User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania
Sustainable intensification (SI) is promoted as a rural development paradigm for sub-Saharan Africa. Achieving SI requires smallholder farmers to have access to information that is context-specific, increases their decision-making capacities, and adapts to changing environments. Current extension se...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
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Informa UK Limited
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/107093 |
| _version_ | 1855540442721943552 |
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| author | Ortíz Crespo, Berta Steinke, Jonathan Quirós, Carlos F. Gevel, Jeske M.J, van de Daudi, Happy Mgimiloko, Majuto Gaspar Etten, Jacob van |
| author_browse | Daudi, Happy Etten, Jacob van Gevel, Jeske M.J, van de Mgimiloko, Majuto Gaspar Ortíz Crespo, Berta Quirós, Carlos F. Steinke, Jonathan |
| author_facet | Ortíz Crespo, Berta Steinke, Jonathan Quirós, Carlos F. Gevel, Jeske M.J, van de Daudi, Happy Mgimiloko, Majuto Gaspar Etten, Jacob van |
| author_sort | Ortíz Crespo, Berta |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Sustainable intensification (SI) is promoted as a rural development paradigm for sub-Saharan Africa. Achieving SI requires smallholder farmers to have access to information that is context-specific, increases their decision-making capacities, and adapts to changing environments. Current extension services often struggle to address these needs. New mobile phone-based services can help. In order to enhance the public extension service in Tanzania, we created a digital service that addresses smallholder farmers’ different information needs for implementing SI. Using a co-design methodology – User-Centered Design – we elicited feedback from farmers and extension agents in Tanzania to create a new digital information service, called Ushauri. This automated hotline gives farmers access to a set of pre-recorded messages. Additionally, farmers can ask questions in a mailbox. Extension agents then listen to these questions through an online platform, where they record and send replies via automated push-calls. A test with 97 farmers in Tanzania showed that farmers actively engaged with the service to access agricultural advice. Extension agents were able to answer questions with reduced workload compared to conventional communication channels. This study illustrates how User-Centered Design can be used to develop information services for complex and resource-restricted smallholder farming contexts. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace107093 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Informa UK Limited |
| publisherStr | Informa UK Limited |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1070932025-11-12T05:48:46Z User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania Ortíz Crespo, Berta Steinke, Jonathan Quirós, Carlos F. Gevel, Jeske M.J, van de Daudi, Happy Mgimiloko, Majuto Gaspar Etten, Jacob van digital technology innovation access to information mobile equipment farmers sustainability Sustainable intensification (SI) is promoted as a rural development paradigm for sub-Saharan Africa. Achieving SI requires smallholder farmers to have access to information that is context-specific, increases their decision-making capacities, and adapts to changing environments. Current extension services often struggle to address these needs. New mobile phone-based services can help. In order to enhance the public extension service in Tanzania, we created a digital service that addresses smallholder farmers’ different information needs for implementing SI. Using a co-design methodology – User-Centered Design – we elicited feedback from farmers and extension agents in Tanzania to create a new digital information service, called Ushauri. This automated hotline gives farmers access to a set of pre-recorded messages. Additionally, farmers can ask questions in a mailbox. Extension agents then listen to these questions through an online platform, where they record and send replies via automated push-calls. A test with 97 farmers in Tanzania showed that farmers actively engaged with the service to access agricultural advice. Extension agents were able to answer questions with reduced workload compared to conventional communication channels. This study illustrates how User-Centered Design can be used to develop information services for complex and resource-restricted smallholder farming contexts. 2021-11-02 2020-02-14T13:00:02Z 2020-02-14T13:00:02Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/107093 en Open Access application/pdf Informa UK Limited Ortiz-Crespo, B.; Steinke, J.; Quirós, C.F.; van de Gevel, J.; Daudi, H.; Mgimiloko, M.G.; van Etten, J. (2020) User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 18 p. ISSN: 1473-5903 |
| spellingShingle | digital technology innovation access to information mobile equipment farmers sustainability Ortíz Crespo, Berta Steinke, Jonathan Quirós, Carlos F. Gevel, Jeske M.J, van de Daudi, Happy Mgimiloko, Majuto Gaspar Etten, Jacob van User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania |
| title | User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania |
| title_full | User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania |
| title_short | User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania |
| title_sort | user centred design of a digital advisory service enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in tanzania |
| topic | digital technology innovation access to information mobile equipment farmers sustainability |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/107093 |
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