I agree with Sir Pierre that ICT marginalizes women and small holders in producer organizations. According to NAM S&T Centre’s publication “market economy trends in the new era of globalization widened the gap between education and technology opportunities for men and women.”  However, women are rich human capital which when given the right intervention can help boosts economic activities using ICT. http://www.namstct.org/Publication_Pdf/Info_Brochure_Empowerment_Women_10.pdf

Below is a success story of women using CELAC (Collecting & Exchange of Local Agricultural Content) in Uganda lifted from http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict_stories/themes/e-rural.html

Success Strategy: It is a common trend today within government and the farming community that in

order to realize increasing and better farm outputs, one needs to adopt use of modern farming methods. True as it may sound, its practicality among the grassroot farming communities is doubtable.

This is because its adoption comes along with the need to use modern farm inputs like hybrid seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and machinery which these farmers cannot afford. In Uganda, more than 70% of the farming community is composed of the women folk. It is they that shoulder the burden of fending for their often polygamous and extended families while the men collect, apportion and spend the incomes derived. It is on this foundation that the CELAC Project was laid. The project targets improving particularly the rural women farmers’ livelihoods and food security through engaging the government and civil society (women farmers inclusive) into a culture of knowledge sharing and information management of local content using ICT methods that include weekly SMS; the annual Knowledge Fair; radio and informational brochures and newsletters; through radio cassette and DVDs and the project website.

Partners: BROSDI, Hivos, FICOM (Farmers information Communication Management), ICTARD (Information Communication and Technologies for Africa Rural Development), Linux Solutions, VEDCO (Volunteer Efforts for Development Concerns), World Vision, NAADS (National Agricultural Advisory Services)

Factors such as social, economic and regulatory environment can influence the success of ICT project implementation.

Public sector can support producers’ organizations and their uptake of ICT by formulating policies which will make way for telecommunications infrastructure and access; strengthen and enable implementation of ICT projects by developing the skills of the extension agents on their role as link between the farmers and research products/technologies ; informed discussion with producers’ organizations on the potential application of ICT; education and digital literacy of producers’ organizations;  grant incentives for ICT education and training at all level;  provide support/investment on ICT research for  ICT development to attract investors and encourage private sectors to innovate;  find means for sharing best practices and lessons learned of other organizations;  strengthen online security and privacy; encourage private sectors to invest on ICT by giving them affordable financing incentives (tax credits, loans at affordable interest and accelerated appreciation schedules for ICT assets); encourage competition among ICT firms/suppliers – competitive bidding  - when procuring ICT products/services and promote public-private partnership for ICT program/projects/undertakings (including research).

ICT as Enablers of Development: A Microsoft Whitepaper 2004

www.itu.int/wsis/stocktaking/docs/activities/1109618441

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) here in the Philippines has this flagship program known as the Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS). It is a self-assessment tool and web-based development management tool for provinces, cities and municipalities capable of providing information on the capacities and limitations of Local Government Units (LGUs) in the delivery of essential services (Compendium of DILG Key Programs and Projects). It aims to provide results-oriented information concerning levels of LGU management capacity, service delivery and state of development. It emphasizes on the areas of Valuing Fundamentals of Good Governance, Administration Governance, Social Services Governance, Economic Development Governance – which includes support to Agriculture and support to Fishery sectors - and Environmental Management Governance. It also reflects financial reports of the LGU and the state of local development (generated every three years after the term of the local officials). The results of the LGPMS are the State of Local Governance Report (SLGR), e-Financial Report and State of Local Development Report (SLDR). After generating these reports, an Exit Conference or Utilization Conference is conducted to address the gaps by incorporating it in the Local Development Plans as well as the Capacity Development Agenda. CSOs and Private Sectors' representatives are also invited for their inputs. LGUs’ performances are open to the public.

Another program of the Department initiated by the late SILG Robredo is the Full Disclosure Policy (FDP), where LGUs are required to post Local Budget and Finances, and Bids and Public Offerings in the FDP Portal. Compliance to FDP is one of the requirements of the LGU in receiving the Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH) award which enable LGUs –especially 4th -6th class – to avail the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF), which can be used to augment in financing development projects included in the Annual Investment Program (AIP). SGH is also a requirement for an LGU to avail of bank loans and other financial institutions per Local Finance Circular 1-2012.

ICT adoption is influenced by factors like: location, size and income level of the operation, access to market, insertion to the production chain, technological level and the age and education of the producers. Thus, to take advantage of ICT and to reverse asymmetrical development in agricultural production; measures such as developing mechanisms on the exchange of regional experiences (best practices) like facilitating access of farmers to ICT using telecentres, computer supply and connectivity programs for rural school, motivational and educational strategies aimed at overcoming resistance, demonstrating the usefulness of the technologies and developing digital skills are needed.  For virtual capacity, implementing data flatforms and portals are recommended. With the assumption that connectivity will be supplied by the National Telecommunications Office, efforts should be focused on motivating farmers to adopt ICTs in management and production. It is very important that policies should be technically and financially feasible and sustainable and take into account the specific characteristics of the production systems, technological evolution and the range of interactions with the competitive, institutional and social environment should be in place. – Monica Rodrigues, Economic Affairs Officer, ECLAC   http://www.eclac.cl/socinfo/noticias/paginas/3/44983/newsletter18ENG.pdf

The Department of Budget and Management in cooperation with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, National Anti-Poverty Commission and the National Statistics Office spearheaded the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) an important endeavor by the Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Cluster headed by His Excellency President Benigno S. Aquino III.  This is in response to the need for a comprehensive and systematic information system that caters to the various data and information needs of economic development, planners, policymakers, and project implementors. RSBSA uses ICT, filled-up forms are scanned and stored in database.