DOING MOBILE TECH FOR AG BETTER

Josh Woodard, Regional ICT & Digital Finance Specialist, FHI 360Nick Lesher, General Partner, OpenRevolution

November 6th, 2014

How the Integrating Mobiles into Development Projects Handbook Can Help

The handbook is an interactive guide for USAID staff and development practitioners who are interested in effectively integrating mobile devices into development projects

WHAT IS IT?

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It is divided into two core sections with five components:

Understand provides readers with a comprehensive overview of mobiles for development (M4D) and the mobiles ecosystem

Implement is loaded with tips and tools for project design, procurement, and monitoring and evaluation

WHAT DOES IT CONTAIN?

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Beyond the two core sections, it has a Resourcessection packed with

Factsheets

Worksheets

Templates

An inventory of M4D initiatives in SE Asia

A directory of USAID projects using mobiles in SE Asia

A glossary of M4D-related terms

WHAT ELSE DOES IT HAVE?

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Roughly half the world owns a mobile device—and that number is growing quickly. In 2013 mobile phone ownership grew roughly 7x faster than the global population.

Development practitioners who ignore this trend do so at their own peril. The handbook will help you make sense of how to capitalize on this trend for better development outcomes.

WHY BOTHER READING IT?

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Need to quickly get up to speed on M4D? The Understand section has you covered

Thinking about using mobiles? Check out our six-step process in component 3 to integrating them into projects

Planning to issue a procurement? Check out the tips and techniques in component 4 for developing and evaluating solicitations and for developing comprehensive cost estimates

Already working with a project using mobiles? Component 5 is full of useful suggestions and ideas for critically monitoring and evaluating it for success

HOW CAN IT HELP YOU?

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The handbook is designed to be both informative and actionable. It is an interactive PDF, which means you can easily and quickly navigate it.

The two sections and each component within them are designed to be complementary, although they do not need to be readsequentially.

HOW SHOULD YOU USE IT?

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POTENTIAL ROLE OF MOBILES IN AGRICULTURE

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Contingent on multiple factors, including:

• Target User Base: Farmers vs. Ext Workers vs. Agribusiness vs. Others?

• Needs: Information, transactions, a mix?

• Access: Devices, Services, Usage, Cost

• Credibility: Trusted how and known to who?

MAPPING POTENTIAL USER NEEDS IN AG

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Inputs (seed, fertilizer)

Weather

HarvestingPlanting/Crop Mgmt

Other Payments(e.g. School Fees)

Ag Input Retailers

Commodity Pricing

Seasonal/Day Laborers

Loans/Credit

Information

Transactions

Networks/Communities

Local Markets

Warehousing/storage

Traders

Coops / Associations

Fellow Growers Family &

Friends

Location of Buyers

Service Ext. Workers

FINDING COMMON GROUND AND ALIGNMENT

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Despite the number and type of stakeholders, interests can converge. An example from Ghana…

• Export grade product

• Secure supply for new milling capacity

• Efficient farm gate payment

Large Buyer

Farmer

• Increased yield

• Better price

• Guaranteed price

• Higher income

Donor• Financial inclusion

• Higher income

MNO • Increased market penetration / new subscribers

• Increased mobile money uptake and usage

MOBILE’S ROLE AT DIFFERENT STAGES

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• Tablets used for survey enumeration

• Survey results submitted in real time as

well as store and forward

Project Elements Mobile Component

Market Research – Determine farmer needs and other project requirements

Seed Voucher – Farmer given seed/ fertilizer voucher (subsidy, not free)

• MNO used m-money platform to issue

e-vouchers to farmers

• Ag input stores used m-money platform

for e-voucher redemption

Extension Services – Ensure that proper protocols are being followed

• Extension workers are supported

with Ag-specific SMS msging

• Tailored content for specific points

in the crop life cycle

Payment – Farmers are paid net proceeds in a timely manner

• Large buyer pays Lead Farmer/

Collector via bank wire or m-money

• Lead Farmer/Collector pays farmers via

mobile money

Current Mobile Services Template

Sample M4D Evaluation Template

Mobiles For Development Checklist

OVERVIEW OF SELECTED RESOURCES

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CURRENT MOBILE SERVICES TEMPLATE

