Bryan Argos
| Organization type | University |
|---|---|
| Country | Philippines |
This member participated in the following Forums
Forum Forum: "ICT and producer organizations" November, 2012
Question 4 (opens 20 Nov.)
Hello Everyone,
As per various experiences in the our city, there have been numerous projects illustrating how ICT can empower women and smallholders in producer organizations. Some of these examples are:
1. SCALA - the Sharing Computer Access Locally and Abroad (SCALA) program of the City has had numerous scholar beneficiaries who have been trained with basic computer skills. Many of the graduates of this program are workers and smallholders in producer organizations composed mainly of women such as the dried fish producer organizations, basket or mat weaving producer organizations, etc. The program has allowed the women members of these producer organizations to assist their organizations in the field of ICT and hence, improve operations.
2. The Local Council for Women and Children - a program implemented through the initiative of the Department of Interior and Local Government has allowed smallholder members of cooperatives and producer organizations to improve their stakes in their businesses by giving free trainings on the use of internet and the entrepreneurial applications of mobile technology specifically to women cooperative and producer organization members.
3. The CSWDO Bakery Project - smallholders in the City's project which established a bakery business for young adults with disabilities have been recipients of small instructional sessions on accounting and auditing software for use in their business.
Clearly, in all of these examples, women and smallholders are empowered in terms of their stakes in their respective organizations. Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that the reason why trainings specific to the needs of women and smallholders are conducted is because they are in fact, marginalized, and so, ICT knowledge and skills acquisition contributes to their removal from the margins, specifically, because they have become more capable in the applications of ICT to their respective fields.
Regards,
Bryan
Question 3 (opens 19 Nov.)
Hello Everyone,
Here in Roxas City there are a number of producer organizations and cooperatives that have benefitted so much from the local government (public sector). Being in the public sector myself, I have seen how producer organizations have worked together with the local government to improve their operations, in particular, in the areas of:
1. Funding - It is not new to most of us that in developing countries, producer organizations seek the assistance of lending institutions when they decide to expand operations which should include modernization of many of their systems such as their inventory systems, marketing, and communication systems, which are imperative for efficient and successful operations. The problem with this is that lending institutions are businesses that charge extremely high interest rates. The local government of Roxas City, seeing this problem, has extended financial assistance to a number of producer organizations in the city. The financial assistance extended is then paid back by producer organizations in manageable monthly amortizations. In many cases, the financial assistance extended was used in the purchase of computer units which are intended mostly for printing of product labels, for internet access needed in product research, and communication.
2. Technical Assistance - From previous discussions, it had been pointed out that one issue among producer organizations when it comes to ICT is the lack of skills or a good knowledge base. Our local government, responding to requests from certain producer organizations in the city, has brought in technical experts from the Department of Science and Technology, the TESDA, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Natural Resources, as well as from the National Computerization Commission to deliver information and education packages and conduct trainings for producer organizations. Some trainings include website design and product marketing and packaging, inventory and the use of communication systems in the marketing of products.
3. Networking - As with other local governments all over the Philippines, our LGU has also involved the private sector in the uptake of ICT among producer organizations. As mandated in the local government code, special bodies have been established as part of the local government organization. These special bodies are composed of representatives from the private and public sector working together to address issues (not necessarily limited to but including ICT concerns).
These three areas are probably the most viable areas where public sector intervention is most feasible when it comes to ICT for producer organizations.
Regards,
Bryan
Question 2 (opens 14 Nov.)
The education of farmers or producer organizations boomerangs back to the capacity of producer organizations to effectively utilize ICT, which sends us back to my initial contention that there needs to be a strong knowledge-base first so that resources do not go to waste - for instance, in the case of farmers requiring ICT capacity building and skills development, a good and very simple model could be conceived that would address the capacity and skills training needs of the respondents with the eventual end result of ICT implementation in their operations. The priority area, therefore, in this respect, is not really the purchase of ICT equipment or materials but framework or paradigm modelling.
Regards,
Bryan
Hi Michael,
"In the case of limited resources, and an assumption that an organization's goal is not related to the use of ICT itself, is this still the case?"
In a utopian sense, it should be because I personally believe that a good knowledge-base always works toward benefitting any organization, in general. It's a case of look before you leap and leap only when there is something to fall unto. This is where the value of theory-building, model development, and standard/criteria establishment lies. Any organization, in essense, should have had studies to back its objectives and goals. In cases where there are limited resources, like in developing countries for instance, the need for research and development in these three areas should even take the forefront because with limited resources, wastage should be avoided as much as possible and a good knowledge-base can lessen risky organizational decisions and possibly even faulty investment of resources.
"If it is, it would be helpful to see examples of producer organizations benefiting when they elucidate theory or build models/paradigms themselves. Otherwise it would be expected that concerns regarding limited resources will still lead investment elsewhere."
