Sergio Correa-Asmar
| Organization type | International Organization |
|---|---|
| Country | Colombia |
This member participated in the following Forums
Forum e-Agriculture: looking back and moving forward
Question 4 (opens 4 Dec.) What are appropriate targets/data to monitor our progress in “e-agriculture”
Submitted by Sergio Correa-Asmar on Fri, 12/06/2013 - 00:21
In Spanish we usually use this aphorism “Lo mejor es enemigo de lo bueno”. It can be translated as “the best is the enemy of the good” or “perfect is the enemy of the good” or just “keep it simple stupid!”
We know that we are dealing with a complex subject that can be affected by multiple factors that are constantly changing. So we have to decide whether to try to monitor something that can´t be completely monitored or to choose a reasonable amount of indicators that can give as a fair idea of what is happening and what may be the causes of that situation.
In that sense technology -especially mobile- can be a powerful partner or a big obstacle to simplicity. I will say that mobile technology has the ability to connect us directly to the field, process and report data faster and better, which translates in faster and better decision making. So why are we going to measure thousands of indicators when we can concentrate in the most relevant ones and then chose when to make a deeper research on a particular subject, group, etc.?
To keep this post simple and concrete I will recommend to anyone trying to monitor progress in “e-agriculture” the following things:
1. Include simple socio-demographic indicators that can give you a good idea about the HH poverty level. There are many tools available such as the Multi Dimensional Poverty Index, NBI “Necesidades Básicas Insatisfechas”, Progress Out of Poverty Index (PPI), etc. Many governments have studies in which they conclude which are the most common characteristics of poor families. Choose indicators that reflect the basic needs that a HH should access specially the ones that your intervention can affect.
2. Include a poverty measurement tool that is both simple, accurate and which results can be benchmarked with other regions, countries, etc. My suggestions are PPI and PAT.
3. Ask farmers about their attitude towards their livelihood. Understand their struggles and pain points.
4. Understand the farmer´s attitude towards the services different ag providers are delivering (credit, supplies, TA, etc).
5. Concentrate your farm´s diagnostic tools on outcome indicators and on the best agricultural practices you think they need to adopt in order to achieve them. Understand your theory of change; measure if farmers are adopting best practices and if those best practices are producing the desired outcomes.
6. Benchmark your results with all possible data available from trusted institutions.
7. Go to the field! Try to see if what your data is saying is reflected on what you see and hear from farmers.
We know that we are dealing with a complex subject that can be affected by multiple factors that are constantly changing. So we have to decide whether to try to monitor something that can´t be completely monitored or to choose a reasonable amount of indicators that can give as a fair idea of what is happening and what may be the causes of that situation.
In that sense technology -especially mobile- can be a powerful partner or a big obstacle to simplicity. I will say that mobile technology has the ability to connect us directly to the field, process and report data faster and better, which translates in faster and better decision making. So why are we going to measure thousands of indicators when we can concentrate in the most relevant ones and then chose when to make a deeper research on a particular subject, group, etc.?
To keep this post simple and concrete I will recommend to anyone trying to monitor progress in “e-agriculture” the following things:
1. Include simple socio-demographic indicators that can give you a good idea about the HH poverty level. There are many tools available such as the Multi Dimensional Poverty Index, NBI “Necesidades Básicas Insatisfechas”, Progress Out of Poverty Index (PPI), etc. Many governments have studies in which they conclude which are the most common characteristics of poor families. Choose indicators that reflect the basic needs that a HH should access specially the ones that your intervention can affect.
2. Include a poverty measurement tool that is both simple, accurate and which results can be benchmarked with other regions, countries, etc. My suggestions are PPI and PAT.
3. Ask farmers about their attitude towards their livelihood. Understand their struggles and pain points.
4. Understand the farmer´s attitude towards the services different ag providers are delivering (credit, supplies, TA, etc).
5. Concentrate your farm´s diagnostic tools on outcome indicators and on the best agricultural practices you think they need to adopt in order to achieve them. Understand your theory of change; measure if farmers are adopting best practices and if those best practices are producing the desired outcomes.
6. Benchmark your results with all possible data available from trusted institutions.
7. Go to the field! Try to see if what your data is saying is reflected on what you see and hear from farmers.