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Service

Name

Provider

(if different)

Sector Brief Description Delivery

Models

Compatible

Devices

Overall

Relevance

Tigo Cash Tigo FS /

Telecom

E-wallet account

supporting multiple

transactions

USSD / WAP basic, feature,

smart

High

Farmforce Syngenta Fdn IT / Ag data management

and work flow app

WAP /

software

Mobiles,

tablets, PCs

High

SAMPLE M4D EVALUATION TEMPLATE

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Technical Proposal Evaluation Part 3 Pts PossibleCompany/Other entity

A B C D

Personnel

Qualifications of Senior Specialists

Professional experience in M4D (i.e. m-money, mobile app

development, etc.)

Relevance of experience to TOR

Direct experience in implementation of M4D projects

Proven ability to engage with senior level stakeholders

Proven ability on strategy development and planning

Training experience

Qualifications of Specialists

Professional experience in the area of specialization

Relevance of experience to TOR

Direct experience in implementation of mobile services

Evidence of development of reports, tools, manuals,

models

Training experience

Knowledge of the region

Total Part 3

M4D CHECKLIST APPLIED

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Step 2: Determine project pre-requisites (circle or highlight all that apply)

How are you thinking about

using mobile?

Requisite functions Minimum delivery model

requirements

Minimum device requirements

Information sharing Push (for one-way) plus Pull (for two-way)

Basic: SMS, voice, IVR Basic phone

Data collection Push, Pull, Storage Basic: SMS, voiceAdvanced: App

Basic: basic phoneAdvanced: feature phone, smart phone, tablet

Payments Transaction USSD, SMS Basic phoneFacilitating networks (i.e. commodity trading)

Push and Pull Basic: SMS, voice, IVRAdvanced: App

Basic: basic phoneAdvanced: feature phone, smart phone, tablet

Community building Push and Pull, and/or Interactive

Basic: SMS, voice, IVRAdvanced: App, web, and/or msging

Basic: basic phoneAdvanced: smart phone, tablet

Supply chain management (health, agriculture, etc.)

Push, Pull, Storage Basic: SMS, IVR Advanced: App, web

Basic: basic phoneAdvanced: feature phone, smart phone, tablet

OtherBased on all of the above, what are your minimum requirements? (select all that apply)

Function Push☐ Pull☐ Storage☐ Transaction☐ Interactive☐

Delivery model SMS☐ Voice☐ IVR☐ Web☐ App☐ MMS☐ Messaging☐ GPS☐

Device Basic☐ Feature☐ phone☐ Smartphone☐ Tablet☐

M4D CHECKLIST APPLIED

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Step 3: Collect data to understand the landscapeMacro-level data Data (insert your findings here) Assess (High, Med, Low)

SIM penetration High (> 80%) ☐, Medium

(50-80%) ☐, Low (< 50%) ☐

Network coverage High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

Telecom Sector Competition High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

Current mobile service availability

High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

Adult literacy High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

Policy & Regulatory environment High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

Micro-level data

Handset ownership High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

Access to mobile phones (personal or ability to use others)

High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

Literacy/numeracy (incl. digital) High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

Frequency of mobile usage High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

Access to other ICTs (radio, TV) High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

Disposable income High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

Mobile money usage High ☐, Medium ☐, Low ☐

M4D CHECKLIST APPLIED

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Step 4: Decide if use of mobiles in the project is feasible and appropriate (based on the above)

Based on the information above, which of the potential usages are possible within the proposed project? Why?

What cost impact would using mobiles potentially have if they were integrated into the proposed project?

What types of initiatives or activities might be necessary to further facilitate the uptake of the types of mobile

services you are interested in? [While there is no magic number for the scoring in Step 2, a significant number of ‘low’

scores might be a sign that more proactive measures are necessary]

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Download the handbook today at: http://goo.gl/UPpAV3

And feel free to contact us at:jwoodard@fhi360.org (Josh)

nick@openrevmobile.com (Nick)