The efforts of the Asian Development Bank in knowledge management can be one example of my assertion. Projects that they fund are mostly based on exhaustive studies that are well grounded on theory, are well conceptualized in terms of modeling, and have concretely articulated standards. This works both ways - it ensures that the funding agency's investments are maximized and it also guarantees success for the funding recipient's program or project. Many other funding organizations think this way, hence my perception that there really is a need to focus on building rich knowledge bases for organizations. However, I do agree that limited resources could lead investment elsewhere, but for producer organizations that know better, research and development should really be prioritized.
Warm regards,
Bryan
Hello Everyone,
I personally see the need for producer organizations to allocate a significant share of their resources to research and development. While there has been anecdotal evidence as well as case studies showing how ICT can improve operations among producer organizations, there is still a need to enrich the producer organization knowledge-base with empirical studies aimed at:
1. Theory-building - there is a need for valid generalizations about the role of ICT in producer organizations
2. Model or paradigm development - working, tested, and assessed frameworks would help greatly in how to ensure that ICT operates efficiently in producer organizations
3. Criteria development - effective standards need to be set for ICT in producer organizations, for instance, what kind of ICT medium would work best in a particular producer organization?
Regards,
Bryan
Question 1 (opens 12 Nov.)
Hello Andrea,
I find your example of ICT as a marketing tool for honey producers to be quite interesting. The example seems to point out one thing - ICT can enable producers to exercise more control over operations. Operations that used to be handled by different divisions with different responsibilities could therefore be streamlined or centralized attributing more accountability to the producer organization. Simply put, with ICT, producer organizations have nobody else to blame for mistakes or to praise for successes but themselves.
Hi Anne,
You mentioned how ICT prevents exploitative middlemen from getting into the picture. I agree with you, earlier, I mentioned how ICT is able to prevent exploitation by producer organizations of resource managers. In this situation, resource managers can evolve and become producer organizations themselves without the need to link up with an external producer organization. On the outset, resource managers who do not have the capability to evolve into producer organizations could use ICT to determine the best producer organization for their resources. ICT, in this respect, does not only empower the resource manager but the producer organization as well.
Yes sir, it helps to point out also that ICT could provide the sometimes non-existent connection between resource managers and producers allowing a more efficient and more practical relationship. This link could also be a means of preventing exploitation of resource managers by producers.
Bry
Hi Adrian,
The way I perceive it, and from what we have been taught during our DevCom days, ICT need not be complex or inaccessible high-technology. Community radio operated by DevCom practitioners can be considered as ICT with agricultural communities at the receiving end. Fliers, bulletins, and simple brochures written in the local tongue about the latest farming technology can also be considered as ICT. If many of those in the agricultural sector are illiterate, then posters and training sessions could be the medium of choice.
Bry
The Pholas Orientalis is a bivalve endemic to the Island of Panay and mostly in the City of Roxas, Capiz, Philippines. It is locally known as diwal or the angel wing and is a sought after delicacy because of its distinct sweet flesh. In the late 90s, overharvesting and environmental factors caused the populations of the bivalve to dwindle drastically. Through the efforts of then, Mayor Antonio del Rosario, studies were conducted together with UPV and SEAFDEC which resulted in the resurgence of bivalve populations. The return of the bivalve prompted the local government to establish a Diwal Farmers and Harvesters Organization which consisted of divers who harvested the bivalve, coastal folk earning their livelihood from selling the bivalve, and divers who have been trained in the seeding and preservation process of the bivalve. With the producer organization in place, ICT has been a resource that proved to be inevitable. There have been many instances of unauthorized harvesting of the bivalve because now, harvesting it required permits from the local government unit. ICT provided the organization with a means to rapidly contact the coast guard to respond promptly to unauthorized harvest operations and illegal fishing practices that have been known to damage the habitat of the bivalve. Mobile technology facilitated quick reporting and response times. In addition, since the bivalve is not well-known, the internet has provided a means to promote it again via the posting of events such as a Diwal Festival which drew in people from all over the country. However, these are just the short termed results of ICT in the organization. Now, with access to internet, the organization has become more aware of how valued the bivalve is all over the country and have developed a deeper sense of accountability for their product. While their intention was to protect the bivalve because this was their source of livelihood, their awareness of the value of the diwal had prompted them to be more environmentally responsible so as not to damage their livelihood. In addition, they have also become more vigilant in guarding against potential threats to the coastal environment primarily because they were aware of the repercussions should environmental damage corrupt the breeding ground of their prized bivalve. Mobile technology has also allowed them to constantly report on bivalve populations, harvest volumes, and potential harvests facilitating effective and real-time monitoring and assessment as well as transparency in their operations considering that they are, in part, an organization supported by the local government unit.