization" is an important element here. At FrontlineSMS (free software which assists with the management of SMS) we've seen many ways that people using SMS as "faster paper." The software can send/receive but you can also store or export data to keep records of interaction over time for M&E purposes. Take, for example this project in Cambodia where the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries is using data collected through FrontlineSMS to track and contain animal diseases. Village chiefs and animal health workers report livestock deaths weekly via SMS to monitor mortality offering timely and accurate reports. 

For a slightly more advanced data collection, checkout this project in Tanzania where Technoserve used FrontlineForms (which requires a Java encrypted phone to send encrypted SMS) to follow up after training sessions to monitor impact.

@PDey we agree "economics is important" but also recognise that context is king. FrontlineSMS is a free software with free support available so is designed to be relatively "out-of-the box." But we must recognise that there are costs involved depending on where you are and what messages you plan on sending - this may be the messages themselves but also the staff and resources invested in running a communications service. 

@Harrison working in 3 states may well bring its challenges. When we think about scale, we consider horizontal scale to work more efficiently than a verticle model. By this I mean rather than having one central hub for communications, it may be best to consider running local hubs which then share information with each other. That way you may avoid/reduce any international roaming fees for SMS/calls too. 

The great thing is that SMS is a lowest common denominator for communications- all phones have that functionality and with 6bn active subscriptions we're all aware of how ubiquitous they are. We continue to be inspired by the ways projects take ownership by using FrontlineSMS to and help facilitate messaging.

I've been interested in following the way other communications tools - like radio, TV and newspaper - can be used in combination with mobile to expand their reach. There's a project callled "The Organic Farmer" in Kenya who started with a magazine on agricultural advice but realised it didn't reach the most remote farmers. So John Cheburet started a radio program on Milele and KBC to expand reach. At one stage many farmers highlighted a disease killing chickens and sent in SMS evidence and also MMS picture messages. Using FrontlineSMS to organise messages, John gathered evidence and presented it to farming experts on the radio who diagnosed it as "Newcastle" disease and he also involved an MP in organising vaccination schedules.

I think this shows the power in using radio to expand reach to widen the net for gathering even more evidence and how powerful community contributons can be. Radio also closes the feedback loop as farmers tune in to hear advice explained fully and this ensures that even those who did not SMS can still benefit. Read more about this project here. 

Its something which Farm Radio International have been looking at in depth and have kicked off some discussions on their new Barza site.  

It is quite obvious radio will always increase relevance and benefits of ICT devices such as mobile phone when it comes to improving the livelihoods of the smallholder farmers at least in rural sub-sahara west Africa, where pockets of isolated cases of connectivity and operational inept still exist amid enourmous justification to alleviating the problems. Unfortunately, smallholder farmers affinity to radio communication is grossly underrated as cheap effective tool for improved livelihood of the smallholder farmers because in many parts of the region say Nigeria private license for farmers radio is expensive and unforthcoming. In addition there is the issue of source and relevant content to broadcast that which will benefit the diverse farming comunities, fear of misuse of the radio service during political campaigns and limited frequency coverage. However, it is interesting now when I listen to interactive non-agricultural phone-in programme in state-owned radio involving rural people but yet the concept is not adequately employed to serve the agriculture sector. In Kano state for example, a fully equipped extension unit of World Bank Agricutlural Development Programme (ADP) has been upgraded to 'Farmers Radio' but the main issue is that of capacity enhancement of the outfit to tune in the radio services towards effective empowerment of the rural farming communities. This confirms that no matter how propsepctive the radio/mobile hybrid may be to smallholder farmers transformation still policy framework, training and investment remain major challenges.

Hi Rabiu, Great to hear about your experiences and agree that certain contexts may present challenges to the application of using radio. I suppose if there is any benefit, agricultural advice is a relatively uncontraversial topic for the airwaves but its shocking to hear how little coverage it gets in your experience.  Why do you think the interactive state run programming doesn't cover agriculture - is to do with the audience who tunes in? 

