Tools of knowledge application workshop decription
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The two-hour workshop was attended by 15 participants from backgrounds related to agriculture, development, and IT. The workshop aimed to introduce user-centered design methodology and discuss challenges in Ethiopian agriculture and potential solutions. Participants brainstormed challenges, which were grouped into categories. They then split into two groups to discuss a challenge in more depth and propose solutions with or without ICT. The proposed solutions included a mobile knowledge platform for farmers, a peer-learning network for new crops, and an early warning system for disasters. The main result was identifying the participants as a valuable resource for new projects.
Tools of knowledge application workshop decription
- 1. 4.2 THE USER CENTERED APPROACH TO AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION Workshop by icebauhaus & AhadooTec Ethio-German Konnekt, Addis Ababa, November 2014 The two-hour workshop was attended by 15 participants of varying backgrounds, all in one way or the other related to agricultural development, development cooperation and/or IT development. The work- shop format was collaborative and participatory. Main aims were to: • Offer an opportunity to get acquainted with some aspects of User Centered Design methodology in IT development, i.e. to focus on thorough problem-definition before designing solutions as well as exploring the user’s perspective and context, • Reflect on whether and in which cases IT implementation can provide (more) relevant solutions or not always? • Crowd source and map main current challenges to agricultural development in Ethiopia, as well as some prototypical solution ideas. Workshop process: • A Short input presentation “ict4ag challenges & opportunities” • Collaborative brainstorm: The participants as a group named different current challenges to agricultural development, which were all added to a mind map and then collaboratively grouped into main categories. • The participants were split into 2 Work groups. Each group selected one of the main topic-areas to focus on, to discuss and describe a concrete challenge scenario, including contextual factors, stakeholders, effects and related scientific knowledge and technologies. • The participants were asked to draft and discuss potential solutions to the sketched challenges. Each of the two groups was further separated into two sub-groups: - Group 1A (knowledge / no ICT): Relied on the existing Agriculture Extension system as a basis for fur- ther knowledge exchange and introduction of new methods. - Group 1B (knowledge / ICT) imagined a mobile based platform that enables farmers themselves to enter knowledge deficits based on their own contextual view and make corresponding requests - Group 2A (climate change / no ICT): Imagined a peer-to-peer learning network for the introduction of new climate resilient crops - Group 2B (climate change / ICT): A multi-channel early warning system for disasters and dangers • The proposed solutions were finally presented briefly in the large EGK round. Main result: • The collective of participants, in particular CIM returning experts represent a constructive collective knowl- edge resource to be tapped for new projects