Presentation by Janet C Achora – PhD Candidate Agriculture and Rural Innovations- Makerere University Session: Implementation of ICTs for Development Strategies in Agriculture on 5 Nov 2013 ICT4Ag, Kigali, Rwanda

1. Effectiveness of ICT Based Engagement
Processes and Partnership building
Session 25: Implementation of ICTs for
Development Strategies in Agriculture
Janet C Achora – PhD Candidate Agriculture and
Rural Innovations- Makerere University

2. ICT Based Engagement
Processes in Partnership Building
Case study: Integrated Soil Fertility Management- ISFM

3. What are engagement processes ?
Does engagement involve?
Does engagement translate into practice?
How do ICTs promote engagements?

4. Principles of engagement
• Three principles based on engagement theory
• The first principle “Relate” refers to learning
activities that occur in a group context
• The second principle “Create” makes learning a
creative and purposeful activity
• The third principle “Donate” stresses the value of
making useful contribution while learning. Learning
activities have an outside (authentic) focus.

5. Types of ICTs used in engagement
Web Logs (blogs),
e-mail discussion groups,
dgroup, social media,
GIS, Community meetings ,
online forums,
Listening clubs
decision support systems,
mobile mapping ,
mobile (cellular)
phone applications,
community radio
stations

6. Ways in which ICTs may not engage
Neil. S, 2003 puts forward five factors that may influence an
individual’s non use of technology.





Economic/material
Cognitive deficiency
Technophobia
Ideological refusal and
diffusion
 are all fashioned around a deficit model where non-use of
technology is due to shortfalls n cognition, personality,
knowledge, resourcing, social situation or personal ideology.
 understood as the perceived needs of the individual rather
than the perceived needs of society

7. Example of partnership building
Use of experiential learning models
Information outreach models
Information and communication
mechanisms
Building entrepreneurial capacity along value
chains

8. Partnership building in ISFM & Value Chain relations
R&D
NGOs/GOVT
Company’s competitiveness,
Regulations/policies
Networks/
standards/information
Market trends
Transporters/cost
Payment
Information
Value Chain
Supporters
ISFM
Research
Polici
es
technologies
Information flow
& Research
M&E
Information flow
& Research
Farmers
Consumers
Janet C Achora, 2013
Cash
Private
sector
Production activities
Procuring input
Harvest & postharvest
handling
Processing
Transport & Trading

9. In concluding
• Engagement is an emerging concept
• The focus of most ICT intervention has been on use
and dissemination as opposed to measurement of
how the engagement processes of the actors
involved take place.
• Individuals are NOT just 'end users' with no role to
play in the technological process beyond accepting
ready-made technological artefacts, but rather
• Play an active part in exploring the processes
underlying how technologies are consumed and
used.

10. Conclusion
• How do these processes relate with the ICT
declarations and Agriculture?
• How do they result in Action?
• What needs to be done?