I was wondering your thoughts on HAM or amateur radio? Many innovators I have heard about set up their own agricultural advice programmes - like Joseph Seikiku in Tanzania or in the case of The Organic Farmer I mentioned above, John actually records programmes which are broadcast via larger stations including the national Kenyan Broadcasting Coorperation.

In addition, do you hear about people listening to diaspora radio or international broadcasts via shortwave? 

I know Community Radio across Africa grew over 1,000% from 2000-2006 but many face challenges of financial sustainability. For me, its important to ask: how can stations tap into sensible revenue streams relevant to listeners (especially farmers) to ensure survival?

Hmmn!, virtually several radio stations surely exist in my area but they all have weekly repeat farmers programme that either airs outdated information or too sophisticated unrealistic to make the desired impact. I think it doesn't make sense to broadcast new research finding on how to grow Irish potatoes in nutrient bag hanging in the air to a subsistent rural farmer who struggles to concur immediate local challenges of climate, globalization, ICT, free market to survive the day. So content of the broadcast is critical.The interactive radio programme is purely social or religious aired both through private and public stations.

Amy? are you aware that my area has the highest transistor listeners of international broadcasts such as BBC, VOA, Dutch Welly, Radio France, China radio, radio Iran, etc in the world?. That is one of my worries, that local authorities failed to tap this potentials for a coordinated agricultural extension and advisory broadcasts from the international stations even in partnership with local stations.

I am scanning resources emerging in this forum to enable me set up my own version of amateur radio programme for smallholder farmers in my region. The answer to your last question on stations' survival revolves around population of the consumer or users of the farmers output. In my own case that is no problem at all. We are talking about minimum of 20 million listerner farmers, users and consumers chunked in two states only.

Kindly put me through setting up the amateur farmers radio, the ICT devices I need including required software to use for streaming into a local radio station, IF THAT APPROACH WOULD BE PRACTICEABLE IN MY COUNTRY

Thanks so much for this insight, Rabiu. I agree that agricultural advice needs to be inherently local - local weather, local prices, local challenges - so the relevance of programming is imperative. There is also such a need to be accurate and up-to-date. Maybe thats why the need for participatory dialogue is so important so listeners have opportunity to guide and contribute content, ensuring its appropriateness. But it sounds like the challenge is a central place for the organisation of this? Would the stations ever offer airtime to someone interested in leading this? 

Thats so interesting to hear about international broadcasts - do you worry that being international that this "local relevance" is lost? Are they popular with local people?

I'm no expert on setting up a radio but could put you in touch with Joseph if you are interested to hear his experiences? Otherwise resources like the following might help: 

http://www.hamuniverse.com/setuphamstation.html

http://www.hamlife.co.uk/categoryRender.asp?categoryID=3654

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-set-own-fm-radio-station-licensing-274533.html

http://www.clydebroadcast.com/img/bank/SettingStation.pdf

Good day Amy, already I am enjoying this wonderful forum because it is drawing me near some kind of breakthrough to helping 'resource poor' smalholders in my region. You see, luckily enough local stations are very cooperative and willing when it comes to airing innovations to rural farmers. It all depends on the approach, clarity of the project and clear benefit matrix to both authority and its subjects - farmers.

About international broadcasts my worries are that local authorities failed to align their potential to improve local listeners farming occupation. The international broadcasts tried to air farmers content in a broader perspective as against practical approaches that narrows down to local community specifics. Moreover, it is usually a flash farmers programme of 15 minutes maximum per week by the international stations. While we are talking of about 60 minutes per day of farmers broadcast as minimum by local provider. But then the target communities are large in number and diverse,  different local resources, exposure, needs and capabilities.

The popularity of international broadcasts to farmers in my region is so enormous. In many instances local news reach local farmers via international broadcasts several hours in advance. Some local news never heard of through the local stations.

Thanks for all the resources links. Sure I am exploring possibilities in wider perspective. Will appreciate linkage to Joseph though.